Gunnar Sadowey, Staff Writer
Senior students from Samford’s psychology department have been hosting Psych Week on campus this week through tomorrow.
The psychology department is seeking to raise awareness for issues involving diversity and multicultural psychology, aiming to increase competency and decrease anxiety in terms of race and culture among undergraduate students at Samford.
The objective of Psych Week is to create a welcoming environment through the promotion of open dialogue and the connection of students to relevant resources on campus.
On April 1 at 7 p.m., students watched the movie “12 Angry Men.” On April 2, students headed to Ben Brown Plaza to engage in “We are Samford: Understanding the Pieces of Our Multicultural Community.”
This event will be hosted again on April 4 from 8-11 a.m. in Ben Brown Plaza. Psychology students will host tables presenting the science behind key issues in multicultural psychology and how they relate to the Samford community as a whole. Free coffee and donut holes will also be available in Ben Brown Plaza during the event.
On April 4 at 6 p.m. in Dwight Beeson Hall 131, Dr. Jeffery Mio from California State Polytechnic University will present on multicultural psychology and how cultural competence can increase on Samford’s campus.
Attending this event will count as one hour of convocation credit.
Dr. Amanda Howard, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Samford, was a prominent figure in the organization and planning of Psych Week. Both Howard and the Psychology Department’s seminar students believe that the entire Samford community should be interested and involved with Psych Week, even those who are not studying in the field of psychology firsthand.
“One of the goals of Psych Week is to help students and staff understand the multifaceted nature of psychological science and how psychology influences the way people think, feel and act,” Howard said. “We hope to improve attitudes and decrease anxiety surrounding multicultural issues among the student body.”
Samford students may find themselves struggling with issues involving race and culture on campus, and they may become anxious when confronting issues involving these aspects.
“Through exposure and understanding that everyone has anxiety around these issues, we hope that students begin to understand that improving diversity and embracing multiculturalism is a process,” Howard said. “Conversation and awareness are the first steps in this process.”
Involving oneself in the battle against racial discrimination is important in the modern time period, and both Howard and her students believe that all people at Samford should seek to become aware and involved in the fight against racism and intolerance.
“We encourage all Samford students to try to see the world from the perspective of someone from a different background,” Howard said. “The only way we can make our campus a multicultural community is to have the courage to make some mistakes and also view the mistakes of others as a teaching moment and an opportunity to share our worldview.”
Psych Week events are free of charge and all students are encouraged to attend and participate in order to become more informed of issues regarding race.