University YMCA Student Board Stands in Solidarity with Black Students

In light of the backlash against Black student protests, the University YMCA Student Board and Y student program leaders took a stand against the racial injustices on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus. Student leaders at the Y released their statement of solidarity on Friday, November 20, a few days after Black students protesting against racial injustices on the Main Quad received back lash from white supremacists and inaction from the University's Administration.  Here is the full, open letter, written and signed by the University YMCA student leaders:

To the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign community,

For the Black students who organized and took part in the November 18th rally and who have been the primary targets of racist posts and comments, we, the leaders of student organizations at the University YMCA, support your fight to be heard, respected, and empowered. We admire your courage in the face of hate and structural oppression. These incidents have made it evident that the goals of Inclusive Illinois have not been met. We will not stand by while peaceful activism for equality is labeled as terrorism. The true harm to our community comes from those who manipulate our belief in free speech to use it as a means of silencing black voices, perpetuating injustice, and supporting a centuries-old system of inequality built upon racial hierarchies.

We will not stand by while people on our campus and in our community hide in anonymity to spread messages of exclusion and bigotry. In the face of structural racism, we cannot accept hate presented under the guise of freedom of speech. We stand in solidarity with all of the students, faculty, staff, community members of color, and others who organized the rally, and we stand with growing nationwide movement for racial justice.

While we strive to address racism and inequality through our programming, education can be only one part of the strategy. Events on campus over the past few days have made it clear that activism on this campus around the issue of race relations is important and relevant, but our work is not complete. We want to build a more just society, but as we do, we cannot ignore the cracks in our foundation or the rifts in our community.

We do not wish to meet ignorance with anger, but we cannot be complicit or complacent while blatant acts of racism are committed and peaceful rallies are stifled on campus. The students of the University YMCA work to enact positive change at the University and will not stay silent in the face of oppression.

Staff, faculty, students, and community members: we need to collectively reflect, but we cannot allow reflection to quietly transition into inaction. Silence in the face of discrimination is complicity in oppression. As allies in the fight for social justice and equality, we encourage you to join us as we continue to educate ourselves and raise our voices to support the Black student body in their demands for fair treatment.

University YMCA student groups plan to convene after fall break to discuss how to best serve as allies in this critical moment. We invite anybody who feels strongly on this issue to join us in our discussion. Please feel free to contact us at studentboard@universityymca.org.

Signed,

Catherine Schmid and Sana Singh Alternative Seasonal Breaks	Michael Lin Engineers Without Borders	Nikki Pijon Prison Justice Project
Carl Pearson Amnesty International	Jess Tang Green Observer	Katie Kucera Red Bison
Lorenzo Grego BikeFace	Kevin Estrella La Colectiva	Allison Steffens Lauren McGinnity Boswell Students for Environmental Concerns
Irfan Ali Interfaith in Action Crystal Ponce Philippine Student Association	Benjamin Daniels, Catherine Kemp, and Erika Weir University YMCA Student Board	Sarah Busse Vis-A-Vis

On December 2, the University YMCA student leaders stand together to read the statement of solidarity at the In Love and Solidarity Rally with allies and accomplices for Black revolution. Student Board members plan to reconvene at the beginning of the Spring 2016 semester to further build a coalition of student allies and accomplices to work together with Black student groups to end white supremacy at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

#BeCauseY: Y Student Leaders Giving Without Borders

Dina Betts and Jesse Chen are passionate about working with communities around the world for clean, reliable drinking water and accessible, renewable energy options. They cultivated this passion at the University YMCA.

“Ever since I have joined, I cannot imagine devoting my career to any work that is not dedicated to social good,” said Dina Betts, a senior in Civil Engineering and Ntisaw Project leader for Engineers Without Borders (EWB), a student program of the University YMCA.

Since 2004, the University Y has been the home of the U. of I. chapter of EWB, a student program dedicated to community-based engineering for a more sustainable global future. In Fall 2008, EWB started the Ntisaw Village Partnership in Cameroon, aimed at providing clean, accessible and reliable water to the people of the Ntisaw Village. Since the project’s inception, Ntisaw community members and EWB project leaders have codesigned and developed a new drinking water source, a water distribution system and six latrines.

“It’s been an amazing experience, forming relationships and building a greater understanding of the community,” said Jesse Chen, a second-year Electrical Engineering student and Ntisaw Project coordinator for EWB.

Jesse, Dina and the rest of the EWB Ntisaw Project team plan to make one more trip in May 2016 to work on transitioning the project completely to the local Ntisaw water management team. The Ntisaw Village Partnership may be coming to an end this academic year, but the leadership and personal growth gained from this community-driven engineering project will have a lasting impact.

To support the Y student leaders of Engineers Without Borders now and for years to come, please visit: universityymca.org/support_us.

Inspire A Future: Mentoring Program at the Y Empowers Latin@ Youth

One in five youth face difficult socio-economic hurdles that could keep them from reaching productive adulthood, obtaining an education and successfully entering the workforce. Research shows that youth are more likely to succeed with the support of a caring adult.

Recognizing the power of mentorship as a way to empower Latin@ youth and direct their energies into their own positive life endeavors, the United We Dream Latino Mentorship Program was initiated in 2011 by La Colectiva, a student program of the Y.

Now in its fourth year, the program pairs up a first generation Latino high school student in Urbana High School with a Latino University of Illinois college student to encourage the pursuit of higher education. Ways U of I student mentors have assisted are by setting up financial aid workshops, college campus visits, and discussing career choices. This year, 16 mentees participated in the program. The program finished out the year with the recruitment of 4 new mentors in the Fall 2015 semester.

“Having had my mentees for more than two years has been an incredible part of my college experience. I am proud and lucky to have been able to see my two mentees transform into young, responsible adults,“ says Melissa Antuñez, University YMCA student leader of the class of 2015.

"The program is going well. We intend to expand the mentoring program next Spring 2016 semester by adding a workshop component aimed at readying students for college, including topics such as SAT test-taking preparation,  admissions essay writing, and applying for FAFSA," says Enrique Rebolledo, Program Coordinator for the University YMCA.

If you are interested in becoming a mentor or would like more information, you may contact Enrique Rebolledo at enrique@universityymca.org.

History:  At the Y, we believe that everyone, regardless of age, deserves the opportunity to discover who they are and what they can achieve. Since 1962, Y student leaders have experienced the power of mentoring and tutoring as an important part of promoting the well-being of community at large.

Y alumni and friends may recall the Y Pal program as where mentoring truly became a major part of YMCA programming up until the mid 1970s.  In the1980s, the student led VIS-A-VIS tutoring program established relationships with local schools to focus on academic tutoring, incorporating the value of mentoring into their service over time.

In the past two years, we have also seen a focus on mentoring increase with the establishment of the United We Dream Mentorship Program in 2011 and the CU Succeed Mentorship Program in 2013.

Mentors and tutors at the Y are our mission in action, recognizing the power of mentoring and tutoring as a tool for social justice.