The Problem
1. The specific problem with race that I believe is present on Trinity College’s Connecticut campus is that race is an issue that people prefer to sweep under the rug or to keep their views silent about the issue. It seems that at Trinity and other colleges, racial-charged events have to occur before talks are even considered. People are unaware and unexposed to the sentiments of their peers on the topic such as race and as a result there is the polarization on issues that Trinity has been known to experience but also at other colleges. For example, the racist incident in which racial slurs were written on the white board hanging off of a student of color’s door. As shown in Alfonso Bui’s “Some Place i Call Home” it was not until after this event that change was demanded. I believe that we cannot wait for incidents to occur because when these incidents occur people are angry and as people choose sides many are more stubborn or less likely to speak, listen and understand each other.
My Solution
2. Race is a delicate subject and one that will make even the most composed person uncomfortable. However, people are only comfortable with what they have been exposed to regularly, what has been made a habit. I believe that the solution to the problem is that students and people at Trinity have to interact with each other about race, their own experiences and whatever else develops from that. I believe that during the academic year people should have an experience like the students who were participants in the movie Skin Deep. These meetings should have a frequency that will not irritate or deter students from participating but not so little that topics discussed are forgotten or put aside. The point of these discussions would be to make students aware of their peers on campus around them and possibly understand and adapt their behaviors to their peers. However, with dealing on the question to finding a solution the question will have to be asked?: Is conversation enough? Is expulsion to harsh? What is the proper mix of pre-emptive action and punishment for various acts?
Bibliography
Pickens, Allison. “Recent Racist Act at Trinity Provokes Campus-wide Response – News – The Trinity Tripod.” The Trinity Tripod. 26 Apr. 2011. Web. 22 Nov. 2011.
This source is from an article in the Trinity Tripod that is about the questions that were asked about how the image of Trinity will change because of this incident and actions that will be taken after it.
Diallo, Ibrahim. “Trinity Demands Zero Tolerance Policy – Opinions – The Trinity Tripod.” The Trinity Tripod. Article. 2 May 2011. Web. 22 Nov. 2011.
This source is from the Trinity Tripod and it about the demands and reactions that students had to the racist incident that occurred at Trinity last semester.
Cernera, Karisa. “School Sponsors Conversation on Resolving Racist Issues – News – The Trinity Tripod.” The Trinity Tripod. 15 Mar. 2011. Web. 22 Nov. 2011.
This source is yet another from the Trinity Tripod and is about the forum for discussion about race and social problems at Trinity that was documented in “Some Place I call Home.”
Williams, Johnny. “An Open Message Regarding Campus Racism – Opinions – The Trinity Tripod.” The Trinity Tripod. 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 22 Nov. 2011.
This source is not only about the visible symbols of racism that were put on campus property but also what a neighboring college reacted to acts of racial insensitivity on their own campus.
Ravisankar, Rejeer. “Next Step is Acceptance.” LexisNexis® Academic & Library Solutions. Jorunal Article. 12 Feb. 2007. Web. 22 Nov. 2011.
This source is about two separate incidences where racist feelings were displayed publicly at Ohio State University and the questions that were asked after those messages were seen.
Iris Films/Iris Feminist Collective., and Frances Reid. Skin deep. Berkeley, CA :: Iris Films,, 1995. Print.
This source is the fifty-four minute lone movie, Skin Deep, which is about the experience students had when students from all over the country and various racial identities sat down and talked about race.
Bui, Alfonso, and Kingsbridge Productions Video. Some Place I Call Home. Hartford, Conneticut: Kingsbridge Productions, 2007. Print.
This final source is a student- made documentary that is about the turmoil felt at Trinity College after a rash of racial incidents occurred at campus. It also followed how students felt about the incident and the actions taken by not only students but also the faculty at this time.
Osa, your revised proposal begins with an eloquent indictment of sweeping campus racism “under the rug,” but the current version of your proposed solution is not yet persuasive. You write that Trinity students “should have an experience like the students who were participants in the movie Skin Deep,” but do not describe how you envision this would happen, and the tough questions it raises. Who exactly should run these Skin Deep-type sessions? SGA or Dean of Students or FY Program or PRIDE or individual faculty or someone else? Your proposal focuses on racial differences: should this be the only topic? And should these sessions be voluntary or mandatory, like a general education distribution requirement? I recommend that you research how other colleges have attempted to implement a “diversity requirement” and use those examples to clarify what would — or not not — be appropriate for Trinity. Also, the text above includes sentence fragments and typos that you need to identify and correct before posting next time.
Osa,
I like your idea of having everyone experience a “Skin Deep” type of forum, but how will you get everyone to agree with this? You may not want to force it upon people because they may not be as open as you’d like them to be. Is there some type of incentive you could include? Think about this more.