Nathaniel Pierce, Staff Writer~
The office of Equity and Inclusion will be hosting their first Multicultural Gala on April 28, 2018, in the Memorial Ballroom. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the event starts at 7 p.m. It is expected to last until 9 pm. Undergraduate students are admitted at no charge, while all other tickets are $5. Tickets are available online at Eventbrite and from the Office of Equity and Inclusion.
Darian Geddis and D’Andria Alston-Thomas are two of the students leading the Multicultural Gala. They have been spending a large portion of this academic school year planning the event. This is a big event for OEI as the office was created just over a year ago, during the 2016-2017 academic school year.
Davion Washington, a first-year student involved in organizing the Gala, has also been helping OEI with an on-campus study. He said, “On a college campus where there’s statistically a 3 percent chance of minority student interaction, I think it is absolutely beautiful and significant to see the works of our special interest groups play a huge role on campus.” Washington is also involved in numerous organizations on campus, including SGA, SAB and the Westover Honors Program.
The Multicultural Gala will feature an awards ceremony along with dinner honoring the Office of Equity and Inclusion. Washington explains that the goal of the Multicultural Gala is to “honor students, staff members and all of the special interest groups that operate out of the office, as well as anyone dedicated to spreading and promoting diversity and inclusion on campus.”
For any questions about the Multicultural Gala, email OEI@Lynchburg.edu.