Opinion: There is a minority of people that we don’t talk about enough.
Aubrey Felty, a senior in the theatre education program for the Caine College of the Arts at Utah State University, made a docudrama comprised of interviews with six USU faculty and students will multiracial backgrounds.
Felty, who is of mixed racial descent herself, plans to screen the short film, “Margin of Error,” on Friday, Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. in the Fine Arts Visual Building in Room 262.
The 45-minute film, which is Felty’s honors capstone project, received funding from the CCA, Undergraduate Research and Creative Opportunities and the University Honors Program.
“The goal of this project is to elevate the voices of multiracial college students and to promote a better understanding of multiracial individuals,” Felty said.
According to the USU Demographics and Diversity Report, approximately 84% of the student body is comprised of white students, with multiracial students being the fourth most prominent minority.
This isn’t surprising, especially in the dominantly white Logan area. That makes the conversation on race so much more important. We are always learning about multiple identities and minorities, including different races and cultures, but it can become more complicated than that. This film is for everyone, but it is mainly for the multiracial students who need to know that their voice is heard and that they are seen.
“Margin of Error” includes multiple stories gathered over time from different places and people, and the creators said they are confident it will have a great impact.
An elementary education student teacher, Talisha Mitchell, said she thinks this project is a great idea and should be advertised more.
“I think there’s a lot of white privilege in our American society today,” Mitchell said, “And that there are many voices that have been marginalized throughout history.”
It seemed that students and community members of all ages and backgrounds are excited to see what the short film will produce.
This film is a year and a half in the making, with a series of people behind it. Felty and her team want to invite anyone who is available to take the time to come to the screening.
We should all try to support it as much as we are able to support students of all walks of life and create a more accepting and understanding atmosphere at USU and in our community as a whole.
Megan Cowdell is a second-year communications student. She loves going on bike rides, reading mystery novels and watching cheesy movies.
— Megan.Cowdell@usu.edu