<!–[if supportFields]> SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>On November 15th, during the University of New Brunswick’s International Education Week, six multimedia students, will release a video about diversity around campus.
“It was an idea I had as a way to reach everyone,” said Zandra Kierstead, the person who thought up the video and the university’s Cross-Cultural Program Coordinator, “we’re looking to show people how diverse UNB is, how culture’s are different and how we can appreciate difference.”
The video, which is still officially untitled, is planned to be about fifteen minutes long and will primarily consist of interviews and conversations between the film students and students of different colours, nationalities, sexuality, languages and religions.
It was made in co-operation with the University’s Student Affairs and Services office
“If you believe in diversity and have any thoughts or perspectives on diversity, we want to hear what they are,” Kierstead said, “We want to hear what people have to say about diversity, we want people who watch it to say wow…the campus has a great diversity, it’s really a rich place to learn.”
Over the last three years, the amount of students going on exchanges from the University of New Brunswick has tripled, and there are students at the school from over eighty countries.
“We’re hearing things that people are experiencing, not just as Canadians here, but going to other places and having different cultural experiences,” said Kierstead.
“They sort of bring [their experiences in other countries] back… it’s a valuable experience you can share with people, and that’s what the video’s about,” added Billy Koruna, a fourth year student involved in filming the video.
Despite the amount of student exchanges, Kierstead believes many international students feel isolated.
“I had a hard time in the beginning finding people from my background,” aid Zaineb Survery, a first year business student and female representative for the Muslim Students association.
She believes the university is doing a great job of encouraging diversity, but that students and student groups need to do more.
“Lucky for me I’m ambitious and can find out who [the international students groups] are, but where can other students who are not as ambitious find out?” Survery said, “the university is giving quite a good amount of support to the students, it’s the student leaders themselves…why aren’t they taking a more active part in it?”
The students have been filming at events like a services at a local mosque and Worldwide Wednesdays. Worldwide Wednesdays is an event the university holds to raise global awareness by hosting speakers and gathering Canadian and international students together.
“It’s amazing where the video went…we’re talking about racism and we’re talking about issues that are important and should be addressed,” Koruna said.
