I pictured the inside of Bowld 121, people from all areas of campus seated at a single table stretched across the room, lined with an assortment of colorful dishes from different cultures, each made with their own unique blends of spices. Among the dishes were chicken pilau and kabalagala (Ugandan pancakes), handmade by Emma Arango, president of the MOSAIC club on campus.
I’ve been friends with Arango for a while, and it made me wonder why I wasn’t familiar with the inner workings of this club.
This event she described to me was MOSAIC’s third annual diversity potluck, an event dedicated to celebrating diversity and connecting individuals both cross-culturally and across campus. Students and faculty alike attended, mirroring the club’s overall mission: “[Being] dedicated to building community, highlighting cultural awareness and celebrating diversity within the overarching unity that we ultimately have in Christ.”
When Arango and I talked about her role as president of the club, she explained to me how she shares responsibilities with Vice President Lydia McGinnis; though, between the two of them and Dr. Anderson—the club’s faculty advisor—they have their hands full.
Arango is from Uganda and McGinnis was adopted from China, growing up in the United States, giving them their own journeys in trying to preserve their own cultures while connecting with others. Arango shared how she makes sure to greet people on the sidewalk, enjoy tea daily and remove her shoes before walking into her room, glimpses of home that she recreates in the U.S.
I admired their work and ambition, but I found myself curious about the challenges they face aside from leadership responsibilities.
“I think before COVID, [MOSAIC] had more momentum and there was a lot more people involved in it,” Arango said, “but then, after my freshman year, a lot of the seniors or people that were involved in MOSAIC graduated that year. So then, after my freshman year, it was just me and Lydia the whole time. So, we’re both the senators, and we both run it.”
Aside from student involvement, McGinnis told me about other challenges that arise in light of being a club trying to unite vastly different types of people.
“A lot of people I think, will agree that, ‘Oh, yes. We need to celebrate diversity,’” McGinnis said. “I think when it becomes a bit more of a challenge is when you say, ‘Let’s celebrate diversity, but we also need to talk about controversial things or bring awareness to issues that people are struggling with.’ People are very emotionally involved; I think that is one of the biggest challenges because a lot of these issues such as identity and prejudice and things are so connected to people’s sense of self. I think anytime that you start talking about this, you have to tread very carefully, because it can be perceived as a conflict of self.”
I asked McGinnis how many cultures have been represented in MOSAIC. She placed her hand on the side of her head, thinking hard as she recalled. Students from Uganda, China, Malaysia, Korea, Kenya, India, Mexico and America make up a part of the club’s history.
I admired the beauty of trying to find common ground between such different backgrounds. There are always groups of people and cultures within cultures, so division is always a potential threat.
“I also think our political climate is so polarized. A lot of these topics have implications for politics,” McGinnis said. “And a lot of these views, I think, are tied to how we should live as Christians, but all of those interplays—politics, religion, personal identity—are potentially challenging.”
Despite these challenges, Arango and McGinnis told me about the rewards that come to those involved, themselves included. I wanted to know more about their drive for what they do.
“So, for me, it’s a matter of exploring and sharing the journey that I’m on and also wanting to dialogue with other people about their journeys, about their cultural identities as well as their influences,” McGinnis said. “I think a lot of that is just conversation over meals, like going on walks with people or hosting group events. I think it is as much one-on-one as it is in the big group.”
For Arango, it’s a change in perspective and awareness.
“Lydia is also adopted, but she didn’t grow up in China,” Arango said, “and so, there’s been several conversations that we’ve had, where, for me, I’ve never realized how it is for people here that get adopted from other countries but then don’t grow up in their cultures.”
“And so, being in leadership with Lydia has grown my perspective. Even though we’re both adopted, our scenarios are very different because I grew up in my culture. I think it’s just showing awareness of the different diverse groups here.”
Thinking about the club’s future, Arango shared a vision for an event they hope to host where they have a worship night inviting others to come sing in different languages.
McGinnis pictured the future in terms of the club’s mission statement.
“You hear the phrase ‘unity in diversity,’ but we with our faculty sponsor—Dr. Anderson—were always talking about kind of turning that statement a bit, our mission statement being diversity in unity,” McGinnis said. “With unity being unity in Christ, as believers that is the ultimate goal that binds us all together, but also recognizing that there is great cultural diversity that the Lord celebrates. And that the beauty of having a diverse community, whether that’s in food, or in language, or in stories that people have, is also wanting to bring awareness to different cultural aspects.”
To learn more about MOSAIC club, visit https://www.uu.edu/centers/reconciliation/mosaic/
