2008 Woodie Awards
SRU filled with obvious racism
Issue date: 2/24/06 Section: Rocket Letters
To the Editor:
There has been racism as far back as we can remember. Unfortunately, this problem still exists today. For anyone walking on this campus who does not realize that there is a clear separation between races, he/she is either out of touch with reality, or is simply choosing to ignore a serious issue.
For this college to be called "diverse" is a lie. With less than five percent of all students being African American, less than five percent of students being international and less than two percent of other minorities making up the student body, it appears that diversity is one of the biggest things this college lacks. Since Slippery Rock University is a predominantly white school, it seems that promoting diversity is one of the focal points for it, but really racism usually takes over the recognition of different cultures.
Racism is obvious everywhere on campus. Normally one will not see an integration of white and black. The separation of races is also obvious within the classrooms and especially with student organizations. Even though many clubs or organizations try to involve students no matter what their race is, it is still easy to pinpoint who they are really aimed toward. One of the reasons why racism still exists is because students usually do not explore different cultures, or take advantage of the events on campus that actually do promote diversity to the best that it can be.
I have seen a clear division between races within the residence halls this past semester. Where I lived, cliques were formed and even talking to someone who had different color of skin seemed to be forbidden. I'm not sure if prejudice can be attributed to how people are raised because at the age that we are at, I think that despite how one was brought up, looking beyond the color of someone's skin is not a difficult thing to do, but a necessary thing to do.
The racism extends into some places as simple as the dining halls and the union. There is the unwritten rule in Weisenfluh that certain students have reserved seats on the raised area to sit. The union, which is a place where all university students can gather, is home to the intercultural office and SUMA. It is no secret that the union may not be the most welcoming environment for some students. It is not the place where a Korean, Irish or Scottish action society can be found, for example.
There has been racism as far back as we can remember. Unfortunately, this problem still exists today. For anyone walking on this campus who does not realize that there is a clear separation between races, he/she is either out of touch with reality, or is simply choosing to ignore a serious issue.
For this college to be called "diverse" is a lie. With less than five percent of all students being African American, less than five percent of students being international and less than two percent of other minorities making up the student body, it appears that diversity is one of the biggest things this college lacks. Since Slippery Rock University is a predominantly white school, it seems that promoting diversity is one of the focal points for it, but really racism usually takes over the recognition of different cultures.
Racism is obvious everywhere on campus. Normally one will not see an integration of white and black. The separation of races is also obvious within the classrooms and especially with student organizations. Even though many clubs or organizations try to involve students no matter what their race is, it is still easy to pinpoint who they are really aimed toward. One of the reasons why racism still exists is because students usually do not explore different cultures, or take advantage of the events on campus that actually do promote diversity to the best that it can be.
I have seen a clear division between races within the residence halls this past semester. Where I lived, cliques were formed and even talking to someone who had different color of skin seemed to be forbidden. I'm not sure if prejudice can be attributed to how people are raised because at the age that we are at, I think that despite how one was brought up, looking beyond the color of someone's skin is not a difficult thing to do, but a necessary thing to do.
The racism extends into some places as simple as the dining halls and the union. There is the unwritten rule in Weisenfluh that certain students have reserved seats on the raised area to sit. The union, which is a place where all university students can gather, is home to the intercultural office and SUMA. It is no secret that the union may not be the most welcoming environment for some students. It is not the place where a Korean, Irish or Scottish action society can be found, for example.
