Central Works to Show Diversity Appreciation

Students+gather+to+share+what+diversity+means+to+them%2C+a+week+following+the+silent+rally.

Students gather to share what diversity means to them, a week following the silent rally.

Isabella Chan, Assistant News Editor

Following the silent rally against recent acts of racism, Central Connecticut hosted a diversity appreciation event for faculty and students to come together and share what diversity means to them.

Dr. Michael Jasek, Vice President of Student Affairs, said the event was to show an immediate response to the students’ request for Central to take action against the various acts of discrimination displayed on campus.

“The students at the rally said they wanted to see action and not just words,” Jasek said. “What [this event] can do is give us themes that students feel define diversity and then we can build programs based on that and tailor them towards the students.”

Central Connecticut prides itself in its diverse set of cultures, religions and more, so there is hope that future programs will provide experiences for attendees to learn from and apply to the community and society, according to Jasek.

Such programs will, hopefully, be able to provide insight into various ethnicities, religions and other types of diversity that are represented on campus, so students may be able to have a better understanding of them. Jasek believes the information learned can create an “educational point of view,” for one to use when responding to conflict.

Many came to the event to express what exactly diversity means to them and ways the university takes their values into effect. Several students highlighted acceptance and being open to an array of experiences as key aspects of their stances.

“Diversity is including, welcoming and accepting a wide range of backgrounds and viewpoints in a group or a team,” Colin Savino, a sophomore majoring in finance, stated at the event. “CCSU does a good job at showing how diverse its students are but improvements can always be made and things can be built upon.”

Matthew Landrigan, a graduate student, has witnessed firsthand some of the diverse aspects Central has to offer through his on-campus job as an intern for Student Activities/Leadership Development.

“There is an array of different multicultural and faith-based organizations. They represent several different backgrounds. Students can advocate for themselves or each other in a variety of ways, whether it be club meetings or simple day to day interactions,” Landrigan stated.

“Diversity means being able to accept everyone and include them in your everyday interactions and environment,” Landrigan continued. “Especially at CCSU, where we can engage in and outside the classroom and different activities that promote a diverse campus where everyone can be able to learn about themselves and each other in an inclusive environment.”

Aside from the diversity appreciation event, Jasek said there will be more events in the future that will open opportunities to “having difficult conversations on diversity, educating students on diversity in ways they never thought about and showing that diversity on campus.”

“This is not a one and done, this is the beginning,” Jasek said.”It’s important we celebrate what those diversities are, to celebrate the different groups, life experiences and hear the human story.”