Greek group eyes race

Sophomore Carolyn Heidrich, a Delta Gamma sorority new member educator, participated in Conversations on Race (COR) last semester. This time around, however, she will serve as a co-facilitator for the greek community's COR discussion group. \n"I expect it will be like watching a movie that you've already seen," she said. "You pick up new things that you didn't notice the first time."\nHeidrich and Michael Gordon, a School of Music professor Emeritus and former vice chancellor for student affairs and dean of students, held their section's first meeting at 7 p.m. Monday at Delta Gamma. All six COR groups will meet for two hours a week for five weeks to discuss various topics related to racial inequality and discrimination. They'll also participate in activities to enhance their understanding of these issues. \nNow in its third year, COR is primarily sponsored by the Commission on Multicultural Understanding, the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Division of Residential Programs and Services. The program is coordinated by Mark Bryson, Office of Multicultural Affairs diversity educator; Doug Bauder, coordinator of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Student Support Services; and Barry Magee, director of the CommUNITY Education Program and assistant director for diversity education in the Division of Residential Programs and Services. \nMagee explained that one of COR's main objectives is to make participants understand that people have different experiences depending on which racial group they belong to.\n"As a white male, I have had certain experiences that an Asian or African-American male in my position would not have had," he said. "We need to validate other people's experiences, and we allow each person who participates in COR to tell his or her personal story. We want people to think about their own experiences as racial beings."\nHe said the ideal co-facilitator partnership is composed of two people of different races and genders, and undergraduate discussion leaders are paired with graduate students, administrators or faculty\nmembers.\nAt the end of the five-week span, all COR groups will have the opportunity to meet at a reception and share what they have learned.\nMagee said the event has previously been held in the Indiana Memorial Union, but COR coordinators are trying to reserve a room in the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center for this year's mass meeting. Gordon, who sang in a choir at Malcolm X's funeral, said diversity on campus has come a long way since he served as dean of students.\n"I'm so amazed at how far the campus has come with regard to racial understanding," he said.\nFor more information visit www.indiana.edu/~cor.