November 23, 2024

Preview: Nyle DiMarco will visit UT

The Center for Student Engagement, along with the Issues Committee, will be hosting a discussion presented by Nyle DiMarco on Feb. 20. This event will examine the underrepresentation of deaf people across communities.

Deaf activist, actor and model Nyle DiMarco will visit the University of Tennessee, Knoxville on Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom. DiMarco will be discussing language, literacy and advocacy within the deaf community and beyond.

DiMarco seeks to promote inclusivity and celebrate deaf culture. He reaches more than 2.2 million followers across Instagram and Twitter with his advocacy.

Additionally, DiMarco was the first deaf winner of “America’s Next Top Model” in the 22nd cycle of the show. He then went on to compete on “Dancing with the Stars,” claiming the top spot in season 22.

The Campus Events Board, UT’s largest student programming organization, is hosting the discussion. Specifically, the Issues Committee within the CEB will be leading the event. The Issues Committee hosts speakers every year for students to bring a wide variety of diversity and issues or topics to campus. For example, past speakers to visit UT have been Tan France, Laverne Cox and Dr. Bennet Omalu.

The CEB voted DiMarco through for a 2019-2020 speaker event, and he was at the top for events CEB would host.

“CEB and the Issues Committee are incredibly excited to host Nyle DiMarco because he is highly influential in a community that is often underrepresented not only on campus but also across the United States,” Issues Committee Executive Chair Lauren Adams said. “We are excited to host a person of such high caliber in order to promote dialogue, awareness and inclusion surrounding the underrepresentation of deaf people in our community.”

Chancellor’s Honors Program students should note the event will be a Becker Seminar.

More information about this event is listed online.

Edited by Gracie-Lee Strange and Grace Goodacre

Featured image courtesy of Creative Commons