Exploring Diversity

As a second-year graduate student from China, Xiaofei Wang, greatly appreciated the help she received from the IU Chinese Students and Scholars Association. The groups helped her sign a housing agreement before arriving at IU, gave her a ride from the airport and organized an orientation where she met her boyfriend. Today, Wang is studying telecommunications and is public relations chair for IUCSSA.\nThe group was one of a variety of cultural groups that participated in the second annual Diversity Fair, held yesterday in the Main Library. Besides the 30 booths providing information, cultural displays and food, a full day of entertainment kept the Main Library lobby a busy place. Away from the displays, the fair featured films for those who had a bit more time to stay. But mainly, students and faculty stopped in for a short while to ream what they could. Learning just one new fact about a culture made the fair worthwhile, said Kathy McCarnes, chair of the Diversity Committee for IU Libraries. \n"Hopefully students come in and learn something new," she said. "This has generated interest from different groups on campus we didn't even know existed."\nThe groups participating had a variety of reasons for doing so, but many wanted to create awareness for their organizations and the services they can provide students.\nThe IUCSSA, for example, aids about 400 Chinese students per year in settling into campus and into a new culture.\nThe Near Eastern Languages and Cultures Student Association tried to peak interest in its department's classes by providing information and selling baklava. The group also provided entertainment by showcasing two dancers in the performance area. Imen Ksouri, a Fulbright Scholar and graduate student in applied linguistics, danced in the style of her native country, Tunisia. Although the crowd appreciated the dance as a performance, Ksouri said it is just something everyone does at home.\n"We dance at parties," she said. "But to be honest, you either have it, or you don't. I try to teach my sisters and they can't do it the same."\nSecretary of the NELC Student Association, Jonathan Sauer said the department has doubled in size in the past couple of years, and hoped the fair would give new students a chance to try out some of its classes.\n"We're offering summer classes this year, and really want people to see the Post-Taliban Afghanistan/Global Terror class," he said.\nFor those who only had a minute to stroll through the fair, members of the Diversity Committee were serving candies and teas from various countries so at least a taste of another culture could go along with them.\nKathryn Marlett, a member of the committee, organized the performers for the fair. She said many of the performers came back for a second year and enjoyed showcasing their cultures. The benefits for visitors to the fair, she said, are numerous.\n"My hope is that everyone can take away something about another culture or their own, and see that the library has these resources for them," Marlett said.\n-- Contact staff writer Kristin Wynkoop at kwynkoop@indiana.edu.