On Wednesday, Feb. 25 a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion event was hosted in the MSUB to further educate students on how to be inclusive. There was the option to join in person or online. There was a thorough PowerPoint presentation that touched on what exactly diversity is and how we can celebrate it.
Firstly, students were asked to write their names on a piece of paper along with four terms in which they would use to identify themselves. Most students chose race, gender and occupation. The PowerPoint went into a lot of detail about all of the countless terms that can be used to identify oneself rather than just the usual terms like gender and race. Diversity is everything from thinking style, skills, age, experience, etc.
The next topic that was touched on was equity. The literal definition of equity is the quality of being fair and impartial. The difference between equality and equity was discussed as it is a concept that is often overlooked.
“I’ve only ever heard equality being talked about along with diversity, it’s really interesting because you realize that even though it seems they are the same thing they are not,” student Alma Mireles said.
Students were asked to reflect on a time when they felt proud to be identified with one of the terms that they wrote down and when they felt not so good. We learned that a lot of times we often feel the need to prove that we are just like everybody else.
Presenter Vice President of the Javelina Alumni Association Jorvis McGee pointed out that no one out there is the same even if you have some similarities because everyone has their own story and we have all lived through something different.
“It doesn’t really matter if you have a lot in common or not because everyone has their own experiences there is no one that is the same, everyone has lived their own story,” McGee said. “I developed a list of six ways to embrace diversity. My favorite one is the ‘everyone narrative’ which simply means that all of the seven billion people on this planet have their own narrative, story and life. Our job is not to shape their beliefs to our own but to simply acknowledge what they are saying, and if we do not like it, then let it go and move on.”
A very interesting part of the discussion was the toll stress from social issues can contribute to one’s mental health.
“When someone is faced with something like racial discrimination for example, that can cause a lot of stress which can lead to their mental health being affected,” McGee said.
Fairness is seen as one of the core values of what a human being expects, needs and wants. When that core need is threatened it leads to stress that can cause chronic inflammation in the brain. Scientists are now linking chronic inflammation to different types of diseases and cancers.
Lastly, students were informed about ways they can spread awareness and talk about diversity. One of the best things that one can do is get educated on the subject and educate others when possible.
“It is important for the university to host events and celebrate diversity because all students should feel that coming to university is a safe space where they can thrive no matter their background,” student Pricilla Vega said.
