IU undergraduates are currently able to share their creativity and perceptions of campus diversity through a video contest through the Asian Cultural Center at IU.
The center is trying to promote multicultural and diversity awareness on campus, Asian Cultural Center program associate Sarah Stamey said.
“We’re committed to building an inclusive support community that celebrates diversity that advocates for students’ needs and concerns,” Stamey said.
Receiving input on how students feel about diversity on campus was very important to those involved with the conference, said Luis Hernández, a coordinator for the conference and contest.
“We want to hear from all groups who in one way or another feel underrepresented on campus,” Hernández said.
The video for the contest has to answer the question “How do you see diversity on campus?” in 60 seconds or fewer, Stamey said. She said the answer can be as specific or abstract as the submitter prefers.
This contest is through a Asian-Pacific American Faculty and Staff Council conference, which takes place every two years at IU, Stamey said.
This conference and the contest are a part of the Asian-Pacific Island Heritage Month celebration at IU. While this annual observance is actually in May, it’s celebrated a month earlier on campus because the spring term ends the first week of May, Stamey said.
The deadline for the contest is midnight April 3. The conference will be April 6.
The video contest this year was included as a response from students who wanted to be more involved with the conference, Stamey said.
Along with the contest, Stamey said students will be represented at the conference by having their own panel discussion, where they will discuss cultural diversity on campus. There will be two other panel discussions along with this one featuring similar topics.
Because the video is only 60 seconds or less and will be shot by a student, Stamey said judges will base decisions on content more than technical aspects. She said participants don’t have to feel obligated to shoot expensively and can use an iPhone to record the video.
“We don’t want to define what this video is supposed to say,” Hernández said. “We want to get the students’ perspectives of what diversity means to them.”
Once finished with the video, Stamey said participants need to upload the video on YouTube and fill out an online form in order to be eligible for the contest.
The contest will be judged by faculty and staff, Stamey said. Winners will receive $500, $250 and $100 for first, second and third places respectively.
This money is provided through sponsorship by the Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs.
The Asian Culture Center will be creating a video series that may use entries submitted for this contest. Hernández said this may help promote awareness of those who are misrepresented on campus.
Hernández said he would like to see a similar contest happen once or multiple times each year in the future.
“We were hoping this could continue on as a mode of communication for this discussion,” Hernández said. “We know this is not going to end the issues, but this can get the discussion started.”
