Photo provided by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash
By: Alexandra Gonzalez ’23, staff writer
LVC will host its 8th annual Symposium on Inclusive Excellence virtually on Feb. 25.
Since the 7th annual Symposium on Inclusive Excellence, the presence of the COVID-19 global pandemic, police brutality and the presidential election have set people against one another. Because of this, the Symposium is as relevant and important as ever.
The goals of the event are to promote open dialogue as well as to further the progress of the LVC campus community in becoming more aware of and more committed to diversity within the community.
“The importance of the symposium is to help spread awareness of diversity on our campus,” Shelby Moyer, a sophomore digital communications and creative arts major, said.
The day will begin with a pre-conference workshop involving an intergroup dialogue information session for faculty and staff from 9-10 a.m. The keynote convocation will follow from 10-11:30 a.m. with a community collaboration recognition and a keynote address by Tim Wise.
Tim Wise will join LVC students, staff and faculty virtually to speak on white privilege, activism and the battle against racism. Tim Wise has written nine books, contributed to over 25 other books and featured in multiple documentaries. His speech will be based on his book, “White Like Me: Racism and White Privilege in America.”
There will be a lunch break between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. The first set of educational sessions will take place from 1-2 p.m. Students can opt to attend the human library at LVC, disparities in healthcare or the “White Like Me” discussion among other options.
From 2:15-3:15 p.m., the second set of educational sessions will occur. The LVC campus community can choose to learn about grassroots anti-racist activism in Lebanon County, LGBTQ Cuban refugees and our community’s response to the Mariel Boatlift, the Children’s Resource Center involving advocacy and trauma reduction and other topics.
Combined educational sessions will take place from 1-3:15 p.m. Students have the option to participate in a poverty simulation, converse about disturbing the silence, democracy under siege as well as other subjects.
“I plan on attending the Crime and Punishment session because that is one of the sessions that caught my eye first,” Moyer said.
Registration for the event will open on Redbook on Feb. 19.