Happy 10th anniversary to the Damietta Cross-Cultural Center!
Damietta has actually been around longer than 10 years, but it’s been one decade since the Center chose the name to honor the meeting between St. Francis and the Sultan al-Kamil at the Egyptian city of the same name.
To mark the anniversary and raise awareness about the role the Damietta Center plays on the Siena campus, students created a T-shirt and Instagram hashtag #IsupportDamietta. Alyssa Blanco ’24 took the lead.
When Blanco first came to campus this fall, she sought out Damietta for a work/study opportunity but found “it is so much more than that.”
“I got really involved right away,” she said. “The Damietta Center offers a real sense community on campus, no matter what your race is or how you identify. You can come together here and you are free to talk about any issues. It’s good to have a group like this at Siena that offers a safe space.”
Damietta’s goal is to empower students to be agents of change by fostering an inclusive community as active bystanders and peer educators. They co-sponsor Fall Fusion and Expozé, which are student-run culturally-themed talent shows; heritage months and cultural celebrations; speakers, performances, social justice dialogues and more.
When Blanco noticed on Damietta’s Facebook page that 2020 was an anniversary year, Blanco approached Director Br. George Camacho, O.F.M., about including that as part of the Center’s annual T-shirt design. Students and staff wear their T-shirt as a show of pride, then post their photos on Instagram.
“It’s a wonderful way for diverse students and their allies to amplify their voices and celebrate mission of the Damietta Center,” said Br. George.
Emily Crandall ’21 said, “Damietta has allowed for me to become a better ally for BIPOC students on Siena’s campus. Their promotion of inclusion is a crucial part of creating a community where people from all walks of life feel safe, empowered, and respected.”
Bobby Roemer ’21 added, “Damietta has made me recognize the diversity on Siena’s campus and understand it is an integral part of our community.”
Edwin “Conor” Graham ’21 noted, “Damietta, for me, is a place where students can engage with issues of social justice in an authentic and vulnerable way. Damietta both prompts and fosters honest discussions that are important for a healthy and well-functioning community."
