Earlier in the year, I had attended an event planned and run by the residential advisors on my floor. The event was painting doorstops and eating pizza, all while talking and bonding with the people on the floor. Now, this event may not seem like a Diversity and Inclusion event, but when broken down into its main components, it is. The event allowed everyone on the floor, who all have different backgrounds, religions, and races, into an inclusive setting, allowing everyone to bond over a common activity. It allowed me to talk to my fellow floor-mates and learn about their pasts and their current ideals. It even allowed me to meet people that I am happy to call my close friends today. Better yet, they are always down the hall from me.
Diversity and Inclusion events are crucial to the Ohio State University and every other university due to the vast ranges of diversity between students and faculty on campus. Around 70 percent of students are white, followed by 8 percent of non-resident alien according to collegefactual.com. The faculty have around 73 percent white people, followed by around 10 percent black or African American according to collegefactual.com. So yes, the majority of the campus is comprised of Caucasian peoples, but that doesn’t mean that they all share the same stories. Even though the same race, these people still differ in many aspects. To name a few; religion, family, ideals, etcetera.
Having these Diversity and Inclusion events allows for people to see how different other people’s worlds are compared to their own. It allows for people to expand their world views and learn what life is light for the people surrounding them in their everyday lives. The Ohio State University has many differing options on how to get involved in Diversity and Inclusion events. Some examples are the Bell National Resource Center on the African American Male, Gender and Sexual Diversity, Leadership Initiatives for Women of Color, Upward Bound, and the Young Scholars Program. Another invaluable resource at the Ohio State University campus is the Student Life Multicultural Center. This offers resources to all members of the Ohio State community while supporting and celebrating specific groups of people.
In conclusion, Diversity and Inclusion events are crucial for any college institution around the world. They are used to make everyone feel included and important while their stay in college. It also helps teach people how other people live, their cultures, their religions, and even their lives before college and what they plan to do after. Though these events help people relate to one another on a multitude of levels, they also help people feel involved and included in their own communities, whether that be their race, religion, or cultures, they are welcome to feel wanted and included. Like I said at the beginning of this post, these events don’t have to be anything grand either. Even going to an event to meet new people and learn their stories and cultures can be beneficial to anyone.