Got Ignorance? Get rid of it.

That’s how Alumni Association Director Jeff Johnson summed up the Got Ignorance? campaign at a rally on campus Friday. Approximately 150 students attended the event.

The first Got Ignorance? rally featured faculty speakers, student testimonials and skits on the negative effects of discrimination.

“The campaign is the students at Iowa State’s response to several discriminatory acts on college campuses,” said Sarai Arnold, rally co-chairwoman.

Karla Hardy, rally co-chairwoman and Government of the Student Body diversity director, said the purpose of the event was to educate students.

President of the Black Student Alliance Brad Johnson said, “What I am here to do is not only hand out information but receive information today.”

Jeff Johnson encouraged students to not hide who they really are.

“It is that uniqueness which makes us a better society,” he said.

Thomas Hill, vice president for Student Affairs, also spoke at the rally.

“It is problematic that these things are happening on college campuses where people are supposed to be educated,” he said.

He also said he thinks society is moving in a positive direction.

“People don’t overlook the kind of behavior they overlooked at one time,” Hill said. “There is less and less tolerance for [discrimination] every day.”

Dean of Students Pete Englin praised the campaign and rally.

“The challenge of the Got Ignorance? campaign is to get out of our comfort zones,” he said. “I think this gives us a great charge.”

Patricia Coleman, junior in sociology and member of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Ally Alliance, shared an experience she had with discrimination.

Coleman said she had two flags on her dorm room door — one was for a gay-pride flag, the other bisexual-pride. One night someone set fire to the pride flags while she was in her room.

“Up until that time, homophobia wasn’t real to me,” she said.

Mandy Berenguel, junior in child, adult and family services, also gave a testimonial.

She said she is half Mexican and half Filipino. One day she came back to her dorm room in Knapp Hall to find swastikas drawn all over her door.

Berenguel said her resident assistant told her there was nothing that could be done.

“Not one person did anything,” she said through tears.