UD's task: looking beyond color

The university recently assembled a Diversity Task Force, allowing students to optionally take part in meetings emphasizing the need to create a diverse and positive atmosphere. After last year's Residence Life program made nation-wide headlines and evoked the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education to become involved in diversity policy change, it has been a hot topic at the university.

In the year 2008, it's completely unacceptable to be ignorant toward people who do not look or act like you do. In the last century, the United States has prided itself on the idea that the country is a melting pot, a place encouraging people to celebrate their individual cultures. Diversity has become a fact of life throughout most of the country, including college campuses.

After last fall's incident with FIRE, the university has been trying to prove that diversity policies are stronger than they ever have been. However, with the formation of the Diversity Task Force, it seems that the university is trying to overcompensate on issues that occurred in the past.

It is always important to have the option to discuss diversity, race and culture. College campuses need to be open to new ideas and open to talking about them. However, it seems holding a forum to discuss diversity is forced. Right now, the task force isn't offering a clear goal as to what they want to achieve. In order to form a task force, there should be a definite reason for the actions they are taking. All students and faculty should be made aware of what changes will be enacted. Everyone needs to hear exactly what is meant by promoting and encouraging diversity around campus.

More importantly, true diversity is when differences of color and culture no longer matter. Diversity is the ability to walk in to a room and see people of all colors and be able to appreciate their cultures and experiences over their race. In this kind of situation, it should be a person's life experience, not physical traits, that define him or her.

Diversity will always be a part of life. It is our duty as students and citizens to accept it rather than try to control it.

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