I know that the ongoing violence in the Middle East continues to be on the minds of many on our campus. As an academic institution, our response has generally been shaped by our educational mission, including through events and programming that educate the community and provide opportunities for discussion of difficult issues. We have also heard students and others express a hope that the College could help address the plight of displaced and refugee students from the Middle East or other areas in crisis. I am pleased to announce a new step we have taken in that direction.
Carleton has just been approved to become part of Welcome Corps on Campus, a program for bringing refugee students to U.S. college campuses. Through the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, we have joined a small group of colleges and universities that have formed cross-campus sponsorship groups to offer special support to refugee students. The Welcome Corps on Campus program creates a structure for resettlement and a potential pathway to U.S. citizenship for refugee students who have been forced to flee their homes. We have committed to a goal of admitting and supporting two such students per year, and will consider for admission refugee students who are connected to us through Welcome Corps or other programs. This effort is being organized through the Division of Inclusion, Equity, and Community, with support from other offices across the college. It is a significant commitment, as these students will need extra support from the college and the community, but we believe that helping students whose educational opportunities have been limited by war or displacement is one way for our community to respond to global crises that often have a disproportionate impact on young people. There will be informational meetings this winter and spring to learn more about how to be involved.
We continue to offer other opportunities for our community to engage with issues, history, and culture related to the Middle East. On October 23 and 24, the Middle East Studies program will sponsor a lecture on “Music Making in Palestine During the First Half of the Twentieth Century,” by Dr. Issa Boulos, followed by a concert of Palestinian music featuring Dr. Boulos, singing, and Majed Abu Ajamia, quanun. This winter, the Perlman Teaching Museum will host the exhibition Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme: Only sounds that tremble through us, which explores traditions of communal song and dance in the Arab world. Artist duo Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme will show work across a range of media — including moving-image installations, sound, performance, and poetry — foregrounding themes of collectivity, resilience, and memory.
Finally, with the beginning of the Jewish High Holidays, and the approach of October 7, I will note that the Chaplain’s Office is sponsoring events that include a Vigil of Memory and Solidarity, which will provide space for reflection, prayer, and candle lighting throughout the day on October 7. All are welcome to participate.
Featured in Carleton Today, October 3, 2024