Southern Illinois University Edwardsville student organizations representing a variety of minority groups joined forces Wednesday during “I See You,” to promote diversity awareness and acceptance, discuss nationally significant issues and educate the larger campus community.
The day of speakers was presented as part of a Student Diversity Awareness initiative. Hundreds passed through the SIUE Morris University Center Goshen Lounge from 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Some stopped by to listen to speakers on topics such as gay marriage; gender inequality and violence; living with disabilities; religious freedoms, and more.
Mary Ryan, a speech pathology graduate student and a graduate assistant in Disability Support Services, said her experiences working with individuals of varying degrees of ability have shaped her perspectives in many ways.
“I’ve had the opportunity to witness the many abilities of people categorized as living with and without abilities,” she said. “It is important to delve further into the characteristics of a person rather than simply skim the surface. I hope that “I See You” has allowed students and staff alike to appreciate the diverse characteristics within each person, as well as within the campus community as a whole.”
While these groups traditionally have been identified as minorities, the purpose of the event was to bring them together to show strength in numbers, said Shana Diamond, a senior majoring in speech language pathology. Diamond is president of New Horizons, a group that played an instrumental role in organizing the day. New Horizons is a student organization dedicated to raising disability awareness on campus.
“Over the last year or so we’ve noticed there hasn’t been enough representation from underrepresented groups,” Diamond said. “We’re hoping this event will showcase the fact that we’re a much larger percentage of the population than people realize.”
The event, which was named “I See You,” was organized as a way to introduce individual differences on a broader scale to the campus community. Diamond explained the goal is to celebrate diversity in all its forms.
“What I have noticed is you walk out of any building on campus when you get done with class, and you can observe somebody seeing someone else who looks different than you,” she said. “The person looks away, because they are different. If you see someone who is different than you, and you see a smile on their face, you smile back. It is essential to realize that everybody is a human being.”
Other organizations that were part of the effort included the Gay Straight Alliance, the Students for Justice in Palestine, Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Inc., the Golden Key International Honour Society, Making Waves and the Student Organization for Sustainability.
“This event is a way of seeking equality among all minorities and under-represented groups on campus,” said Eric Metheny, president of the Gay Straight Alliance.
The event was part of the We Are One—We are the e” campaign. It was funded wholly or in part through Student Activity fees. For more information, search SIUE New Horizons on Facebook.