Diversity talk first of four

IU cultural centers are now teaming up to combat the lack of diversity on campus with the “Choices of Color” discussion series.

Thursday’s panel was the first of four discussions in the series.

It was organized in response to an Indiana Daily Student Opinion column written by senior Jacob Levin, said Rafi Hasan, graduate assistant to the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center.

Levin’s column was published July 27 and discussed a study done by an Ohio State professor. Levin said the study found IU students are three times more likely to request a roommate change if their roommate is of a different race.

In the article, Levin criticized Eric Love, director of the office of diversity education;
Sara Ivey Lucas, IU’s assistant director for housing assignments for Residential and Programs and Services; and Pamela Freeman,  associate dean of students and director of the office of student ethics and anti-harassment programs.

They were criticized for what Levin said was their failure to understand the lack of diversity on campus.

“I think there is an effort that needs to be put forth by not only the University but the students,” Hasan said.

He said another goal of the discussion was to ask questions and get diverse groups talking.

The panel included Levin and Love, as well as Heather Essex and Caralee Jones, both graduate students in the African American and African Diaspora Studies Department.

The discussion started with participants trying to define diversity.

Love said there is no one definition of diversity. It can deal with race, religion, sexual orientation or even financial standings, he said.

“One thing is certain,” Love said. “No one group is superior than another.”

Love said he believes IU is a diverse place, a statement Levin said he disagreed with.

“We are culturally poor,” he said. “If we don’t realize this we can’t change it.”
Essex said it cannot be looked at from the top down, but has to be taken from the bottom up. People need to try to put themselves in a situation that will force them to change and not just tolerate, she said.

“To me, tolerate means I will not talk about you to your face,” Essex said.

Jones said it is the students who need to take responsibility as far as segregation.
There is not an obvious segregation on campus, but there is an unspoken natural segregation.  

Junior Mary Carter said when she heard of the brown bag series she thought it was going to be a discussion on the brown bag test. The brown bag test is a series of questions that is supposed to test your racial tolerance.

Even though she was not totally clear on the topic before she came, she said she came to talk about diversity.

She said she wished the panel was more diverse for a discussion about diversity, but it was still a great discussion.

“It’s great to see how passionate people can be about a topic they really care about,” Carter said.

Part two, “Cops, Scientists, Crooks and Cooks,” is at  4 p.m. Oct. 8 at the Bridgwaters Lounge of the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center. It is a discussion about how minorities are represented in the media.