 "Photo: Pat Markan/The Daily Northwestern")
By Tiarra Medley and Libby Nelson The Daily Northwestern
Chanting and waving posters Friday morning, about 125 students marched from Patten Gymnasium to Norris University Center to increase awareness of multicultural groups on campus.
Shouting "Hey ho, hey ho, ignorance has got to go" and "We march for me, we march for you, we march for NU unity," students from campus multicultural groups walked on the sidewalk along Sheridan Road and through the Fraternity and Sorority quads, waving posters with slogans such as "Diversity is everyone's job."
The "March for Unity" ended in a rally at the Norris food court, where student leaders spoke out in favor of diversity.
"We've done our part," said Joslyn Teng, president of the Multicultural Greek Council. "Now it's up to the campus to get to know about us, rather than trying to kick us off."
Teng, a Music junior, and other student leaders of multicultural groups organized the event after a Jan. 31 Daily column by Weinberg senior Rob Jackman said groups based on ethnicity or culture segregate the student body.
Members of all of the Greek councils joined Alianza, For Members Only and the Asian Pacific American Coalition, as well as unaffiliated students, to express their support for culturally-based organizations and their significance at NU.
"It's about time we show Northwestern's campus that we are unified," said Communication senior Jay Schumacher, Associated Student Government president.
The rally after the march focused on improving relations between minority groups and NU as a whole, as well as increasing awareness about those groups.
Jackman spoke at the rally to clarify his position. He said he believed there is a place for cultural organizations on campus and that he was not calling for their elimination. But he also said he was not sure that students are able to relate to each other.
"Constructing a dialogue with people who agree with you and who don't agree with you is not to call them ignorant," Jackman said.
Friday's event will be the first of many to promote interaction and diversity, organizers told students.
"The march is just a start. The rally is just a start," said Weinberg junior and event organizer Jason Okonofua.
Organizers are planning Friday afternoon lunches at Norris where students can discuss diversity issues, he said.
"No matter how passionate we are about diversity, we are all ignorant," said Communication senior Deborah Saenz, and member of the Multiethnic Intervarsity Christian Fellowship.
"We all have misconceptions," Saenz said. "We all have a certain amount of prejudice and racism within. What's important is not the fact that we are there yet, but the fact that we are on the journey."
Speakers at the rally encouraged others to view the event as a beginning and to actively work toward bringing about a change in student relations on campus.
"Don't just stand here clapping today," said Weinberg senior Amir Siddiqui, president of the Muslim-cultural Students Association. "Really do it."
Reach Tiarra Medley at t-medley@northwestern.edu and Libby Nelson at libbynelson@northwestern.edu.
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