As another aspect of Ebony and Ivory Week, all Penn State students are invited to take a new spin on discussing diversity issues.

During "Def Poetry Jam: Cultural Expressions" at 7 tonight in Pollock Rec Room, human relation topics affecting the student population will be addressed in an innovative fashion.

Rather than lectures on problems regarding race and gender, students will be exploring how poets have articulated these issues.

The program is based on the poetry of the HBO television program Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry.

The show featured urban artists performing original pieces in the spoken word medium.

The aim of tonight's program will be to "promote awareness and diversity issues," said Alpha Phi Alpha President Chris Thomas.

Thomas is also the chairman of Ebony and Ivory Week.

"The primary thing is to analyze some of the works that have already been done," said Thomas (senior-management and international business).

Poetry originally featured on the HBO series will be examined and discussed in relation to race and sexism issues.

Thomas said that this would be a more interesting way of addressing these topics.

In addition to "Def Poetry Jam" being part of Ebony and Ivory Week, the event is co-sponsored with Pollock Cultural Lounge as part of Women's History Month.

For this reason, sexism issues are also issues that speakers and presentors plan to focus on in discussion.

Since Ebony and Ivory Week was started in 1988, fraternities Alpha Phi Alpha and Beta Sigma Beta, 255 E. Fairmont Ave., have integrated more diverse groups into the program.

This year, seven fraternities and sororities of varying ethnic and racial backgrounds have come together to organize the weeklong series of events.

The program has also expanded from originally concentrating on race issues at Penn State to dealing with sexism and ageism as well.

All three are problems that many feel plague the Penn State community as a whole, and that need to be addressed.

"The theme of this week is the reflection of a unified community. . . . The basic train of thought while looking at Sept. 11 issues," Thomas said.

Given that all Penn State students have felt the effects of Sept. 11, organizers hope the diverse student population will come together to share its feelings on social harmony.

Thomas said students will be able to discuss that "unified community we are all looking for."

Ebony and Ivory Week concludes tomorrow.