Our Diversity = Our One McKendree
Passing the Torch to a New Leader
Fifteen years ago, Brent Reeves founded the Office of Multicultural Affairs – now called the Office of Diversity and Inclusion – at McKendree. As the university’s first-ever director of cultural affairs, Brent helped improve the retention rates of students of color, culturally educated all students, and brought Bearcats to the annual conference of the National African-American Student Leadership Conference at Rust College in Holly Springs, Miss., over a 10-year period. After 27 years of service at McKendree, along with seeing his daughter, Lauren Ashley Reeves ’17 graduate from McKendree, Brent is now passing the torch to a new young leader – Larry Davis III ’22.
A native of Country Club Hills, Ill., Larry began his McKendree journey as a student success mentor. This summer, he became the university’s director of inclusive education and global experience and is now responsible for two branches of student affairs. Not only will he ensure that all of McKendree’s international students continue to be eligible to study on campus and help keep the university in compliance with the government to host these students, but he will also seek opportunities to educate the campus on being inclusive and making McKendree home to all.
“No one likes being left out, unheard, or even feeling alone. My new position allows our Bearcat Family to feel welcomed in an environment that may be new to them,” Larry said. “It also helps students discover who they really are. Small campuses thrive on their students being seen as individuals. That’s why many of us like attending a small university, but it goes beyond being seen as an individual in just the classroom.”
The McKendree alum is most excited about being in a position in which he can truly have an impact – not just on campus, but also with each individual.
“I can see myself making a positive impact on our Bearcats just by simply giving them the time of day and in some cases even mentoring,” Larry added. “I’ve always been the person to have an ‘open ear policy,’ which basically means I will listen to you and your stories. I know for some, that is all that they need – and maybe a little guidance to top it all off.”
Shining Light on Bearcats of All Walks and Colors
Students, faculty, and staff took part in many unique events on campus this spring that highlighted various cultures. In February, McKendree’s Black Student Organization (BSO) celebrated Black History Month with several events throughout the month. Students in BSO kicked off the month with a delicious soul food meal in Ames Dining Hall, students took part in a paint night in the Piper Academic Center, and a special fashion show was held at the end of the month, showcasing students wearing clothing from the iconic eras of the 1990s and 2000s.
On a beautiful April day in the Quad, a diversity carnival invited the campus at large to connect with others, learn from one another, enjoy delicious treats, and play games. Spectrum Alliance hosted a table that discussed gender identity, gender expression, and more, while the Student Success Center included activities related to ADHD and autism. At the same time, McKendree’s Student Government Association (SGA) hosted their biannual International Meal Day. Students from Japan handmade sushi, Italian students prepared shrimp risotto, Iranian students served Persian ice cream, and students from Brazil created delicious acai bowls and Brazilian Brigadeiro.
Sharing the Message by Serving Others
This spring, 10 Bearcats, along with The Reverend Beverly Wilkes-Null, took wing to fly down to Slidell, La., to provide relief and build relationships with people who were still suffering from the effects of several major hurricanes, which have left thousands homeless and in great need. These students participated in part with Epworth Project, which assists disaster victims and the low-income and elderly with routine home maintenance and repairs, weatherization, and emergency repairs.
McKendree volunteers kept busy throughout the week, replacing lights and drywall with some of the people from Epworth Project, replastering and painting walls, building shelves, caulking, replacing faucet fixtures, and more. There was something for everybody, regardless of their skill level.
During the mission trip, these students had the pleasure of meeting a homeowner named Ms. Tracy, whose warmth and generosity left an impression on the entire team. A wonderful storyteller and gracious host, she welcomed the team into her home with a smile and immense appreciation.
Ms. Tracy was living in a home that was hot-wired, so she could never turn her lights off. Her shelves were made of drywall in spots that were already damp. After the students were able to fix the lighting issue and she could finally turn her lights on and off, Ms. Tracy stood in the doorway and wept with gratitude.
“I’ve lived in houses that aren’t exactly great – holes in the floor, poor insulation – and being put in the position where I could actually help someone who was in the spot that I was in was fulfilling,” said first-year Ryan Musila. “Ms. Tracy was my favorite part of the trip, and I loved knowing that I was able to help her.”
Throughout the week, each student volunteer played a role and worked on this woman’s house with a deep sense of caring. They surrounded the gracious host anytime she shared any of her life experiences with them, and her positive energy inspired the team to better her life and her environment.
Perhaps the most important thing that these students experienced was meeting Ms. Tracy and others they encountered, listening to them, and building life-changing relationships with them.
“The most important thing was learning from Rev. Bev a concept I didn’t understand going down to Louisiana: we are not going down to do tasks, but to form relationships and walk with these people,” Ryan added.
As these Bearcats were set loose by and large by day one and put in charge of many tasks around the home, they began to understand the impact they were making – and recognized the things that we typically take for granted each day.
“Meeting human needs is about listening to other humans. Faith and politics don’t matter when you’re meeting human needs. When you’re meeting human to human, a lot of good things happen,” Ryan said.
