APU commemorated Acts 2 Week beginning March 17 with lectures, guest chapel speakers and various other events.
The themed week was initially called “Unlearned Week” before Student Center for Reconciliation and Diversity Executive Director Ed Barron changed it to Acts 2 four years ago. The purpose of the week is to create opportunities to build relationships in order to understand each other better, according to Barron.
“Acts 2 is an expression of people coming together; that’s ultimately what we are trying to do,” Barron said. “In the passage it talks about justice, equality and integration, all of which are a byproduct, but the real reason to come together is it blesses the heart of God and he moves on that, causing the church to grow and so the witness spreads.”
One of the highlights of the week was the screening of the 2014 Academy Award winner for Best Picture, “12 Years a Slave.” The film depicts a free African-American man’s journey of being thrown into slavery. Students of various ethnic backgrounds shared their thoughts on the film during an open discussion afterward.
“Although it was very graphic and depressing as it depicted slavery at its worse, it allowed us to reexamine our experience of how we have come so far as African-Americans and have many things to be thankful for,” said senior Black Student Association leader Nicole Thompson.”It also reminds us of the struggles we still have to overcome of our own mindset of inadequacy.”
SCRD hosted a barbecue Thursday for students, staff and faculty on Cougar Walk. VFO and the Pacific Islander Organization performed at the closing event.
“My goal for Acts 2 Week is that it will do something that we will have these kind of opportunities embedded in … that aren’t labeled diversity but just who we are,” Barron said. “So my idea is not just through the week, but through our efforts, equip the entire campus to have these type of opportunities, relationship building, going deeper and expressions of unity throughout the year.”