IC News

During the historic IC in the City weekend taking place this fall, ICUnity will host a “Building Bridges” event on Friday, November 11 at 5 p.m. to reconnect with BIPOC alumni and discuss how to reimagine diversity engagement at the college.

ICUnity is an alumni organization that aims to connect historically marginalized communities to a network of dedicated professionals and provide opportunities for inclusive social interaction. With this event, the hope is to give a voice to a segment of the alumni community.

“This is a group of alumni that hasn’t always been asked to be at the table, so to speak,” said Quincy Davidson, associate vice president for engagement at Ithaca College. “We want those people to know that they matter to IC, and that we want to connect with them. These are alumni who support this campus, and they want to do more.

“We also hope, that by engaging these alumni, it will help to create mentorship opportunities with current students,” he continued. “For communities of color, those built-in networks aren’t there. We want our current students to know that these are alumni who can be lifelong partners to support them, and guide them through college and post-college life.”

Gary Gilbert ’91, Sabrina Knight '16, James Glatthaar ’76, Bruce Clarke ’67, Tarshene Greaves ’91, and Bill Durant ’86 are on the organization’s executive board, and they also have high hopes for the event.

“Building Bridges allows IC alumni, current students, faculty and staff to come together as one community,” they said. “We planned the event for attendees to learn that despite the challenges our alumni may have faced as students, their opportunity for an Ithaca College education has enhanced their personal and professional lives. Through our event, we hope that all attendees will be inspired to help end the growing climate that suppresses rights, emboldens domestic terrorists, and reduces students’ opportunity to learn the history of diverse communities. [We also want to] build new bridges for professional networking opportunities.”

President La Jerne Terry Cornish will provide opening remarks at the event, which will also feature an alumni panel. Panelists include Michael Battle ’77, a former board of trustees member who is a partner in the law firm Barnes and Thornburg and former director of the Executive Office for United States Attorneys; Traci Hughes-Velez ’85 a current trustee and former vice president of human resources Europe at Colgate-Palmolive; and Lisbeth Perez ’17 a Washington D.C. -based journalist who covers the intersection of government and technology.

“These speakers were chosen because of their professional accomplishments as alumni,” the executive board said. “They represent the diversity of Ithaca College alumni and have unique perspectives to offer our audience.”

There will be a performance by the Amani Gospel Singers during the event as well. A gospel choir made up of Ithaca College students, the Amani Singers focuses on “bringing peace through song.” Nadine Shaw-Abram ’89 will direct the performance, which will feature several former members of the group.

The event will also have an alumni award ceremony.

“ICUnity will celebrate the accomplishments of IC-related groups, and individual IC community members, who have made a difference in their workplace, school, or neighborhood, by identifying one or more practices that needed to be changed, or ideas that needed to be implemented, to further the goals of equity, diversity and inclusivity, and by taking steps to accomplish appropriate changes,” said the executive board. “These awards reflect our strong interest in the goals of diversity and inclusion.

Overall, the weekend-long IC in the City celebration, featuring the Cortaca Jug football game taking place at Yankee Stadium, is the perfect opportunity for an event like this.

“It is a gathering for the entire Ithaca College family,” the executive board said. “Many in the Ithaca College family may have not heard of ICUnity and our mission to inform and unite. Cortaca gives us a chance and the necessary audience to bring people together, spread our message of unity and ‘build bridges’ all while having fun.”