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Lauren Wool / The Dartmouth
A Free Speech Forum held Thursday night to talk about controversial minority issues drew 32 students to Alumni Hall, but those in attendance said they wished there had been a bigger and more ideologically diverse turnout.
Topics of discussion included "marginalized people" at Dartmouth, the immigration debate and two Facebook.com groups established by Dartmouth students to express support for the Duke lacrosse players accused of rape.
Students and a few administrators sat around tables talking over snacks about the issues on the meeting agenda, with students trained as moderators overseeing the discussion.
"The problem is it's pretty self-selected about who comes, but there were people who disagreed so it was legitimate and helpful," Owen Zidar '08.
Organizer Shamara Baidoobonso '06 said the goal was to get students to speak openly and really force them to think about their beliefs.
"I find that the campus is polarized and there are really some issues that need to be addressed," she said.
Baidoobonso, who is black, said the Facebook groups about the Duke Lacrosse players upset some black students.