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Its Time to Put an End to Campus Isolation

A situation on campus which I would like to see changed is not so much the increasingethnically and racially-based separation of student clubs and organizations, but the lack of

communication and exchange between them.

There are valid arguments for the various racially "isolated" clubs in that they provide asupport network and common identity for students who might otherwise feel culturallymarooned on acampusas large as ours. (Specifically, I feel that the "Iranian Students Club,""Armenian Americans" and "Hillel House," to name a few, all provide emotional support tostudents away from home and their native culture.)

Perhaps one could even justify racial-based separation within an area of common interest on

the grounds that common racial andcultural tiespromote even better understanding within acommon sub-group. I refer specifically to the fact that there is a "Student BusinessAssociation (almost exclusively white), a "Black Student Business Association" (exclusivelyblack), and a "Chicano Student Business Association (exclusively Chicano). Now, all three ofthe aforementioned share the "common" distinction of business students, yet they choose tosub-divide further. It can be argued that valuable contacts leading to post-graduateemployment are made through these clubs; it can be argued that Chicano or Black studentshave problems not usually affecting whites (such as being victimized by racial discriminationon a conscious or unconscious basis, or a poorly-educated "inner city school" background; itcan also be argued that these racially-divided clubs arose in response to insensitivity andnon-accommodation by the earlier-existing predominantly white clubs.

What I personally cannot justify is the lack of communication and exchange of servicesbetween these types of organizations. This lack of exchange results in wasted resourcesthrough duplication of services, increased social (racial) separation, misunderstandings, andwhat I refer to as "hardening of the attitudes."

Why is it necessary that there be three separate accounting tutoring labs -- each staffedseparately by each club? Why are all Charity Fundraisers done on an individual group basis?Why are there no "joint" club parties?

The potential for duplication and misunderstandings is obvious -- less obvious is the"hardening of the attitudes." If a person grows up in a racially or culturally isolatedneighborhood, it is possible he will attend K-12 still in racialisolation. College is usually the"last chance" to reformulate attitudes and discard stereotypes for these persons. And if aperson is isolated in college, what chance is there for growth of understanding andcommunication? This, to me, is the crux of the problem -- not the (valid) existence of theseparated clubs, but that they are so self-contained as to allow almost complete insulationfrom the attitude-stretching that comes of mixed social interaction.

Every culture (majority or minority) is valid by definition, and deserving of preservation. Everygroup has a right to bond together in common identity. But in our diverse society, we mustlearn to work together, even while retaining our individuality, and to learn how is a process

that takes time and effort. I feel that the excessive insulation (through "comfortable shelter")

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provided by the non-interaction of these groups short-circuits this learning process, laying thefoundation for continued future racial and culture misunderstanding and separation.