The Office of Multicultural Enrichment will conduct faculty screenings of the documentary There’s A Difference that features the diverse experiences of ACU students.
The original documentary highlights the differences in the cultures of 15 ACU students with a goal of encouraging faculty, staff and students to understand and experience the cultures of other individuals.
“We just wanted to show the diversity in the way these students think, the way they speak, their environments, how they were raised and how they live today,” said Prentice Ashford, director of OME.
The film was shown at a Chapel forum earlier this semester and received such positive feedback from the student body that it prompted Ashford to schedule the faculty and staff screenings.
The production of the film developed from an idea to make a video for African Awareness Week.
“Initially, I wanted the documentary just for African Awareness Week for the African Students Association here on campus,” said Faith Abili, junior biology major from Ubulu-uku, Delta State, Nigeria, who originally came up with the idea for the film. “(Ashford) thought the idea was good so he wanted to reach a broader audience.”
The screenings will split the documentary into two parts to allow for more discussion time at the end of the viewings, and there are two screenings for both parts of the film. It’s not necessary to see Part 1 to understand Part 2, Ashford said.
“I just want faculty and staff to get a better understanding of the need to get to know your students beyond what you see in the classroom,” Ashford said. “I know as faculty, you don’t get quite the opportunity to meet every individual student on an individual basis to understand why they act, think or come to school the way they do.”
Part 1 of the documentary will be shown from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. April 9 and April 21 in The Woods Room of the Adams Center for Teaching and Learning. Part 2 will be shown from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. April 17 and April 27 in the Adams Center classroom.
Lunch will be provided at all four screenings, but space is limited. Email rsvp2ac@acu.edu to make a reservation for one or more of the dates.
“In our office, we deal with tough conversations every day, so I want ACU to get used to having those uncomfortable conversations with people who look different and have different experiences than you and act different than you,” Ashford said.
