“Diversity is our greatest strength, not just in our campus, but in our community as well,” said Student Association President Omar van Reenan in his speech to those participating in the eighth annual ALANA Peace Walk on Sunday in front of Oswego City Hall,.

The crowd of about 100 people consisted of student members of various on-campus organizations, faculty from various departments and some of their family members, and other Oswego City residents.

van Reenen urged the participants to strive to “break the barriers that keep us within our comfort zones.”

This year’s peace walk was organized as a collaborative effort between Black Student Union (BSU) and African American Male’s Empowerment Network (AAMEN). ALANA, African, Latino, Asian and Native American, is the umbrella for the organizations on campus that focus on those ethnicities and cultures.

Michaela Williams, the current vice president of BSU, said that eight years ago, the organization felt that there was a disconnect between itself, the other ALANA organizations and the rest of the campus. The walk was created to unite all of these communities and advocate for peace and equality.

Members of several on-campus teams and organizations met in the food court of the Marano Campus Center to decorate signs for the walk. These teams and organizations included men’s rugby, women’s basketball, Teachers’ Opportunity Corp and Fashion at Oswego. Materials for decorating the signs and posters were provided by the Creative Arts Committee of the Story Tellers’ Guild.

Everyone then boarded two buses to City Hall, where the walk began. They were met by a waiting crowd of others who also participated in the walk, such as students from the women’s basketball team, staff from the Penfield Library and faculty from the school of education.

Mary Canale, the vice president for development and alumni relations, was not only attending the walk on behalf of the campus, but was also there with her grandchildren.

“I love the unity it brings with the campus and the community,” Canale said.

Escorted by police vans at either end of the line, the group marched down one lane of Route 104 toward the college campus. Holding up their decorated signs, they chanted things like “No justice, no peace” and “We’re part of the Oswego Community! We want camaraderie and unity!”

After the walk, those who were still around gathered in the auditorium to hear the Oswego Gospel Choir sing “The Storm Is Over Now,” in reference to the idea of a storm being over when peace is achieved.

Oswego State President Deborah Stanley encouraged those participating in this year’s walk to return next year with a “posse” to help the walk grow in size and spread the word.

“Inclusive we can, together we can, and together,- we are SUNY Oswego,” van Reenen said.

Photo by Maria Pericozzi | The Oswegonian