Student Development

Approximately 25 students involved in the STAR program (Students Talk About Race) at Mount St. Maryês College, Los Angeles, will facilitate group discussions about race with middle and senior high school students at five Los Angeles area schools beginning in fall 1997 semester. The facilitators-in-training are students from both Mount St. Maryês College and the University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA) and will serve as peer role models and discussion leaders on topics ranging from how the media portrays race to insights into individual prejudices. Weekly 50-minute sessions will be held at the five area schools over a period of eight weeks.

STAR provides race relations training for students from Mount St. Maryês College as well as other area institutions participating in the program. Created in 1992 by People for the American Way, a non-profit constitutional liberties organization, the STAR program emerged in response to the racial violence following the Rodney King verdict and has continued because of the valuable support it provides in helping students grapple with issues of race.
Sr. Maria Angela Mesa is the contact at (213) 477-2672.

Along with the discussion series, Mount St. Maryês College also publishes a series of communication tools about diversity. A new monograph, Teaching for Culture Fluency, is designed to help individuals become culturally fluent and comfortable operating within diverse communities. Several diversity package kits offer a video featuring internationally acclaimed poet and author Maya Angelou, a leaderês guide, and monographs addressing such topics as "Making Diversity Work in Business and Education" and "Opening Doors: Helping the Underprepared Succeed in the Classroom and the Workplace."
For more information contact Mount St. Maryês PrismPublishing at (310) 954-4086

Mount St. Maryês College offers students numerous opportunities to get involved, and to learn about and celebrate diverse cultures through its student clubs and organizations. Open to all members of the student body, the groups listed below are just a few of the many opportunities available to students to learn about other cultures and to develop leadership skills:

Associated Student Body:
Every registered student is a member of the Associated Student Body, which has three elected bodies: the Executive Board, the Senate, and the Student Activities Council. ASB sponsors a multicultural night, the spring formal and family day activities.

African American Council of Women:
AACW furthers African American awareness by creating an educational and informative atmosphere at the Mount. The purpose of this group is to improve the quality of life for the students from the perspective of, but not limited to African American culture, as well as to promote sisterhood within the student body.

Amnesty International:
Strives to create an awareness of human rights and increase participation in social justice issues.

Commuter Club:
Offers an opportunity for commuter students to meet one another and generate feelings of community and involvement.

Latinas Unidas:
Provides support for Hispanic/Latina students and encourages all students to become aware of Latin cultures.

Le Club Francais:
Established to create an environment outside of the classroom conducive to experiencing the culture of France and French-speaking countries. Members also seek to create an educational and informative atmosphere on campus.

Pangkat Pilipino:
Also known as the Filipino American Student Association, this club promotes Filipino culture through educational means.

Student Ambassadors:
Students visit Los Angeles area high schools encouraging students to continue their education and helping them understand the benefits of a college education.

Vietnamese Student Association:
Furthers Vietnamese awareness and culture by creating an educational and informative atmosphere at the Mount.

Women Advocates for Knowledge and Empowerment;
W.AK.E. UP was established to teach students to become advocates on public issues, Members are encouraged to develop the skills necessary to affect social and political change.