UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn Staters had a chance to share their thoughts about diversity and inclusion — along with photos of themselves celebrating those ideas — during an event in the HUB-Robeson Center Thursday (April 20) that was a joint effort between the University and the Ad Council, a national non-profit organization that inspires ongoing dialogue, engagement and action around significant public issues.

The day brought together the University's "All In" initiative and Ad Council's "Love Has No Labels" campaign, which are both focused on celebrating diversity and promoting inclusion. Students and other Penn Staters took time to pose for and share photos and GIFs with messages from both  #LoveHasNoLabels and #PennState. President Eric Barron was among those to create a GIF spotlighting both efforts.

"I love the fact that we have more than one component with Love Has No Labels being combined with All In. How perfect that Penn State is the first university to be part of the Love Has No Labels university engagement program," Barron said. "Any time you have this much energy and excitement and so many students participating, you're creating something meaningful."

The Ad Council launched the “Love Has No Labels” campaign in March 2015 to promote acceptance and inclusion regardless of race, religion, gender, sexuality, age and ability, by encouraging people to recognize their own implicit biases. 

Janet Slay, a freshman studying psychology, said she really appreciates seeing both messages at Penn State.

"Coming to a campus that really puts this out there is really important to a lot of students. It's one of the reasons why I applied to Penn State," Slay said. "Having an 'All In' and being able to be a front-runner for it is awesome."

Mark Kim, a senior in biochemistry said he thinks it's a great idea to get the message out and that the issues All In and Love Has No Labels are focused on aren't something people always talk about.

As part of their missions, both initiatives are encouraging curiosity, conversation and hopefully change.

"It's a good step forward," Kim said. "The first step to solving any problem is admitting there's a problem. So being willing to have this discussion with college-aged students is a great way to promote that discussion."

The University launched “All In at Penn State: A Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion,” in October 2016, calling on all members of the community to take an active role in promoting respect and embracing diversity. “All In” spotlights the University’s commitment to continuing to build a diverse and inclusive climate, and to fostering a safe and open-minded environment that is respectful of everyone regardless of their backgrounds, race, gender, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, veteran’s status, political beliefs and all the ways we differ. 

Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to continue these conversations in events, panels and discussions, in classrooms, clubs, in-class activities and programs. For information on having a facilitated discussion, a listing of All In events or to add an event to the calendar, go to: http://allin.psu.edu/