Students organize diversity efforts
Josey Montana McCoy
Issue date: 10/12/07 Section: Campus News
- Page 1 of 1
UK student leaders gathered at a student-organized meeting last night to discuss campus diversity problems and solutions that they will present to the administration.
The discussion was led by journalism and political science senior Brittany Langdon, who is also Student Government vice president, marketing and integrated strategic communications junior Patrick Nally and Spanish sophomore Wesley Robinson. Robinson also writes for the Kernel.
The meeting was held to address larger diversity issues at UK, Robinson said, not just the editorial cartoon published in the Oct. 5 Kernel, which likened UK's Greek system to a slave auction and sparked student protests.
Media was not allowed in the meeting to keep people from being quoted who didn't want to be, Nally said. (Three Kernel editors attended the meeting to listen but did not participate or report on it. A staff writer covered the meeting and did interviews after it concluded.)
Obtaining more funding for diversity-related events on campus was one of the solutions proposed at the meeting, Nally said.
"Funding is an issue. We need a fund for diversity," he said. "But funding can't change students' hearts, and the administration can't change students' hearts. We also need to educate students. It's not just a race issue. All students should be involved."
The best way to deal with problems is not to dwell on them but instead to brainstorm and carry out solutions that address the issues, Langdon said.
"It wasn't just about reaction to recent incidents but about the ongoing problems," she said. "It's about what we can do with each other and how we communicate. Nothing can be done until students take an active role."
A group of student delegates will meet with the administration and discuss racial issues and cultural divisions at UK, Robinson said.
Zulema Hernandez, president of the Latino-American Student Organization, said the ideas proposed are achievable.
"We can sit for hours and talk about what can be done, but to have concrete solutions and suggestions proposed was very important," Hernandez said. "It's important to come up with realistic ideas. It's important to think, what are we doing right now?"
"We as students are the power of everything," she said
Including student leaders from campus organizations, not just minority groups, was crucial, Hernandez said.
"Having Greeks here gives what we're trying to do more of a voice," she said.
Alex Garcia, SG senator and president of Sigma Nu fraternity, said the specific ideas discussed strengthened the overall goal of the meeting.
"It is good to see some faces and names trying to lead the way to make change," said Garcia, a psychology senior.
Delegates from last night's meeting will join with members of the Black Student Union and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People when they meet with UK administration, said Mahjabeen Rafiuddin, director of student diversity engagement.
The BSU and NAACP met Wednesday to discuss and determine the general response and stance of UK's black population in regard to the editorial cartoon. The delegates also discussed the ensuing protests, apologies from Kernel editors and the resignation of former Kernel opinions editor Chad Reese, said sociology senior and BSU Vice President Jonathan Best.
E-mail jmccoy@kykernel.com
The discussion was led by journalism and political science senior Brittany Langdon, who is also Student Government vice president, marketing and integrated strategic communications junior Patrick Nally and Spanish sophomore Wesley Robinson. Robinson also writes for the Kernel.
The meeting was held to address larger diversity issues at UK, Robinson said, not just the editorial cartoon published in the Oct. 5 Kernel, which likened UK's Greek system to a slave auction and sparked student protests.
Media was not allowed in the meeting to keep people from being quoted who didn't want to be, Nally said. (Three Kernel editors attended the meeting to listen but did not participate or report on it. A staff writer covered the meeting and did interviews after it concluded.)
Obtaining more funding for diversity-related events on campus was one of the solutions proposed at the meeting, Nally said.
"Funding is an issue. We need a fund for diversity," he said. "But funding can't change students' hearts, and the administration can't change students' hearts. We also need to educate students. It's not just a race issue. All students should be involved."
The best way to deal with problems is not to dwell on them but instead to brainstorm and carry out solutions that address the issues, Langdon said.
"It wasn't just about reaction to recent incidents but about the ongoing problems," she said. "It's about what we can do with each other and how we communicate. Nothing can be done until students take an active role."
A group of student delegates will meet with the administration and discuss racial issues and cultural divisions at UK, Robinson said.
Zulema Hernandez, president of the Latino-American Student Organization, said the ideas proposed are achievable.
"We can sit for hours and talk about what can be done, but to have concrete solutions and suggestions proposed was very important," Hernandez said. "It's important to come up with realistic ideas. It's important to think, what are we doing right now?"
"We as students are the power of everything," she said
Including student leaders from campus organizations, not just minority groups, was crucial, Hernandez said.
"Having Greeks here gives what we're trying to do more of a voice," she said.
Alex Garcia, SG senator and president of Sigma Nu fraternity, said the specific ideas discussed strengthened the overall goal of the meeting.
"It is good to see some faces and names trying to lead the way to make change," said Garcia, a psychology senior.
Delegates from last night's meeting will join with members of the Black Student Union and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People when they meet with UK administration, said Mahjabeen Rafiuddin, director of student diversity engagement.
The BSU and NAACP met Wednesday to discuss and determine the general response and stance of UK's black population in regard to the editorial cartoon. The delegates also discussed the ensuing protests, apologies from Kernel editors and the resignation of former Kernel opinions editor Chad Reese, said sociology senior and BSU Vice President Jonathan Best.
E-mail jmccoy@kykernel.com
Be the first to comment on this story