16 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, March 10, 2000
FRIDAY Focus
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I '. I Y S i I S,
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In the past month, the clash between the ideolo-
gies of the Students of Color Coalition and the
senior honor society Michigamua has escalated
into an prolonged battle and media frenzy attract-
ing national attention.
SCC seized the seventh floor of the Michigan
Union tower on Feb. 6 in protest of Michigamua's
use of the space and their alleged use of rferences
to Native American culture.
But SCC spokesman Joe Reilly, who is a mem-
ber of the Native American Student Association,
said although student groups may differ in beliefs
"the point of student organizations is not to create
division but to facilitate interactions."
Still, Indian Students Association President
Manish Chopra said the University's campus is
unnecessarily divided through student groups, even
groups with overlapping interests.
"There are 20 different student organizations
that have to do with India alone. We've got to pro-
duce a solid front and display unity," said Chopra,
a Rackham student.
"If you march together you get a larger audience
and it is less effort to organize," he said. If college
students focus too much on their own ethnic orga-
nization, Chopra warned "you end up having only
one kind of experience."
Finding identity
Cultural groups can provide a resource for stu-
dents to learn more about themselves, especially
students who are the first in their family to grow up
in the United States.
"There is always an identity crisis among first gen-
eration Americans,"
Chopra said, adding that
many do not feel that they
are entirely Indian or
entirely American. '
"They must carve out
their own identity," he
said, which pulls first-
generation American
students toward groups
with members of the
same background.
Chopra said some-
times students of color
can feel isolated, and at
least within their own
group they feel accepted. ra s
"When people can't
address their ideas at the
University level they cre-
ate a forum on a smaller H ,
level," he said.
Sociology Prof. Debo-
rah Carr agreed that stu-
dents of color might tend to seek out students of
the same background to find a sense of comfort.
"All of us want to associate with people who
understand us," Carr said, adding that often a stu-
dent who is in a racial majority only has to look
next door in their residence hall.
But minority students may have to look further
to find someone who shares a similar background.
Many times, Carr said, when a student comes
from a community where there are many people
similar in culture, coming to the University might
make them feel in the minority. It provides a sense
of comfort to socialize in groups of similar cultural
experience.
Korean Student Association president David
Hong said student groups play an important role in
helping students define themselves.
"Because there are strong ethnic factors in soci-
ety it helps to have a group you can identify your-
self with," said Hong, an LSA senior.
"I think if you are going to identify yourself as
Korean you need contact with the Korean commu-
nity," Hong said, adding that simply eating Korean
food and wearing clothes associated with the Kore-
an-American culture are not enough.
"If you call yourself Korean, you should give
something back to the community where your
identity comes from," he said.
LSA sophomore Alice Hsu said one reason why
she joined Asian sorority Kappa Delta Phi was to
make a connection with other Asian students on
campus.
Hsu said it was a "natural instinct" to seek out
friends that have shared similar experiences as
Asian-American women.
Prior to coming to Michigan, Hsu said she went
to a school with few students of color and made
her first Asian friend at a Chinese language test
when she came to the University.
"I found someone that has gone through the
same experiences as me," Hsu said, adding that it
was fun to share the language and a love of Chi-
nese music.
But Hsu added that joining an Asian sorority has
come with a price. She said that she feels like a
part of segregation on campus.
"It pulls me further from being a part of larger
Michigan society" Hsu said.
Sharing cultures
Besides seeking out others to verify their identi-
ty, Chopra said many students form cultural groups
because they "really
want to talk about their
ethnicity with the rest
of the world."
African Students
Association member
Andrea Bediako said
there is a natural ten-
dency for students to
form friendships with
g d tstudents of the same
ty icludng ore han ehnicity.
"When you have a
similar culture you tend
to bond together," she
said. But Bediako, an
LSA senior, said "it is
up to the person to step
out of their group and
y Jexplore other cultures
sm Jthrough the different
it khsr events on campus."
On Saturday Bediako
will participate in the
fashion show African Nights 2000, which is sched-
uled for 7 p.m. in the Michigan Union Ballroom.
Bediako said she hopes the event will "expose peo-
ple to African culture and counter negative percep-
tions of Africa."
Alianza chair and Rackham student Maurice
Light said such events may even introduce students
to cultural traditions.
"Events provide a venue for Alianza to share
part of the Latino experience to other students who
might not be familiar with that," he said.
"There is a misconception that groups with eth-
nic names are just for those ethnicities," Hong said,
adding that all events and meetings of KSA are
open to the members of the public.
Unfortunately, Chopra said, the people who
attend events are mostly of that ethnicity instead of
outsiders learning about other cultures.
Reilly contrast-
ed the open mem-
0.
FILE PHOTO
A Students of Color Coalition member leans out of the Michigan Union tower on Feb. 10. SCC has occupied
the seventh floor of the Union to protest the senior honor society Michigamua.
contributes something to the University community.
"Michigamua is a great model of how to uti-
lize diversity," he said.
Michigan Student
Assembly president Bram "When peoj
Elias said the way studentP
groups are organized at the address the
University provides the
"opportunity of students the Universi
from any culture to learn
about any other culture." they create
The experience of Uni-
versity students, Elias said, a smaller le
is only enhanced by the
presence of numerous cul-
tural groups. Indian Students
"I think
that any-
thing that
c o n - '-
tributes to
m o r e
diversity
and a
robust exchange-
of ideas benefits
everyone one on cam-,
pus," Elias said.
The large number of cul-
turally based groups is some-
thing that not all universities
have, Elias said, and it makes the
University better and unique.
If conflicts do ensue between stu-
dents groups, such as Michigamua and
SCC, it only further enriches the experi-
ence of University students because it serves
as a challenge, he said.
Any type of issues between student groups
are "real issues that should be worked out
here, where we are sharing an educational mis-
sion," Elias said.
"If Michigan takes students out of their comfort
zones and exposes them to new cultures - that's
fantastic," Elias said.
pl,
ou
explore other parts of themselves. Also, she said,
more people working together can get things done
more efficiently.
Dialogues on Diversity,
'e can't which is also presenting
Gatherings II, formed in
r ideas at response to the anti-affirma-
tive action lawsuits.
V level Bess Chuang, the Pro-
gram Assistant, said it was
( orUm Of founded to help keep peo-
,, ~ ple comfortable about dis-
rel. cussing issues of diversity.
"Dialogues across com-
-- Manish Chopra munities give students a
ssociation president chance to seek out'net-
works and support sys-
tems," Chuang said, and to "think about their
group's contribution to the campus community."
The ultimate goal of Gathering II is to "inspire
people to seek intergroup collaboration. This is just a
starting point. It is not the fix-all, it is just to get peo-
ple talking."
Chuang said that it is good for students to have a
safe space where they can "congre-
gate to students like them,"
but it is important not to
lose sight of the larger
world.
"There's time for peo-
ple to be in their groups,
and there's also time for
people to interact 4nd
move beyond their com-
fort zone," Chuang
A. said.
A
bership policy of
cultural groups
with the selective
membership of
the Tower soci-
eties. The secret
societies like
Michigamua, he
said, divide the
campus through
promoting elitism
instead of open
membership.
"People think
(cultural groups)
promote segrega-
tion but the impor-
tant thing to note is
that there is open
membership," he
said.
Spokesperson
Getting together
Student groups are acting on the need for
collaboration. ISA and the Indian American
Student Association are working together
with the Alumni Association and other cam-
pus groups to sponsor "Midterm Mayhem"
which will extend the hours the CCRB is
open during the remaining Fridays in March.
Later this month student organizations
such as KSA and Filipino American Student
Association will work together on the Gener-
ation Asian Pacific American cultural show
scheduled for March 24 at Hill Auditorium.
Hoping to address some questions of division
on campus, the "Gathering II: Yours, Mine, Ours,"
presented by Dialogues on Diversity and Encom-
pass cultural show, will take place tomorrow.
Organizer Gail Kim said there needs to be more
interaction between groups on campus and the
Gathering II will be one way to address this.
At the event, Kim said, students from different
A dancer performs
during the 1998
Indian American
Student Association
cultural show at Hill
Auditorium. This
year IASA has more
than 500 members.
FILE PHOTO