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VOLUME 96 I ISSUE 1 9
Black History Month celebrated
Events aim to educate the
students on the contributions
of the black community.
Kayan Tara
Asst. News Editor
@LALoyolan
February marks the beginning of Black
History Month, the annual celebration of
the achievements and contributions of
African Americans in the United States.
LMU celebrates the historical and cultural
contributions of black people through a
wide array of educational and entertaining
events throughout the month of February.
The LMU Black History Month
committee chose the theme “Blacks in
the Struggle” for the 2018 Black History
Month. According to Nathan f. Sessoms,
the director at the Office of Black Student
Services (OBSS), this has been one of
the most collaborative years of Black
History Month, with events hosted by and
involving several different departments on
campus.
According to Stefan Bradley, the chair
of African American studies, the content
and topics discussed during Black History
Month are not new. The month provides
an opportunity for students, faculty,
staff and administrators to reflect on the
“travails and triumphs of black people
while keeping an eye to the future,”
Bradley said.
“I believe wholeheartedly that this
month makes America shine brighter as
a nation,” Bradley said. “At this moment,
when people of African descent are being
ridiculed for their stances on justice or for
merely being from a particular country
or continent, LMU can take advantage of
the opportunity to escape ignorance and
combat hate by engaging in Black History
Month.”
The celebration began Feb. 1 with a Black
History Month Kickoff in Lawton Plaza.
Tonight, Feb. 7, an interview with Amanda
Seales from HBO’s “Insecure” will be
hosted by OBSS and Maine Entertainment
in the Living Room.
The Department of African American
Studies is hosting National Book Award
Winner Dr. Ibram Kendi on Feb. 8, at
6 p.m., at the Ahmanson Auditorium
in University Hall. It is co-sponsored
by BCLA Office of the Dean and Vice
President of Intercultural Affairs. Faculty
were also integral in the committee and
will participate in events throughout the
month, according to Jennifer Williams, a
professor of African American studies.
Other upcoming events include a
celebration of Cuban Art and Culture
during Family Weekend, Feb. 10 and 11, as
well as the Sweet Potato Pie Social on Feb.
15 between 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. in Malone 112.
Williams will be facilitating a talkback
about the Afrofuturism of Black Panther
after the Black Panther Movie screening,
which will take place at Cinemark at the
Howard Hughes Center at 7:05 p.m. Buses
to transport students to the movie screening
will leave Hannon Field at 6 p.m. The date,
time and place for the talkback is still being
determined, according to Williams.
Black History Month was first
celebrated nationally in 1976, according
to Williams. It grew from “Negro History
Week,” created in 1926, when historian
Carter G. Woodson and the Association
for the Study of Negro Life and History
See Black History | Page 3
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Dean of the College of Communication and Rne Arts, Bryant Alexander, performed at Hidden Heroes.
Emily Sullivan | Loyolan
ASLMU hosted a booth on Thursday, Feb. 2 in Lawton Plaza from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
and encouraged students, faculty and staff to call their legislatures in support of the
DREAM Act. Printed scripts and phone numbers were provided to facilitate the calls.
For every individual that called, a free donut or slice of pizza was offered. This event
was a part of a national effort on behalf of many Jesuit universities across the nation
to advocate on behalf of the DREAM Act. There was also a form letter offered by the
Ignatian Solidarity Network in support of the DREAMERs. This letter can be edited
and automatically sent to congressional representatives. ASLMU hosted LMU’s
involvement in this day as part of their continuous effort to support the dreamers.
Contingent Faculty
Network on campus
Adjunct faculty have worked
to make their presence and
contributions known on campus.
Sami Leung
Interim News Editor
@LALoyolan
LMU’s teaching faculty population is made
up of full- and part-time faculty members.
Full-time positions teach about four
courses per semester and are tenured or are
on the tenure track. Adjunct or contingent
faculty teach around two courses a semester
and include positions such as lecturer and
teaching professors. There are currently
445 active part-time faculty, 39 visiting
professors and 15 postdoctoral teaching
fellows employed at LMU. The term active
part-time faculty refers to faculty who are
currently teaching or have taught within the
past 12 months, according to Thomas Poon,
executive vice president and provost.
“Our contingent faculty are important
colleagues and members of our university
community who generously contribute
their many talents to the education of our
students and to the betterment of LMU,”
said Poon. “They represent a full spectrum
of academic disciplines and specialties. I
know that all of our contingent colleagues
are committed to providing the best
education possible for LMU students and
consistently report that they enjoy working
with our students.”
A networking a support group called the
LMU Contingent Faculty Network, formed
in 2012, aims to facilitate communication
between contingent faculty and full¬
time faculty. They also want to encourage
dialogue about the role of contingent faculty
on campus.
According to the CFN website,
contingent faculty teach a majority of core
undergraduate and graduate courses but
aren't included in the governance of faculty.
This network was approached by the
Service Employees International Union
(SEIU) in 2013. SEIU is an organization that
has worked to unionize part-time faculty in
other locations such as Washington, D.C.
and Boston. Contingent faculty at LMU
were given the option to vote to unionize,
but after policy changes by the University,
they voted against unionizing. Part-time
faculty are eligible for health benefits —
medical, dental and vision — when they
have taught at least six units for two
consecutive semesters and are scheduled to
teach at least six units in the third semester.
Professor Lee Greenberg, a lecturer in the
theology department, has been a professor
for 15 years and was one of the leaders of
the adjunct union movement on campus
in 2013. When asked about how adjunct
faculty are treated now, he said he believes
that they “are treated better than at many
other universities, but it is still very far from
fair in the absolute sense.”
“My lack of publishing is the primary
thing that has held me back from being
truly competitive for these positions,”
said Greenberg. “But it is a vicious circle,
once someone accepts a position as an
See Adjunct | Page 3
