Saturday, April 21, 2012

Sharing Diversity with Our Communities

Moraine Park’s Fond du Lac campus was filled with the sights, sounds and tastes of over 20 different cultures as the College celebrated Multicultural Day on Wednesday, April 18. It was wonderful seeing the College and community come together in celebration of diversity.
Tou Ger Xiong represented one of the many cultures being shared at Multicultural Day. I had the opportunity to meet with Tou Ger Xiong, or “Hmong Boy” as he also refers to himself after his presentation. He and I shared the importance to bringing humor into our daily life and to not just others too quickly.  I was inspired by the message he shared with all of us.  He is a role model for others!
Tou Ger Xiong shared his Hmong culture through storytelling, humor, folklore and even a rap number. He involved the audience members in his dynamic performance which was very entertaining. During his performance, we learned about his life from the jungles of Laos, to the refugee camps of Thailand, to the public housing projects of America and to his life today as a national performance artist.
In addition to Tou Ger Xiong, the Tamarind Tribal Belly Dancers of Milwaukee made an appearance, sharing their tribal-infused dancing talents. There were also student performers, a fashion show and a wonderful assortment of international food from our Culinary Arts area. This event made me proud to be part of such a diverse campus and community; thank you to all who participated and made Multicultural Day such a success!

Friday, April 20, 2012

Achieving Academic Excellence

Moraine Park students were recently inducted into Beta Mu Kappa, Moraine Park’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, which is an international honor society. It was wonderful attending the event and joining in the celebration with these students.  Guests in attendance were enthusiastic as students signed the official book recognizing them as a member of PTK and accepted the traditional rose.  As I congratulated each student I could see how proud they felt and more importantly their goal to complete their education at MPTC.
To be eligible for Phi Theta Kappa, students have to achieve and maintain a GPA of 3.5. It’s pretty amazing because many of these students are balancing a family, job and other life commitments – all while achieving academic excellence.
Everyone at the College is proud of the hard work these students have put forth throughout the semester. I hope final projects and exams go well for everyone as the semester comes to an end. Keep up the good work!