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WT Diversity Week to Spotlight One of University’s Core Values Through Discussions, Poetry, More

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Chip Chandler Aug 25, 2022
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WT Diversity Week to Spotlight One of University’s Core Values Through Discussions, Poetry, More

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

 

CANYON, Texas — A soldier-turned-poet, a student organization fair, a party and a discussion led by some top student scholars will highlight Diversity Week 2002 at West Texas A&M University.

The week, part of WT’s Start Strong Initiative, will feature a slate of activities from Aug. 29 to Sept. 1 on the Canyon campus, organized by the Office for Diversity and Inclusion.

“Diversity is one of our core values as a University, as laid out in the long-term plan WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World, and this week really serves as a way to highlight our broad spectrum of students, faculty and staff,” said Angela Allen, WT’s chief diversity and inclusion officer.

The week begins with a performance by Brandon Current, aka Souls Inkpen, a former Marine whose first book of poetry, “Pieces of Me,” was published in 2018.

He’ll perform at 6 p.m. Aug. 29 in Legends Hall in the Jack B. Kelley Student Center. Admission is free and open to the public.

Melodie Graves, an Amarillo-based motivational speaker and advocate, will speak at F1RSTGEN’s kick-off bash at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 30, also in Legacy Hall. F1RSTGEN is a student-run organization for first-generation college students; WT’s student population is approximately 49 percent first-generation. The student party also will feature food, prizes, dancing and more.

New and returning students alike will learn about WT’s diverse slate of student organizations at at a fair that will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 31 in the JBK commons area.

Students from WT’s prestigious McNair Scholars program will discuss their research during the semester’s first We Are One Diversity Talk at 12:15 p.m. Sept. 1 in the JBK Senate Chamber. McNair Scholars prepares underrepresented, low-income and first-generation undergraduate students for doctoral study through research and other scholarly activities.

The week’s activities will end with a screening of “Zootopia,” a Disney animated film that explores issues of diversity and inclusion through anthropomorphic animals. The screening begins at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 1, also in Legacy Hall.

All events are free and open to all students. Souls Inkpen’s performance and the McNair discussion also are open to the public.

For information, call 806-651-8480.

WT 125 is fueled by the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign. To date, the five-year campaign — which publicly launched Sept. 23 — has raised more than $110 million.

 

 

 

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs and more than 40 graduate degrees, including two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

 

 

—WT—