Vydalia Weatherly is a sophomore at Mercyhurst University. She is one of the student representatives on Mercyhurst University's new President's Advisory Council for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice.  Here's what she had to say about the council:
"The advisory recognizes that this is a predominately white institution with few students and faculty of color. While we know it will take a substantial amount of time and work, we hope to make the campus more diverse and not just in terms of race. The advisory is working to figure out ways to make the campus more open to students of different religions, sexualities, abilities, and economic statuses.  Along with making the campus more diverse, we hope to make it more inclusive as well.  The advisory understands that it is one thing to admit more students of color, but it is another thing to make those students feel welcomed and accepted on campus. Ultimately, we want all students and faculty members to feel like they belong on campus and not have to worry about being discriminated against on campus."