A Brave Girl Speaks Out Against The hypocrisy of diversity

Tufts [University] Daily ^ | February 13, 2007 | Ashley Samelson

[ellen_rometsch]

Every morning, I sit down with a delicious Dewick breakfast, coffee and the Daily. As of late, every morning, I make it to the Viewpoints page and read a heart-warming article about tolerance, diversity and community. Then every morning, I roll my eyes, shut the Daily and reach for a newspaper from the real world. This morning, after reading that not enough white people came to the town meeting and that intro-level English classes should be turned into race relations classes, I have had enough.

As a senior, I have sat through four years of listening to people opine over "race relations" at this school. As a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed freshman, I even used to go to these community meetings or events where President Bacow would show up in our dorm in loafers and a sweater to have a fireside chat about "realizing the potentiality of integrational equalities" and the like. At one of these chats, I came up with an idea for how to make the school more racially integrated. Thinking my idea was fairly straight-forward and rather brilliant, I suggested getting rid of race houses. I don't think people around here would feel so thrilled about a white, male Protestant house on Professor's Row, so maybe some people feel that way about an African-American house. Maybe not. But no matter how you feel on the subject, surely race housing is an obstacle to this desired enhanced integration? My idea was not so popular, and after many icy stares, I excused myself.

[caver]

"My friend Caver is also saying to simply accept it or you will go nowhere. If this is true it's because nobody had enough guts to challenge it. Everyone is too drunk with PC. Everything is okay as long as one is getting his or her paycheck at the very large company."

I know you're not picking on me. I'm just stating things as they are for my situation. Yes, I'm at a big company working for my paycheck, biting my tongue. It's kind of hard for me because I tend to be outspoken, but not at work. The other alternative is to start your own business. I'm close to retirement, so I'm biding my time.

[caver]

Yes, I'm a spelunker, but us that are serious call ourselves cavers. Spelunker is one of those somewhat derogatory terms that the media like to use.

As we say, "Cavers rescue spelunkers".

[brwnsuga]

Blindness

too true

[brwnsuga]

Blindness

too true

[Gvl_M3]

I'm proud of her. She says some things that have needed saying for a long time.

I went to Georgia Tech (Georgia Institute of Technology) in the early 90's. I'm a white male from upper middle class Atlanta.

I had some of the same experiences she describes. I was a little upset that my criteria for getting into school was different than my roommates. He was a nice guy, but had no business being at that school. He ended up dropping out after Freshman year.

Ga. Tech has a very large Greek population (somewhere around 30-40%). It baffled me that there were 3-4 all black fraternities and 2-3 all black sororities. I sure as h#!!! couldn't have started an all white fraternity (not that I wanted to). Also, one of the fraternities branded their pledges. I thought they wanted to get away from slavery. We would have been kicked off campus if we did some of the stuff they did.

Then, there was the society of black engineers, women engineers, maybe even Asian engineers. I always thought that of any profession, engineering would be the best to get past race. You either know your stuff or you don't.

Sorry for the rant. I truly had not seen any racism until I went to college. I was lucky that my parents sent me to a private school, and there was no racial issues there.

College was very eye opening, and a little embittering as this author aptly puts it.

[Gvl_M3]

I wanted to add:

I never understood what they were hoping to accomplish with affirmative action at an engineering school (or any school for that matter).

I know they want the help they needy (or at least relieve their conscience). But all this does is teach people that they can slide by and they will always have lower expectations due to their skin color. Or, it sets them up for failure by saying "you can go to school here, but you will fail out in 6-9 months."

If you want to make more money available, that is one thing. At least make the entrance requirements the same. How else will a black man ever feel equal to a white one?

[SQUID]

That is very cool. I always wanted to do that and see what it's like below ground. I know there are some spectacular caves out there.

I try to get out as much as possible and hike some mountains. Alaska will be the place to go this year. Will be dropped off up there for a while for some good fishing. Of course one has to keep an eye out for bear. They like fish too.

[caver]

The mountains and fishing in Alaksa definitely sounds cool too!