Text Box: Just what do we mean by “diversity”?  Here’s how we define it at Westminster College:
“Diversity includes differences in ideas, perspectives, standpoints, and experiences as well as differences in ability, age, class, ethnicity, gender, geographic origin, language, race, religion, and sexual orientation.”
“Respect for diverse people and perspectives” is a core value of Westminster College.  Diversity is essential to student learning and strengthens our institution.
Welcome to the “Griffin’s Door” first issue of the Westminster Diversity Center’s electronic newsletter, a publication of the Westminster Diversity Council. The Council includes students, Text Box: faculty, and staff who are dedicated to teaching and learning about diversity.   We hope that this will be a useful, provocative, and educational resource for the campus that stimulates dialogue and discussion.  Sometimes we will make you think, or make you angry.  Sometimes we’ll make mistakes, and we can’t possibly make everybody happy (even if we wanted to).  This publication also introduces the Diversity Center, currently under construction, which will be located in the Center for Strategic Initiatives (Walker 1).  Our mission statement: Westminster College’s Diversity Center strives to encourage open, lively education and dialogue about issues of diversity among all members of campus and our surrounding Text Box: community as part of the College’s larger mission to challenge our students to “experiment with ideas, raise questions, critically examine alternatives, and make informed decisions . . . while promoting inclusiveness and respect for differences.”
Please join us in these exciting ventures into the future.  Send us your ideas, your reactions (positive and negative), and come visit us at the CSI.
Kevin Michael Permenter
Julia Barrientos
Editors, “Griffin’s Door”
Jeff Nichols
Chairman, Diversity Council

Text Box: What Does it All Mean?
Text Box: Race and Intersectionality
Text Box: Who am I? This question has been at the center of individual psychology for centuries. What if, however, you were forced to find your identity among an array of choices? How would you define yourself?
Text Box: “Weaving the Threads of Identity” is the title of an upcoming film by Westminster student Alison Marelli under the guidance of Professor Doug Wright. “This film is a collection of interviews from Westminster Text Box: students dealing with the intersectionality of race, gender, religion, and ethnicity.”
The film is a departure from past diversity series events. The filmmaker found the one-on-one Text Box: Westminster College

What  Does  it All Mean?

2

Race & Interesectionality

1-2

In the Spirit of  MLK

2

The Sexuality of a Scholar

3

A Word from our Neighbors

4

In Whose Honor?

6

Closing Statement

7