A Celebration of Diversity

The Davis Hall staff honored Global Diversity Awareness month in a big way last week, Oct. 21-25. The entire Davis Hall team played a huge role in orchestrating a list of events for the campus community. Their hope was to promote awareness, unity, and inclusion through the beauty of diversity. 

“Over the summer, I was a conference assistant and my roommates and I had active conversations about diversity and inclusion.” Said Alex Jackson, Head Resident Assistant for Davis Hall. “We watched TV shows that I wasn’t exposed to before, and made me realize that we’re not doing nearly enough on campus. I learned a lot and wanted to incorporate more diversity into my RA role.” 

Jackson spoke to Imani Bryant, Resident Director of Davis Hall, about having a “Diversity Day,” but through their conversations, they decided to turn a one-day affair into a week- long schedule of events. They aspired to spread awareness and create a place where everyone would come together and experience various cultures, foods, music, and activities different from their own. 

Their main objective was to include as many people as possible. They sent emails to every club on campus hoping for their participation at the fair. Emails were sent to all the students in an attempt to be as inclusive as possible.

The Davis Hall Council created “The Office Diversity Reenactment” event for Monday, which is similar to the “heads-up” game and enjoyed ice cream as they played. Tuesday night Jackson was scheduled to show the movie “The Hate You Give.” However, when I arrived, I was informed the event had been cancelled due to a meager turnout. 

“Everyone talks about diversity, but how committed to diversity is this campus really when no one shows up to events like these?” Said one Davis Hall resident. “It really makes a statement.” 

However, Wednesday had a much different outcome. There was an inviting feeling in the air that night as the Davis Hall RA’s cooked up a traditional taco dinner. There was a variety of Latin music playing in the background as people socialized, laughed, and danced to their hearts content. Many people turned up to participate in this event and said that they had a great time.

Thursday was the big Diversity Fair. The weather was gorgeous and there were several campus clubs that had tables set up outside. A variety of foods was provided by WSU catering. There was a lively atmosphere that filled the air.

The Black Student Union was there to support and recruit members, and. the Social Work Association had representatives giving out information and showing off their wonderful display. Students of Fostering a Culture of Empowerment and Success (F.A.C.E.S.) were also present to share their experiences, literature about the program, and treats.

WSU’s very own “Top Flight” step team was also at the fair and gave an incredible performance. The onlookers were in awe as the team stepped, clapped, and flowed to the rhythm. After their performance, several members shared their experiences about Top Flight with the crowd. They explained what their motivations were for joining the step team and their feelings of being part of something bigger than themselves.

“We did a good job putting the events together and although participation wasn’t as high as we hoped for, we were very happy with the turn out,” stated Jackson. “Especially at the Diversity Fair, we were able to help spread awareness and learned a lot ourselves. It was a great week overall.” 

“I am very pleased with the positive remarks during and after the Diversity Fair,” said Bryant. “Diversity is something that should be openly discussed as well as celebrated. The fair was a great space for learning, growth, and positive interaction.”