That's a Wrap! 2025!

Welcome to 2025! We in University Media Services know there are lots of exciting things coming down the road, and considering the climate, many of them ARE positive. Let’s look at a few cool things that has already took place.

First up, the spring semester at Suffolk got started with the SBS Graduate student orientation which we are always excited to assist with as well as Winter Orientation for undergrad student sin the College of Arts and Sciences and the Sawyer Business School.

Next, UMS provided support for an intimate and interesting chat with Paul F, Joyce, Chair Criminal Justice and Criminology Program at Salve Regina. Joined by District Attorney Kevin Hayden, Mr. Joyce discussed his new book “It Started with the Hats: the Life Experiences of Boston’s Founding Street Gang Members.”

Last Saturday, University Media Services provided technical support for the 2025 Menstrual Equity Summit at Sargent Hall which invited various activists to talk about the movement to end period poverty statewide and take action for menstrual equity in Massachusetts. The conference included several panelists, speakers and even a slam poetry event. The keynote was delivered Dr. Noelle Elizabeth Spencer where she discussed the “Current States and Emerging Priorities of the Menstrual Equity Movement.”

This week marked Suffolk's sixth annual?Ram Inclusion Week, which celebrates the rich diversity of the University community. This year's theme was "Building Bridges, Breaking Barriers: Advancing Racial Equity Together."

Events included talks by an expert on racial equity in higher-ed, a Boston city councilor, and an award-winning TV journalist; the 20th annual MLK "Creating the Dream" award ceremony; panel discussions and workshops; and a campus-wide Suffolk Spirit Day. Although University Media Services was involved in most of the events taking place, here are a few highlights:

Monday, January 27, Sargent Hall played host to "From Exclusion to Inclusion," a keynote address by Boston University’s Dr. Raul Fernandez.

On Tuesday, UMS provided support for Suffolk Univeristy's annual MLK "Creating the Dream" ceremony, featuring WCVB Channel 5 reporter Danae Bucci.

This year's honorees were the Center for First Generation & Educational Equity; Professor? Elizabeth Stillman ; Clinton Oreofe , Student Government Association President & Class of 2026; and Suffolk Law Student 3L Symone Mond .

Thursday, UMS provided support for a panel of members from Suffolk Sisters of Color, Asian Faculty & Staff, and Black Faculty & Staff as well as representatives from the Black Student Union, the Caribbean Student Network, the Latine Student Alliance, and the Asian American Association discussing what’s critical to fostering a sense of belonging and creating community on campus.

To close out the week, Media Services was honored to manage the webinar “From 'Vs.' to '&': A Living Legacy, The Plessy & Ferguson Initiative.” One letter can change the world. Keith Plessy and Phoebe Ferguson are the direct descendants of Homer Plessy and Judge John Ferguson, the principals in the 1896 Plessy vs. Ferguson Supreme Court case that upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation. In 2009, they co-founded The Plessy & Ferguson Initiative to focus on truth, memorialization, and transformative justice. They will talk with us about the historic case, their collaborative initiatives, and how we can also change a “vs.” to an “&” to bridge the gaps of racial inequity together.

You can view the final recording here: https://vimeo.com/1052408691/2ff598c3ac

That's it! Whew!

Until next time followers and fans!