Forums set diversity issues on the table

Many students living in the residence halls pass by the blue poster on their floor bulletin board representing Residential Programs and Services' statement on diversity.\nStudents wishing to turn these printed words into action have the opportunity to do so, as the Conversations on Race program prepares for its third year.\nCoR, co-sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Division of Residential Programs and Services and the Commission on Multicultural Understanding, is designed to provide a forum for discussing race and understanding the viewpoints of others.\nThe deadline to sign up for participation in CoR has been extended to Monday.\nDiscussions will begin Oct. 6 and run through Nov. 8, where small groups of approximately 10 participants and a co-facilitator will meet for two to five hours each week.\nFacilitators help guide the discussions, and in the residence halls this peer or facilitator will be the CommUNITY Educator.\n"Race is a challenging issue to talk about, but in the discussion groups I felt that people could speak honestly and ask questions," said Shaila Mulholland, a masters student and former facilitator. "You can't really get to know the experiences of others, unless you sit down with them in such an environment that Conversations on Race can provide."\nDoug Bauder, director of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Student Support Services and a founder of CoR, urges students of all races and ethnicities to participate in the discussions because in many instances, it prompts students to re-examine their own lives.\n"The world is much bigger than our singular view of it," Bauder said. "Students who have participated in CoR have said that they have been gently pushed to consider new thoughts, examine their own prejudices, change their minds, question their assumptions and become better people."\nLast fall, a record 150 students participated in the program, and about 70 signed up in the spring. \nStudents involved with the discussions were among several majors, and enjoyed talking about contemporary issues regarding race and how it can affect the future.\n"As a business major, [the CoR program] helped me to understand the underlying and critical issues concerning race that prevail in our society today," said senior Tobias Puehse. "It really drilled down to the essence of what diversity and racial issues exist today, and what I can do in the future to be proactive."\nIn addition to learning about and understanding others, other past participants described CoR as a positive catalyst in improving racial tolerance at IU.\n"Nothing will magically take intolerance away," said Geoffrey Ismail Ndosi, a senior and past participant. "These series are geared toward making people understand the social construct of race…It creates understanding and appreciation and will hopefully work toward alleviating racial intolerance."\nBarry Magee, assistant director for diversity education, sees CoR as an overall beneficial program for students while at IU and beyond their college experiences.\n"IU continues to find ways to make life more enriching for everyone on campus and to better prepare students for the diverse work environment they will face after their days at IU," Magee said. "I know that there are a lot of good programs happening on campus, but I think CoR ranks up there among the best"