A program last night titled "Representing Ourselves: An Open Discussion of Gender, Race, and Self-Definition" gave Dartmouth students the chance to openly discuss gender and racial related issues in an interactive and comfortable setting.
The program was moderated by Colleen Jones, a professor at Suffolk University, and John Norman, an education professor at Middlebury College in Vermont. Each spoke for about 15 minutes before turning the evening over to the students.
The group was divided into men and women, who met in separate rooms in Rockefeller Center.
The evening's purpose was to contemplate the "kinds of issues people find difficult to talk about and to provide [the students] with means to continue these dialogues with smaller groups," Jones said.
"It is in everyone's self-interest to eradicate racism," she said. "Racial learning occurs best when you first look into yourselves."
Under this premise, the students proceeded to fill out questionnaires about their likes and dislikes of being a member of their specific ethnic group.
One Asian-American man said he used to "act white" to fit in with his high school peers. But now, he said, he realizes it is "good to have a different background."
When the Caucasian men were asked if "it would help [them] to be an African American at Dartmouth," an emphatic shaking of heads came from the African Americans. The group fell momentarily silent.
Meanwhile, resounding laughter echoed from the women's group as they ridiculed the racial segregation of students during mealtime in Thayer Dining Hall.
Although no one at the discussion approved of the predominantly "white or black tables," everyone there agreed it would be hard to integrate.
A white woman simply would not feel comfortable joining a table of predominantly black students and vice versa, several said.
"Everyone comes from a monocultural standpoint" and at college they must learn to adopt a "multicultural way of thinking and evaluating," Norman said.
Jones said that "an extension of yourself beyond your culture can help you get along better with others."
This philosophy was put to the test as both minority students and Caucasians confided their confusion over identity. One white man said he hails from a multitude of European countries and did not belong to a religious group and thus had no identity.
But, one of his African American peers encouragingly replied, "but that makes you an American."
A white woman also claimed that because she was not from a particular ethnic group, she did not have anything to share with her minority friends.
"You do have something to share," exclaimed two black women from across the room. Jones added, "You have something to share because you are a student willing to learn about other cultures and to lend a [different] perspective."
Jones suggested that each student "develop a posture to learning about other racial groups," in the hopes of breaking down ethnic barriers.
The discussion was sponsored by many groups, including Amarna undergraduate society. Claire Unis '95, Amarna's vice president and programming chair, said the program was designed to help promote equity among racial and gender lines.
Although Norman said the students "raised more questions than answers" last night, it appeared that for the 50 students who participated, the program was a success.
A reception at Cutter-Shabazz Hall followed the discussion.
