We had a great discussion during our staff meeting today about the notion of making diversity "tangible". We often struggle with this idea when it comes to designing and executing effective diversity programming for the Dickinson campus. As a innovative team of Diversity Assistants (DA's) we are always careful that we are not putting on the same old boring diversity programming that can sometimes taint our work/mission to the appear trite. We are aware that in a time when we all have our icalendars chock-full of appointments, activities, and adventures, we have to be innovative to capture the attention of our fellow Dickinsonians. We must therefore strive to make our diversity work, tangible, or accessible and interesting. The aspiring teacher in me believes that we must make our work therefore privy to the five sense. While such a notion can primarily sound as trite and boring as the exact type of "traditional" programming we here at the ODI try to design beyond, I propose that it is exactly what a campus of college students needs to wake up and realize that we live in a society where issues of diversity are increasingly important as we, as a campus, and as a society become less and less homogenous.
So, to take a stab at such "tangible" diversity work, the Voices of the People Initiative will hold the ODI's TENTH annual Diversity Monologue Contest sometime this semester (looks like it will be in late Spring as of now!) The annual event is always well-attended, and is a testament to the strength of the Dickinson Community, a community that WANTS to hear each other's stories, about what makes each individual unique, and exceptional, and dun dun dun "diverse". The DMC is in its nature therefore, "tangible". The event allows for the Dickinson Community to have a better understanding of what the current issues we, as students, face today are, in regards to our community, our society, and our experience as dynamic individuals growing up in a tumultuous and ever-changing world. But, here is the catch (the part when I ask of you for your ideas), how can we make the DMC even more "tangible"? How can we as an office, make people able to understand, feel, see, hear, what diversity we have on this college campus in new, sense inspiring ways?
Looking forward to hear some ideas and stay tuned for more information about the DMC 2012!!
So, to take a stab at such "tangible" diversity work, the Voices of the People Initiative will hold the ODI's TENTH annual Diversity Monologue Contest sometime this semester (looks like it will be in late Spring as of now!) The annual event is always well-attended, and is a testament to the strength of the Dickinson Community, a community that WANTS to hear each other's stories, about what makes each individual unique, and exceptional, and dun dun dun "diverse". The DMC is in its nature therefore, "tangible". The event allows for the Dickinson Community to have a better understanding of what the current issues we, as students, face today are, in regards to our community, our society, and our experience as dynamic individuals growing up in a tumultuous and ever-changing world. But, here is the catch (the part when I ask of you for your ideas), how can we make the DMC even more "tangible"? How can we as an office, make people able to understand, feel, see, hear, what diversity we have on this college campus in new, sense inspiring ways?
Looking forward to hear some ideas and stay tuned for more information about the DMC 2012!!
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