By Lauren Smith
Lifestyles Editor
When you think of October and it’s associations, most people probably think of Halloween. While dressing up like mythical (or real) characters and taking candy from strangers is great, October also stands for something else—diversity.
October is Diversity month in the United States and it’s no wonder why you find so many diversity and culturally related national observances such as United Nations day, World Food day, Constitution day, and of course, Columbus Day on October 12th.
Although Diversity month is a great way to raise awareness for diversity issues and causes, there are clubs on campus that work towards these goals all year round. Not only does their work benefit the Scranton community, but Marywood’s community as a whole by showing students how to live responsibly in a diverse and interdependent world, as stated in Marywood’s mission statement.
One of these clubs, on the forefront of diversity efforts at Marywood is Diversity United. Diversity United states in their mission statement that they are committed to promoting awareness of and sensitivity to human differences, as well as creating opportunities for all within the university community to interact with understanding, tolerance, and respect for others.
One of the events that the Office of Diversity Efforts is sponsoring through September and October illustrates that commitment. On September 25, 26 and October 2, and 3, there will be a free Indian traditional dance festival called Navaratri held at the Days Inn on the Scranton Carbondale Highway celebrating traditional Indian customs through costume, food and dance. The event was organized by Jigarkumar Patel, a graduate assistant in the Diversity Office.
While Diversity United tries to promote diversity with every event that they host, most of their events benefit local community organizations as well. “We’re a club that focuses heavily on community service”, said Diversity United President Maria Zeron, “we came in second for community service last year in clubs on campus.”
Some previous events that Diversity United has hosted or are involved in almost every year include a date auction, Spring fashion show, Sleep-out for the Homeless, and an event where they teamed with the Step team to benefit the Women’s Resource Center.
Even in Scranton’s community, you can find events influenced by Diversity month. The Everhart Museum will be showing three different exhibitions celebrating Latin American culture from September 25th through December 31st including a Day of the Dead exhibit, which is a Latin American holiday celebrating the lives of the dead.
For more information on Diversity United, meeting times, and events you can stop by the Office of Diversity Efforts in room 219 in the LAC.