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The Inequalities of Multicultural Representation
By Matt Margolis | October 18, 2003
While it’s tough to keep up with the goings-on at my alma mater, the University of Hartford, whenever a story in the school paper, The Informer, catches my attention, I feel inclined to write about it. While at the current time it is unclear if The Informer may consider publishing a possible submission by me, (as they did on occasion last school year) I nevertheless want to write about it here – considering I do get visit from the University of Hartford campus on occasion.
I was particularly interested in a story in the most recent issue entitled “Multicultural Groups to Fight SGA Decision.” It appears that the student government, which is no stranger to scandal, is enduring a bit of heat for a decision made at the end of 2002-2003 academic year, which stripped multicultural clubs from having votes in the student government.
What amazed me first was that the Student Government Association (SGA) had actually made a decision of this magnitude that I actually agreed with.
Nevertheless, the Left of the University of Hartford have spoken out against this decision. Of course, this is to be expected. The University of Hartford has a decently sized minority student population. While they have been vocal… they’ve been quite ridiculous in their arguments to have SGA appeal the decision.
Sterling Garcia, a student, spoke out at a SGA meeting saying, “I urge you, senators, to fight this injustice.”
Injustice? Hardly.
The Executive Vice-President of SGA, Jacob Wilk, stated that the reason behind this decision was due to the fact that “SGA can’t house the 80 or so clubs on campus if they all choose to have a vote in the Senate.”
This is an extremely legitimate reason. However, I also see other issues that further justify this decision – which it is highly unlikely anyone at the University of Hartford would dare say publicly, so that’s what I’m going to do.
The story did mention that the “multicultural” groups were not happy with the how their voting rights were relinquished.
BSU and NHU representatives were outraged by the process in which they were stripped of their senatorship in SGA.
They were told that the new constitution would not be processed and given to the Board of Regents until the beginning of the fall semester, alotting time to appeal the decision.
Instead, the new constitution was submitted for approval during the summer, demoting BSU and NHU senators to representatives.
The president of the Brother & Sisters United (otherwise known as the Black Student Union), Ebony Wright, said, “Our senators were not formally notified of this change. Instead, they heard they were not senators through the grapevine.” Regardless of whether or not this is a genuine issue with them, I am not convinced this is where their anger comes from.
Surely, my suspicions were proven right with another quote from Ebony Wright, She said, “As minorities on this campus, we need to feel represented in SGA. Having our [organizational] senator would allow us to truly be represented.”
This is a lie. It is quite obvious that the minority students are attempting to use political correctness to pressure SGA to giving their clubs back senator positions so they can vote.
However, according to the article, “the system is designed for students to be represented in SGA in three ways: by expected year of graduation, by residence and by the school they are enrolled.” While I’ve not been able to obtain a copy of the Student Government Association’s constitution to verify this, I have faith that this has been looked into already by the author of this story.
Clubs such as BSU, NHU, Strong Independent Sisters (SIS), the Men of Color Alliance (MOCA), the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), the Caribbean American Student Association (CASA), SPECTRUM (the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender club), Hillel, and even the Newman Club, are all social clubs that congregate based on race, gender, ethnicity and religion. None of these clubs should have voting rights at SGA elections.
Not a single club whose purpose is the socializing of segregated groups based on the on race, gender, ethnicity and religion, (according to what the article says that SGA was designed to represent) are required to be represented for that purpose.
There is no reason why black students should have their own vote in student government.
There is no reason why Hispanic students should have their own vote in student government.
There is no reason why gay students should have their own vote in student government.
There is no reason why Jewish students should have their own vote in student government.
As a former student of the University of Hartford who was involved in many clubs, including Hillel, the social club for Jewish students, my interests were represented through my class senator, my dorm senator, and my college senator, Is there anything being voted on in the student government where my interests as a Jew could not have been represented through any of these other means? Absolutely not. As a Jew, I could bring my concerns to any of these senators to have my voice heard. The same goes for black students, Hispanic students, gay students, etc. etc. etc.
Perhaps the most ridiculous comment in the entire article was one by Garcia, “Clubs are extracurricular activities implemented for entertainment,” he said, “Without organizations such as NHU, there would not be programs like Hispanic Heritage Month in place to diversify campus life.”
First of all, clubs like NHU are social clubs implemented for socializing amongst a particular group of people. All other activities and programs held by these groups are put on primarily for fundraising, and to justify SGA allocating funds for that group for the following year.
These clubs are not mean to “diversify campus life.” What Garcia fails to understand is that the mere presence of Hispanics, blacks, or any other minority on campus is by definition the diversity of the student body. As a white student, who witness these kinds of programs Garcia mentioned, I was never embraced to participate is such programs or activities of that nature, and generally speaking, the minority group hosting them generally served other students of their minority group. While any group funded by the SGA cannot exclude any student from participating in an activity held by a club, or deny membership to a student from a club, these groups reflected homogeny. Diversity, while a euphemistic front for these groups, really is not their purpose.
While at the University of Hartford, another student once told me he and a friend of his were not let into a party hosted by BSU because they were white. While this may be hearsay, I had no reason at the time to believe that they were lying. Now, since this did not happen to me I cannot prove it, however, assuming that it is true, this reveals the true nature of at least one of the clubs.
While the word “diversity” will be excessively used by these groups in their appeal, having gone through four years at this school, I would hardly call the student body diverse socially – probably because of these clubs.
I had many meals in the University Commons, and I can tell you that more often than not, black students sit with the black students, the Hispanic students sit with the Hispanic students, Jewish students sit with the Jewish students… especially when they belong to one of these clubs. I was in the Jewish club, most often, when I ate with a group of friends, they were friends I had through Hillel. Whether it is intentional or incidental, is irrelevant, it’s just how it is.
The diversity argument is a fraud. I’ve seen it firsthand. These clubs are primarily social clubs, that promote the segregated socializing of these particular gender, racial, religious, ethnic and sexual-orientation based groups.
The article continued:
Members of SGA’s executive board asserted that if BSU and NHU were represented, then any club on campus would have the right to be represented also. Garcia and Faith Kolly were also on hand to dispute the claim that organizations such as BSU, NHU, SPECTRUM, and others are not clubs, but organizations put in place to serve the social and academic needs of their members.
My academic needs do not differ from another student who is a different race, gender, ethnicity, religion, or of a sexual orientation than I am. The last time I checked, 1 + 1 equals 2 for me and the black student who sat next me… or the girl who sat in front of me… or the Hispanic student who sat behind me… or the Christian who sat in the next row… or the gay student who was in or out of the closet.
To suggest these “multicultural” clubs serve the academic needs of their members is a lie.
Garcia was quoted one last time in the story, he said, “Remember the meaning of democracy - meaning social equality and respect for every individual in the community.” This sounds all warm and fuzzy to your politically correct campus liberal, however, this definition that Garcia has elected to use to represent what democracy means to him, really contrasts with his agenda. Social equality does not mean that minority groups are required to have their own vote in government. Democracy cannot not mean votes for each group of people. I belong to many groups that, according to Garcia, are worthy of representation. I am a Jew. I am white. I am heterosexual. I am left-handed. I have brown eyes. I have brown hair. I am a Republican. I can go on an on… While I am all those things, I do not feel that each group that I belong to deserves its own collective vote. There was nothing preventing me from starting clubs on campus any of those “groups” and demand SGA representation. Such a demand would have been ludicrous.
My interests as a student while I was at the University of Hartford had more than enough representation through my class senator, dorm senator, and school senator. The minority students demanding representation specific to their race, ethnicity, gender, religion, or sexual-orientation are seeking special treatment they do not need, deserve, or have any right to.
Political correctness will be the sword they use in their battle to obtain this excessive representation in student government. I hope the SGA will continue to use common sense and fairness as their shield.
Topics: University of Hartford |
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October 19th, 2003 at 12:47 am
Hehehe.. the President of BSU is named Ebony…. hehe…
I’m sure all those “minority” groups are plenty represented. They just want to make sure Hip-Hop makes it into Spring Fling every god damn year.
October 20th, 2003 at 2:51 am
Here we’ve got a “Senator for Racial Minority Students” who sits on the student senate and allocations board.
And only registered minority students can vote for this officer (I should know)
That’s all…
November 7th, 2003 at 8:03 pm
Amen.