On November 4th at 7 p.m., the Black Student Association (BSA), African Student Association (ASA), and the Student Government Association (SGA) teamed up to sponsor the Human Trafficking Forum as a part of Diversity Week here at UTM. The forum was well attended, and featured door prizes as well as food and beverages for the the attendee’s.
There were two speakers that presented at the Human Trafficking Forum Tuesday night. The first speaker was Charles Martin who is a Political Science major here at UTM. As a member of the BSA, Martin volunteered to present at the forum and gave a presentation on human trafficking in Tennessee and why it is a problem. There was also a discussion on the different types of human trafficking and that it is not only problematic in Tennessee but all around the country.
Omodolapo Olofinsua, Nigerian native and senior biology major also spoke at the Human Trafficking Forum.
“I was approached about the possibility of speaking at this event,” said ASA president Olofinsua. “Being from Nigeria, I have a strong opinion on this matter and I thought it was the perfect opportunity and time for me to voice my opinion.”
Olofinsua’s presentation concentrated on what human trafficking is, the social impacts of human trafficking, and how it is a worldwide epidemic.
The hashtag #BringBackOurGirls is being used on various social media sites, such as Twitter, to try and raise the awareness of human trafficking and the effects on society.
At the end of the forum was a quick Q & A session as well as trivia questions on the different presentations.
This is just the first event of Diversity Week at UTM, and there will be more events that are free and open to students each night at 7 o’clock in the University Center.
