Outside of DeBartolo Hall on Monday, shouts advertising free donuts could be heard as three representatives of Notre Dame’s Diversity Council stood at a folding table with a whiteboard reading “It’s Time” and a camera.
#ItsTimeND, an event hosted by Diversity Council, started at 9 a.m. and was open to all, Diversity Council Co-Vice Chair junior Tony Do said. Students were able to write down an issue which they believe needs more awareness and pose for a photo. The collection of photos will then be part of a social media campaign by the Diversity Council.
“It’s a time for us to foster dialogue on campus, especially about issues that need to be talked about regarding gender, race and ethnicity,” Do said. “These are things that we need to change on campus but aren’t really talked about. Our whiteboard campaign is for everybody to say what’s on their mind so that everyone can have a dialogue of what we want to change and how we can.”
The concerns raised by students could be specific to Notre Dame, but were not limited to campus-specific issues, council member sophomore Morgan Lumpkin said.
“It’s for everyone to raise awareness about what they think it’s time to change, whether it be in our world, in our country or at Notre Dame,” Lumpkin said.
This event corresponds with the Cost of Silence Week and the StaND Against Hate Week on campus, each of which has a similar purpose to #ItsTimeND of raising awareness and making concrete changes to unjust policies, student government director of diversity and inclusion, sophomore Kaleem Minor said
“We’re trying to raise awareness for any type of inequality or discrimination on campus,” Minor said.
Lumpkin said she believes the student body has the ability to make a real change on Notre Dame’s campus.
“Our mission is to enhance diversity and inclusion issues on campus by bringing us together,” Lumpkin said. “I hope that people recognize that there’s a lot to do, but all of us can make a difference. If everyone comes out and supports this campaign, they will be able to put their best foot forward, and say, ‘I think it’s time to change this,’ and we can all do it collectively.”
#ItsTimeND has become an annual event hosted by the Diversity Council, now in its third year.
Outside of this campaign, the Diversity Council is working on making changes in other aspects of the Notre Dame community, Do said.
“Right now, we’re working on a few different campaigns,” Do said. “I'm in charge of the housing policy, and we're looking for ways to find financial waivers, senior incentives and exclusion policies.”
Minor spoke about the importance of the Diversity Council in making changes at Notre Dame.
“Diversity Council is an interesting opportunity for clubs, and especially cultural clubs, to collaborate,” Minor said. “Without the numbers, there is no power.”
