(Cornell) In-your-face diversity orientation program takes freshmen out of their 'comfort zone'

Cornell Chronicle Online Home Page ^ | Aug. 31, 2006 (Updated Sept. 1) | By Susan Lang

[Behind Liberal Lines]

"Why do all the black students live in Ujamaa?"

"My roommate is a queer." … "Yeah, I know -- he's my boyfriend."

"The guy wanted $50 for this jacket, but I jewed him down."

"Freaking Asians, always wrecking the curve in my math class."

"Nobody knows this, but I have dyslexia." … "Retard!"

Robert Barker/University Photography

Gabrielle Boley '09 and Ronnie Solomon '08 act out a skit in the Robert Purcell Community Center, Aug. 27, about coming out to dorm-hall residents. As members of the Cornell student-based Ordinary People Theater Troupe, they performed "Tapestry of Possibilities" before freshmen during orientation, in order to provoke students to think more deeply about racism, sexism and other forms of prejudice. Copyright © Cornell University

These one-liners opened the show "Tapestry of Possibilities," held 19 times throughout Cornell's Orientation Week, primarily in Robert Purcell Community Center. Performed by a student theater troupe, Ordinary People, the irreverent skits were intended to take first-year students "out of their comfort zones," says Susan Murphy, vice president for student and academic services.

"Introducing our students to our values of diversity and inclusion is important as we welcome these students from the wide variety of backgrounds they represent," she said. "We want them to know that we hope they will embrace and celebrate the diversity of our community, not simply acknowledge or tolerate it."

The troupe seeks to dramatize the dynamics that new students at Cornell may experience, such as those from privileged backgrounds mingling with those from disadvantaged backgrounds, students of color suddenly being thrust into a largely white environment, or students being forced to confront issues of sexual differences and race that can affect comfort levels. The skits were written by students in the troupe, based on their own experiences and observations.

In one skit, for example, the resident adviser reads from her clipboard that she will not tolerate any harassment on her corridor. Then, a young woman nervously tells her dorm mates that the rumor about her is true; she is gay. After the first squeal of surprise, her roommate admits that she, too, is gay. Then another and another admit the same, until one lone student is left, sitting quietly.

"You don't mean to tell us you're a hetero … a breeder?"

"I … I'm not gay."

"Hey, I know a hetero guy down the hall. Maybe you two could get together."

"Hey, Ronnie, I'm sure if you go to one of those frat places, you could find lots of other people like you," says another.

"And I'm sure a therapist would be willing to help you with this. They can work wonders for you people."

In another skit, an administrator is trying to pose a white student with a group of black students for a brochure photo. The white student is clearly uncomfortable. "Are you sure we need some kind of forced mosaic here for the photo? Will it matter that much?" wonders the administrator.

Then a multiracial group of students approaches. "Excuse me … I think we may be of assistance," says one young woman. "Need an African-American? Need a Latina? A Native American? Biracial person? Do you need some ethnicity for your brochures photos? We're here to help. We're from SOCPO … Students of Color Photo Opportunity, Incorporated! We'll be in your photo!"

Robert Barker/University Photography

Ordinary People theater troupe members, from left, Melissa Williams '07, Ronnie Solomon '09, Scott Grow '10 and Anitha Vemury '08 listen after their performance of Tapestry of Possibilities to the comments of audience members about issues raised by the provocative skits.

Explains her friend: "You're facing the age-old problem of an administrator on a predominantly white campus. Students, parents and donors look very closely at your brochure, and you want it to appear as though there's diversity here. You know the game -- the more students of color you have in your publications, the more harmonious it appears here. The more students of color, the more popular you are with the newspapers and the community. After all, if the students see that all the people representing the school in these brochures are all white, they might raise a little skirmish, and you wouldn't want that."

After the skits, Murphy led a group discussion to get the student reactions -- which touched on praise for the performance to a request from a student of color to say "hi" in passing instead of looking down -- and to talk about promoting social justice and mutual respect for each other.

"Hopefully, the program got our new students thinking about these issues and understanding they are vital to this community. ... and hopefully it encouraged them to listen, engage, be encouraged to meet new people and begin to gather information as they engage in opportunities and challenging dialogues," said Murphy. "The program, as part of orientation, is simply an introduction to the wide range of experiences our students can engage throughout the year."

After the skits, Cornell President David Skorton, who was in the audience, told the group, "There is no right answer. … Now this is going to sound corny, so bear with me … I think the key thing is to be gentle with each others' feelings … and the other thing is to be very gentle with yourself. … Tell yourself, 'It's okay I'm confused about this.'"

"I think this was really good for incoming students," said Samuel Gordon '10, a biracial student of Indian and Jamaican descent from Palm Beach, Fla., after the session ended, noting that the performance was very thought provoking.

"Now it's up to the audience to apply it."

[Behind Liberal Lines]

Ithaca is the City of Evil.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

City of Evil bump:

[RegulatorCountry]

Pampered little multicultists in the very womb, prating on about taking someone ELSE out of their "comfort zone." That's rich.

[Tzimisce]

I have some stereotypes for them:

#1 - Whites are racist
#2 - Men are sexist
#3 - Straight people hate gay people.
#4 - Minorities in the United States are Oppressed.
#5 - Communism is the best way to handle things.

Really want to "provoke thought" and "take people out of their comfort zones"? Make some skits about this. (Of course, that would be "intolerant" and violate all those campus speech codes...)

[KarlInOhio]

Do they tell Cornhole University students what to do if they find a stundent with a Milton Friedman or Ayn Rand book hidden behind their Womyn's Studies book in his dorm room? Maybe a public stoning in the name of diversity.

[fredhead]

Which just solidifies my resolve to see my daughter attend a college such as Regent University or Liberty University.

Wife won't think of Annapolis.

[Santa Fe_Conservative]

Wow, this is pretty bad. To this day I still hate my own college orientation week...everything they said would happen in college actually ended up being opposite for me.

[Lizavetta]

You'll notice that their love of diversity applies only to appearance, not to thought.

[Our man in washington]

Do they ever check whether all this diversity stuff actually leads to people of different backgrounds getting together?

I wenty to a college that talked endlessly about diversity. I belonged to a church that talked endlessly about diversity. I went to an employer that talked endlessly about diversity. In all cases, the minorities either weren't there or formed their own little clique.

The one group I belonged to that had true integration was the U.S. Navy Reserves. Everyone was subject to the same rules for promotion and the same standards for uniforms and behavior. People were forced to work together, and the effect was that racial hostility just didn't bloom in the same way.

So if Cornell really wants harmony across all groups of people, maybe they should start by treating everyone the same.

[RonF]

"The guy wanted $50 for this jacket, but I jewed him down."

I was 16 or 17 when I first heard this phrase used. My then-girlfriend's father (who later became my father-in-law, since deceased) used it. I was sitting eating dinner with him and the rest of his family. I asked him to repeat it. Then, in all innocence, I asked him what it meant, and why. He was quite flustered as he tried to explain.

[madprof98]

There is no right answer.

The motto of the modern university. It has replaced the long-discredited "Veritas."

[musicman]

[Behind Liberal Lines]

Do they ever check whether all this diversity stuff actually leads to people of different backgrounds getting together?

I don't know about studies. But anecdotally, I would say that Cornell is quite possibly the most segregated place I have ever been in my life. Each ethnic group tends to live in a separate dorm. In fact, some of the dorms are specifically set aside for ethnic students by the University.

[Onelifetogive]

I belonged to a church that talked endlessly about diversity.

My church is the most diverse place (color and nationality wise) that I know. I am part of the A/V team, so I sit at the back and up high (I have a great view of the congregation). EVERY SUNDAY, there is NO distinguishable pattern of people segregating themselves by race. Church is in a predominately white area, but is likely 30-40% minority. I find it amazing that there is no pattern of segregation.

I would think that, even for non-racist people, there would be some tendency to gravitate toward "similar" people. Likely, people are gravitating toward "similar" poeople, they just are no longer defining "similar" in terms of race. "Similar" people are now being defined by life-stage, hobbies, career, etc., not color.

[Blue Jays]

Hi All-

This insane educational institution reminds me of that episode of Beavis & Butthead where hippie liberal teacher David Van Driessen sings the absurd "Hug The Mountain" song and is subsequently catapulted through the windshield of the bus...

~ Blue Jays ~

[neocon1984]

I wonder if this sort of extreme psychological intervention has been reviewed by the school's Institutional Review Board. Even the mildest experimental manipulation is subject to intense review and guidelines these days.

I also wonder if the intervention is monitored by psychologists to help students that are put under undue pressure. Basically, I question the ethics (and purpose) of these programs.

[jimfree]

Pampered little multicultists in the very womb, prating on about taking someone ELSE out of their "comfort zone." That's rich.

I was so out of my comfort zone my first attempt at college. All I needed was somebody to push me over the edge. This is pure evil masquerading as a service to humanity.

[fortunecookie]

Sounds like Ithaca, the city of evil, is sharing the joys. My son's state university had something like this as a freshman orientation 'skit', mandatory. Me and another mother tried very hard not to laugh too loud. But when I asked why the skits didn't include anything on date rape, I got the 'oh no, someone asked' deer in the headlights look, and a stammered response from the supervisor she called over about how that never happens. So, tolerance is good, but actual issues, not so much.

[freespirited]

Do they ever check whether all this diversity stuff actually leads to people of different backgrounds getting together?

Of course not. The touchy-feely types who put on these idiotic events would not know where to start if asked to measure the actual impact of their interventions.

[ArGee]

So I wonder where the skit was that begins

My roommate is one of those stupid Bible Thumpers.

Shalom.