Too often, we allow our differences to create rifts between each other. We lose out on the chance to grow closer by avoiding people we don’t understand.

By taking Diversity Week seriously, NEIU has gone to great lengths to change this. The old cliché is true: college is the time to get outside of your bubble and explore new things, because you might never have the time or opportunities available when you get into the “real world.” Learning about each other doesn’t have to be a painful though; in fact, there were some really fun events this past Feb 16-20.

The week kicked off with a glimpse into other students’ cultures through music, crafts and food from around the world. Ensemble Español and Aloha Chicago provided entertainment on Monday, Second City held an Improv show Tuesday and the Lunar New Year Celebration ran all day Thursday – all of which were free to attend. However, the highlights of the week included Leadership Pathways, a SpeakOut GLBTQA panel, an Interfaith panel and the Deaf Culture talk, events held to learn about and discuss our differences openly in a safe environment, something you probably won’t find outside of a university setting.

It was both an enjoyable and informative week. Hopefully, you didn’t miss out.