One week each year, stereotypes are forgotten, cultural lines are crossed and new friendships are forged.
Today, Unity Week will arrive at Penn, and with it, a celebration of cultures, sexual orientations and individuality will strike campus.
This week's celebration, organizers say, isn't about any one group. Instead, the hope is that many different student organizations and groups that may not have worked together in the past will come together in creating events that are both innovative and fun.
"I think by getting groups together that are diverse in themselves and among each other we may attract an audience who would not normally go to cultural events," United Minorities Council Programming Tri-Chairwoman Trina DasGupta said. "It's great for everyone to go to an event of a culture that's not your own and learn new things."
Innovative programming will be the cornerstone of this year's Unity Week, which includes discussions on self-segregation, national policy and stereotypes.
Tonight's event will feature a documentary on Navajo code talking during World War II, one of many events on the upcoming calendar.
"We don't shy away from issues that may be controversial," DasGupta said. "And I think that is what draws people to these things."
Unity Week events are a production of the collaborative efforts of UMC constituent groups, other student groups and interested individuals to promote UMC's mission of creating an interracial alliance in the University community.
In past years, the week has gained such notoriety that this time around, various student and community groups came to the organizers asking to be included rather than having the organizers come to them.
ALLIES, a heterosexual group that offers support to homosexual students, asked to coordinate an event with the Black Student League. On Wednesday afternoon the two groups will come together at the Greenfield Intercultural Center for a screening of Black is... Black Ain't, a Marlon Riggs film about identity and queer issues.
Each of the 13 events is co-sponsored by several student groups. Many times the combination is an unexpected one, as is the case with the Order of Omega, the Greek Honor Society, who will cosponsor an event with the Queer Student Association on Thursday to address the stereotypes and issues within the Greek and queer communities. Organizers expect a diverse audience on hand to spark some interesting conversations.
"As an organization we are very excited to help create a dialogue between two communities that face stereotypes and misunderstandings," Omega President Anne Hankey said.
For many of the partnerships, it will be the first large scale discussion between the two groups.
"A lot of people think student groups not willing to work together," said UMC member Ryan Artes, who was involved with planning the week. "But I think that these events show that people want the communication to happen but someone has to push for it to happen and it has to be in a safe forum like this week."
