Few attend first diversity discussion

By Anna Koeppel

Published Oct. 9, 2007

The first in a series of sessions meant to spur discussion of diversity drew two participants on Monday.

Noor Azizan-Gardner, director of diversity programming and professional development of the Chancellor's Diversity Initiative, and graduate research assistant Malaika Gallimore planned the event.

Azizan-Gardner said the monthly dialogues will not be topical.

"We're just experimenting on different ways to get students together," Azizan-Gardner said.

Azizan-Gardner said in the past, themed discussions attracted only people directly involved or affected by the theme.

"It will be quite different from the previous two years," Azizan-Gardner said.

She said last year, six to more than 30 students would attend each discussion depending on the topic and scheduling conflicts.

"This is an avenue for students to interact with other students that they wouldn't usually interact with," Azizan-Gardner said.

Azizan-Gardner said she contacted Four Front, the Legion of Black Collegians, MU's Department of Student Life, MU's Department of Residential Life and faculty to inform them of the event.

"The dialogue phase comes and goes," Azizan-Gardner said.

Azizan-Gardner said this year, 60-80 people attended a discussion on the Jena Six, the group of six black teenagers charged with attempted second-degree murder after a fight with a white teenager.

"The motivating force was that a lot of people were excited about demonstrating for justice, which is really cool," Azizan-Gardner said.

Topics for discussion last night included how students, staff and faculty see themselves at MU, and what they should do to make it a more inclusive university.

Azizan-Gardner said MU's graduate population is more diverse than the undergraduate population.

"There are not that many diverse and international students that are undergrads," Azizan-Gardner said.

She said Missouri is not a diverse state and that the majority of international students are graduate students.

"Our whole goal is to get different groups to mingle with each other, to connect with each other and hopefully to make friends," Azizan-Gardner said.

Azizan-Gardner, Gallimore, graduate student Qing He and Cambio Center Office Coordinator Christiane Quinn discussed campus diversity, how they saw themselves as part of MU and how they can make the campus more inclusive.

"There are very few people like me at Mizzou," Azizan-Gardner said. "There are very few women, Asian-American faculty on campus."

She said she is the only Asian-American woman at her level of administration.

"But I feel that I belong here," she said.

Quinn said although she is only one of three permanent staff members from Brazil, she feels very comfortable.

Azizan-Gardner said the event's turnout was lower than expected.

"This is quite different from what we had planned, but it's nice it people can just chime in," Azizan-Gardner said.

The group then discussed culturally based student organizations, including the MU Latin Dance Club, the Hispanic American Leadership Organization and the Luso-Brazilian Students Association.

Gallimore said it can be difficult to join a group mid-semester without an invitation from a friend.

Azizan-Gardner said one way to get involved in a group is to talk to the president or the leader of the group.

"If you volunteer, they're going to love you forever," Quinn said.

Azizan-Gardner said previous discussion groups have attracted students whose professors offered extra credit for attending.

"We want people who want to be here for discussion, not for extra credit," Azizan-Gardner said.

She said she was surprised no one from the groups she contacted attended.

"I think you need one person who is invested (in the discussions) to recruit," she said.

Quinn said she might attend future discussions, depending on her schedule.

"I didn't know what to expect, but I think it's good to have interactions with students," she said.