Students Encouraged To Appreciate Diversity In Study Presentation

You don't have to look too far to see that the world is comprised of people with different cultures, religions and backgrounds. And it's not often that people can hear from a multitude of individuals about what it's like to be different from the majority.

The College of Liberal Arts and Human Science is attempting to change this by presenting Diversity Among Consumers: A Year Study.

The fourth presentation in this series occurred Wednesday afternoon in Wallace Hall on Virginia Tech's campus. Sponsored by the Department of Apparel, Housing and Resource Management, the series featured a panel of five individuals varying in religious, cultural and racial backgrounds.

Julia Beamish, a professor in the Department of Apparel, Housing and Resource Management, opened the presentation by encouraging the audience to “ open our eyes to appreciate diversity, because it can enrich our lives.”

Larinda Cole, an adjunct professor at Virginia State University and a self proclaimed “super consumer,” explained how important customer service is to her and how it can determine if she will be making a purchase from a store.

One thing particular Cole looks for and expects is that she “always likes to be greeted no matter where I am.” As an African American woman, Cole said that at times it is discouraging in stores when she may not be treated the same as another person. “My money is green too,” she explained.

Dr. LuAnn Gaskill, head of Department of Apparel, Housing, and Resource Management, said she was privileged to receive an invitation from the king of Saudi Arabia and to have the rare chance to visit for a weeklong trip.

Through her experiences in Saudi Arabia, Gaskill was able to see first hand how it felt to be treated as an unequal member of society. She explained that men and women are complete separates and women are not able to partake in activities such as driving.

As a woman in Saudi Arabia, Gaskill recalled how she was required to cover up completely from collar to ankle as well as wear an Abaya around her head.

One thing in particular Gaskill found particularly different from her life in the America was that women were not allowed to go anywhere by themselves. She recalls just how unordinary this was when one day she left her room by herself to go to her hotel lobby.

”The whole lobby went into slow motion,” she said.

Christine Maloney, a sophomore at Virginia Tech, found Gaskill’s experiences to be interesting and shocking. “There are so many things that you take for granted and don’t even think that women in other countries are not allowed to do," Maloney said after the presentation. "I find it to be sad and alarming.”

Raymond Plaza, director of Diversity Initiatives, offered what he sees as the changing effects of diversity. Plaza, who is of Puerto Rican heritage, cited his native Miami as an example, explaining that as time has gone by there are more and more Latino-themed products in stores everywhere. He said he believes this is due to Latinos being a relatively young population with increasing consumer power.

There are future presentations to follow over the coming months, all with the goal of enhancing awareness and of the needs and characteristics of diverse consumers in the U.S market.