Uni(di)versity now

Increase in University's minority population an essential goal

Diversity has certainly increased over the years, but the current figures are no cause for premature celebration.

Many University students come from culturally sheltered communities.

Ideally, attending Penn State should explode their limited worldviews.

Because in order for students to be well-rounded citizens and community members, they need to come into contact with a variety of ethnic and racial backgrounds and traditions.

Class discussions are enriched when people from different cultural perspectives contribute. We're sure many of you have been in all- or mostly-white classes that discussed race issues. Such classes suffer from their homogeneity.

But minorities still face significant barriers in America. Sometimes we don't realize how recently the civil rights movement of the '60s took place. Our culture still fights with the same bigotry and hate -- it's just beneath the surface.

If you doubt that racism exists -- not just in the country, but here in Central Pennsylvania -- look at the recent Ku Klux Klan rally in Ebensburg, just a quick drive down Route 220. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center's Klanwatch World Wide Web site, active Klan groups exist in Pittsburgh, Johnstown, Chambersburg and Punxsutawney, all communities in Central and Western Pennsylvania.

The fact that the University is surrounded by such intolerant elements cannot be helpful in recruiting minority students and professors. Thus, the University must keep working to attract more people of diverse ethnic backgrounds -- if we have a critical mass of minorities then prospective minority students and professors will be more comfortable coming here.

Universities, as collections of people from all sorts of geographical locations and perspectives, should reflect the diversity in the general population.

For the sake of its students, Penn State should keep pushing to make sure minorities have a strong voice in the University environment.