2008 Woodie Awards
Latino Issues Conference skirts stereotypes, focuses on gender
By: Steve Kunkler
Issue date: 4/16/08 Section: Campus
Every year, the University invites faculty and staff from around northwest Ohio to its Latino Issues Conference.
This year, the 14th annual conference will focus on a wide variety of issues surrounding gender and empowerment, and will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. today in the Union Ballroom.
Included in the day's events will be keynote speaker Diana Marinez, from Texas A&M Corpus Christi, who will discuss Latinos in science. The speech will be held at noon.
The conference is free to attend, but there is an $8 fee for lunch.
For Manny Pomales, a senior associate director and research consultant for Univ 120:Learning-Behavior Assessments, the goal of the conference is not only high attendance, but also to teach as many people as possible about Latino cultures from the speakers' perspectives.
For Pomales, there is a feeling in the Latino Community that they are being left out.
"Sometimes Latinos are viewed as being illegal, although they have been here generation after generation," Pomales said.
Pomales added that with the theme focusing on women in science, the conference will go against the usual depiction of Latino culture being male-dominated.
Farrah Garcia, a secretary for the Latino Student Union, said the conference will help create an open frame of mind. Garcia added that the stereotypes result from not being aware of the issues going on.
"They should be more aware of the things going around them as far as Latino issues go, and this conference helps others become educated about Latino issues," Garcia said.
Members of the Latino Student Union said they hope the conference will disconnect from topics that show stereotypes of Latinos and focus on immigration laws.
Nathaniel Olmeda, a junior majoring in human development and family studies, said even though the conference will pay attention to stereotypes and immigration laws, these issues will not be the focal point of the event.
Olmeda also mentioned that the conference will be a way for students on campus to learn more about Latino issues.
"The conference is a good way for the student body to recognize the faculty and the University who is trying to continue to promote cultural awareness in anyway [they can]," Olmeda said.
This year, the 14th annual conference will focus on a wide variety of issues surrounding gender and empowerment, and will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. today in the Union Ballroom.
Included in the day's events will be keynote speaker Diana Marinez, from Texas A&M Corpus Christi, who will discuss Latinos in science. The speech will be held at noon.
The conference is free to attend, but there is an $8 fee for lunch.
For Manny Pomales, a senior associate director and research consultant for Univ 120:Learning-Behavior Assessments, the goal of the conference is not only high attendance, but also to teach as many people as possible about Latino cultures from the speakers' perspectives.
For Pomales, there is a feeling in the Latino Community that they are being left out.
"Sometimes Latinos are viewed as being illegal, although they have been here generation after generation," Pomales said.
Pomales added that with the theme focusing on women in science, the conference will go against the usual depiction of Latino culture being male-dominated.
Farrah Garcia, a secretary for the Latino Student Union, said the conference will help create an open frame of mind. Garcia added that the stereotypes result from not being aware of the issues going on.
"They should be more aware of the things going around them as far as Latino issues go, and this conference helps others become educated about Latino issues," Garcia said.
Members of the Latino Student Union said they hope the conference will disconnect from topics that show stereotypes of Latinos and focus on immigration laws.
Nathaniel Olmeda, a junior majoring in human development and family studies, said even though the conference will pay attention to stereotypes and immigration laws, these issues will not be the focal point of the event.
Olmeda also mentioned that the conference will be a way for students on campus to learn more about Latino issues.
"The conference is a good way for the student body to recognize the faculty and the University who is trying to continue to promote cultural awareness in anyway [they can]," Olmeda said.
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