USD Magazine Spring 2009

USD MAGAZINE 6 AROUND THE PARK A woman born in Pakistan and raised in England breaks from traditional gender role expectations to become a microbiologist and university administrator. A man from inner-city Cleveland rises above presumed racial limitations to educate others about cultural identity. A woman finds the strength to embrace her sexual orientation while working through law school to help fight injustice. The plot lines seem tailor-made for cinematic drama. And, in a way,

FACES IN THE MIRROR USD ini t iates campaign focused on inclusion and diversi ty [ m u l t i p l i c i t y ] by Nathan Dinsdale

The video campaign is mod- eled after the Not In Our Town documentary series created by the grassroots organization The Working Group, which aimed to initiate dialogue and imple- ment strategies for dealing with bigotry and intolerance. In early December, Not In Our Town screened on campus. According to John Adkins, head of public services at the Pardee Legal Research Center and PABID member, the event marked the start of a mobiliza-

they are. The personal stories shared by Assistant Dean Neena Din, Professor Carlton Floyd and law student Jesse Zaylia are among the first in a series of video interviews intended to spark discussion about promoting and improving diversity at USD. These vignettes are just one facet of a widespread effort being spear- headed by“On Our Campus@USD” (OOC), a task force created after the President’s Advisory Board on Inclusion and Diversity (PABID) was formed in 2007.

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