The Herald Online

Issue date: 11/19/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Tylee Tracer Students were instructed to stand across from each other and get to know one another before rotating in their lines at the international meet and greet in Centennial Hall on Monday.

Media Credit: Tylee Tracer English as a Second Language students as well as many American students participated in the Day of Tolerance event on Monday.

Bridging differences in race, culture, religion, gender and age, about 250 people gathered together for the International Day of Tolerance in the Centennial Ballroom on Monday afternoon.

"We are hoping this is just a start to communication," said diversity fellow Melanie Richardson. "We've planted the seed; we've already accomplished a lot."

The event included an exercise where students of different gender, cultural, racial and age groups, were paired up and given 45 seconds to introduce themselves and talk.

The intent of the exercise was to bring together students from diverse backgrounds and open up lines of communication.

Richardson explained that the event was an opportunity to get to know the type of students that are on campus, and to promote unity.

There are six continents and over 60 different countries represented on the ASU campus.

"[ASU is] growing quickly, and people are getting lost in that process," she said. "[We just want] to take a little bit of time to gel."

Students enjoyed the event.

"I thought it was a great opportunity. I met people from six or seven different countries," said Creed Tumlison, senior business major from Jonesboro. "It was too short, but a lot of fun."

Rongchang Lu, a freshman international business major from China explained the benefit the event had for international students.

"We can make a lot of friends and practice our English," Lu said,

Attendance at the event was encouraging to the diversity staff that planned it.

Some classes, notably English as a Second Language classes, required or encouraged their students to attend.

There were also many American students, ASU professors and community members who came out of curiosity.

"I think that this is the first step for opening up eyes and dialogue, whether they are from America or international," said Multicultural Enrichment Director of the SAB, Sarah Peoples.

She believes that events like the International Day of Tolerance promote a truly diverse and open campus.

While ASU has offered conversation programs for international students, this is the first event of this nature and size.

"I would like to thank students, teachers, faculty and staff, without them it would not have been a success," Richardson said. "We look forward to doing it again some time in the spring."

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