Diversity Week: “Through a Different Lens” Enriches Loyola

Throughout the week, students explored diverse representations of culture and identity—and how it can impact their lives—in film through activities such as International Night [view story here], a discussion with filmmaker Laith Kalifeh ’12 [view story here], daily movie trivia and musical scores and a viewing of Pixar’s Coco, named the best animated film of 2017.

New this year was Loyola’s inaugural Diversity Week Film Festival. Students were given the task of creating a short film that represented diverse teen voices. It was an open invitation, and all Ramblers had the opportunity to participate and share their voice. At the end of the week, submissions were viewed and voted on by students. Sophomore Ryan Dombrowski was named the winner for his piece “Diversity: A Search for Truth & Meaning,” in which he interviewed fellow students and stressed the importance of listening and understanding.

In addition, Art as Advocacy students and the Diversity Club collaborated on an art exhibit in the student center titled “Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Do I see Myself at All?”  The idea for this exhibit developed from student frustrations surrounding the absence of films with racially and ethnically diverse stories and actors that they could identify with—especially as children.

Diversity Week is an important annual tradition at Loyola Academy, and each year it continues to challenge and motivate students to think more deeply about themselves and the world around them.