Town Hall meeting addresses diversity

Students raised concerns about the low percentage of Hispanic students at Pitt during SGB’s… Students raised concerns about the low percentage of Hispanic students at Pitt during SGB’s Town Hall Meeting for Students of Color, held yesterday evening in the William Pitt Union assembly room.

Two hundred twenty-two Hispanic undergraduate students attended Pitt in fall 2007 – about 1 percent of the student population.

Board member Lacee Ecker said the lack of Hispanic representation at Pitt is “not acceptable.”

Students offered some explanations for the low percentage, saying that Pittsburgh is not considered a diverse city where people of all ethnicities and races can feel comfortable. Others said that students do not voice the concerns about the low Hispanic population, so the issue is not addressed.

Board member Nila Devanath said she learned in a class that the city of Pittsburgh is diverse, but it is one of the most segregated cities in the United States. She said this could explain why students at Pitt segregate themselves.

Other students said that people don’t always feel comfortable in environments that differ from what they are used to, so they adjust to a social life with people of similar backgrounds.

Sophomore Nadine Masagara, who attended the meeting, said cultural events that bring students of all different cultures together would benefit the Pitt community.

She suggested holding such events throughout the year to continually promote diverse interaction among students.

“It seems like segregation occurs amongst students themselves,” Masagara said.

Ecker proposed adding a dean of diversity to the School of Arts and Sciences, similar to the position already in place at the Swanson School of Engineering.

“We are working on this, it is an issue,” Ecker said of campus diversity issues. Other board members described measures Pitt currently takes to increase diversity and interaction, such as holding a summer getaway for incoming freshmen, and said there is still a possibility of improvement.

Ecker said another concern is that some departments are not renewing the contracts for minority faculty members. She said one University department did not renew the contracts of its only two professors who are women of color, and she plans on looking into this issue.

Ecker also said SGB received an e-mail from a student who did not think the town hall meetings should catered to certain demographics.

Board member Ryan Very said that although SGB disagreed with the student, he appreciated the student’s initiative and encouraged students to contact SGB with any concerns.

Devanath said that because people have different backgrounds and experiences that affect their lives at Pitt, meetings for groups based on racial diversity, greek life and sexual orientation are important.

“We can’t treat everybody as if they are a carbon-copy of each other,” Devanath said.

Board president Sumter Link added that many students might not fall into one of the categories, but SGB members are always open to ideas from all students.

“Our doors are open, and we are in our offices,” Link said. “If there is an issue, please come see us. We are student representatives.”