Written by Devon “One of the MCs for this Event” Mitchell
Next week, the Office of Multicultural Affairs is hosting their annual Unity Week. Especially during these turbulent times, Unity Week is meant to bring the Roanoke community together and remind us what it means to be unified Maroons.
In addition to the normal events being held by OMA such as the Diversity Dine-In, Unity Week will have a new event taking place on that Friday. Chaplain Chris Bowen of the Center for Spiritual Life and Campus Ministry and Jesse Griffin of the Center for Civic Engagement have worked with their staff to put on RC: Positivity at the (Flag)Poles. This event will include speakers from student organizations on campus sharing with their peers inspiring words to remind them of what it means to be a Maroon. The efforts of this event are to promote diversity and inclusivity to reach out to all Maroons, whether they be on campus or at home.
Chaplain Chris hopes RC: Positivity at the (Flag)Poles will help promote values the college prides itself in and unify a diverse student body with diverse backgrounds. Chaplain Chris said, “The college values diversity so for me a week to celebrate diversity and inclusivity it’s not only something I’ve always been a part of but always want to be a part of in the community.”
As Roanoke knows, this semester has been tough, and it can be easy to feel unincluded from the college community. As Maroons, we can change the narrative of this semester and help foster an environment for our classmates on campus and off where they feel supported. Chaplain Chris leaves student with this insight, “The more connected we feel as a community the stronger we feel as individuals, our connectivity really does impact our resilience.”
RC: Positivity at the (Flag)Poles will take place on Friday, October 30th at 2:30 at the flag poles on the back quad. All students and staff are invited and there will be more information on virtual options to come in the coming week.
