What Does "Connect 4" Stand For?

This is the question that we get a LOT, so I thought it would be great to answer it here.

Connect 4 is a merger from two previous WashU groups, Campus Week of Dialogue and the Student Diversity Initiative. Led by Cambrie Nelson/Hanna Beck and Fernando Cutz (SDI), the two groups merged in Spring 2008 and chose the name Connect 4 based upon the tenants on which each stands. These are:

The name itself, "Connect 4," has caused some confusion amongst students after the group was first instituted as a SU recognized Category 1 group.  Many conceive it as a game enthusiast group, others- who may know its general mission- lack clarity to what the "4" stands for. Still, others hear it and know not what to really think.

In its current year, changing the name has been discussed and considered amongst members. However, in efforts to not be conflicted with the potential Diversity Affairs Council and our separate focus on engagement, interaction, awareness, and programming, Connect 4 decided that we will keep the name. We hold the four principles at the core of our mission, initiatives, and events, and the name is unique. One consideration for future leaders, however, is indeed how we can possibly modify the original four tenants to for directly express the aforementioned new focuses. But this is a post for a later date.

Currently, many in our group, including freshmen Camille Young and Grace Chao have committed themselves to help the group engage ways to better share our mission, our purpose, and our activities, and this is definitely a great step in allowing our campus to know all of the many things that Connect 4 members connect for.

More will come throughout the semester for some of the publicity campaigns that Connect 4 members lead.

Please stay updated, follow us, and provide comments as desired!

Environmental Racism, an Event for Environmental Justice and Education

I was checking out this week's St. Louis Activist Hub, and found the following upcoming STL event about environmental racism really interesting.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=250575542912


As it's description states,

Environmental racism is the disproportionate exposure of environmental hazards on minorities. 

Environmental justice is the civil rights movement's response to environmental racism. 

The environmental justice movement doesn't seek to simply redistribute environmental toxins, but to abolish them entirely.

Exposure to these toxins directly effect the physical and mental development of children.

Environmental Racism- East St. Louis Levees? Are we facing a local Katrina? The New Northside? Transformative or Negligent?


The event is Thursday at 5:30. I may attend.

An Opportunity to Collaborate with GlobeMed

Another cool opp that has come our way. We may discuss Thursday (pending results of tomorrow's legislation!) :D

My name is _____ and I am the current president of GlobeMed Wash U. A few years ago, the UN named February 20^th the “World Day of Social Justice”. In designating this day the World Day, the UN aimed to recognize the need to bring together the efforts of all members of the community in promoting access to social well-being and justice for all, no matter in what capacity. 

This year, GlobeMed Wash U is trying to bring World Day of Social Justice to the forefront of students’ minds here on campus. 

On Friday, February 19^th, we will host an on-going awareness event during the day and a slam/mixer event for all interested Social Action groups in the evening. The primary goal of these events will be to bring attention to World Social Justice Day on main campus. On Saturday, February 20^th, we will host a webinar, “Health and Social Justice” featuring Laura Turiano, a physician who currently serves on the global coordination group of People’s Health Movement (PHM) Right to Health and Health Care Campaign.

I wanted to invite Connect 4 to collaborate with us on this event. While GlobeMed primarily fights for global health equity, we recognize that health issues cannot be solved without solving many other social justice issues. This is a unique opportunity for various groups with different goals to band together and share our experiences with one another.

Please let me know if you would be interested in collaborating/participating. If you are interested, I will send more details and we can work together to make this an amazing event.

Thanks!

GlobeMed Wash U President

Regarding Diversity Affairs at WashU

Important proposal for addressing student diversity affairs upcoming on campus. Please read and pass along to your peers and constituents. 

For years and semesters, members of our student community have have voiced a desire and need for an official and legitimate student-led entity that can provide:

• centralization of student-led communication, resources, and support for multicultural and diversity-related affairs,
• a rapid- action based source to aid in the address of bias-based incidents as they occur (think: ethnic profiling, Right Side of History, etc),
• a legitimized and collective voice for the student body when advocating greater desires of "diversity" to SU and the appropriate members of the University administration,
• more direct facilitation and accountability for collaboration and co-programming between cultural groups,
• increased provision and centralization of diversity training and workshops for student groups and individuals,
• and more.

Since returning this semester, many of us have worked with various members of the community to conceive a proposal to Student Union for the legislation of a Diversity Affairs Council (DAC) that will strive to address these and other interests. With a defined structure and much closer ties to SU, the DAC would represent the creation of an explicit diversity element within Student Union oriented towards helping a wide array of groups and individuals— including cultural, religious, LGBTQIA and social justice—reach common goals.


It would hope to provide policy recommendations to the Student Union Senate and support them into action as incidents occur on campus.  It would help coordinate diversity training on campus, connect new groups and initiatives (like WU/FUSED or Culture Shock) with campus leaders, and host a monthly Roundtable as meeting grounds for its constituents. The Chair of the DAC would be appointed by the SU President, and then would appoint a Cabinet to provide direction for the council, and it is with great hopes that with your support, members of the student body will have thorough representation within the DAC and unite towards enhancing and activating what the term "diversity" means on our campus. 


WE NEED YOUR HELP AND SUPPORT TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

SU Senate recently set the legislative consideration and voting for this initiative for February 10. As work on this legislation proposal is relatively new, communication of it to the wider student body has been limited. But we want you to join us in showing Student Union student support for the DAC

INPUT is needed.
On Monday and/or Tuesday of this upcoming week, we will be launching a "State of Diversity" campaign to garner a vast array of student perspectives on what is perceived to have become just a "buzz word" on campus.  We will be videotaping random and self-selected students in the DUC Commons sharing how they regard the current state of the term "diversity" on our campus. These will be shared all week in prep for the Senate legislation. 

DIALOGUE is needed.
With the new developments of the DAC concept, we will be hosting a Roundtable on Thursday February 4 at 7:30pm in DUC 234 about the "State of 'Diversity'" on campus whereby we will analyze and discuss the issues that have been prevalent over the past year and pitch why the DAC could serve as a foundational solution for such issues. We need honest and raw dialogue about this, so please bring diverse and strong opinions. 

SUPPORT is needed.
The DAC legislation is currently set for February 10 in SU Senate. Please support this effort by attending this meeting, bringing your peers, and voicing your opinions about the DAC legislation.

For any questions, concerns, or suggestions, or to get involved, please contact Connect 4 at connect4.wustl@gmail.com. 

C4 Execs

Leave your comments below:

Pre-Semester Meeting, January 21, 2010

Big props to Betel for such succinct notes. Awesome. Also, great thanks to Aiko and Salma for joining us!

Connect4 1/21/10

·  Grace is still doing PR with Brittany

·  One of the main goals of this year is to make sure we hold ourselves and others accountable for our initiatives.

·  Activities Fair is on Wednesday from 4:30-6:40

·  Legislation: there will be a new draft sent out by next week

o   Main goal is to keep communication open

o   Meeting with non-C4 Ehi and Nate Ferguson to discuss the legislation

·  Ezell is in process of getting things in order to get the Diversity pre-o started

o   Sign up sheet passed around for those who want more info

·  Camille and Lexi will be starting “Operation Understanding WashU

o   Discussions and programming to discuss various issues

o   Info session on February 8^th and 9^th

·  Andreas: Need More Players

o   Get a group of people to crash a spot on campus to allow people to meet each other

o   First event will be at Activities Fair. Meet there and discuss what they’re going to do.

o   Only issue is with the tshirts. Probs do a community

·  Need a Roundtable Committee/ someone to actually head it also

o   Even if you don’t have experience, its ok.

·  Culture Shock

o   Brought up by Hana Schuster

o   First event is LNYF brought by AAA.

o   Next event is Black Anthology.

·  Brown Bag Lunches

o   A way to strengthen our relationships with our faculty and how we support each other

·  Brown Star

o   Sathya will be coming to WUSTL

·  We hope to have more bonding events and start it off with a retreat on the 31^st.

·  Hope to have C4 work with the new Dean Mcleod’s Scholarship

·  Thurtene: it’s still tentative if we want to do it or not. It is a busy month though as far as transitions go.

·  Leadershape: during spring break.

Winter Break Update #03

Happy New Year, peeps!

Lots of C4 communication and activity have occurred over this past week, and I am so excited to get back to school and rock the house with you guys this semester! Here's this week's update:

1. Weekly Meeting Time. Thursdays 9pm. Sundays 8pm will be backup/follow-up only when needed since more people are unavailable on that day and time.

2. Calendar. I have posted a Google Doc link of the calendar outline draft below. It is not complete, for it is missing some initiatives and other WU programming dates. Please ADD to it as is relevant our group. I will distribute it via Google Cal, iCal, and hardcopy at our first meeting, January 21 (Welcome Back/pre-Activities Fair Meeting). Please use the draft as a good overview for now. 

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0Ap8s6fYNrzZ5dDlOU0Ffc2c4ODd1akVFQVMwVFdZZWc&hl=en

2. SU Legislation Update

- We will be completing the first draft for the executive committee legislation by this Sunday, Jan 10. Once we return to school, we will present and propose this to all of Connect 4 for discussion and voting (possibly at our Jan 21 meeting, since the official first meeting, Jan 28, will be more of an info session for new members). 

- Chase confirmed with me that SU Senate may tentatively vote on the legislation at the February 3 Senate meeting should we remain on schedule.

3. Connect 4 Retreat! I spoke with Camille and Lexi today, and they expressed the valid point that we, as a group, do not yet know how we, as individuals, add to the "diversity" of our group. Therefore, Lexi has taken the initiative to help organize a C4 retreat-like event for us! Details will come as we get closer to school, but the tentative date is Jan 31 (before events, etc get rolling). If you are interested in helping to organize this, please contact Lexi at amklein@wustl.edu. 

4. Need More Players! Andreas is well-underway with making this initiative super dynamic. We discussed it this past week, and updates will come soon, but if you have not already filled out the Interest Form for it, please do so here: 

http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dEhFTUtQa2tjeVdQT3hzOTFrQnhJdWc6MA

Also, join the Need More Players Initiatives page on The Creative Catalysts Network! http://thecatalysts.ning.com/group/needmoreplayers

This is all for now, I think. Can't wait to see you guys soon!!

De

We "Need More Players!" in Connect 4!

We are looking for a core group of committed students who would be interested in joining us in the Need More Players initiative, and we want you!

Image by "Mark" from Flickr.

Need More Players is a new initiative in Connect 4 led by member, Andreas Mitchell, that seeks to bring students together through spontaneous game playing around campus. We crash popular places like the DUC, Whispers, Sofoho, etc with a group of people, start playing a game and have people join in! The core group for NMP would do the following: - Be down to play whenever we "Need More Players!" - Help us identify prime locations, games, and times to play. - Help us Rally others for games prior to and during game-play. - Help us identify other cool peeps who would want to be a part of the core group. - HAVE FUN!

Click the link below to visit the form! 
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dEhFTUtQa2tjeVdQT3hzOTFrQnhJdWc6MA