By Mike Greife,
February 3, 2017
WARRENSBURG, MO – The University of Central Missouri will celebrate the diversity
of the university community with Unity Week 2017, planned for Feb. 13-17.
A highlight of the week of events will be a presentation by humorist, activist, author
and podcast personality Tyler Oakley. Sponsored by the American Democracy Project
at UCM, Oakley’s appearance is planned for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, Hendricks
Hall.
Oakley’s activism has been dedicated to LGBT youth, LGBT rights and social issues
involving healthcare, education and suicide prevention among LGBT youth. Active across
many social media platforms, he first began creating and posting YouTube videos in
2007. His first video, “Raindrops,” received more than 400,000 views by the beginning
of 2016, when he had more than 5 million followers on Twitter and 6 million in Instagram.
He is a published author and has appeared on a variety of television and web formats,
as well as has received attention and acclaim from a variety of major celebrities
and organizations and has volunteered and participated in fundraising for The Trevor
Project, a teen suicide prevention organization.
In addition to Oakley’s appearance, Unity Week events designed to educate and celebrate
the unique aspects of life include:
- The Unity Pole from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Feb. 13 in the Union Atrium
- Let’s Talk: Community Through Difference at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 14, in Café Rouge
in the Elliott Student Union
- Spoken word artist Louis Conphliction at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 14 in Elliott Student
Union 236
- The Tunnel of Oppression from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, Feb. 15-16,
in the Elliott Student Union ballrooms
- The Informed Activism Workshop at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 15, in Elliott Student Union
236.
All Unity Week events are free and open to the public. Unity Week at UCM is sponsored
by The Spotlight, the student programming organization in the Office of Student Activities
at UCM. For more information about Unity Week 2017, visit ucmo.edu/unity or call 660-543-4293.
