Isra’ Muzaffar ’02 is receiving a lot of attention.

Two weeks ago, The Mac Weekly reported that administrators denied Muzaffar’s request that the Palestinian flag be flown at graduation.

Last Friday, Muzaffar was presented with the annual Internationalism Award. On Tuesday, MCSG passed a resolution recommending the flag policy be changed. And 45 students signed a strongly-worded letter of protest that was distributed to administrators.

Every year, the internationalism award is given to one senior who best embodies the internationalist ideals of the college. According to International Studies Professor David Moore, the student who wins the award must display academic excellence, contributions to international endeavors at the college and contributions to the world at large.

The award was presented at the International Dinner, which was the culmination of International Week. After a glowing introduction, Moore presented Muzaffar with the award certificate, an atlas of the world, a plaque to be hung in the International Center, and a check for $500.

But for Muzaffar, receiving the award has been overshadowed by the college’s refusal-so far-to fly the Palestinian flag at graduation. She says she still plans to wear the Palestinian flag at graduation. “Although it was an honor for me to receive the internationalism award, I was crying an hour before the award was presented,” she said.

The issue has caught the attention of the outside world. The Chronicle of Higher Education ran a story about Muzaffar’s dispute with the college in their current issue.

And as if to underscore how most of the campus has become involved in the controversy, the Macalester College Student Government on Tuesday passed a two-point resolution concerning the flag policy.

The resolution recommends that the flag policy be amended to allow flags of entities having received a standing invitation to participate as observers in the U.N. General Assembly and maintain a permanent office at headquarters. If a senior represents a country that is not covered by the first point and he or she can submit a petition containing at least 50 percent of the graduation class’s signatures, the flag should be flown.

These recommendations were passed on to a one-time ad hoc committee that met yesterday to revisit the flag policy. The committee consisted of Provost Dan Hornbach, Dean of International Studies Ahmed Samatar, Dean of Students Laurie Hamre, Political Science professor Andrew Latham, and two students. The results of their discussions were not available to The Mac Weekly before press time.

The committee was formed after Latham brought the issue to the Provost at the end of a meeting two weekends ago. Within 24 hours, Hornbach reacted to Latham’s concerns and the ad hoc committee was assembled.

“What it took was a political scientist to say something.” Latham said.

The day after the “Palestinian flag will not fly at graduation” was published, Ted Roethke ’05 wrote a letter of protest that was signed by 45 students. The letter was sent to the Provost, Dean of Students, Dean of International Students and The Mac Weekly.

Despite the support that Muzaffar has received on campus, she says she still feels hurt by the school’s policy.

A Political Science major, Muzaffar has advocated internationalism at Macalester by presenting the Palestinian perspective throughout her academic writing, public forums, study abroad research, involvement in the Macalester International Organization, and her co-founding of the student organization “Sunday News.”

After listing her many accolades at the dinner on Friday, Professor Moore summed up his remarks by saying, “This is Isra’ Muzaffar, from East Jerusalem, planet earth