When Did the American Intercultural Center Originate?
Misty Davids, Multicultural Adviser

This Godseye has been in the Center since 1972.

Have you ever wondered how it might have been for students of color here at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay back in the 1970’s?  Thanks to the friendly and extremely helpful staff at the Special Collections/University Archives Office located in the Cofrin Library in room CL705, the answers have been unearthed for all of the interested Words of Color readers.

According to the Vol. XXV, NO.  18 the front page Fourth Estate article entitled, “Ethnic Center Established”, written by Gene Hering, the Ethnic Center first opened on Wednesday, March 8, 1972.  It was originally located on the third floor of the Library in the northeast corner and was called the Ethnic Heritage Center. 

When reading over one of the original pamphlets from the Ethnic Heritage Center, it stated, “The Center came into being during the winter of 1971-72.  Black students had organized and presented a request for a facility in which they could meet informally to socialize with other Black students.  Officers of the Native American student organization were asking for office space so they could conduct club business, especially recruitment of additional students to campus.  These two requests plus realization of a need to inform and sensitize the majority resulted in creation of the Ethnic Heritage Center.  There is an office for each minority student organization within the center and each club has a small budget for supplies and expenses.” 

When talking to Bob Pritchard, Assistant Director of Financial Aid and long-time employee at UW-Green Bay, he mentioned that the Center later moved to the area where the University Credit Union is today and soon after to the current American Intercultural Center location of CL 207.

In another Ethnic Heritage Center pamphlet it stated that “The goals of the minority students (Native Americans, Latinos, and Blacks) are to inject Latin, Black and Native American cultures and experiences into this University through related functions and social and academic programs.”  From this research, many of the issues that the past students faced are still some of the issues that currently affect today’s students of color.  The path for students of color today is still difficult with many challenges, but it is a little easier because of what their Alumni envisioned for them.  On March 8, 2002, the Ethnic Heritage Center/American Intercultural Center will have been in existence for 30 years.  Take a moment to think about the issues that the students of the past had to face and compare them to what you deal with day-to-day.  If you are a regular visitor of the AIC, think about how it would be if the AIC did not exist.  Think about what those students had to go through to make the dream of a Center a reality and still earn their degree.  This is a great motivation to keep moving forward to make it easier for those students who will be enrolled here in 2032.          

Spring Pow-Wow Planned for April 13
Edmund BlackThunder,Multicultural Adviser

The Intertribal Student Council is planning the UWGB Spring Pow-Wow.  It will be held at the Phoenix Sports Center on Saturday, April 13^th.

Last year’s Pow-Wow was a huge success with a record number of drum groups and dancers.  The Intertribal Student Counsel is up to

the challenge to make this year’s Pow-Wow a huge success also. We would like to welcome and invite the University community to participate and be part of the April 13, 2002 Pow-Wow. This UWGB event is meant to bring together all people through traditional Native American culture. The social environment of song and dance is an expression of celebration, and this celebration is considered the heartbeat of our nation.

For more information, please feel free to visit with the UWGB students and staff in the American Intercultural Center, or call 465-2720.

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