2008 Woodie Awards
Editorial: It's black and white
Issue date: 1/24/08 Section: Editorial/Opinion
01/24/08 - In 2006 the Education Trust awarded the University of Rhode Island an F in diversity. Administrators at the time called the label unfair and said the campus is, in fact, diverse and students successfully grapple with the issue of race. Yet the student body's lack of enthusiasm for upcoming events doesn't bode well for supporting the administration's rebuttal.
Student after student told our reporter they simply weren't interested in attending even one of the nine diversity events planned during the next nine days in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
If history is any measure, student attendance at the events will be thin, with the audience mostly comprising students connected to event organizers or ones compelled into their seats by professors.
It is a dark day for campus when students only care about diversity after a threat of a grade reduction. Administrators spend hours putting together these events for students in hope of providing an educational and compelling time. (See page 3 for a complete listing of events.)
And it would be na've to believe that racism is not an issue on campus. Just 12.5 percent of students reported their race to the university as non-white, according to Institutional Research. Put into numbers that translates into just 1,449 of the university's 11,542 degree-seeking students are a race other than white.
If the university is supposed to be a microcosm of America, a microcosm of race it is not. Across the United States about 20 percent of the population is not white, according to the U.S. Census.
Of course, "diversity" is defined by more than just statistics. A truly "diverse" campus means students who respect each other, who don't label dances by the student group that sponsors them or brand concerts based on the performer's race or style.
A truly diverse campus is one where student groups don't attempt to raise "awareness" of affirmative action by offering "whites only" scholarships.
A truly diverse campus is one where students understand the meaning of the "diversity" designation for certain studies. A truly diverse campus is one where students understand that African American Studies deals with more than just black people.
For racism to be eliminated students must play an active role in acknowledging the issue, understanding it and participating in activities and classes that will help end it. And the opportunity starts today at noon with a documentary in the Multicultural Center.
Student after student told our reporter they simply weren't interested in attending even one of the nine diversity events planned during the next nine days in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
If history is any measure, student attendance at the events will be thin, with the audience mostly comprising students connected to event organizers or ones compelled into their seats by professors.
It is a dark day for campus when students only care about diversity after a threat of a grade reduction. Administrators spend hours putting together these events for students in hope of providing an educational and compelling time. (See page 3 for a complete listing of events.)
And it would be na've to believe that racism is not an issue on campus. Just 12.5 percent of students reported their race to the university as non-white, according to Institutional Research. Put into numbers that translates into just 1,449 of the university's 11,542 degree-seeking students are a race other than white.
If the university is supposed to be a microcosm of America, a microcosm of race it is not. Across the United States about 20 percent of the population is not white, according to the U.S. Census.
Of course, "diversity" is defined by more than just statistics. A truly "diverse" campus means students who respect each other, who don't label dances by the student group that sponsors them or brand concerts based on the performer's race or style.
A truly diverse campus is one where student groups don't attempt to raise "awareness" of affirmative action by offering "whites only" scholarships.
A truly diverse campus is one where students understand the meaning of the "diversity" designation for certain studies. A truly diverse campus is one where students understand that African American Studies deals with more than just black people.
For racism to be eliminated students must play an active role in acknowledging the issue, understanding it and participating in activities and classes that will help end it. And the opportunity starts today at noon with a documentary in the Multicultural Center.