Some students at Ithaca College have created a new organization aimed at fostering a more united campus community. Organizers of IC Color hope to ensure that underrepresented voices on campus are heard and that dialogue is strengthened. TWC News' Philip O'Driscoll tells us more about the organization and its goals moving forward.
Incidents of racial insensitivity on the Ithaca College campus sparked student- and faculty-run protests of administration back in the fall. Over winter break, President Tom Rochon announced his retirement from the school effective May of next year.
Some students are looking to change how issues of diversity and inclusion are addressed to bring about necessary change.
"It's not about creating or forcing change, but getting people to talk about the process of change and the possibility of change. Because having that spark is the thing that actually keeps the momentum going," said senior Namarah McCall, the director and creator of IC Color.
That spark is McCall's new organization, IC Color. It aims to give a voice to populations of different racial backgrounds, sexual orientations and disabilities on campus. Several events have been planned throughout this past week aimed at fostering dialogue and celebrating achievement through art, music and performance.
"I'm hoping that the organization continues the practice of listening first and creating after," McCall said.
It's a message McCall hopes reaches school administrators.
"We're going to them, seeing the things that they are doing, asking them the things that they want to see and trying to create things that way, so it's more of a dialogue than a message down the lane," McCall said.
McCall hopes that, as IC Color's visiblity grows within the Ithaca College community, so does civic engagement.
"The college itself is already a pretty disconnected campus," McCall said.
McCall is working to reduce that trend.
I've been kind of working against that by word of mouth and then talking to my friends and being like, 'Hey, I know you know nothing about this event I'm holding, but come with me,' " McCall said.
For more information about IC Color and upcoming events, click here.