Campus addresses diversity issues
By Matt Potter
Skiff Reporter

The fifth annual Conference on Inclusiveness tackled the topic of diversity in a straightforward manner Tuesday.

TCU’s Council on Diversity and the Inclusiveness Task Force hosted the conference, which featured panel discussions on topics ranging from inclusiveness at TCU to increased awareness of diversity and social issues in the surrounding community.

ITF Vice President Ebony Russo said the conference’s goal was to help people realize that they can get along, despite their differences.

“The conference isn’t about getting everyone together to think and act the same,” Russo said. “It’s about getting people together to celebrate their differences and to realize that it’s okay to be different. We can be different and still work together and have fun together.”

Chancellor Victor Boschini started the day-long conference with opening remarks.

“The best part of the conference is that it sets up a forum where people can talk about these topics in a non-threatening environment,” Boschini said. “With all the diversity we have on campus it’s a way to find out that we have a lot more in common than not-in-common.”

ITF President Kellen Correia said the conference was not about taking the nice road on topics such as diversity, Correia said.

“We want to get straight to the point, no flowery discussions about diversity,” Correia said. “We want to be very blunt in what we’re trying to do with this conference. The panelists are letting the students know what they have to do in order to be successful in life and the job market.”

The conference schedule included a question and answer session with five guest speakers before lunch and a session about taking action around campus and the community after lunch.

The featured panelists were Lillie Biggins, vice president for operations at Texas Health Resources, Vanessa Ruiz Boling, director of Human Relations Commission for the City of Fort Worth, Mervil Johnson, Workforce Collaboration manager, Tom Slone, chairman of Touchstone Communications, and Rosa Navejar, president of the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Kim Diggles, a senior psychology major, said the conference taught her that to really be inclusive, you have to step out of your comfort zone.

“It’s okay to be uncomfortable,” Diggles said. “That’s how you learn from other people.”

Tracy Williams, a junior speech communication major, said in order to see change within a community, change has to happen within ourselves first.

“We can’t look for other people to change unless we’re willing to change before them,” she said.