Building Diversity

IU kicked off its One for Diversity fundraiser with a formal celebration in Alumni Hall Thursday night.\nIU-Bloomington Chancellor Sharon Brehm, who created the initiative, said it was great to finally see the program get on its feet after a year of work.\n"It's very exciting. It's wonderful that the students are taking the first big step," Brehm said. "We've been working on it in various ways since 2002, and this is the first big kickoff." \nThe celebration featured performances from several campus groups and a student visual art display.\nThe One for Diversity initiative began in the wake of the Benton Murals controversy as a way to bring more diverse and multicultural art to campus. The murals in Woodburn Hall, Room 100, depict scenes from Indiana's history, including the Ku Klux Klan. Some students protested the paintings, but Brehm decided to allow the murals to stay.\nJunior Brett Warnke was the enthusiastic master of ceremonies and made a point to say that from now on, diversity on campus was going to be all about action. \n"Today, we stop slogans of multiculturalism, we stop using phrases about diversity and we take action," Warnke said, in his opening remarks.\nHe also commented on the Benton Murals in the night's festivities.\n"One cannot speak of One for Diversity without speaking of the Benton Murals," Warnke said. "It was like a hard rain that brought a mushrooming of thought to this University. The Benton Murals made us rethink ourselves as individuals and as a community. Who are we, what do we represent, what do we think, and where are we going? Today, we make history."\nThe performances began with Essence, a hip-hop dance group. The dancers performed to a medley of popular rap songs.\nNext, the African American Choral Ensemble hit the stage. Before its performance, director James Mumford asked the group members to raise their hands by ethnicity, age and sexual orientation, to show the group's diversity. Mumford stressed that the ensemble isn't strictly a group of African-American performers, but rather a group dedicated to performing traditional African-American music. Their second number brought the audience to its feet revival-style. \nBrehm spoke briefly after the ensemble's performance. She talked about her excitement about the event, but stressed it was just a beginning.\n"This is a wonderful kickoff for the campaign," Brehm said. "We build diversity, it doesn't happen magically. One-by-one, person-by-person, step-by-step, we will build it. And when we come to the fundraising phase, we'll do it penny-by-penny, dollar-by-dollar, donation-by-donation." \nBrehm also spoke of society's shifting demographics and how living in a diverse environment now will benefit students in the future.\nDelta Sigma Theta sorority performed next with an energetic step show, featuring solos by all five members of the dance team.\nAfter the step show, the IU Tae Kwon Do club performed a demonstration. The club showed forms, which is a series of formal motions, and free-sparring, in which two people attack and defend using any technique.\nThe clear crowd pleaser was a club member jumping over two members to kick a board in half.\nRoshni Patel, from the Indian Student Association, performed to three popular Indian film songs. Patel said the songs were all modern, but had a traditional flavor. Unlike the music, Patel said her dancing is not traditional -- it's distinctly modern. \n"Indian culture is a part of the world. I think it was great that it was included tonight," Patel said.\nVoices of Hope performed next with three songs. The group is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.\nQuiana Stone, adviser of Voices of Hope, said the group encompasses a broad range of gospel music.\n"We perform traditional pieces up to popular artists such as Kirk Franklin and Frank Hammond," Stone said. "Some of our students have even composed original pieces for us."\nFollowing the celebration, senior Erin Sparks, a member of the One for Diversity Steering committee, said the leaders were happy with the event.\n"It was excellent," Sparks said. "We had a great turnout, and everyone was so enthusiastic."\n-- Contact staff writer Kehla West at krwest@indiana.edu.