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CORVALLIS - Commitment to cultural diversity has earned campus honors for a circle of Oregon State University students.

Sokhemry Yi, of Beaverton; Tava McGinty, of Indianola, Wash.; and the campus student group Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (Chicano Student Movement of Aztlan), were each honored with OSU's 1997 Frances Dancy Hooks Award.

Hooks, an educator and retired national coordinator of Women in NAACP, established the award during a visit to Corvallis in 1994. Hooks sought to recognize and encourage student efforts in coalition building among diverse groups and individuals.

The honorees were selected by a 25-member committee of faculty, staff, students and off-campus community members, said Phyllis Lee, director of OSU's Office of Multicultural Affairs.

"These people were chosen for their coalition building efforts on campus," Lee said. "It takes courage, honesty and perseverance to step out and take a stand."

Yi, a senior in biology and pharmacy, is director of OSU's Asian Cultural Center and is an Oregon Laurels Scholar.

McGinty, a senior in sociology, is director of OSU's Black Cultural Center and is president of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.

Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan, or, MEChA, is a student group focused on providing educational opportunities for students and the community through seminars, workshops and guest speakers, said MEChA co-coordinator, Adrian Castro.