SJC Celebrates 10th Annual Unity Month with Screening of Documentary Film “Documented”

October 09, 2014

PATCHOGUE, N.Y. – OCTOBER 9, 2014 – In celebration of its 10th Annual Unity Month, St. Joseph’s College (SJC) is hosting a series of events for its students and the college community. On Tuesday, October 28, SJC’s Office of Multicultural Student Life will partner with Welcoming Long Island, an initiative of Long Island Wins, to host the event, “Lift Every Voice: Immigration and Our Diversity,” at 6 p.m. in the McGann Conference Center on the College’s Long Island Campus in Patchogue, New York. The event will feature a screening of the documentary Documented followed by open dialogue with a panel of speakers.

“Diversity dares us to see the beauty that lies in our similarities and our differences,” said Christy Banks, director of multicultural student life at SJC. “We hope that through this film we can create an environment that allows us to share and embrace all, regardless of what makes us different. As we come to respect, appreciate and welcome diversity, we deepen our understanding of ourselves and life as a whole.”

Documented, a project of Define American, chronicles the journey of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas who outed himself as an undocumented immigrant in an essay published in the New York Times Magazine in 2011. Documented follows Vargas from the Philippines to America and allows the audience to view life as an immigration reform activist in America while documenting Vargas’ reunion with his mother after being separated for 20 years. 

“At a time when the issue of immigration continues to be debated, Documented is a timely and important film,” said Thomas Petriano, Ph.D., professor and chair of religious studies at SJC. “With the help of a panel of faculty and outside experts, we hope the audience will join us to discuss and sort out many important issues after viewing the film.”

Following the film, a panel of speakers, including Maria Cruz, director of communications and engagement for Define American; Laura Lemus, special projects coordinator of Long Island Wins; Olga Rios-Soria, assistant professor of Spanish at SJC; Hendel Leiva, organizer of Welcoming Long Island; Stephen Rockwell, professor and associate chair of social sciences at SJC and Eliana Fernandez, SJC student, will offer a Q&A session with the audience.

This event is free and open to the public. Dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m. and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, contact Christy Banks at 631.687.4596 or [email protected].

ABOUT ST. JOSEPH'S COLLEGE
St. Joseph’s College has been dedicated to providing a diverse population of students in the New York metropolitan area with an affordable education rooted in the liberal arts tradition since 1916. Independent and coeducational, the College provides a strong academic and value-oriented education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, aiming to prepare each student for a life characterized by integrity, intellectual and spiritual values, social responsibility and service. With campuses located in the Clinton Hill area of Brooklyn and in Patchogue, Long Island, the College offers degrees in more than 29 majors, special course offerings and certificates, affiliated and pre-professional programs.