January 14, 2009
Contact:
Alan Hancock
NSU Office of Public Affairs
954-262-5385
hancocka@nova.edu
NSU’s Unity Week to Celebrate Diversity and Encourage Peace
FT. LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, Fla. – Nova Southeastern University will hold its annual Unity Week from Jan. 20-23 with activities and events designed to celebrate diversity, create peace and foster community support.
Below are some of the highlights of Unity Week 2009. Events are free and open to the public and will be held on NSU’s main campus (3301 College Ave.). More information on these and other Unity Week 2009 events can be found at http://www.nova.edu/studentleadership/unityweek/.
Jan. 21: NSU’s Hunger Banquet (Noon)
The banquet serves as a hands-on illustration of the inequitable distribution of food in the world. Each student receives a card identifying them as a First, Second or Third World citizen. First World citizens eat at tables with tablecloths and are served a full-course meal by waiters; Second World citizens sit at a bare table and eat rice, beans and salad; and Third World citizens will sit on the bare floor and will have to share two bowls of rice.
Location: University Center
Jan. 21: Take Back the Night and the Clothesline Project (7 p.m.)
Take Back the Night is an annual NSU event dedicated to raising awareness of sexual assault and violence while creating a supportive environment for expression and empowerment. The event will include a candlelight vigil and a speak-out, where survivors and secondary survivors of sexual violence can share their experiences in a supportive environment. In conjunction with Take Back the Night, the Clothesline Project, a visual exhibit of shirts with graphic messages and illustrations designed by survivors of violence and their loved ones, will be on display. The Project serves as a vital means of conveying the enormity of the problem of violence against women.
Location: Athletics and Student Affairs Building patio
(Note: Photography and videotaping is permitted of the Clothesline Project and during the candlelight vigil. However, no photos or video will be allowed to be shot during the testimonies due to their sensitive nature.)
Jan. 23: Wall of Hate (7 p.m.) and Unity Week Extravaganza (6 p.m. – midnight)
Using painted bricks signifying discrimination, oppression and inhumanity, the Wall of Hate will be erected and will stand on NSU’s main campus until Friday at 7 p.m. The NSU community will then pull down the Wall of Hate, signifying the power every individual has to create constructive change for the future.
The destruction of the Wall of Hate will be part of the Unity Week Extravaganza, which includes a cultural fashion show at 6 p.m. and Dabke, a traditional Mediterranean chain dance, at 8 p.m.
Location: Alvin Sherman Library quad
