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Show THE DAILY UTAH CHRONICLE MONDAY, U Can't Pull Diversity Wagon Alone there is a problem with diversity on our campus. Dalton and Co. have AARON CHAMBERS done an outstanding job this year in ASUU. During the last year, ASUU has been involved in events such as Chronicle Opinion in f Columnist II IT vv 71 ien you think of the Uni versity of Utah's hottest issues, you might think of the familial topic of diversity. Newspapers arid talk on campus constantly bombard students about diversity. Bringing diversity to the U was issue in recent presidential elections of the Associated Students of the University of Utah. During debates, mediators drilled candidates about hew they will help make campus more ethnically diverse, and we voted for those candidates who we feel would best produce results. We hold them responsible for their efforts. Once a year, The Daily Utah Chronicle issues an ASUU Year-En- d Report which evaluates the administration's performance in several areas, focus;ng on that administration's campaign promises. In last week's report card, ASUU President and Vice President, Jess Dalton and Emily Decker, received a "D" grade for their efforts to diversify the U. Surely Dalton and Decker could have done more if they weren't so lounge caught up in their bean-ba- g it comes to When project, right? have leaders our the U, diversifying sadly let us down, and they are to blame for our Caucasian-dominate- d campus culcure, right? ; Wroiig. ASUU leaders are not to bbine if Freedom Day and a Thanksgiving Brunch for international students. ASUU also worked much with die Center for Ethnic Student Affairs, helping relations between the two organizations considerably. ASUU helped sponsor events like the Hate Crimes Rally, poetry sians, the San lose Taiko drummers, the Indian classical music festival, and Diversity Day. ASUU leaders are not to blame if have, imagine that it's the first day of classes, and we're excited to start a new semester with a clean slate. We have convinced ourselves that this is the semester when we'll be the perfect students. We'll stay caught up on our homework, read all the material before the lecture to get the most out of it, and know test material like the backs of our hands. Yeah right A little while later v e notice that our professor or teaching assistant is from a different country and has a thick accent, and that we have to strain to understand him or her. We find ourselves thinking something to the effect of, "Oh great, not one of them again. I can kiss my grade in this class goodbye." Before long, the attitude spreads and the entire class is angry. there is a ARROGANCE continued from page 8 becomes unfundable. Period. Second, Hixson should think more about the special status she implicitly grants exclusively to humans. People refiexively draw a line between humans and all other animals so as to keep the two sides conceptually separate. The unfortunate part is that the thickness of the line they draw, the distance of that separation, is exactly proportional to the perceived benefit of exploiting the animal's life for human ends. APRIL 23, 2001 aside these tiresome about medicine scenarios doomsday hobbled by the being irreparably animal in decrease testing, slightest the point worth thinking about is this: Leaving From a biological perspective, that line of separation is extremely thin. Why do the vocal defenders of animal testing place such utock in the scientific and medical validity of animal tests when they simultaneously maintain such a fundamental difference between animals and humans? Because the difference exists primarily in their minds. CORDON KINDLM ANN Graduate Student, Computer Science read tjc dai(y utafj cfrronicCc or cert ii in Jeatf) is immanent The number of teaching assistants in the sciences from India or other countries is disproportionately large compared to the number of problem with diversity; on our campus. Dalton and Decker also fought against the "English Only" initiative, which Utah voters approved in November, making English the official government language in Utah. Daiton worked hard and succeeded in bringing a chapter of the National for the Association Advancemeat of Colored People to the U With student leaders stepping up their efforts to make our university, more friendly to people from all over the" world, it's time for us of the student body to look at ourselves. The responsibility for our current situation, be it good, bad or improving, lies with us the student body. We control the atmosphere on campus. To illustrate the influence we American TAs. The first time I had one, I had trouble understanding his fast and seemingly jumbled English. It wasn't long at all, however, before I got used to the accent. I even found myself learning the material better as I listened harder than I would with an American TA. g Another habit we can form is as simple as being friendly. What we don't want is the formation of cliques in our classes and in our interactions with other students. Are we striving to reach out and create friendships with students of ethnic backgrounds other than our diversity-promotin- own? Diversity just for the sake of see DIVERSITY, page 10 istaken Priorities none of those precious creatures were injured, I mean, they were just trying to grab lunch." Or how about this... "Now here is the Commuta Cutie with the traffic report. Ahh, there is a herd of Holstcin cows standing I think everyone halfway onto is real happy to see them; they are driving by real slow and honking. It looks like some have stopped and are feeding them hay. It sure is a good thing we set all the cattle in North America free, instead of grilling 'em up on the barbecue. Back to you at headquarters." Editor: This a letter to tell you how I feel about the members of the Student Organization for Animal Rights and what they stand for. I think it is good for people to have something to fight for. Animal freedom is exactly what the world needs. I can just see the benefits now... "Breaking news:. Three more Bears were saved today, after they d of young chilfeasted on a dren. The unsuspecting bus driver stopped to pick up the bears along her route. She said she needed to thin out her number of stops, because 'those damn kids were just sittin' there.' The bears were almost harmed by eating the children's synthetic clothing, but fortunately they were airlifted to the vet so they could get their stomachs pumped. Thank God bus-loa- Or this one... "I am pretty excited; I am going to visit my mother. She has a curable form of cancer, but they stopped the testing on the drugs see SOAR, page SaMay April 21, 2081 2 am 6 pin Tuesday April 24, 2001 9 am - 9 pm 10 'jf We will be buying textbooks back on: ALL BOOKS Sunday April 22, 2001 1 - 5 PKJ Monday April 23, 2001 9 ant 9 12 WUSBSSu' J-- PRICE DAY $5.00 PER BAG! Thousands of books for all ages at bargain prices. Salt Lake City Public Library (basement level) 209 East 500 Soutk 524-820- 0 S 8:00 am to 5:30 pm April 26-2- 7 April 28 10:00 am to 3:00 pm April '30 8:00 am to 5:30 pm May 1 8:00 am to 7:00 pm 8:00 am to 5:30 pm May 4 2-- Vwwwf 1 9 |
