As the conversation about race and diversity has swept across the United States, many colleges and universities have acted as catalysts for these tough conversations. Southeast Missouri State University is joining those various institutions.

The various protests that took place during the fall semester in response to the grand jury decision regarding the shooting of Michael Brown gave a spark to Southeast students to create understanding and diversity across campus.

One of those student efforts includes an organization that disbanded two years ago but has recently come back together to try to promote diversity, awareness and education amongst the Southeast community, not just within the confines of race, but in religion, ethnicity, sexuality and more.

Diversity Peer Educators is a coalition of students who are committed to equality and promoting it through different events and activities across campus, according to President Robert Turner.

He also said that Diversity Peer Educators, otherwise known as DPE, attempt to focus on a variety of different groups when it comes to education.

"We really like talking to freshmen. A lot of people here who come from much smaller towns haven't had much interaction with people that are much different than them," Turner said. "But we also try to educate people who think that they already know a lot about diversity because a lot of people who think they understand diversity only think of it in terms of race, but we bring attention to other subcategories in America."

The group disbanded two years ago due to a lack of leadership, but an experience that Turner had in the University Center earlier this year inspired him to get involved with the group once again, but this time under his leadership.

"I was sitting down in the UC and heard a conversation and it was a group of majority black students and they were talking about another subculture group, probably the worst crap I've heard in a long time," Turner said. "Then I was in the UC again, not even two days later, and there was a group of white students having a conversation and talking about another subculture group and there was a lot of references to the Mike Brown incident and other related incidents, and there isn't anything wrong with talking about those things, but how they were saying it was just wrong and offensive. Anyone walking by would have been offended."

Turner said the issue on campus he sees is not one of diversity, but of education and people not truly understanding the ways in which people can be different. He said that there are many issues happening even within diverse populations.

"When you say the word 'diversity' the only thing people usually think about is race, or now what is a hot button issue, sexuality," Turner said. "And there are subcultures inside of subcultures and many of those groups are made to feel bad or uncomfortable about things that they can't control. For example, a lot of people like to lump all international students together and that is not OK, or many don't realize the dark-skinned, light-skinned issue that is taking place within the African American community."

Turner said he took those conversations he overheard and the lack of knowledge he noticed in others as a sign that the Southeast campus needed to have more in-depth conversations about diversity, but not just in regards to race.

"There are other things going on in our classrooms, on our campus, in our dormitories and in our region that people aren't talking about. So we have been trying to recreate and rebrand DPE to help talk about it," Turner said.

One of the ways in which DPE is trying to promote its message and support of diverse groups is through a "NOH8 Campaign" that it will host on Tuesday and Wednesday in the University Center. The event is to promote equality for the LGBTQA community, educate students about social justice issues people within the community face and protest the Proposition 8 legislation and laws like it that attempt to eliminate rights of same sex couples.

During the campaign, students can donate $1 and they will be given a piece of duct tape to place over their mouths and can write the phrase "NOH8" on their faces and pose for a photograph to show their support. The funds raised will go to the National NOH8 organization.

Another event the group will hold is a volleyball tournament on Thursday. Funds raised for the event will be dispersed between various charities with 50 percent of the funds going to Relay for Life, 40 percent going to the charity of the winning team's choice and the remaining 10 percent going to cover expenses for future events.

Turner said he hopes the organization helps people think about how they treat others and helps spread love and support across campus.

"My own personal goal is for everyone I meet to feel some kind of love because there are so many people out there who go through life thinking that some defining, or what I see as an un-defining, characteristic about them makes them unlovable," Turner said. "So I hope that by bringing awareness to different kinds of diversity, we can create this community of understanding, a community of love. And I hope the events make people uncomfortable and get them thinking 'Wow, why would I ever treat somebody that way?'"

DPE currently has 16 members and any student can become a member by contacting a current member of DPE or attending its weekly meetings that are held 7:30 p.m. every Thursday in Dempster Hall room 102.