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photo by Karel Leon

Chief Jim Terry of the Marshall University Police Department addresses an audience on racial issues during SGA's Fighting Aggression Ignorance and Racism (FAIR) forum Monday night in the Memorial Student Center. Also shown are Dr. William Edwards, executive director for the Center of International Programs, Juan Barrios, Mexico graduate student and Nate Kuratomi, senate president pro-tempore.

by JESSICA L. BLAIR
reporter

A member of Student Government Association said that getting through racism is going to take time, tolerance and patience.

Senate President Pro-Tempore Nate Kuratomi was one of the speakers at the Fighting Aggression, Ignorance and Racism forum which took place Monday evening in the Don Morris Room in Marshall's Memorial Student Center.

Other speakers included Chief Jim Terry of the Marshall University Police Department, Dr. William Edwards, executive director for International Programs, Juan Barrios, graduate student from Mexico, Jasper N. Black, the first African-American male president of SGA, Razin Ahmed, vice president of International Stu-dents Organization (ISO) and J.P. Pham, ISO president.

"There was an excellent turnout of about 75 people," Black said.

Nora Gao, junior psychology major from Syria, said, "I wanted to hear what other people have to say and see their views."

Doug Youathan, junior criminal justice major from Charleston, said, "I just wanted to hear different points of view."

Kuratomi addressed the panel members with questions and they shared their views on dealing with minority and racial issues.

Pham said, "The word minority has such a negative connotation. You are not out of the crowd, you are unique."

Black said, "There's no such thing as racism to me."

"There's only one race and that's the human race."

Ahmed told the audience about the Muslim faith to let people know the act of terrorism was not because of the religion.

"To me, I don't think there's much difference," Ahmed said. There is one God, and the difference is with Jesus, he said.

"To me, Jesus is a prophet, nothing more," Ahmed said. "In Muslim religion there's many prophets."

When Kuratomi finished, the audience had the chance to address the panel. An audience member asked why no women were included on the panel.

Black said they wanted mostly international students but had trouble finding female international students who would speak up.

Abraham Mwaura, a junior from Kenya, asked the panel how they could be such pacifists with some issues.

"We're not pacifists, we're smart," Black said. "We realize they are ignorant and then go on."