UMC holds first meeting

United Minorities Council Chairperson Onyx Finney encouraged representatives of campus ethnic organizations to "come together through more intergroup activities" at the group's first meeting last night. The body also discussed upcoming events, group involvement and changes to the UMC constitution at its meeting in the Greenfield Intercultural Center. "I hope this year we will become a group, and not just representatives of 11 different groups who meet every month," Vice Chair and College junior Susie Lee said. According to Finney, the UMC's second annual "Unity Week" will be an important event this November. Throughout the week, the council hopes to present speakers on race relations, sell ethnic foods and hold a multi-cultural party. Another important annual event for the council is the "Celebration of Culture," which will be held next April. "Although they may be organized differently, both Unity Week and Celebration of Culture have the same goal in mind, which is to make UMC's presence known to the University," College junior and UMC Admissions Chair Steve Kwon said. He added that committees consisting of group representatives are currently being set up to plan the two events. In addition, Finney reminded the groups that the UMC requires each constituent group to co-sponsor at least two events with another group throughout the year. Finney and Lee also talked about examining and possibly revising the UMC's constitution this year. "Our constitution needs to be addressed," Finney, a College senior, said. "There are several groups that would like to become members of UMC, but right now the constitution does not include them." Lee agreed, saying that revisions to the document could lead to greater unity within the UMC. "I want to maintain contacts with all the groups' presidents and representatives, which can help to resolve any conflicts that can arise during meetings or planning of events," Lee said. After the meeting, Kwon talked about his work with the Admissions Office and his plan to increase the number of minority students admitted to the University. He said that in his role as Admissions chair, he also helps organize the African, Latino and Minority Scholars pre-application weekends, which bring prospective students to campus prior to matriculation to experience academic and social life at the University.