“How Can You be an Ally?” was the question posed to 30 Schneider Hall residents Thursday night during a panel discussion on homosexuality.

The discussion was part of a week of events put on by Schneider’s student resident assistants to address diversity issues in the building.

The informational activities were open to everyone in the building in the hopes of educating residents and answering questions or calming any fears they may have, said second-floor SRA Maria Gonzalez.

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Thursday night’s discussion had a panel of four members from the Saluki Rainbow Network to address any questions or concerns people had.

The residents in attendance were a little hesitant at first, but after free sandwiches and ice cream, the relaxed atmosphere helped them to express their questions more openly.

One resident asked what she could call them without offending them, referring to how the term “nigger” can be used in a positive light between friends.

Jenae Williams, a sophomore in psychology and co-director of the SRN speaker’s bureau, said that it depends on the closeness to the person, cautioning that some people have an emotional attachment to certain words.

When asked whether people choose to be gay or are born that way, each member of the panel told their story of how they came to accept their sexuality and the reactions of their parents and communities. All agreed it was a difficult time in their lives, including stories of having to leave home and even being beaten up by classmates.

“If you can choose to be gay, there would be very few gay people in this world,” said Leah Rinert, a member of the Saluki Rainbow Network.

Several more topics were addressed with laughter and openness throughout the evening, including terminology and their meanings, religious beliefs and media portrayals of homosexuals.

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Several residents expressed surprise when Rinert, a freshman in architecture, said she liked rapper Eminem’s music. Williams also said she finds shows like “South Park” funny, emphasizing that the intentions need to be taken into account.

“You have to have a sense of humor,” Williams said. “Shows like ‘South Park’ make fun of everybody.”

The discussion soon came to a close, and an informational packet was passed out to everyone who attended detailing ways to be an ally and spread acceptance.

Earlier events in the week included using random pictures to try to identify who was gay or straight and finally realizing that people really cannot tell by the way they looked.

A script called “Guided Journey,” gave people a chance to experience life in the shoes of a gay person and had them rip up cards of friends and family members who they wouldn’t be able to talk to anymore once they came out.

The third event of the week was a bead-making exercise to teach residents the significance of the rainbow, which promotes all types of diversity, and the reasons for each particular color.

Morgan Look, the SRA for the 12th floor, said he thought Thursday night’s events went really well, but she wished more people had attended.

“Those who came had good questions and turned up with valid reasons,” Look said. “Hopefully they will pass it on; that’s the idea.”

Reporter Valerie N. Donnals can be reached at [email protected]