Photo by Allison Taylor
By Sydney Schwenke
UC’s first Diversity Leadership Council semester meeting took place on September 11. This informal, welcoming council included people from many different countries and world-views. The Diversity Leadership Council (DLC) provides plenty of difference-making programs and initiatives. Programs like Table Talk events where students can express their opinions without judgment to learn from each other, network, which partners students with professionals who provide them with work opportunities. The Diversity Reading Initiative, where students read and discuss books about diversity, and experiential learning opportunities like trips to the Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, international festivals, and more.
I asked many people at the meeting: “What does diversity mean to you?”
DLC member Maggie Moore said, “Diversity is different perspectives and cultures coming together in a community.”
“Diversity means family to me. It means bridging the gap between different cultural backgrounds,” President of the DLC Anne Radjeyanouba Ngarhasta stated.
“Diversity is essentially everything. But it is specifically calling all people to find unity across age, culture, and perspectives,” DLC member Lucas Bargo said.
Director of Diversity and Inclusion Devon Goings shared with us his thoughts, “Diversity can often be complex. I like to view diversity concerning God’s creation. God is the creator and sustainer of all things, and He created everything for His glory and our good. This includes diversity. I am convinced that the diversity in which He created this world and people shows the beauty and magnitude of His work. We can see this when we think of the complexity of people. There are men and women, different cultures, different ethnicities, different dispositions, different giftings, and the list can go on.”
“Our diversity is what makes us unique. It is important to realize that sin has caused corruption in this area like others, but diversity should still be valued and engaged,” Goings said.
As defined by students and faculty, diversity is the difference. Without diversity, there would be no new or different perspectives. The difference allows for people, groups, and society to grow. God created everyone equally so that everyone could freely express their opinions. The DLC is cultivating its beliefs and leading by example. These University of the Cumberlands representatives are certainly making a difference on campus.
