The new faces filling the leadership posts of Northwestern’s multicultural student groups are saying they will strive to make campus more accepting of diversity.
The recently elected leaders of many groups said Winter Quarter’s reported incidents of racial, sexual and anti-Semitic graffiti drawn in dorms have obligated groups to increase student body awareness.
Before her election as coordinator of For Members Only, NU’s black student alliance, Tracy Carson had never held a position on the group’s executive board. But when racial epithets were found scrawled on black students’ dorm room doors during Winter Quarter, Carson said she was inspired to play a larger role in advancing policies to help black students.
“(Mahatma) Ghandi once said, ‘Be the change you wish to see in the world,'” said Carson, a Weinberg junior. “There needed to be ownership coming from the general FMO constituency, not a member of the board.”
As FMO’s new coordinator, Carson said she plans to help shape proposals dealing with hate crimes and increase recruitment efforts for minority students.
One of the strengths of the Muslim-cultural Students Association is its ability to attract different types of people to events, said McSA co-president Danish Qureshi.
“The great thing about our members is that we don’t always hang out with each other,” said Qureshi, a Weinberg sophomore. “We get a large attendance for our events through that.”
Asiya Bari, McSA co-president said she and Qureshi are committed to continue bringing appealing speakers to campus.
But racial and religious relations on campus still are not perfect, said Qureshi, referring to a March 18 incident when “sand nigger” was written on a Muslim student’s door in the Foster-Walker Complex.
“It’s shocking to think some people here don’t understand,” Qureshi said. “As incoming president, it shows there’s work to be done.”
Bari said the reoccurrence of these slurs are a call to action for cultural groups.
“As separate student groups, we can work together,” said Bari, a Weinberg sophomore. “As minority students, we all need to work together.”
Ajul Shah, co-president of South Asian Students Alliance, said the strength of the group’s events last year helped it gain recognition outside of the South Asian community.
“This year, we can push even more for recognition because last year was so successful,” said Shah, a Weinberg sophomore.
SASA’s cultural show last year was widely attended by students outside the South Asian community, and parents and students responded very well to the show, Shah said.
Shah plans to increase SASA’s interaction with South Asian student groups from local universities and other NU cultural groups.
“It’s important to diversify and know about other cultures because it makes you more open in understanding other people,” Shah said.
The Middle Eastern Student Association will try to return to more programming-based initiatives after last year’s effort to attain a Middle Eastern studies minor, according to group president, Bassel Korkor. They plan to hold elections at an April 16 meeting.
The Asian American Advisory Board, which will hold their elections April 13, also plans to focus more on social, cultural and educational goals this year and less on the political issues the board originally was created to tackle, said Alan Fu, a Weinberg senior and AAAB president.
The Daily’s Miki Johnson contributed to this report.
