The EIUnity Diversity Conference hopes to bring more knowledge and understanding of diversity to Eastern students today.

With the theme of “Diversify Me! Different Experiences – One Vision,” the conference will focus on a number of different topics surrounding diversity, including multiculturalism in fraternities and sororities, diversity training, religion and spirituality in college, LGBT issues and many others.

Part of the conference will include “Safe Zone” training, which will teach Eastern students to speak and help LGBT students, said Hal Blue, a Student Senate member.

The conference will also help students learn to accept each other’s differences, the sophomore communications major said.

“I hope (students) can learn to tolerate everyone,” Blue said.

Students could learn a lot about people and cultures that are different from them by attending the conference, said Alex Boyd, the student diversity affairs chairman.

“I think it’s a good way to get students to get a good understanding of different types of people,” said Boyd, a sophomore political science major.

Boyd said it is important for students to attend the conference because the campus is diverse.

“I think it’s important to function as a university to accept each other’s differences,” he said. “It makes this a better place.”

The registration and welcome for the conference begins at 9:30 a.m. in the third floor lounge of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union. Students may choose which workshops to attend or can attend for the whole day.

Although registration ended Wednesday, students who did not register can still attend the event, Blue said.

For more information about the event and for the agenda, students may go to www.eiu.edu/~minoraff.

Courtney Bruner can be reached at 581-2812 or cbbruner@eiu.edu.