The Ogden-Weber Applied Technology College Diversity Statement:
“Diversity encompasses acceptance and respect which means understanding that each individual is unique, and recognizing and appreciating our individual differences.”
The Ogden-Weber Applied Technology College Diversity Statement:
“Diversity encompasses acceptance and respect which means understanding that each individual is unique, and recognizing and appreciating our individual differences.”
Thu, Apr 23, 2009
Comments Off
Please join with the Diversity Council in celebrating the culture of Japan today in Union Building room 107 from 11:00-1:00.
Japan (日本 Nihon or Nippon, officially 日本国 Nippon-koku or Nihon-koku) is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People’s Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. The characters which make up Japan’s name mean “sun-origin”, which is why Japan is sometimes identified as the “Land of the Rising Sun”.
Japan comprises over 3,000 islands making it an archipelago. The four largest islands are Honshū, Hokkaidō, Kyūshū and Shikoku, together accounting for 97% of Japan’s land area. Most of the islands are mountainous, many volcanic; for example, Japan’s highest peak, Mount Fuji, is a volcano. Japan has the world’s tenth largest population, with about 128 million people. The Greater Tokyo Area, which includes the de facto capital city of Tokyo and several surrounding prefectures, is the largest metropolitan area in the world, with over 30 million residents.
Interesting facts about Japan
Sometimes the trains are so crowded railway staff are employed to cram passengers inside.
Japanese celebrate Christmas, but it is more like Valentine’s day in the western world.
More than 70% of Japan consists of mountains, including more than 200 volcanoes.
A nice melon, similar to a cantaloupe, may sell for over $300US.
There are four different writing systems in Japan, romaji, katakana, hiragana, and kanji.
Coffee is very popular and Japan imports approximately 85% of Jamaica’s annual coffee production.
Japan’s literacy rate is almost 100%.
Sumo is Japan’s national sport, although baseball is also very popular.
Noodles, especially soba (buckwheat), are slurped very loudly when eaten. It is often said slurping symbolizes the food is delicious, but the slurping also serves to cool down the hot noodles for eating.
Vending machines in Japan sell beer, hot and cold canned coffee, cigarettes, and other items.
When moving into an apartment it is often required to give the landlord a “gift” of money equal to two months’ rent.
There are around 1,500 earthquakes every year in Japan.
It is not uncommon to eat rice at every meal, including breakfast.
Japan is the largest automobile producer in the world.
The Japanese language has thousands of foreign loan words, known as gairaigo. These words are often truncated, e.g. personal computer = paso kon. The number of foreign loan words is steadily increasing.
Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo is the world’s largest.
Men in Japan shave to their heads to apologize.
Girls in Japan cut their hair after breaking up with a boyfriend.
Tokyo has had 24 recorded instances of people either killed or receiving serious skull fractures while bowing to each other with the traditional Japanese greeting.
The first novel, The story of Genji, was written in 1007 by Japanese noble woman, Murasaki Shikibu.
The term karaoke means “empty orchestra” in Japanese.
Wed, Apr 22, 2009
Comments Off
Please join with the Diversity council in celebrating the sights, sounds and tastes of Italy.
Come to Union Building room 107 from 12:00-1:00.
Italy /ˈɪtəli/ (Italian: Italia), officially the Italian Republic (Italian: Repubblica Italiana), is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. The independent states of San Marino and the Vatican City are enclaves within the Italian Peninsula, and Campione d’Italia is an Italian exclave in Switzerland.
Italy has been the home of many European cultures, such as the Etruscans and the Romans, and later was the birthplace of the university and of the Renaissance, that began in Tuscany and spread all over Europe. Italy’s capital, Rome, was for centuries the center of Western civilization. Italy possessed a colonial empire from the second half of the nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century
Interesting facts about Italy
Italy is slightly larger than Arizona.
The Italian flag is inspired by the French flag introduced during Napoleon’s 1797 invasion of the peninsula.
The thermometer is an Italian invention.
The city of Naples gave birth to the pizza .
The piano hails from Italy.
The longest river in Italy is the Po.
The average Italian consumes half a pound of bread a day.
Italy’s contributions to science include the barometer, electric battery, nitroglycerin, and wireless telegraphy.
Famous Italian explorers include Christopher Columbus, Marco Polo, John Cabot, and Amerigo Vespucci.
Enrico Fermi, inventor of the nuclear reactor, was an Italian.
Italy is home to two microstates, San Marino and Vatican City .
Besides Julius Caesar, Shakespeare also set in Italy ( entirely or partially):
Romeo and Juliet, Othello, The Merchant of Venice, Antony and Cleopatra, Coriolanus, Cymbeline,Much Ado About Nothing, Othello,The Taming of the Shrew, Titus Andronicus, The Two Gentlemen of Verona,The Winter’s Tale
Cologne came out of Italy.
The ice cream cone is an Italian invention.
Eyeglasses are an Italian invention.
Italy has 16 regions and 4 autonomous regions.
The average Italian consumes 26 gallons of wine a year.
Italy has more hotel rooms than any other nation in Europe.
The espresso machine hails from Italy.
Over 40% of Italy’s labor force is unionized.
Over 75% of Italy is mountainous or hilly.
The typewriter is an Italian invention.
Italians used to be known for having large families, however Italy is now known for having Europe’s lowest birthrate.
The average Italian consumes 25 kilograms of pasta a year.
The Jewish Ghetto in Rome is now one of the most expensive real estate area in the city
With over 5 million people, Rome is Italy’s largest Italy.
Italians refer to their country as Italia.
The Seven Hills of Rome are Aventine, Caelian, Capitoline, Esquiline, Palatine, Quirinal, and Viminal.
The symbol SPQR can be found on many ancient buildings in Rome. It stands for “the senate and people of Rome.”
Rome was founded in 753 BC.
Italy did not become a united country until 1861
Before Rome became a republic and an empire, it had seven kings.
The first king of Rome was its legendary founder, Romulus.
“Ars longa, vita brevis” is a common saying in Italy. It means “art is long, life is short” and reflects the Italian love of leisure.
An engineering marvel of the ancient world, Cloacus Maxima, is the sewer of Rome.
The first Roman Emperor was Augustus Octavian, who came to power in 27 BC.
The Roman Empire fell in 476 AD, after its last emperor, Romulus Augustulus, was forced to abdicate by barbarian invaders.
A Roman Centurion commanded 100 hundred men.
A Roman Legion was made up of 6,000 men.
Italy’s current constitution took effect January 1, 1948
The president of Italy is a ceremonial figure.
The prime minister serves as the head of government and is the one who runs the country.
Since October 1946, the national anthem of Italy has been Inno de Memeli .
The Italian flag is green, white, and red.
The colors of the Italian flag represent three virtues: hope (green), faith (white), and charity (red).
98% of Italians are Roman Catholic.
The Roman Catholic Church is based in Italy.
Italy has over 3,000 museums.
The national sport of Italy is soccer (known as football outside of America).
The Italian language evolved from the Latin of the Roman Empire.
The Italian island of Sicily is famous for being home of the illicit Mafia criminal organization.
The Alps mountain range form part of Italy’s northern border, and for a long time, protected the peninsula from invasion.
Italy has three active volcanoes: Vesuvius, Etna, and Stromboli.
Rome’s nickname is “The Eternal City.”
Florence is home to Italian art.
Tue, Apr 21, 2009
Comments Off
Today we celebrate the culture of India.
Please join us from 11:00 to 1:00 Monday in Union Building 107, join us for food, music and cultural displays.
Indian Culture
Identity
The culture of India has been shaped by the long history of India, its unique geography and the absorption of customs, traditions and ideas from some of its neighbors as well as by preserving its ancient heritages, which were formed during the Indus Valley Civilization and evolved further during the Vedic age, rise and decline of Buddhism, Golden age, Muslim conquests and European colonization. India’s great diversity of cultural practices, languages, customs, and traditions are examples of this unique co-mingling over the past five millennia.
Language
Hindi (Standard Hindi besides many dialects of varying mutual intelligibility) is the most widespread language of India. The Indian census takes the widest possible definition of “Hindi” as a broad variety of “Hindi languages”. The native speakers of Hindi so defined accounts for about 40% of Indians.
Indian English is recorded as the native language of 226,449 Indians in the 2001 census. English is the second “language of the Union” besides Hindi.
Thirteen languages account for more than 1% of Indian population each, and between themselves for over 95%; all of them are “scheduled languages of the constitution”.
Scheduled languages spoken by less than 1% of Indians are Santali (0.64%), Nepali (0.28%), Sindhi (0.25%), Manipuri (0.14%), Bodo (0.13%), Dogri (0.01%, spoken in Jammu and Kashmir). The largest language that is not “scheduled” is Bhili (0.95%), followed by Gondi (0.27%), Tulu (0.17%) and Kurukh (0.098980986%)
Interesting Facts About India
Chess was invented in India.
Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus are studies, which originated in India.
The ‘Place Value System’ and the ‘Decimal System’ were developed in India in 100 B.C.
India is the largest democracy in the world, the 6th largest Country in the world, and one of the most ancient civilizations.
India has the largest number of Post Offices in the world.
The largest employer in the world is the Indian Railways, employing over a million people.
India was one of the richest countries till the time of British rule in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus, attracted by India’s wealth, had come looking for a sea route to India when he discovered America by mistake.
The Art of Navigation & Navigating was born in the river Sindh over 6000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘NAVGATIH’. The word navy is also derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Nou’.
The value of “pi” was first calculated by the Indian Mathematician Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem.
Sushruta is regarded as the Father of Surgery. Over2600 years ago Sushrata & his teamconducted complicated surgeries likecataract, artificial limbs, cesareans, fractures, urinary stones, plastic surgery and brain surgeries.
Usage of anaesthesia was well known in ancient Indian medicine. Detailed knowledge of anatomy, embryology, digestion, metabolism,physiology, etiology, genetics and immunity is also found in many ancient Indian texts.
The four religions born in India - Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, are followed by 25% of the world’s population.
The largest religious building in the world is Angkor Wat, a Hindu Temple in Cambodia built at the end of the 11th century.
Martial Arts were first created in India, and later spread to Asia by Buddhist missionaries.
Yoga has its origins in India and has existed for over 5,000 years.
Tue, Apr 21, 2009
Comments Off
Please Join with the Diversity Council in celebrating Diversity Week. Monday we celebrate the culture of China.
From 11:00 to 1:00 Monday in Union Building 107, join us for food, music and cultural displays.
Interesting Facts about China
Total Land Area of China is 9,596,960 Sq. Kms. It is the fourth largest Country in the World. Shanghai and Beijing are two of the largest and most populous cities in the world.
At least 14 countries and 4 seas border China . Since the country is so large, climate is extremely varied. It is sub arctic in the North and Tropical in the South.
The population of China according to a July 2006 estimate is 1,313,973,713. It is officially the most populated country in the world. The Chinese Government has adopted a “one child” policy in an effort to curb the high numbers. Unfortunately this also makes China one of the fastest aging countries .
China has an obligatory Military service of 2 years for all men between 18 and 22. Women of the same age group are also recruited for specific military jobs.
The Han Chinese is the largest majority group in China. Mandarin Chinese is the official language . However in total, 55 official minorities and 206 listed languages are mentioned.
The Jen Min Jih Pao or People’s Daily is the largest official publication .
The Tienanmen Square is the world’s largest public gathering place and the Three Gorges Dam is the biggest dam.
Chinese Civilization is one of the few ancient civilizations to have its individual writing script. The Chinese language has over 20,000 characters. The average Chinese only learns about 5,000 of these in his lifetime.
Dashanpu in the Sichuan province of China has yielded over 1000 Dinosaur Fossils . Four Winged Feathered Dinosaurs called Theropods have been found; these are considered to be the missing link between dinosaurs and birds.
Child Emperor Pu-Yi was the last imperial ruler of China in the period 1908 -1912. Empress Wu of the Tang dynasty was the only female Emperor of China .
The Great Wall of China is also known as the “Ten Thousand Li Wall”, one Li is equal to 500 meters. The wall is over 1500 miles in length.
Khubililai or Kublai Khan issued Silk Notes as currency . There was also a Jade currency .
Acupuncture treats illnesses with inserting sharp thin needles in various pressure spots, it originated over 5000 years ago from China.
The Chinese calendar is based on the Lunar Cycle . It is the oldest known calendar , originating in 2600 BC. It has twelve Zodiac signs. A complete cycle would take 60 years to complete.
Paper , Compass , Explosive Powder and Printing qualify as the ” Four Great Inventions of China “. They are also credited with having invented the wheel and the first calendar.
Tue, Apr 21, 2009
Comments Off
Please join with the Diversity Council in celebrating Diversity Week April 20th - 23rd. Each day Monday - Thursday, we will be celebrating a different culture from 11:00-1:00 in the Union Building room 107.
Monday-China
Tuesday-India
Wednesday-Italy
Thursday-Japan
Fri, Mar 6, 2009
Comments Off
The Diversity Council celebrates March as Women’s History Month. We will be posting facts related to women’s history all through the month. Also, the Diversity Council is sponsoring a clothing drive.
“In observance of Women’s History Month, the diversity council is sponsoring a Women’s Clothing Drive for Y.C.C. They have a clothing closet for women transitioning to work from their shelters. We are asking, that as you spring clean this month that if you have any clothing items that women or children could wear that you would bring them into the OWATC and drop them in the collection boxes located in each building. We are accepting clothing that is gently used or new throughout the month of March and will pick up your box and replace it if it gets full.”
| Ann Teresa Mathews | 1715 | First woman whose invention received a patent (for cleaning and curing corn) - it was granted to her husband |
| Mary Katherine Goddard | 1775 | First woman postmaster |
| Betsy Ross | 1776/77 | First person to be a U.S. flagmaker |
| Hannah Adams | 1784 | First woman to become professional writer |
| Lucy Brewer | 1812 | First woman marine |
| Elizabeth Blackwell | 1849 | First woman to receive a medical degree |
| Amelia Jenks Bloomer | 1849 | Publisher/editor of first prominent women’s rights newspaper |
| Harriet Tubman | 1850 | First woman to run underground railroad to help slaves escape |
| Lucy Hobbs | 1866 | First woman to graduate from dental school |
| Susan B. Anthony | 1869 | Co-Founder of first US woman’s suffrage organization |
| Arabella Mansfield Babb | 1869 | First woman admitted to the bar |
| Frances Elizabeth Willard | 1871 | First woman to become a college president (Evanston College) |
| Victoria Chaflin Woodhull | 1872 | First woman to be presidential candidate |
| Helen Magill | 1877 | First woman to receive a Ph.D. degree (Boston University) |
| Belva Ann Lockwood | 1879 | First woman to practice law before U.S. Supreme Court |
| Clara Barton | 1881 | Founder of the American Red Cross |
| Maud Booth | 1887/96 | Co-Founder of Salvation Army and Volunteers of America |
| Suzanna Madora Salter | 1887 | First woman mayor (Argonia, Kansas) |
| Mary McLeod Bethune | 1904 | First woman to establish secondary school that became 4-year accredited college |
| 1935 | Founder of National Council of Negro Women | |
| Blanche Scott | 1910 | First woman to fly an airplane |
| Jeannette Rankin | 1916 | First woman U.S. House Representative (Montana) |
| Kate Gleason | 1917 | First woman president of a national bank |
| Jeannette Rankin | 1917 | First woman in Congress |
| Florence E. Allen | 1920 | First woman judge |
| Hallie Ferguson | 1924 | First woman governor of U. S. state (Texas) |
| Katherine Bement Davis | 1929 | First person to conduct national survey of sexual attitudes |
| Jane Addams | 1931 | First woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize |
| Hattie Wyatt Caraway | 1932 | First woman elected to U.S. Senate |
| Amelia Earhart | 1932 | First woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean |
| Ruth Bran Owen | 1933 | First woman foreign diplomat |
| Pearl S. Buck | 1935 | First woman to win a Nobel Prize for Literature |
| Hattie McDaniel | 1939 | First African-American of any gender to win an Academy Award (she won for Best Supporting Actress in the film, Gone with the Wind). |
| Linda Darnell | 1941 | First woman to sell securities on the New York Stock Curb Exchange |
| Conchita V. Cintron | 1949 | First U.S. woman bullfighter in Spain |
| Georgia Nesse Clark | 1949 | First woman treasurer of the United States |
| Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova | 1963 | First woman to fly in space, aboard Vostok 6. |
| Muriel Siebert | 1967 | First woman to own seat on the New York Stock Exchange |
| Janice Lee York Romary | 1968 | First woman to carry U.S. flag at the Olympic Games |
| Mary Clarke | 1978 | First woman to be named major general in U.S. Army |
| Ella Grasso | 1978 | First woman governor to be re-elected (Connecticut) |
| Sandra Day O’Connor | 1981 | First woman a justice of the U. S. Supreme Court |
| Sally Kristen Ride | 1983 | First American woman to reach outer space. |
| Joan Benoit (Samuelson) | 1984 | First woman to win an Olympic marathon |
| Penny Harrington | 1985 | First woman police chief of major U. S. city (Portland, OR) |
| Ann Bancroft | 1986 | First woman to walk to North Pole |
| Christa McAuliffe | 1986 | First woman citizen passenger on a space mission |
| Lt. Col. Eileen Collins | 1995 | First American woman to pilot a Space Shuttle |
| Madeleine K. Albright | 1997 | First woman Secretary of State and highest ranking woman in the U.S. government |
| Hillary Rodham Clinton | 2000 | Only First Lady ever elected to the United States Senate |
| Halle Berry | 2002 | First African-American woman to win a Best Actress Oscar |
| Condoleezza Rice | 2005 | First African-American woman to be appointed Secretary of State |
| Nancy Pelosi | 2007 | First woman to become Speaker of the House |
Fri, Feb 20, 2009
Comments Off
Elijah McCoy (1843 - 1929) invented an automatic lubricator for oiling steam engines in 1872. The term “the real McCoy” is believed to be a reference about the reliability of Elijah McCoy’s invention.
Garrett Augustus Morgan (1877 - 1963) invented, among many other things, a 3-way automatic stop sign, which he sold to General Electric. It was used in the U.S. until the 3-light traffic sign was developed.
Otis Boykin (1920 -1982) invented electronic control devices for guided missiles, IBM computers, and the control unit for a pacemaker.
George Carruthers (1939 - ) invented the far ultraviolet electrographic camera, used in the 1972 Apollo 16 mission. This invention revealed new features of Earth’s far-outer atmosphere and deep-space objects from the perspective of the lunar surface. Carruthers was inducted into the National Inventor’s Hall of Fame in 2003.
James West’s (1931 - ) research in sound technology led to the development of foil-electret transducers used in 90% of all microphones built today and in most new telephones being manufactured. West holds 47 U.S. and more than 200 foreign patents on microphones and techniques for making polymer foil-electrets. He was inducted into the National Inventor’s Hall of Fame in 1999.
Mark Dean (1957 - ) along with his co-inventor Dennis Moelle created a microcomputer system with bus control means for peripheral processing devices. This invention allows the use of computer plug-ins like disk drives, speakers, scanners, etc…
George T. Sampson invented a clothes dryer that used heat from a stove in 1892.
John Love invented the pencil sharpener in 1897.
Henry Brown created what is now known as a “strongbox”, a metal container to store money and important papers that could be locked with a key in 1886.
David Crosthwait Jr. (1898 - 1979) an expert on heating, ventilation and air-conditioning, holds 39 U.S. patents and 80 international patents pertaining to heating, refrigeration and temperature regulating systems. Crosthwait created the heating system for New York City’s Radio City Music Hall.
Source: Biography.com
Wed, Feb 4, 2009
Comments Off
The History of Black History
Americans have recognized black history annually since 1926, first as “Negro History Week” and later as “Black History Month.” What you might not know is that black history had barely begun to be studied-or even documented-when the tradition originated. Although blacks have been in America at least as far back as colonial times, it was not until the 20th century that they gained a respectable presence in the history books.
Source: Infoplease.com
Important Dates in Black History
Wed, Jan 7, 2009
Comments Off
Monday, January 19th 8:30 a.m.
Marshall White Community Center
222 28th Street Ogden.
Special commemoration to President Elect Barack Obama.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Suggested donation $5/person.
The March will begin immediately following the Breakfast.
For information contact:
Dr. Freddie Cooper, 773-2426 or 394-0924.
Wed, May 6, 2009
Comments Off