Wabash, Tear Down This Wall: Wabash’s Botched Attempt to Diversify
Part of the experience of becoming a Wabash man is learning to think critically about all issues and aspects of life. Diversity is one such issue that I have chosen to consider. On a campus where diversity is placed on a pedestal and looked upon as an important aspect of Wabash for its very survival, it appears to me that we are not doing that great. I have been criticized many times before for ignoring what some refer to as “systems of power” that exist within society, but I will continue to assert that these systems in terms of race will never be eradicated with the amount of attention some choose to place on them. However, it may take a conservative to teach a liberal how to properly respect diversity, but only because the powers that be have forced these issues. In my personal opinion, all of this is completely nonsensical and unnecessary because it is not possible to give equal attention to each minority group. Equality should not be defined as giving attention to minority groups, but rather as treating each person with the same amount of respect and due process. We have many student groups on campus that reach out to all kinds of groups in terms of race, nationality, etc., but why have African Americans or blacks been held in such esteem while other minority groups have been given no special attention? It is clear that the admissions departments at colleges nation-wide are placing an emphasis on minority recruitment. We even have programs here at Wabash that focus on minority recruitment. But why are we only focusing on one or two groups? It should be noted that although the Admissions Department hosts a minority recruitment weekend (AAHL) that focuses on two groups, African Americans and Hispanic/Latino students, there are indeed other minority groups on campus besides African Americans and Hispanic/Latino students. Furthermore, in the larger scheme of things if the college is truly trying to achieve their picture perfect definition of diversity there are certainly more minority groups we should be recruiting.
Of course, we could always go the route of playing, “what minority was/is oppressed the most” thereby giving more attention to the group that deserves more reparations for the wrong doing of generations of dead people. How many more generations must pay for social debts of their past? I think most will agree that the real national debt is large enough for the next couple generations to worry about without having these other debts to eradicate. Everyone has been offended or put off by someone else at some point in their life, and though it doesn’t make it right, we should be focusing on fixing the problems we have created, and not on problems of past generations that died years ago. At Wabash, we should be teaching young men how to live and co-exist with other men with differing ideas and opinions, and not continue to build walls that keep us from teaching this basic concept.
It is my understanding from the Wabash Archives that Wabash has been educating black men since 1856, which is over 150 years, and is almost the length of its entire existence. After all, it seems clear that in order to maintain consistency on a campus where the recently coined phrase, “Wabash Always Listens,” is frequently tossed around, we should not only be listening, but also be doing something about it. The fact is that Wabash does not always listen. In terms of diversity, Wabash always hides. Instead of being proud of the culture that Wabash students have created over the years, we are forced to hide it and provide alternatives for minority students, or rather for the only group to complain about it—the black students. The only reason for the 1967 creation of the Afro House (What would become the Malcolm X Institute) is because this minority group refused to fully partake in Wabash traditions. If you have read up on your MXI history you would know that the Afro House was created because two black students messed up during one of our greatest traditions, Chapel Sing, and were going to have ‘W’s shaved into their Afros. Of course the students didn’t want this. But who really did? But the fact was that the students felt their Afros were a cultural symbol of pride, and were unwilling to give this up for “Dear Old Wabash.” Perhaps, if these students had simply learned the song, then they would not have been in this predicament. The issue is that EVERY STUDENT who did not know the song had to have a ‘W’ shaved into their heads, not just the black students. So, why was there such a fuss? This was a known tradition. Why did this suddenly become an issue when the repercussions for not knowing the song were being enforced? This is not an issue of the College favoring whites and ignoring blacks or giving them worse treatment, this is EQUAL treatment. If I were to join a military academy, then I would have to adhere to the admissions standards they set—I would have to eat, sleep, and do what I was told. In the same way, if I were to move to France, I would have to presumably learn French, eat what was available and adhere to the laws set by their country, not of my native country. This is the price one pays to venture out into the world, even in the same country or city there are different cultures and rules that must be followed if you want to be a part of that respective group. Therefore, is it truly the case that we need to be diverse and make sure that all voices are heard and recognized in some fashion? Or, is it the case that the squeaky wheel gets the grease?
If we as a college are to claim that we are diverse, perhaps those who are liberal-minded should have come up with similar solutions to this problem of Wabash diversity, prior to their recent investment in the MXI. A new plan must be discussed and put in motion to fix the injustices on this campus in relation to the rest of the minorities on campus. In order to fulfill the goal of diversity that this college is working so hard to attain, we should have to create institutes or centers for each group in order to make sure that no student ever feels ostracized or like he doesn’t belong at Wabash. This model will require the college to increase the funding for each of these groups to build a two million dollar building and the respective maintenance fees covered. All of this is much too extravagant for my taste, but it is a solution nonetheless.
In order to lay out what most liberal audiences would consider true diversity; one must consider the challenge with which we have been given. Perhaps, in relation to Wabash, this begs the question, “Where is the European Studies, Hispanic Studies, Middle-Eastern studies, American Indian studies, Asian studies, Women’s studies, or any other politically correct term you can think of studies center here?” I have not heard anything about a comprehensive plan to begin construction on the rest of these centers to study the histories and inform the student body of what the respective group’s cultural contribution to society was or is. I mean, it only makes sense that if we are trying to embrace diversity that we would be building other centers besides the Malcolm X Institute of Black Studies to make our point. Fiscally, the reason is quite clear. Wabash does not have the space or the funds readily available to create such centers and to keep up maintenance and compensate a staff for each, as is done with the MXI. With a student body of less than 1,000, this move doesn’t make much sense, but then again, it doesn’t make much sense to build a building to ensure that one minority group’s voice is heard over others. Certainly, one would think that groups with the most people should be represented as well, but I have yet to find the office of European or Hispanic/Latino studies anywhere on campus. Perhaps someone could direct me to it?
The second solution is one in which most colleges and universities have embraced because it is a seemingly proper solution to appreciate minority groups and leave room for expansion should other groups demand representation. This is the correct way to demonstrate that the College is attempting to diversify. Clearly, if we were trying to be sensitive to the needs of minority groups we would create a system that is non-offensive and equal to all parties who would like to be involved. We would certainly not show favoritism to one minority group, because that opens oneself up to criticism, accusations and scandal.
A multicultural center is in order if we wish to truly diversify our campus in a way that is not offensive and truly diverse. The only fair way to create centers of study that appreciate all cultures and aspects of life is to give each group the ability to partake in college resources. If the College wishes not to engage in such activities, then it should have thought this through prior to the completion of phase I (building the MXI) in the Diversifying Comprehensive Plan for Wabash College. A multicultural center would have many offices within it for each group. All of these offices would co-exist in the same space and use the same resources. This all sounds great to anyone interested in truly diversifying the campus, but there is one big problem. The College already put so many resources toward the MXI that anything less for the other organizations would be unfair and bias. The only solution to this would be to build a multicultural center and move MXI into that building as part of the overall center, and use the current MXI building for some other purpose.
Another solution to this seemingly awkward proposal is one that I personally favor, that we could simply abolish any such college support monetarily or physically to maintain equality on campus and keep all groups at a status quo of purely student orchestrated events and organizations that have no additional help outside of their own raising of funds or Student Senate granted budgets, through activities fees. Most would shudder at the thought of a designated building for a European studies center, Hispanic/ Latino center, or even appalled by the idea of an Edmund Burke Center for Conservative Thought. However, a precedent has already been established for student groups to have centers built and maintained with college funding to promote their core belief system. Perhaps the College will consider such Centers in the future. I realize it is unlikely; however, precedence has proven a reliable in predicting future actions of institutions. Anyone can understand the intention of the Malcolm X Institute, as well the studious nature of the College in helping with such an effort. However, a more comprehensive look at diversity and the future of the College should have been at the forefront. At this point, the pieces that represent diversity must be gathered and reconfigured if a goal of respecting a truly diverse campus is to be met. It is clear that the liberal side has royally screwed up once again, despite its best efforts to be helpful. Standards were lowered, traditions were spat upon, and a short term solution pacified the loud screams of inequality. The result of these occurrences was that true equality was quickly hidden beneath the scarlet sway. Now, one can clearly see that the very thing that was to set us free has once again enslaved us. Rather than banding together to create a sense of unified community, we have created yet another excuse and exemption for those who would rather be on their own. We have re-segregated, in an attempt to diversify. We have put up walls that continue to eat away at our very existence as an all-male institution. We have infected the brains of students into thinking they have done something wrong, or that they deserve something because of skin, or a system of power that some on this campus claim can NEVER be defeated. I refuse to buy this argument, which is merely an excuse for ‘a better world’. The expiration date has long since passed and I refuse to drink from its foul matter. Let us not mask what has been done by using the word diversity, because diversity describes differences in people, and we are not treasuring that. Instead, passivity is the correct terminology, as we are not acting on diversity, but are instead pacifying those who complain. The term black cannot be used synonymously with the word minority. The Malcolm X Institute of Black Studies cannot be the umbrella organization for all minority groups. Once again, a conservative voice is attempting to clean up the mess of one of the most unequal plans ever put into action at Wabash College.
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