03/02/18

HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State University’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion Excellence has partnered with various student organizations to celebrate different areas of diversity during the month of March.

The office will team up with the FHSU Center for Civic Leadership and the FHSU Gay Straight Alliance for “The Pulse that Never Stops Beating,” a presentation by Angel Colon, survivor of the 2016 Pulse Nightclub shooting. The presentation will start at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 6, in the Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center in Sheridan Hall.

Colon will discuss embracing diversity, respecting differences and rising above adversity. The event is free and open to the public.

Movie lovers are invited to join the office and Dr. Matthew Smalley, assistant professor of English, for a showing of the 2016 film “Hidden Figures” at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 7, in Rarick Hall, room 312. The movie is the second installment in the diversity office’s series “Films for the Future.”

Women’s History Month will also be celebrated, starting with a Women’s History Month kick-off feature wall from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Thursday March 8, in the FHSU Memorial Union. The wall will highlight women who have fought to end discrimination against women.

The office’s book club, Novels for Hope, will hold its third meeting of the academic year from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Friday, March 9, in Sheridan Hall, room 108. The group will discuss the New York Time’s bestseller “The New Jim Crow” by Michelle Alexander, which focuses on systemic racism in the American prison system.

The month will close with Safe Zone trainings presented by Deanna Williams on Friday, March 30. Multiple trainings are available and open to 100 participants, including faculty, staff and students.

Session 1: Safe Zone 101 will be from 8:30 to10 a.m., and Session 2: Safe Zone 101 will follow from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Both sessions will provide a basic introduction to gender, sex and sexuality.

Session 3: Safe Zone 201 will be from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. and will expand on the information in Safe Zone 101. The session will also explore systemic oppression of the LGBTQ+ community as well as teaching participants how they can become advocates on campus.

To register for Safe Zone trainings, visit the Office of Diversity and Inclusion Excellence Tiger Link page and fill out the Safe Zone registration form. All sessions are free and include completion certificates and stickers.

“The purpose of these events and this month as a whole is to raise awareness about different diverse communities and to teach the importance of inclusion,” said Taylor Kriley, director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion Excellence.

For more information, contact Kriley at tlkriley2@fhsu.edu or 785-628-4276.