Student projects, alumni panels and speakers focusing on diversity, a core value of Ball State, will take place Thursday in the David Letterman Communication and Media Building lobby.
According to the university’s website, Ball State is described as “strongly committed to diversity” and a place where people from around the world and country can gather.
In keeping with the standards for variety, students in the College of Communication, Information, and Media will present their creative and research projects to the public at the “Communication and Culture: Dialoging the Difference.”
The projects cover all genres of diversity including race, class, sexuality and socio-economic status, said Kristen McCauliff, a member of the CCIM Diversity Group and one of the individuals sponsoring the event, said.
One group of CCIM students filmed the lives of residents on a Native-American reservation located in East Central Indiana.
Other projects took a more research-based approach. Jumah Tahweh looked at the connection between feminism and hip-hop.
Some students have been laboring on the projects throughout the entire school year, McCauliff sad.
The event is not new. “Communication and Culture: Dialoging the Difference” has been providing a look at diversity since 2009.
Zach Groth, senior public relations major, has attended the event since his freshman year.
“You’re not looking at someone talking to a screen for 50 minutes,” he said. “You’re walking around, you’re interacting with the people who make it and you can ask them whatever you want. I guess if I would just say one word on it, it’s interactive.”
Along with the work of students, three panels featuring professionals, including Terri Cope-Walton of RTV6, also are covering diversity-related topics.
Judges from the Honors College and the surrounding community will hand out awards for the best creative and research project.
The event will be at 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. Thursday in the Letterman Building lobby and surrounding classrooms.