Acorn

Issue date: 3/30/07 Section: Opinion

Media Credit: Nicole Frederickson

Drew students hear the word "diversity" thrown around a lot. The Admissions Office has been working on a more diverse applicant pool. Last fall, the administration appointed a dean of diversity. Academic departments are focusing on diversity when hiring new professors. It seems like every problem at Drew can be solved by diversity.

Unfortunately, the more we talk about it, the more it seems to trivialize the concept altogether. We have lost sight of what it means not only to be diverse, but to value one another's differences as individuals-and not just because they happen to fit into a certain racial or ethnic group.

As anxious as Drew is to solve its problems, it has a long way to go before achieving an accurate cross section of society. Our recruitment strategies have increased minority presence, but still need work. However, The Acorn remains hopeful that the administration will meet with success in the years to come.

Despite Drew's progress, The Acorn feels that this discussion is far from over. The dialogue about campus climate, what diversity means to Drew and whether the University is best serving the human rights of its students must continue.

The administration is working on it, but it is still every student's responsibility to talk with one another and decide for yourselves exactly what you think the state of diversity is and what you think needs to be improved at Drew.

Drew's diversity problem has a strange way of making itself known. Usually simply maintaining a subtle presence on campus, the issue will, every few years, rear its head, sparking controversy and initiating debate throughout the Drew community.

Two years ago, an article in The Acron, the April Fools' edition of The Acorn, ignited one such spark with a controversial piece of satire. The discussion that ensued brought up a lot of sensitive issues regarding how Drew's campus received minority students and how much the community appreciated its diversity.

This year, the Acorn staff decided not to publish an Acron. We felt re-introducing the very thing that forced the problems into a public forum to begin with would be both premature and insensitive to the community.

We do, however, hope that Drewids continue the conversation and work to make Drew a respectful environment for everyone.

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