Ever wonder how internationally diverse Fredonia has become?
You’ll find the answer in Reed Library. Mounted along the west wall is a display of nearly 80 flags – each one representing a country or heritage of a member of the Fredonia family.
“We wanted to recognize the countries and also the cultural backgrounds of Fredonia – students, faculty and staff, alumni and growing partnerships in overseas programs,” said Naomi Baldwin, director of the Office of International Education.
Thought had been given to creating an international flag display on campus, and President Virginia Horvath was an early advocate, but the idea “really got off the ground” at the Black Student Union’s open panel discussion in February that addressed the concerns students of color had on campus, Dr. Baldwin explained. Administrators attending the gathering heard a student remark how welcomed he felt when he sees the flag of his homeland displayed.
Geraldo Celeste, president of Latinos Unidos and an Interdisciplinary Studies major, explained how “good it makes him feel when he goes to other campuses and sees his home country’s flag hanging,” Baldwin recalled.
The conversation quickly expanded and a committee was formed to pursue the project. The Williams Center Multipurpose Room was initially identified as a prospective host site, but its design was not a good fit.
“We were not sure it would work, so we looked at other possibilities. It had to be a student hub, with lots of traffic and be some place highly visible and large enough,” Baldwin explained.
Alternate sites were scouted, and the library easily met all criteria. In fact, a small model of the library – complete with tiny flags – was built by Scenic Design Assistant Professor Czerton Lim to depict how the flag display could be incorporated into the library. “He helped us visualize the project, showing exactly how the flags would look when hung in the library, and that solidified that the library was the best space,” Baldwin said. “He was really integral to the project.”
Along with Mr. Lim, other members of the flag committee included Randy Gadikian, director of Library Services; Kevin Cloos, director of Facilities Services; Sarah Laurie, director of Environmental Health, Safety and Sustainability; Michael Lemieux, director of Campus Life; and Erin Willis and Jacob Czelusta, both of International Education; along with Baldwin.
“Reed Library is a large, open building of primarily concrete and glass, so the addition of these colorful and significant flags makes quite a visual impact,” Mr. Gadikian said. “The flags are a visible example of Fredonia's commitment to International Education.”
The flags – there will be 79, when the Seneca Nation flag arrives – were relatively easy to acquire, Baldwin noted.
Jellema Stewart, director of the Center for Multicultural Affairs, is delighted with the new library feature. “When you see your flag, you feel pride, feel welcomed, and you see that you are leaving your mark and that your culture is celebrated,” she said.
Annual reviews will be done to ensure that all nationalities and cultural heritages associated with Fredonia are represented, Baldwin said. “There is definitely room for more flags. If a student comes and finds that his/her flag is not hung, we would like to know. And the same goes for faculty and staff.”
