Diversity Dialogues creates conversation

After watching members of the Ashe Theatre Company perform a potential interview scenario, Sika Abbey  turned to those sitting at her table.
The dialogue began as students and potential employers began to discuss the issue presented in the scene.
“What does your hair do with how you do your job?” Takia Mitchell asked those next to her at her table.
Abbey (senior- political science) admitted that she wouldn’t wear her hair long in the work place.
“And I wouldn’t go in with red hair, unless it was natural,” Abbey said.
Jade Perry, Class of 2010, chose the Monday before the Fall Career Fair to hold Diversity Dialogues, a program aimed at answering questions about diversity in the work place. The 30 companies that attended the event will also be at the Bryce Jordan Center over the next three days, she said.
Perry works at Career Services and for a while had been getting the same questions from students regarding diversity in the work place and what could and couldn’t be asked in an interview. She said that last semester she got the idea to hold this event. The idea to use an acting troupe to show these scenarios was simple.
“Acting could bring up these sensitive topics,” she said.
As the afternoon progressed, the actors presented scenarios that included men having an advantage over women, illegal questions an employer can ask, sexual identity and work visas.
During the discussions, Perry would have the companies present explain what they thought of each issue and how to handle it. But for any of the issues, there was a simple way to get around it.
“See what the culture is like in a work place,” said Perry. “If you’re discriminated against, be sure to keep a written record.”
During the scene that involved illegal questions in the work place, the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse case came up.
Tiffany Carvalho (senior-biobehavioral health) said that Perry never asked them to bring it up, but the actors decided that it was something they wanted to address.
Tamara Hall (junior- journalism and English) explained that most of their scenes were improvised, which allowed Calvarno to answer the Sandusky question the way she would in a real interview.
“It showed how the students were able to come together,” Carvalho said.
Erica Serendi, a campus recruiter for the MeadWestvaco packaging company said that the Sandusky case would just be small talk, and “no reflection on you as a student.”
Abbey thought the program was very helpful.
“I feel like they should do this for freshman,” she said. “So many seniors I know know nothing about the work force.”
Both Hall and Carvalho admitted that they learned so much just by performing at this event.
“It’s really a two-way street you can choose,” Abbey said referring that students are really able to chose companies who promote diversity.
To email reporter: mab5907@psu.edu