New display opens discussion on student identities

Samantha Summers’ photo hangs on display in the Student Union gallery. The description printed on it says she comes from a non-traditional family, belongs to the Republican Party and understands the disadvantages that come with having dyslexia.

These three characteristics are what she has said set her apart from other students.

The “I Am Chapman” exhibit in the Student Union gallery demonstrates the diversity of students on Chapman’s campus.

Photo by Kate Desalvo, staff photographer.

Twelve students, including Summers, a senior political science major, are featured in the “I Am Chapman” exhibit. The students that are being showcased were selected by Chapman’s Cross Cultural Initiative, an organization on campus that aims to reveal the diverse identities of students within Chapman’s community.

“Just because you’re Caucasian doesn’t mean that you aren’t diverse in another way,” Summers said. “I think that if you break down those barriers, you realize that everyone is battling their own battle in a certain way. We have so much diversity and it just isn’t really known.”

The “I Am Chapman” exhibit is open until Sept. 30. Jerry Price, vice chancellor for student affairs and dean of students, said that due to positive feedback, it may continue until Oct. 10 with two more rotations of students.

As of Sept. 11, 29 applicants have requested to join the project, according to Leon Lukić, a sophomore film studies major who currently has a photograph on display in the exhibit.

Price said the goal of the exhibit is to help students embrace the different identities on campus.

“It’s easy to think that when you’re in a class of 25 students, you might at a glance look around and think, ‘Everybody looks kind of the same; they’re all from the same background,’” Price said. “You have to look closer. There are a lot of other ethnicities and international backgrounds and sexual identities that make up our community.”

The Cross Cultural Initiative encourages everyone to engage in conversations and experiences that are mindful of each individual at this university, Price said.

“We’re (mostly) white, mostly straight, mostly Christian … but sometimes people who are a part of these other identities maybe feel not as recognized,” Price said. “Part of the (meaning behind) the exhibit is to make sure we’re acknowledging that they’re vital parts of our community.”

Price said he thinks the definition of diversity has become too narrow, typically only focusing on race, which isn’t an accurate classification.

“There is a lot more to it than that,” Price said. “Someone who’s black who’s an international student from Kenya is going to view things differently than a student who’s an African American from LA.”

Lukić said the project has sparked many meaningful discussions with those who have taken an interest in his story because of his involvement in “I Am Chapman.”

“I’ve had people ask me specifically about the things I’ve written about myself and I’m very open to having a dialogue with people … that’s the reason I did it,” Lukić said. “Seeing other people in my life be vocal about their identities has helped me grow and develop and feel less ashamed about my personal identities, and that is what I want to do for other students.”

As one of his highlighted traits, Lukić said he suffers from depression, anxiety and an eating disorder.

“Those are often things that aren’t visible and until I started speaking about those things with other people, I didn’t know anyone who had them,” Lukić said. “If I had known someone that was vocal and open about it when I first came here, my experience would have been different.”

After viewing the exhibit, junior business administration major Perla Vellidas said the project is inspiring and made her want to share her story too.

“It’s just very creative. I think it’s a really nice way of engaging and involving students,” Vellidas said. “It’s an encouraging element for incoming students trying to find (similar) things people identify as.”

Junior business administration major Meghan Mehta isn’t as pleased with the exhibit because she doesn’t believe Chapman is a racially diverse campus.

“It’s trying too hard to be something we’re not,” Mehta said. “If I walk over (to the exhibit), I’ll be like, ‘Oh, wow, this a diverse campus we have. This ethnicity and this ethnicity and this ethnicity…’ but if you walk around (the Student Union), that’s not what you see.”

Approximately 61 percent of Chapman’s student population is Caucasian, according to College Niche, so Mehta does have statistics on her side. But Price said that the goal of the exhibit is the exact opposite of how she perceives it.

“We’re not trying to be something we’re not; we’re not trying to portray something we’re not,” Price said. “But we are, like everybody else, trying to get better at who we are.”

Sophomore television and broadcast journalism major Sarena Macias, currently featured in the exhibit, said that although Chapman doesn’t seem diverse on the surface, everybody has something that makes them unique.

“One thing I always keep in mind is though we may be homogenous in our race, we’re very diverse in our mental and spiritual aspects like our ideas and the way we act,” Macias said.

Applicants interested in being featured as part of the “I Am Chapman” exhibit can find the submission form on OrgSync.

Photo courtesy Pexels.