Competition targets skills of high school students
■ Leaders examine student projects for placement in a
national ACT-SO contest, to be held during the NAACP
annual convention in Baltimore
By Lorraine-Michelle Faust
Oregon Daily Emerald
African-American students
from around Lane County com
peted Saturday in the Afro-Acad
emic Cultural Technological Sci
entific Olympics (ACT-SO) at
Sheldon High School.
At the local ACT-SO competi
tion student projects are judged
by teachers and professionals
from the community. Categories
encompass a wide array of fields
including, but not limited to, sci
ence and mathematics (biology,
chemistry, physics, algebra, cal
culus), visual/performing arts
(photography, dance, theater) as
well as speech, poetry and essay
writing. Students who receive 92
points or more are given a gold
medal and go on to compete at
the national ACT-SO competi
tion, which is held during the an
nual convention for the National
Association for the Advancement
of Colored People (NAACP). This
year it will be in Baltimore, home
of the NAACP’s national head
quarters.
Kawezya Hutchinson, an 18
year-old senior at South Eugene
High School, competed in the
ACT-SO drawing competition.
“Usually, you see Grace Kelly
and Katherine Hepburn in Amer
ican visions of elegance and
grace, but this is different be
cause even though it’s a village
they have pride about them
selves, they carry themselves in a
manner that is really powerful
and it speaks to you,” she said
explaining an African scene she
had drawn that used fluid colors
to display thin, African women
carrying pots on their heads. Ar
brella Luvert, the ACT-SO chair
woman, said she believes the
community needs to begin to dis
cover the elegance and grace in
those who are usually over
looked.
“We need everybody to recog
nize the various gifts that kids
have,” she said.
The ACT-SO coordinator, Dr.
Snell Fontus, is still looking to
improve the program, but says it
needs more community and Uni
versity involvement. Many of the
program’s mentors are University
professors, but Fontus said he
would like to see more student
volunteers in the program.
“I would love to tap into the
University because [it has] a
whole bunch of equipment that
we don’t have access to,” he said.
Luvert said Vernon Jarrett,
ACT-SO’s founder, started the
program “to counteract some of
the negative press that was given
to African-American students. So
( ( The purpose of the
program is not necessari
ly to cultivate a group of
winners, but to really
bring to the forefront
that we have kids out
there that we are not rec
ognizing.
Snell Fontus
ACT-SO coordinator » t
that every time that you look up,
it’s not just a negative thing.”
Fontus said that recognition of
students’ talents works to create
leaders in the community. Previ
ous ACT-SO participants have
come back from national compe
titions to begin multicultural
clubs in their high schools and
many of them lead the NAACP
Youth Council.
“For a kid from Eugene, it’s the
first time that they’re in a conven
tion center with 5,000 other black
people, and we’re talking 5,000
talented black people — people
who are professionals, movies
stars go there, the heads of civil
rights organizations go there,”
Fontus said. “It’s a great experi
ence.”
Luvert emphasized that she
thinks kids will achieve if leaders
cultivate their self esteem.
“The purpose of the program is
not necessarily to cultivate a
group of winners, but to really
bring to the forefront that we
have kids out there that we are
not recognizing,” she said.
The ACT-SO meetings are held
in conjunction with the NAACP
Youth Council meetings at noon
on every third Saturday of the
month at the NAACP office at 44
W. Broadway. Those interested in
donating time or money to ACT
SO can also call Fontus at 684
4716.
Multicultural
continued from page 1
*tyle foods will be served as part of a buffet.
The proceeds will be donated to PCUN, the
Spanish acronym for the Northwest Farm
worker Union.
There will be keynote addresses by
Seale and Olmos following the dinner.
Hernandez said MCC members are excited
to hear Seale speak about founding the
Black Panther Party in the 1960s.
“One of the reasons why we chose for
him to come here is because we want to
know more about the climate during that
time,” he said.
Olmos will also deliver a keynote ad
dress relating to activism and his personal
experiences as an activist.
MCC program organizer Darlene Dadras
said Olmos usually speaks to under repre
sented audiences who have no voice in
their communities. Dadras said college
students are not among Olmos’ typical lis
teners, but they also need to hear his mes
sage.
Hernandez said the MCC invited Olmos
because it will be showing his film “Amer
icanos: Latino Life in the United States” as
part of the celebration. The film, which
has not received widespread release yet,
will be shown Thursday evening. Hernan
dez said the film portrays the roles Latinos
living in the United States play in their
communities.
“We’re honored to have this film,” Her
nandez said.
Seale will also speak Friday at noon at
the MCC and engage in an open forum
with students.
In an effort to encourage diversity
among faculty and University depart
ments, MCC members will give out the
“zero awards” on Thursday at noon in the
EMU Amphitheater to departments that
currently lack tenured faculty of color.
Hernandez and Dadras said they hope
the awards, given to both first-time and
past recipients, will provide an incentive
for more diversity in the more than 10 de
partments that currently do not have
tenured faculty members of color.
“It’s important because right now there
are several search committees in place be
cause this is the hiring season for several
departments,” Hernandez said.
Another event promoting diversity will
be held Saturday in the EMU Ballroom.
The Black Student Union is hosting a
Black Arts Festival, which will include a
variety of musical performances and a step
show.
Hernandez and Dadras said MCC mem
bers have been working to organize the
speaker series since October and are now
looking forward to seeing their efforts
come together this week.
MCC program advocate Jamila Singleton
said she hopes the events will educate the
campus community as well as the commu
nity at large about labor and diversity is
sues.
“I’m looking forward to all of them,”
Singleton said. “I’m hoping to see students
from all over the campus gather together
and hear the speakers.”
Dadras said although the events are
combined for the purposes of the celebra
tion, every event is a highlight in its own
right. She also said all events are impor
tant in reinforcing the messages the MCC
tries to convey.
“I feel like the celebration of activism is
a great line for what the MCC is hoping to
bring to this campus,” she said.
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