Editor,

I go to "one of the most diverse colleges" in the United States. I’m not proud of that. Apparently, Pomona’s claim to diversity lies in the fact that, according to statistics, she is more diverse than many other colleges and universities. But diversity is more than just statistics. A truly diverse society will have comfortable social relations that encourage mixing among people of different backgrounds,and a concern for the welfare of those of different backgrounds. The incidents of late have shown us just how little true diversity we have.

I was very disappointed to find that all the letters speaking against Durivage’s article were written by members of a minority group. On a campus so proud of its diversity and the interracial understanding it claims to propagate, why were the people attacked by the article the only ones who had anything to say about it? The letters regarding the harassment of Professor Thomas came from a more diverse authorship. Still, with all these incidents that could easily further an open discussion, not enough people are getting involved. And especially, not enough white kids.

Perusing last week’s senate briefs, I was struck by the fact that, amongst the usual banter about those oh-so-important aspects of campus life that senate focuses their efforts on (dryers, the infrastructure of the telephone system, etc.), there was finally something of importance on the agenda: the Dynamics of Difference and Power requirement. I’m not saying that DDP is a complete solution to (*gasp*) Pomona’s racial problems. In order for Pomona to fix its problems, we need to have an open and ongoing dialogue on racial issues, and actions such as implementing DDP can be a way of opening up this dialogue.

Unfortunately, one of the senators "voiced immediate opposition" to the proposal. Without a discussion of the requirement and its intents/pros/cons, what was this opposition based on?

The main thing, and perhaps the only thing, that I can add to this whole discussion is this: I DON’T UNDERSTAND. I am white and I am straight, and I have no comprehension of what it is like to be queer or of aminority group. I can quote all sorts of academic theory about relevant issues on request, but academics only benefit life if we can integrate the things we learn into the way we live. In this aspect, Pomona is failing. We need to take action. Members of the white majority need to acknowledge the benefits they reap from their status in society. And if Pomona wants to be able to continue to pride herself on her diversity, it’s time to focus on truly becoming diverse and not just being more diverse than other academic institutions.

Sincerely,

Jana Davis ‘02