Workshop aims to stop prejudice

Norma Bailey thinks there is an unconscious bias about different groups
on campus.

“I would like for (students) to understand, we’re talking about
people’s lives and we want people to be more open,” the  teacher
education professor said.

In an attempt to stop prejudice on campus, the Multicultural
Education Center and the Office of Gay and Lesbian Programs are
sponsoring a prejudice reduction workshop at 9 a.m. Friday.

The workshop is geared toward promoting understanding among groups
to examine the common stereotypes and offering skills to help people
change their negative attitude toward different groups.

“CMU is part of the larger society, and so all prejudices
represented in the larger society are also presented here,” said Ulana
Klymyshyn, director of the Multicultural Education Program.

Klymyshyn said students can get information, insight and skills on
responding to inappropriate comments.

“It’s a workshop that tries to help people look at prejudice and
bring it out in the open,” said Ana Guerriero, director of Gay and
Lesbian Programs.

In addition to the workshop, a light lunch accompanied by a video
and discussion will be presented by Bailey and Jodi Brookins Fisher,
health sciences professor.

The video, “It’s Elementary,” discusses gay issues in school.

Students interested in attending must RSVP because enrollment is
limited to only 20 people.

For more information regarding the workshop, contact the Office of
Gay and Lesbian Programs at (989) 774-7318.