Last week, Villanova University hosted its third annual Inclusion Week, a campus-wide initiative to recognize diverse identities and organizations on campus. The mission of the week was to create awareness for organizations that support and advocate for marginalized and underrepresented peoples, as well as to share resources available to students who are a part of these groups. The mission of Inclusion is founded on diversity, unity and empowerment, and to build a comfortable environment for students of diverse backgrounds.
“Inclusion Week means celebrating cultural diversity and promoting inclusivity in all aspects of life,” Inclusion Week Committee member Dally Perez said. “During Inclusion Week, we welcome and accept everyone to emphasize their background and identity. It is important for me to be part of Inclusion Week because it is an opportunity to foster a sense of belonging for everyone on campus.”
A variety of student and staff organizations, including but not limited to Samosa, Black Student Union, The Space, Latin American Student Organization, LEVEL, Special Olympics, Best Buddies and the Office of Intercultural Affairs, put on interactive events to embrace inclusion and cultural awareness. The Black Student Union hosted “Donuts for Diversity,” VU Pride hosted a “Queer Spin Class” and the Latin American Student Organization hosted a “LASO Family Dinner.” These are only a few examples of the student-led events intended to advocate and raise awareness for diverse cultures and identity groups.
On Monday of Inclusion week, Villanova’s Latin American Student Organization hosted “LASO Family Dinner” as a form of community building and to recognize Mexican Independence Day.
“Part of the Villanova commitment is to provide a sense of community for all students,
LASO member Lezlie Hilario said. “For many people of color, it can be difficult to find this community while navigating a PWI. Inclusion week is a way to foster this sense of community while also demonstrating that we are making efforts to be a more inclusive institution.”
To wrap up and celebrate the end of the Inclusion Week festivities, the Inclusion Week Committee hosted a festival on Friday to mirror a trip around the world. The festival included sumo wrestling, a dunk tank, a bounce house, axe throwing, henna tattoos and a 360-photo booth. The festival also hosted performances from Ablaze, Nova Step Nation, the Irish Step Team and Sigma Psi Zeta. The Inclusion Week Committee also brought in food from Tiffin Indian Cuisine, Senoritas, Suya Soya West African Grill, Dippin Dots and PaperMill.
“A highlight of Inclusion Week was either the VU Pride Spin Class, which was super fun, or the Carnival at the end of the week, as it wraps up everything we’ve done to celebrate inclusivity and helps to welcome parents into parents’ weekend,” Tess Chiarello, a member of Inclusion Week Committee, said.
In addition to the events hosted by student organizations, Villanova’s Dining Services also participated in the Inclusion Week festivities. Members of the Inclusion Week Committee coordinated with dining services.
“I reached out to dining services asking to contribute to Inclusion Week by exposing a more culturally diverse menu for the week,” Perez said. “They responded by saying they would do it, which was not a surprise because they helped us in the past two years. We are very grateful for Dining Services for taking up the extra effort to contribute and make Inclusion Week a more one-of-a-kind experience on campus.”
The talented and hardworking chefs created diverse menus to highlight a broad variety of cultural meals representing distinct cultures. During the week, the dining halls served food from Filipino cuisines, African cuisines, Middle Eastern cuisines and South and Southeast Asian cuisines. This upcoming week, the dining halls will host a Hispanic Heritage Dinner in honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month. These uniquely crafted menus and meals are an effort to share diverse cultures with the Villanova community.
“As a team, we love the opportunity to showcase Villanova’s different communities and cultures and celebrate their uniqueness through food,” Chris Wiseley, Executive Chef of Resident Dining halls, said. “Many selections will be worked into the regular menu rotations offered throughout the year.”
Despite Inclusion Week only lasting five days, students are hopeful that Villanova will uphold these sentiments of inclusion and diversity throughout the rest of the year.
“We can embody the themes of Inclusion Week into our everyday lives by appreciating others, learning more about cultures and groups we may not know a lot about, being an ally to those who need it and promoting inclusivity on campus every day,” Chiarello said. “Ask questions, attend events, have an open mind and constantly strive to learn more.”
