In discussions of race, racism, and identity, Jewishness is a contested category. Particularly in the U.S., Jewish people are often considered white; they are framed as a religious group, rather than an ethnic one. However, this categorization can make antisemitism–and Jewish people themselves–invisible in both academic and popular discourses. Associate Professor of English Mara Lee Grayson's new book, Antisemitism and the White Supremacist Imaginary: Conflations and Contradictions in Composition and Rhetoric (Peter Lang, 2023), explores that erasure and its impact on Jewish scholars. As a Jewish woman, Grayson says the ideas within the book had been “percolating” within her for years, ... Read More
Campus News
Male Success Alliance Induction Ceremony Returns to Campus
After a pandemic-enforced break, the CSUDH Male Success Alliance (MSA) held its first on-campus induction ceremony in four years this March. In all, 28 new MSA members were welcomed into the academic-focused support program for men of color. “The induction ceremony celebrates and honors these young men from different backgrounds, binding them together for a mission and cause that's bigger than themselves,” said MSA Director Hakeem Croom. “It charges our students to be conscious, competent, and committed, while striving for excellence in all their endeavors inside and outside of the classroom.” The MSA was founded in 2009 as a resource to improve access, retention, and graduation for ... Read More
Biology Student Named Aquarium of the Pacific African American Scholar
Fourth-year biology student Kimberly Randolph is the first CSUDH student to be named an African American Scholar of the Aquarium of the Pacific, an honor which includes a $10,000 scholarship and educational opportunities with the Aquarium. Randolph, originally from Modesto, Calif., is among ten exceptional California university students chosen for the 2023 award. Though she didn't grow up on the coast, as a child Randolph became interested in marine biology thanks to the BBC Planet Earth series and the gift of a pet hermit crab. “I started doing my own research on how to recreate hermit crabs' natural environments, and how it helps them thrive” she says. “It made me think that people ... Read More
Asian & Pacific Cultural Center Opens Its Doors
After over a year of struggles and delays, the CSUDH Asian & Pacific Cultural Center (APCC) finally has a space to call its own. Located on the second floor of Welch Hall, in the offices formerly occupied by Financial Aid, the center is open to all Toro students, although its primary focus is on supporting the success of Asian and Pacific Islander students at the university. The APCC was established in Fall 2021, in response to student requests for an API-focused resource center. Inaugural program director Nathan Nguyen was hired in October 2021, and spent over a year working with administrators to secure a home for the center. “When I came on board, I assumed it would maybe take a ... Read More
Toro Women Advance to Elite Eight
The top-seeded CSUDH women's basketball team stormed their way into the NCAA Elite Eight with a dominant 73-51 win over Cal State San Marcos in the final of the West Regional Championship. The Toros won behind a stifling defense effort, holding San Marcos to just six points in a pivotal second quarter. It is the Toros' first-ever trip to the Elite Eight, where they will start play as the third seeded team. They will play sixth-seeded Catawba College of North Carolina on Monday, March 20, at 10 AM PST. The winner will advance to the Final Four on Wednesday. Against San Marcos, the Toros were led by NCAA West Region Most Outstanding Player Asia Jordan, who led all scorers with 19 points ... Read More
