A Note from the Director

By Yolanda Ramos '96

It has been an amazing year at the ALANA Center. Students came together to organize relief efforts for major natural disasters—Hurricane Katrina, Rita and the Earthquake in Pakistan. The twelve students who began meeting last year to discuss creating a girls’ mentoring program in Poughkeepsie have completed the first semester of the Sistah Power program. The ALANA affiliate organizations held weekly meetings to discuss a range of community topics and plan engaging campus events. The Men of Color Alliance attended conferences at Trinity and Sarah Lawrence colleges and the emerging Women of Color Alliance held a meeting to explore the meaning of cultural authenticity. The ALANA Fest moved indoors this year, and complimented other exciting events during a rainy Parents’ Weekend. The ALANA Center, Blegen House and Women’s Center--resource centers of the Campus Life Office--and other student communities participated in discussions around community and free speech, sparked by a controversial student publication. Countless students used the ALANA Center to study and complete their theses, aided by the installation of the new wireless internet system. Then there were the seniors who came by to announce graduate school acceptances or their first job after graduation. This is my short list of reasons why I love the ALANA Center.

IMAGES--the center’s annual student publication--is another reason. This year’s issue, as in the past, offers a tapestry of stories reflecting the wide range of experiences in the African American/Black, Latina/o, Asian, Asian American and Native American communities. Turn the pages and find a compilation of poems, short stories, photography and faculty/administrator interviews. Several selections deal with love, loss, human tragedy, war, family relationships, nature’s beauty, triumph, personal identity, learning and teaching. One student shares her reflections on overcoming the barrier she felt coming into the ALANA Center. You’ll also find a listing of ALANA programs for the year.

Special thanks to Rachel Elliott, ‘06--IMAGES Coordinator--for your steadfast hard work, vision and creativity. You put together a stellar volunteer student team that assisted in editing, facilitating the first color cover and conducting interviews. For the last four years, you have been actively engaged in ALANA Center activities and IMAGES is a great legacy to leave to others. It has been a pleasure working so closely with you. Many will miss you.

So enough from me—turn the pages and begin your journey into IMAGES.

In This Issue

• Cover Page
• Fiction/Non-fiction
• Spotlights
• Poetry
• Visual Arts

In addition

• Previous Issues
• Authors