The incoming freshman class will learn diversity education is essential.
After a one-year hiatus, the diversity component of Essential NU returns this fall in the form of a student-made video and group discussion. The video will be selected through a competition and is supposed to exemplify the spirit of diversity at NU as part of the new diversiFYInu program.
The competition offers $1,000 for first place and $500 for second place to the makers of the best eight- to 10-minute movies. The deadline for submitting script ideas was Wednesday but after receiving only one submission, committee members extended the deadline to June 2.
Previous New Student Week diversity sessions were unsuccessful, said Tedd Vanadilok, a member of the diversiFYInu Planning Committee and director of Asian/Asian American Student Affairs.
NU Student Affairs pulled the program for a year to revamp diversity education, and the video was its solution.
DiversiFYInu will take place after New Student Week to allow students more time to view the video and attend small-group discussions, which will be led by faculty and staff members.
Shawna Cooper-Gibson, director of African American Student Affairs, suggested the video competition after seeing a similar program at MIT.
“We’ll always need diversity education,” Cooper-Gibson said. “Everyone identifies as a minority at some point.”
DiversiFYInu committee members said they hope this video will show that diversity is not limited to race but also includes ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, talent, background and disabilities.
Margie Roe, a member of the committee and the coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities, said the video should include captions for the hard of hearing.
A problem at NU is students’ lack of comfort with attending multicultural events, said Carretta Cooke, a DiversiFYInu committee head and executive director for Multicultural Student Affairs.
“Asian-sponsored events will bring in mostly Asian crowds,” Cooke said. “We all have differences, but the students need to understand that it’s easy to cross cultural and ethnic boundaries.”
Communication junior Jordan Fox, Associated Student Government academic vice president, said the video could help facilitate discussion among diverse groups.
“It’s idealistic to say this will desegregate NU,” said Fox, the only student who is attending the committee’s planning meetings. “The ultimate goal, though, is to open people’s minds and help them branch out.”
Interested students can find more information about submitting script ideas on the New Student Week Web site.
Filmmakers must be undergraduates or recent alumni and should be familiar with the campus.
Vanadilok said the competition is open to all individuals or groups with creative ideas. Since much of the filming will be completed over the summer, it is ideal if at least one group member will be in the area during that time.
“Students shouldn’t be fearful for submitting a script,” Cooke said. “It’s a wonderful legacy that students can leave for incoming classes.”
Reach Lia Lehrer at [email protected].
