Forum promotes cultural dialogue

Vivian Wang, program coordinator of the Center for Multicultural Affairs, speaks during the 10th annual Unity Through Diversity Forum Wednesday night.
Vivian Wang, program coordinator of the Center for Multicultural Affairs, speaks during the 10th annual Unity Through Diversity Forum Wednesday night.

The opportunity for unity is scarce, or so says Multicultural Resource Center Director Maureen Cullins.

During the 10th Annual Unity Through Diversity Forum Wednesday night, Cullins, who served as the moderator for the evening, noted the significance of the forum as an occasion for discussion. The forum was founded in 2000 as a way to provide a chance for dialogue between cultural groups on campus, according to a bulletin provided at the event.

“There are precious few venues for students and faculty to gather and discuss the hard issues,” Cullins said. “It is hard when you’re an administrator here to honor the students’ perspective.... I always try to stay grounded with what the students tell me is going on.”

The panel focused on multicultural issues on campus including the shared difficulties of minority students, issues of housing, space for cultural events and academic representation in the classroom.

The three-person panel comprised former dean of black affairs William Turner, Patty Chen, Trinity ’02 and former president of the Asians Students Association, and Denis Antoine, Trinity ’01 and former president of the Black Student Alliance. Their discussion lasted roughly one hour.

Antoine noted that becoming involved with cultural issues on campus was something he felt compelled to participate in, especially with regard to housing and financial assistance for campus minorities.

“I think anyone who’s made it this far is not about to get out of the way,” Antoine said. “You [have] no choice but to get involved. And once you get involved, you have to move on, keep going, because you’re not satisfied with getting involved with just one thing.”

A question-and-answer segment followed the panel discussion. Several students asked the panel about their thoughts on the unsuccessful merger of the Multicultural Center and the International House in the Fall.

Chen expressed disappointment about the idea of moving the MCC off of West Campus.

“When we were pushing for the MCC [in 2000], it was a very big deal,” Chen said. “You had West Campus, considered the mainstay of campus where all the core activities took place. It was disproportionately white.... It was important for us to feel ownership over a piece of West Campus.”

Antoine added that although space on West does not equal re-enfranchisement, moving the MCC would have sent what he called an “interesting message,” especially if students were against it.

International Association President Alexis Rosenblum, a senior, represented the Council of Cultural Group Presidents at the forum with a closing statement. Her remarks voiced several concerns from minority groups on campus.

“We challenge the inaccurate presumption that all students can easily acclimate to our campus without having intentional measures in place to specifically recruit and retain students of color,” Rosenblum said. “Students have much to offer when it comes to institutional changes that directly affect their needs and priorities.… We see ourselves not only as shared stakeholders in the institution, but as part of [the Duke] community.”

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