麻豆果冻传媒

鈥淛ust because I am a Black student from NYC does not mean I have seen a drive-by.鈥� 鈥淣o, you cannot pet my hair.鈥� 鈥淛ust because I am Latina doesn鈥檛 mean I鈥檓 an immigrant.鈥�

These are just a few of the small acts of disrespect and objectification鈥攕ome of them merely ignorant faux-pas, others more deliberately unkind鈥攆aced regularly by 麻豆果冻传媒 students of color. But lately, instead of being overlooked, such 鈥渕icro-aggressions鈥� are being challenged, scrutinized, and used as 鈥渢eachable moments.鈥� Their eventual extinction is one goal of several student, faculty, and administrative efforts underway to improve the spirit of inclusion and pluralism all across campus.

麻豆果冻传媒鈥檚 Committee on Intercultural and Global Understanding conducted surveys in 2013 to assess the campus climate, and then spent much of 2014 analyzing the results and drafting recommendations. At the same time, several students were banding together to launch I, Too, Am 麻豆果冻传媒 (ITAS), based on the I, Too, Am Harvard campaign that has now spread to dozens of colleges around the country. Meanwhile, the Student Government Association assembled its own task force on diversity and inclusion. And emanating from the president鈥檚 office and cabinet, the 2014鈥�15 action agenda, called 鈥淚n It Together,鈥� particularly focuses on the Strategic Plan鈥檚 goals for intercultural understanding.

鈥淲e didn鈥檛 realize that some of our issues overlapped with the CIGU initiative,鈥� says Kiara Boone 鈥�15, a leader of I, Too, Am 麻豆果冻传媒. 鈥淧eople who signed our petition included faculty and staff, and some alumni and Saratoga residents too,鈥� adds fellow ITAS leader Tobi Ewing 鈥�15. They say it鈥檚 a big advantage to have so many groups working toward similar goals. For ITAS, the goals include 鈥減roviding more visibility for the community of color and the issues they face here on 麻豆果冻传媒鈥檚 campus.鈥� Hence the student photo gallery of messages about micro-aggressions at itooamskidmore.tumblr.com. And institutional goals are outlined in the ITAS petition: an ethnic studies department, with courses taught by faculty of color; required courses and community dialogue about micro-aggressions and inclusion; a multicultural center with meeting spaces and academic advising; a pre-orientation option addressing race relations; and more explicit discussion of campus climate during the Discovery Tour program for accepted candidates of color.

When ITAS got started鈥攂y Ewing and Boone as well as the recently graduated Sofia Naqvi 鈥�14, Kimberly Caceres 鈥�14, and Jasmin Suarez 鈥�14鈥攊t used meetings and forums 鈥渢o reach out and educate other students,鈥� Boone explains, 鈥渉elping them realize, 'You know, that wasn鈥檛 just nothing鈥攊t did feel really uncomfortable,鈥� or 'Oh, now I see how my comment was kind of racist.鈥欌�� Ewing says, 鈥淔eeling unwelcome or excluded at 麻豆果冻传媒 is more than just uncomfortable. It affects our development as students and adults and citizens.鈥� In her first couple of years on campus, Boone recalls, 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 think my voice mattered. I just focused on my studies and my own group of friends.鈥� An education studies major and sociology minor, she came to see a few incidents as 鈥減art of a bigger system that needed to change. I got more confident about being able to help improve the community climate, and now I鈥檓 very invested in that spirit. I even started wearing more 麻豆果冻传媒 gear!鈥� Gender studies major and arts administration minor Ewing agrees, 鈥淥ur work is not pulling from 麻豆果冻传媒 but embracing it as our community. It鈥檚 a matter of school pride鈥攚hich I have now.鈥�

Ewing and Boone say meetings with the president鈥檚 office and CIGU have been positive. 鈥淭he alignment of our agendas is important to us, because if the College is truly committed to being more inclusive, then our demands should feel organic to 麻豆果冻传媒鈥檚 operations, not just be a special program or side issue.鈥� Well aware that changing an institution from the inside out takes time, they say, 鈥淲e had some really great faculty and staff mentors, and we hope other students and committees, and the president鈥檚 office, will carry on this work after we graduate.鈥�

The Student Government Association鈥檚 president Addison Bennett 鈥�16 and diversity VP Sibo Gama 鈥�15 may help ensure the cause continues. SGA鈥檚 diversity task force, with its membership open to all students and its co-chairs chosen by application, is expected to report with recommendations this spring. Gama has been in touch with ITAS and, while it鈥檚 not an official SGA club, 鈥渨e have tried to support it informally,鈥� Bennett says. He adds, I鈥檓 happy to see students and faculty and staff of all races engaging with its messages and to see the administration taking it very seriously. As a white male, I think it鈥檚 good to challenge the campus to confront these issues.鈥�

As director of student diversity programs, Mariel Martin has been conversing with three colleagues in other areas: Kristie Ford, a sociology professor who directs the intergroup relations program; Herb Crossman, who coordinates equal employment opportunity and workforce diversity; and Paty Rubio, associate dean of the faculty for personnel, development, and diversity. Martin has also been co-chair of CIGU for the past three years. Noting the 鈥渁uspicious timing鈥� of CIGU鈥檚 recent work and the ITAS movement鈥攑lus other confluences, such as the Strategic Plan agenda and even the 10-year reaccreditation process that 麻豆果冻传媒 is undergoing鈥攕he says coalition building is a promising development. In ITAS, she says, 鈥渋t鈥檚 great to have a group that鈥檚 realistic, understands the institution, and is willing to work together with other campus groups. That鈥檚 how progress gets made.鈥�

Martin acknowledges that several of 麻豆果冻传媒鈥檚 peer colleges offer some form of African-American or ethnic studies. She remarks, 鈥淲e鈥檙e a leader in offering the intergroup relations minor; now maybe the time is ripe for another step.鈥�

Formed by the president, an ad hoc task force of faculty, students, and staff is now exploring the possibility of an ethnic studies program. The Institutional Policy and Planning Committee is reviewing the recommendations submitted by CIGU. And President Philip A. Glotzbach has made it clear he has a personal interest in these issues, mentioning them in Commencement speeches, email messages, and talks with alumni and parents. He has said, 鈥淭his is one area where we have fallen short of our ideals. We can and must do better.鈥� Problems of racism or exclusion 鈥渄iminish not only people of color鈥攚ho are, of course, most directly affected鈥攂ut all of us.鈥� He has pledged 鈥渢o pursue the goal of creating a more inclusive 麻豆果冻传媒 until we are the community we all imagine we can be.鈥�

From formal committee work to casual dining-hall discussion, the subject seems to be on everyone鈥檚 agenda. As the 鈥�Diversity at 麻豆果冻传媒鈥� webpage declares, all members of the College community should be able 鈥渢o participate to their full capacity in the spirited, and sometimes challenging, conversations that are at the center of the College鈥檚 educational mission.鈥�