ry of DIA
SITY, SOLIDARITY
eated to provide social support for minori es began in as a commi ee chaired by a white student named An‐ meant the Black Student Coali on (BSC), the American niza on of Women (NOW) and the Young Libertarians. cil of Minority Affairs (COMA) worked on ge ng people s and talk truthfully about emo on on the campus on was created as an advisory agency to the Student Gov‐ oice in the SGA seat for all minority groups on campus. terna onal Students Associa on (ISA), the BSC and the nder Tiffany Hollis ‘04, the club focused primarily on its ng a part of the SGA. It took un l 2004 for the minority er and physical disability. In the same year, COMA was (DCC) and operated un l 2006, serving as the umbrella nion, the Muslim Students Associa on (MSA), the Da‐ , DIA, the Middle Eastern Cross‐Cultural Associa on n (ACAA), the BSC, the Gay‐Straight Alliance, Students t Associa on (CDSA). In 2007, DCC changed its name to
In 1969, a series titled “Around the World in 80 Cups of Cof‐ fee” began as an informal way for International students to share aspects of their culture. Ishida and Norihiko Lio were the first participants to discuss Japanese culture, geography, food, education and social customs. The 1972‐1973 Richard‐ son Scholars Roster shows that 10 out of 14 scholars were in‐ ternational students of color. However this change was gradu‐ al as international students shared difficult experiences. For example, Antonio Diaz, a student from Panama City who spent all four years at Davidson, was one of the first Richard‐ son Scholars at Davidson. He was sponsored by Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity and eventually became the Rush Week Chair. Diaz concluded that his Davidson experience was enjoyable, however he noted that there were not enough Spanish speak‐ ers on campus he could relate to. Over the years, a number of scholars felt that American stu‐ dents were uninterested in learning about the international students and that they faced exclusion on campus. In 1974, the Foreign Study Committee changed its name to the Inter‐ national Education Committee. The committee focused on study abroad programs and increasing international aware‐ ness on campus. In the College Archive, one can find minutes, reports and correspondence with the committee as well as information on the Critical Language Program and the original Foreign Study Plan, such as an evaluation of the plan’s strengths and weaknesses in its first two and half years of ex‐ istence. An article printed in the Davidsonian on April 5th, 1974, titled “Selfish Students Shock International Students”, interviews students and their feelings toward Davidson stu‐ dents. In 1977, the college established the Dean Rusk Scholars Program for British students to attend Davidson for one year. In 1978, Anthony Boon, a coordinator of the international studies program recognized that students of non‐European descent did not have as good opportunities as students of Eu‐ ropean descent in adjusting to Davidson life. Additionally, a better orientation program, involvement in eating houses and encouragement of American students to room with interna‐ tional students were put into practice. Davidson also celebrat‐ ed international students by hosting cultural weekends in the Alvarez College Union to create a more culturally aware com‐ munity on campus. A committee on the International Stu‐ dents Scholarship Program, responsible for evaluating the ex‐ periences of international students and increasing their partic‐ ipation in academic and social life, was developed. Special so‐ cial activities were set up to “Make people more aware of in‐ ternational students and more sensitive to their needs, said former Assistant Dean of Students Paula Moore.