UAS Power & Privilege Symposium: Promoting cultural change

University of Alaska’s Power & Privilege Symposium, the first of its kind at the Juneau campus, is a one-day event happening today to encourage students and the community to identify, discuss and promote equity and diversity in the community.

The UAS Student Activities Board attended the National Association for Campus Activities Conference last fall semester and saw a presentation about Whitman College’s Symposium, said UAS Activities Coordinator Tara Olson. They brought the idea back and began planning, gathering support from UAS as well as community organizations like National Alliance on Mental Illness and Southeast Alaska Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Alliance, and Aiding Women in Rape and Abuse Emergencies.

The UAS Symposium goal is to have participants engage in thoughtful and often difficult and honest conversations on the ways social hierarchies and identities manifest themselves in the community, Olson explained.

“I think it’s vitally important that non-students engage with the symposium because the issues we’ll be talking about are seen throughout our community, not just on campus,” she said. Subject matter discussion ranges from race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, age, religion, body size, ability, mental illness, class and how they intersect.

“The UAS Auke Bay campus is not insular, and large-scale culture change will only have the chance to occur if people from many different parts of our community participate,” she said.

Keynote speakers will give lectures in the morning, afternoon and evening, and in-between, participants can choose from a multitude of breakout session discussions happening simultaneously in various rooms on campus.

The symposium runs from 8:15 a.m.-9 p.m. Keynote speakers are Andrew James Archer on “Manic Depression in America,” Muque’l Dangeli on “Dancing Sovereignty: Reclaiming the Grease Trail Through Movement and Song” and Aidan Key on “Gender Transition: A Personal Change for One or a Paradigm Shift for Everyone?”

For a full schedule of the symposium (and to know where to go to get catered food), go to: uas.alaska.edu/chancellor/power-and-privilege-symposium.html.

If you can’t make it in person, all keynote lectures and select lecture hall breakout sessions will be streamed live on UATV: uatv.alaska.edu/livestream.html.

• Contact Clara Miller at 523-2243 or at clara.miller@juneauempire.com.

More in News

(Juneau Empire File)
Aurora forecast for the week of Nov. 27

These forecasts are courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Geophysical Institute… Continue reading

Girls teams face off on the twin courts of the main gym at Juneau-Douglas Yadaa.at Kalé High School during the Juneau Invitational Volleyball Extravaganza on Oct. 15, 2022. The Juneau Board of Education on Friday unanimously voted to seek advice from outside council on a new state policy banning transgender girls from high school sports teams. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
School board unanimously votes to seek outside legal advice on new statewide transgender sports ban

Juneau reportedly first district to take step that may lead to lawsuit challenging policy.

A Capital City Fire/Rescue truck parks outside the main entrance of the Riverview Senior Living complex Monday after Nathan Bishop, 58, is found alive in the attic 40 hours after being reported missing from the facility where he is a resident. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
State reviewing Riverview Senior Living after missing resident found in attic 40 hours later

Officials unaware of similar cases in Alaska; facility says steps to prevent such incidents underway

Search and rescue officials examine the area about 11 miles south of the center of Wrangell where a landslide occurred on Nov. 20. Five people are confirmed dead from the landslide and one still missing. (Photo courtesy of Alaska Department of Public Safety)
Body of fifth Wrangell landslide victim found; one person still missing

Otto Florschutz, 65, found Thursday evening; Derek Heller, 12, still missing among family of five.

Varieties of kelp are seen underwater. A U.S. Department of Energy-funded project will investigate whether kelp and other seaweed in the waters off Alaska’s Prince of Wales Island can absorb significant amounts of rare earth elements that leach out from the Bokan Mountain site. (National Marine Sanctuary photo provided by NOAA)
Federally funded project will search for rare earth elements in Southeast Alaska seaweed

What if prized rare earth elements could be extracted from seaweed, avoiding… Continue reading

Angie Flick (center), finance director for the City and Borough of Juneau, provides details of an early draft of next year’s municipal budget to Assembly members as City Manager Katie Koester (left) and Budget Manager Adrien Wendel listen during a Finance Committee meeting Wednesday night in the Assembly Chambers. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Assembly members prepare to retreat so they can move ahead on next year’s budget

“Very draft” $190 million spending plan for FY25 based on status quo has $1 million deficit.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)
Police calls for Monday, Nov. 27, 2023

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

The front page of the Juneau Empire on Nov. 30, 2005. (Photo by Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Empire Archives: Juneau’s history for the week of Dec. 3

Three decades of capital city coverage.

Cheyenne Latu (left), a pharmacy technician at Ron’s Apothecary Shoppe, and business co-owner Gretchen Watts hang a poster at the front counter Thursday announcing the store’s closure after Dec. 6 as Jessica Kirtley, another pharmacy technician, works at the front register. The nearby Safeway supermarket has agreed to take the prescriptions of all customers as well as hire all of the independent pharmacy’s employees, according to the co-owners who are retiring. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Ron’s Apothecary Shoppe closing after nearly 50 years as co-owners retire; last day is Dec. 6

Safeway taking over all prescriptions and offering jobs to all employees, according to owners.

Most Read