Can the ‘Unity in Diversity’ UNR Promotes Have Effects Across Reno?
Reporters Kieran Dazzo, Macie King, Sam Berg, and Brad Vincent look into whether inclusive events on campus benefit only college students or if bridges do exist and the community as a whole is impacted.
A Recent Fundraiser With Multiple Causes
The smell of food from local businesses filled the air as performers danced and sang to traditional songs of their cultures on stage. The annual Unity in Diversity event had begun at noon on April 22 at the University of Nevada, Reno, and vendors lined the walkway from the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center to the Joe Crowley Student Union.
The name seems to be inspired by the event’s goal of highlighting a diverse student body.
It was the first time the Graduate Student Association of UNR had been able to host the event since 2019. The goal was to raise money for the GSA and local nonprofit organizations. Having outgrown the Wells Fargo room on campus, organizer and Vice President of External Affairs Taissa Lytchenko was able to execute something that had never been done before.
From the Sports Management Club to New Yorker Life insurance, there were a variety of people tabling to support the cause.
On top of promoting diversity, the event was held on Earth Day.
“We’re so connected to our environment that we have to be in harmony together,” said Lytchenko. “It’s not only the diversity of us as individuals, but it’s also all life on this planet. We have to make sure that we’re not only protecting it for us but for future generations to come.”
UNR as the Melting Pot of the Biggest Little City
Attendees, organizers, and vendors all agreed that UNR offers a unique perspective into other cultures.
“This event really highlights how diverse the campus is and how we can have fun together and celebrate each other,” said Fatema Azmee, the GSA’s Vice President of Internal Affairs.
Both the Sports Management Club and Lytchenko agreed that the large population of international students in both undergrad and graduate programs at UNR create a culture of their own.
Pulling from more than 80 different countries, the campus hosts over 700 international students as well as 200 international researchers and faculty.
Some of the most popular sports among these students are tennis, track and field, golf, field hockey, soccer, and basketball.
“Sports brings a lot of diversity on a college campus because there’s many international students that come from different countries and are able to compete at American universities and bring diversity to American culture,” said Raesa Sheikh, who was tabling for the SMC. “The Sports Management Program and club really wants to be a hub for diversity so we encourage everyone to come out and check out the program.”
Students from all walks of life attend the university, ranging from precocious teens to adults looking to further their education later in life. People of all ages, races, ethnicities, and financial backgrounds can be seen walking around campus.
Lily Baran, who tabled for the Hampton House Garden Project, was giving away free plants and seeds to anyone who wanted them.
“Reno is not the most diverse place, but UNR is and there are a lot of spaces where you can just be around folks from a similar cultural background,” Baran said. “That is a nice feeling to have especially if you’re in a new area.”
“You don’t really think of Reno as a diverse place, right? But now here we are celebrating this wonderful diversity,” Azmee said.
Reno Has More Segregation
As Baran and Azmee said, the Biggest Little City lacks in the area of diversity, inclusive spaces and kindness.
One of the speakers on stage, student Al Mehbuba, who goes by Meh, spoke about the difficulties she’s had as a 31-year-old Bangladeshi woman who moved to Reno when she was five.
“Let me tell you, there’s a world of difference working on campus versus in the real world,” said Meh. “People forget to be kind, patient, and accepting to those who look and sound different to others. As students, I urge you to take this warm welcoming, accepting attitude and continue it forward through all stages of life. As we find employment in the real world, we forget to appreciate our differences.”
Reno’s history has not been kind to ethnic peoples and communities. Thousands of homes in the Reno area still have legal documents stating, “that no person of African, Japanese, Chinese, or any Mongolian descent shall be allowed to purchase or lease any real property in Newlands Terrace.” While these covenants are no longer upheld legally, they paint a picture of what things were like when these homes were built in the 1920s through the 1960s.
In 2021, a Facebook post from the city of Reno stated only that the city’s Chinese population was “pressured to relocate,” softening the blow that Reno’s Chinatown was burned down twice–once by an angry mob and once by city officials themselves. While the post was later reworded, it left a very sore spot in the hearts of many Chinese individuals who still live in Reno.
Minden, a town less than an hour away from Reno, still blares a siren every day that from 1921 to 1974 served as a warning to non-white people that they were required to leave town before the sun set. Even after Gov. Steve Sisolak passed a law banning the act, a loophole was found so the siren could still be broadcast.
Making a Difference
Despite these challenges, community members are still making an effort to actively promote change in the Reno and Northern Nevada area.
While organizing Unity in Diversity, Lytchenko discussed how important this event is for learning about others.
“This is a large showcase of how our Reno community can come together to bring in this education piece to it,” she said. “Maybe you might not be familiar with a culture but by being here you’ll be able to learn.”
Local organizations and citizens were advocating for projects that help make lives better for Reno residents.
Casey Shiver and Madison Hutchinson were tabling for the Buy Nothing Project, a global micro economy group that focuses on keeping things out of landfills, getting to know your neighbors, and not spending needless money. The project focuses on diversity by ensuring their practices aren’t ableist or anti-homeless.
The Hampton House Garden Project is a mutual aid garden and food pantry organization that’s affiliated with a new group called The Black Community Collective. Baran grows plants in her own backyard for others to benefit from.
“You can grow a plant at my house and it can be your plant,” said Baran. “You can come and hang out with it whenever you want, I’ll keep it alive. I think it’s really important to continue promoting mutual aid and community support, community care. So that’s what we’re all about.”
In his speech, GSA President Matthew Hawn said, “In a world that so often feels divided, Unity in Diversity is more important than ever. It is up to us to come together and promote a culture of inclusion, understanding, and respect.”
Despite this event taking place on UNR’s campus, it served as a bridge to bring awareness to citywide and even national organizations that are making a difference. With open and free admission, the GSA’s Unity in Diversity event was able to bring together residents, businesses, and students to share their cultures and learn about helping the environment, as part of long standing efforts for a more harmonious and healthy world.
