A Dartmouth with an ever-stronger commitment to diversity is my vision. As we enter a new century, the excellence of our College is undisputed. Everyone agrees that Dartmouth is one of the finest institutions of higher learning in the world. What people don't seem to agree on is whether Dartmouth is still an elitist school without any firm commitment to racial and ethnic diversity amongst its students or a place where brilliant young minds of every background are provided with tools to succeed. There is a subtle debate going on on campus and in the minds of many prospective students and parents. The question frequently asked is whether Dartmouth truly values diversity.
I still hear from many people how Dartmouth is a "white rich kid's school" and that it only accepts minorities because it has to, and once they are on campus it gives them no support and no help. I keep hearing how the retention rate is terrible for minorities because the school doesn't care about their needs. Many of these accusations are unsubstantiated myths rooted in the not-so-glorious past of our school, and I don't believe them. Yet I also believe Dartmouth is not doing everything it can to promote and value the diversity of its student body. As a case in point, take the administration's response to the report by the Task Force on Social Life. The task force found minority students and students from urban backgrounds are especially unhappy with the social options at the College, but it has done little to improve the situation.
What we need is ideas on how Dartmouth could improve its record when it comes to diversity. One way Dartmouth could demonstrate the value it places on diversity is by integrating its academic programs in African-American, Latino, Asian and Native studies more closely with existing or future residential centers and student organizations which would strengthen those departments, their classes and programming. For instance, a proposal for an academic affinity house related to the LALACS Department was presented to the administration about two years ago. This center would integrate the components of Dartmouth's support for Latino/Hispanic students and other students interested in Latino culture and bring them together in a location which would make them more effective. The administration has been slow to move on the proposal, partly because of a lack of space on campus. Yet I know if the will is there, the space will be found.
"Why have such a center?" you might ask. For one, as of now there are resources on campus for Latino students, but they are scattered and rendered fairly ineffective because they lack cohesiveness. There is an Advisor to Latino/Hispanic students office, a Latino and Latin American Studies Department, an undergraduate society called La Alianza Latina and a range of professors and staff of Latino/Latin American descent. In the present scheme of things, it is almost impossible for them to come together and provide the Dartmouth community with the kind of intellectual, academic and social programming which would enrich our campus. Contrary to myths that accuse them of being separatist or segregationist, these organizations have the goal of bringing our campus together in different ways. They are only hampered, I believe, by an inability to work together in the present status quo, without a physical space to unite them and by a lack of any consistent support from the College. If the College would approve of an academic affinity house for the Latino Studies program -- to be named the Jose Clemente Orozco academic affinity house, after the great Mexican muralist whose works grace the Baker Library corridor -- it is my conviction that Dartmouth's commitment to diversity would be strengthened, as well its commitment to integrating academic and residential life. The same could be said of other programs such as Asian, Native and Afro-American studies. They all need support from the administration, the student body and the faculty to become leaders in these important fields which will impact the nation as it becomes more diverse. Dartmouth lags behind other Ivy and top-notch academic schools in its commitment to ethnic and cultural studies. That is unacceptable for a school like ours that claims to value both scholarship and diversity.
As a senior who will soon be an alumnus, it is my dream to see that commitment continued and bolstered for the benefit of our school and future students. My vision is one where Dartmouth continues to "measure its success by the quality of the educational experience it offers" (from the Mission Statement of Dartmouth College) and while doing so, it does not forget an important, if not vital, part of that experience -- diversity. An excellent way of enhancing that educational experience is by maintaining a strong vision of diversity.
