Tensions surrounding last weekend’s “Beer Olympics” controversy found an open forum at Wednesday’s Associated Student Government Senate meeting.
Nearly 200 students crowded into Norris University Center’s Northwestern Room starting around 8 p.m. to discuss race at NU. The event was sparked by an off-campus party held by the NU Ski Team involving racial costumes, but the conversation focused on broader issues of diversity on campus.
“I would like to remind you all that though there have been many incidents in the past few months, these are incidents that are not uncommon to the past few years,” said Hayley Stevens, a Weinberg junior and chair of the ASG Diversity Committee who opened and moderated the event.
Stevens reminded the attendees of January’s Caucus on Racial Prejudice, a student-organized forum stemming from racially insensitive remarks made toward a Latina senior as she walked home from a shuttle. She then referenced two separate events from 2009: students wearing blackface as part of a Halloween costume and alleged racial profiling in the Kellogg School of Management building that spring.
She also announced “Rally NU,” a campaign stemming from the Ski Team party to promote student-to-student interaction about race. The iniative will begin Friday with the “Stand Against Racism,” a YWCA-sponsored event in which people will line up along Ridge Avenue from Howart Street to Wilmette as a physical symbol of unity, Stevens said. After about ten minutes, students will return to campus to march through the arch to the Technological Institute.
About a month ago, the Diversity Committee requested six administrative changes following the Latina student’s harassment, Stevens said. The petition included creating a social and cultural academic requirement, hiring a chief diversity officer and releasing a report on diversity at NU. The report was generated by a diversity and inclusion workgroup, one of eight such groups composed of faculty, staff and students and intended to inform the University’s strategic plan, Northwestern Will.
Patricia Telles-Irvin, vice president for student affairs, spoke about how the University has responded to these requests. She announced that after a week of students calling for its public release, the Diversity Report is now available online.
“I do want to remind you that this report really was one of many reports that occurred during the strategic planning process for the University,” Telles Irvin said. “…These reports were not necessarily meant to be put out to the public.”
In addition, she said the University provost and Weinberg dean are talking to students about a potential academic requirement. The University has already appointed Dona Cordero as associate provost for diversity and inclusion.
“I am very optimistic,” Telles-Irvin said. “I’m very concerned by what I have seen – I’ve only been here eight months. These two incidents have not sat well with me. I am here to make a difference.”
Ski Team President Matt Dolph followed with an apology on behalf of his entire organization, including the many skiers in attendance.
“We were here last night, we’re here tonight, we’ll be here tomorrow and we’ll continue to be here until our invitation is revoked,” the McCormick senior said. “We want to continue to work with everybody… use this as a learning tool and get some positive change from a really, really, really terrible situation.”
But when Stevens opened the floor for discussion, students immediately questioned Telles-Irvin’s speech. Weinberg senior Kellyn Lewis, who first called attention to the Ski Team party, asked what qualifies Cordero as a diversity officer. Stevens said Telles-Irvin would be observing the forum as an ASG guest and thus would not be answering questions.
Several students expressed their frustration that although she was present, Telles-Irvin remained silent. SESP senior Tyris Jones, a former Senate speaker, demanded to know when students would be able to meet with administrators and question them directly.
“I’m not going to stand up and clap for a diversity report we’ve been asking for for a year,” he said. “Just because they have busy schedules doesn’t mean we have to be content with them taking their time. Stop being content with them giving bullshit answers. We have to start demanding things and demanding them fast.”
Stevens explained President Morton Schapiro and Provost Dan Linzer are both out of town on University business but said she would push for a public meeting. Weinberg sophomore Sofia Sami reminded the audience that administrators cannot fix NU’s racial climate alone. She urged students to propose tangible ideas for change rather than clash over who to blame.
“We can’t build diversity here from the top. That’s not where it starts,” she said. “…We’re bouncing off all these ideas about attacking and not attacking. It’s a waste of time. You can do this all year…and you’ll be attacking each other forever.”
In an interview with The Daily on Tuesday, President Schapiro praised students’ tendency to take responsibility for campus issues instead of accusing administrators of apathy.
“What gives me hope is that the undergrads at most institutions just blame the administration,” he said. “‘The president doesn’t care. The VP for Student Affairs doesn’t care. The provost doesn’t care. The deans don’t care.’ And they just wash their hands of it. But that’s not what happens here.”
Talk of racism toward black and Latino students dominated the forum. However, Jean Rosston, a member of the Ski Team who said she wore turquoise to represent the “Navajo Nation” at the party, tearfully defended Native Americans.
“I’m from an area that has an extremely rich sense of Native American culture and heritage,” the SESP sophomore said. “…I’m sorry for who I offended, and I recognize now my actions were not celebrating the culture, but the point is their voices aren’t being heard in this conversation, and that’s appalling.”
At the event’s conclusion, ASG President Victor Shao, a Weinberg junior, introduced emergency legislation supporting efforts to improve diversity on campus. Senate passed the bill unanimously.
