Diversity Conference first meet at Eastview

More than 100 students and faculty from Austin schools gathered at the Eastview Campus Oct. 26 for Student's Life first Diversity Outreach Conference.

The all-day conference focused on aspects of diversity - language, disability, class, age, race, sexual orientation, gender, religion, geographic origin, and others through the use of video presentations, skits, and discussions.

The keynote speakers were Cherry Ross Gooden, associate professor at the College of Education at Texas Southern University in Houston, and Dr. Belle S. Wheelan, president of the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

"You hear the word 'diversity' all of the time, but we want to teach students what it really means," said Toniette Haynes, the Student Life coordinator who organized the event.

Austin Community College organizations staffed booths at the conference. Groups included the ACC Center for Public Policy and Political Studies, the Hispanic Student and Staff Committee, and the Black Student Committee.

Students were asked to fill out leaflets regarding how they would participate in educating people about diversity, and also to write down any ideas they had for next year's conference to be held on Oct. 24th 2008.