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By Ana A. Lima
Arizona Daily Wildcat
November 14, 1996
Diversity issues of racism and sexism were discussed yesterday during a nationwide conference that involved 8,000 students from 50 colleges and universities.During the "-ISM (N.) Multimedia Campus Diversity Summit," students addressed conflicts that occur in their campuses generated by diversity. Video letters from students were shown and discussed.
Ten videos were sent from UA students but none were televised.
Although only 10 people attended the event held in the Harvill Building, students and teachers were able to identify some of the problems that raise controversy on the UA campus.
"There is a lot of misunderstanding about minority students," said Liz Worthington, director of University Activities Board Eye on Diversity Committee and UA coordinator of the event.
"People don't realize that dialogue helps," she said.
Worthington said that apathy makes it hard to get UA students involved in discussing campus issues such as diversity. She said she was expecting 40 people to attend the summit.
In addition to student input, a panel discussion of four people, which took place in Durham, N.C., addressed the issues related to separatism that affects college campuses and the nation.
Separatism is a problem on the UA campus, said Amber Kyle, undeclared freshman. She said she believes people don't seek to learn about minorities.
The panel discussion was hosted by CNN Political Analyst Farai Chideya. Members of the panel were Ronald Takaki, professor at the University of California at Berkeley; Mindy Michels of American University; Jose Palafox, student at UC Berkeley; and Michael Dyson, professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Dyson stressed the necessity to recall the country's memory about racism and discrimination. "We live in the United States of amnesia," he said.
At the UA, the event was facilitated by Bea Brown of Brown and Associates diversity management consulting firm in Tucson.
"The signs are down, but there's this new racism. It's submerged because it's illegal," said Brown.
"This summit is a forum to dispel some of the tension and myths at the UA campus, and get to that place where this institution and those who comprise it begin to value the diversity that all cultures bring," Brown said.
The summit consisted of two parts in which video letters from students were televised, addressing issues such as racial, sexual and religious segregation.
In the first half, which lasted 30 minutes, videos themed "The Way Things Are" were followed by a 70-minute break.
During that time, students had the chance to discuss the videos and the issues.
UA participants discussed diversity on campus.
"I think there is a need for this type of discussion to take place on this campus more," said Andrew Greenhill, graduate student in English.
Greenhill teaches freshman English at the UA, and said that in a class of 25 students, he only has two or three minorities.
"The numbers allow for that (segregation)," Greenhill said.
He said he believes that if there was more diversity at the UA things would be different.
"It frightens me that there's a lot of talk, but few people do anything," said Davien Burnette, electrical engineering freshman.
During the second part of the conference, themed "The Way Things Can Be," students presented possible solutions for the problems addressed in the first half of the summit. Students from around the country called in and sent e-mail messages to relay questions to the panel.
Solutions created by students and panel members dealt with promoting interaction between clubs and organizations on campus, promoting awareness by creating classes that deal with diversity, and increasing student movement and activism.
Worthington said the University Activities Board has already been working on solutions to promote cultural interaction and increase awareness.
The Eye on Diversity Committee has promoted panel discussions with fraternity and sorority members and has also created "Dialogues for the Healing of Racism," Worthington said.
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