What I thought was going to be an interesting and informative speech and discussion turned into a boring waste of time. I’m sorry to be blunt but the keynote speaker whom I’ve already forgotten his name hardly addressed diversity in Baruch. It was almost as if he was addressing a group of Stoneybrook students. Its great that he experienced diversity at another university but one needs to address their audience. Make connections between the two colleges. Provide a slightly more interesting food for thought.
The discussion board panel provided a bit more “spice” as the sociology teacher best put it. The Macaulay Honors male student made a valid point: Just because Baruch had diversity in its student population didn’t mean that the students spent time in diverse cliques. He used the example of the cafeteria; Looking around, you see a plethora of different colors and ethnicities yet they are divided. “The Asians are one side and the African Americans are on the other,” he pointed out.
The sociology teacher made another point: If we were trying to promote diversity, why do we deny those whose first language is something other than English from taking certain classes? She used a personal experience that was so touching that she had to take a few moments to compose herself.
I applaud Baruch on their desire to discuss diversity however, they should pick their speakers better. I’m quite sure the keynote speaker had good points to bring to our attention here at Baruch but it was lost in his jargon.