The Multicultural Center has combined two common college student activities, eating and learning, into one activity, the Lunch and Learn series.
"It's a program that has been done a little bit in the past, but we wanted to make it more consistent this semester and to try and continue it kind of as a signature program for the Multicultural Center," said Shakeer Abdullah, director of the Multicultural Center. "The idea was to give students the opportunity, well students, staff and faculty, the opportunity, over their lunch hours to come and learn about a topic that they may not be familiar with."
All of the topics of the Lunch and Learn series are related to issues of diversity and cultural relations in the world today.
Forthcoming guests include Dr. Evan Lyon who has experience working with sufferers of AIDS in Haiti, to speak about the impact of AIDS on people of color.
Abdullah said even though the subject matter
of the Lunch and Learn series may seem serious, the attitude of the events is casual and all students are welcome.
"Obviously, we ask that you don't chew too loudly," Abdullah said, "but other than that, it's pretty laid back, and I think students should feel free to come and go as they need to."
The laid-back attitude of the series along with the series' association with the lunch hour are two things Abdullah said he thinks will attract people to the conversations.
"We want to give (the attendees) an opportunity to gain a new perspective during their regularly scheduled work day," Abdullah said. "We don't want people to have excuses as to why they weren't able to learn about issues of diversity, so we try to provide them with as many opportunities as possible."
Josh Inwood, assistant professor in geography, who has worked with Abdullah on the Lunch and Learn series, said he thinks the series is beneficial for Auburn's community.
"I think it's valuable for a number of reasons,"
Inwood said. "It's an opportunity for students to learn. We live in a globalized world where you'll be challenged with issues like these. This is an opportunity to engage in a thoughtful and informed way."
Inwood said aside from exposing students to lessons they may not have learned in the classroom, the Lunch and Learn series provides students an opportunity to learn about issues encompassing cultural diversity in a nontraditional manner.
"When I was an undergrad I had a lot fewer opportunities to sit down and have a face-to-face conversation with someone, and that's what the Lunch and Learn series is about," Inwood said.
Abdullah said he hopes, in time, the series can become, "a signature program for the Multicultural Center."
"(We want) to challenge people to learn a little bit more about issues of diversity and diverse topics and issues that around the world," Abdullah said.
The next Lunch and Learn series is scheduled for Feb. 17 with Lyon as the guest speaker.
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