Community Connections: The OMCD’s Spring Agenda
By NEHA MODAK ‘22
As we head into April, spring is finally here and the end of the school year is beginning. Most of Milton is beginning to wrap up and shift the focus to next year; however, things are as busy as ever, if not busier, in the Office of Multiculturalism and Community Development. Not only is the OMCD planning for next year, but they also are focusing on Transitions over the summer, as well as working on a few projects they still aim to complete before graduation. There is a common thread in their agenda and goals for the coming months: connection. The two biggest projects the OMCD is working on this spring—the Cultural Council and Transitions—exhibit their efforts to connect different parts of Milton, share discussions, and engage everybody in improving the community.
Last year, the OMCD piloted “The Working Group” as an attempt to connect different cultural clubs through their leaders. As could be expected, this first run involved some successful areas and some that needed improvement. After revising the concept, a new version was implemented called ‘The Cultural Council,’ also called the MACC. Ilan Rodriguez, the Director of Student Multicultural Programming, compares the Council to the SGA; both groups attempt to address student issues and interconnect different parts of the school. Rodriguez says, “we talk about institutional practices, things that are disrupting our community, and issues that are taking place either within the community or worldwide. We can just really come together and have a conversation.”
While culture clubs work separately most of the time, MACC aims for increased joint discussions and programming between the clubs. Additionally, the MACC hopes to establish connections between faculty and students, different grades, and varying cultural groups. The Council wants the community to share conversations about identity and to build skills in navigating such conversations. Getting this initiative started is a large task and is one of the things that will be occupying the OMCD for the rest of this spring.
Another large undertaking the OMCD will tackle this spring is the Transitions Program. As the student body knows, substantial changes to the program will be made, and some details still remain uncertain. As Heather Flewelling, the Director of Multiculturalism and Community Development, points out, “all that we have to gain from this new model...also comes with some losses.” Nonetheless, the OMCD has a clear vision for the new model of Transitions. There will still be a focus on identity and the questions around identity, but the difference, as Ms. Flewelling says, is a new “community commitment to the work.” The goal of the new model is to give all students the incentive to discuss diversity and each other’s identity. The new program aims to emphasize the benefit multicultural work has for everyone. Additionally, the OMCD is trying to take into account the varying levels of experience that students have with such conversations, and is seeking to provide all students with foundational skills.
As summer draws closer, clarifying plans for the Transitions Program and ironing out all the details is a top priority for the OMCD. They also want to incorporate dialogue between students and the Administration into the new Transitions program, hence the addition of the new role of student ambassador. Student ambassadors will express the opinions the student body has about changes being made and discuss with faculty on how to improve the program.
As Flewelling explained, “Milton’s greatest strengths are our greatest challenges.” This spring, the Office of Multiculturalism and Community Development will do their best to emphasize these strengths by reinventing Transitions, forming a Cultural Council, and, above all, creating a community that will emphasise connections.