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Diversity leaders gather in Madison
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by James Davison
Monday, October 11, 2004
The annual American Multicultural Student Leadership Conference brought several hundred University of Wisconsin System student diversity leaders to UW-Madison over the weekend. The conference provided student leaders a chance to share their academic experiences with students from other UW System schools.
The conference is dedicated to students of diversity in Wisconsin, UW junior Laura Klunder said.
"[The forums provided] an environment of mutual respect and consideration," Klunder said.
Highlights of the conference included a rally and a march Friday, a dinner with speakers, and the presentation of "changemaker awards." These awards were presented Sunday morning to students who have worked on behalf of social justice, according to a UW release.
Klunder, who is on the executive staff for the Multicultural Student Coalition, facilitated a caucus discussion for Asian Americans during the breakout sessions.
"We talked about why we are proud to be a part of this community and what we need to do to help build the community," Klunder said. "It is really empowering to be able to be on the same page with other people."
UW Dean of Students Luoluo Hong, the opening keynote speaker for the conference, said it was an honor to support a conference that visits a different UW System school each year.
"I challenged students to look at where they can still improve," Hong said, adding although most of the students in attendance are already involved at their school, they must avoid becoming too complacent or comfortable in their efforts.
"[Students should] always keep reaching to higher goals," Hong said.
Klunder said she also attended Friday's rally.
"[The Rally] was just a beautiful experience," Klunder said. "People of all different colors were there trying to raise awareness of diversity. People joined in and cheered with us."
Hong said improving diversity on campus requires the full effort of students as well as administration, faculty and staff.
"Students can be helpful by holding administration accountable — by giving us a barometer [to measure]," Hong said, adding feedback is necessary to assess whether or not their efforts are making a difference. "Students are a valuable way for that feedback."
The office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs sponsored the conference. Members of MCSC and other student organizations helped run the event, according to the release.
Anonymous (October 11, 2004 @ 2:45pm):
When minorities themselves learn about tolerance, then we can truly address the issue of diversity. Minorities have always felt that the message of tolerance doesn't apply to them because they are, after all, minorites. But then they express their prejudices more freely and openly than non-minorites. They have learned nothing. Diversity for diversity's sake alone will accomplish nothing if those who preach don't practice it as well.
So until the day comes that minorities are ready to truly embrace diversity and drop their prejudices, we don't need to hear what they have to say, because what they have to say is nothing more than hypcrasy.
Anonymous (October 11, 2004 @ 2:57pm):
I agree with first poster. Fifteen years of political correctness have taught us nothing meaningful, except that minorities are selfish jerks when it comes to equal protection under the law. To think that they can get anyone fired, expelled, evicted, excluded from the perfect world they want to create at everyone else's expense! And all because they are minorites. As far as I'm concerned, they are the real oppressors now.
I want no part of it. The day that I can live, work and learn without being harrassed by some liberal asshole, whose discriminatory actions against me totally contradict the very liberal ideology they so passionately espouse, will be they day that I'm willing to listen to what they have to say!
Anonymous (October 11, 2004 @ 5:35pm):
An event devoted to celebrating diversity and only Asians were present. Excuse me, but I don't recall this event being advertised. Was it meant to exclude people of all other races? Not much diversity being accomplished, eh?
