With frequent incidences of hate crimes on campus, one fraternity wanted to make a difference. Pi Lambda Phi created the weekly “Elimination of Prejudice Talk” to provide a safe atmosphere for students to talk about controversial issues.

For the fraternity, they saw these talks, also called EOP talks, as a way to show what the fraternity stood for.

“We usually did a couple of events once or twice a semester, but we wanted to do more on a regular basis,” said Nicholas Hakmiller, Pi Lambda Phi marshall. “Something small every week that can help further our goal of eliminating prejudice.”

Delvan Willis, president of Pi Lambda Phi, said creating the talks, which occur every Thursday, was easy. But the challenging part was deciding what topics to cover.

For the talks, the fraternity decided to cover a diverse set of issues from Colin Kaepernick and his stance for kneeling during the national anthem to the legalization of same-sex marriage and even the Flint Michigan water crisis, Willis said.

But, Willis said, no matter the topic, the main goal is that the attendees take away a positive outlook and understand that not everyone has the same opinion and that’s OK.

Students are allowed to freely express their ideas and stances on topics, while the fraternity leaders maintain a neutral stance. The leaders do their best to create a comforting atmosphere and to make the talks open so people can share ideas that aren’t always the majority belief.

“I think a lot of the people who hesitate to come to the talks are afraid to actually talk,” Nahum Corona, a fraternity member. “It’s okay for people to come and just listen. We’re completely comfortable with that fact.”

The purpose of the talks were to make the University students comfortable in their own ideas, and to slowly eliminate the prejudice feelings and actions on such a diverse campus, Willis said.

“It definitely changes the people who actually attend the talks,” Willis said. “I see the changes in them personally, and that inspires change (in) everyone else.”

Willis has noticed the change from those who come to the talks and speak out as well as hear other ideas. But the fraternity hopes to expand it beyond those who attend the talks.

During the week of Oct.10 to Oct.14, the fraternity is expanding their goal to eliminate prejudice. Hoping to reach out to a bigger audience, they have planned events from a potluck of cultural foods to “tearing down the wall of prejudice,” a wall on the Main Quad where people can write hurtful things they’ve been called.

In a week of events, the fraternity hopes to get more of the University community involved to complete their mission — eliminate prejudice.

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A previous version of this story referred to the National Football League player who protested as Brandon Marshall.