The remedy for our racial realities

As a senior in high school, I took many factors into consideration when choosing which college was right for me. After visiting Penn and reading all of the brochures, it seemed as if this university had everything that I wanted in my undergraduate experience: an excellent academic reputation, a great urban location, quality sports teams and the ability to interact with a diverse group of students. All but one of these original reasons for coming to Penn have lived up to my expectations. In the classroom, I have gained an immense amount of knowledge. The availability of resources in Philadelphia is phenomenal, and Penn sports have excelled every year. Despite these triumphs, however, Penn has failed in its mission of utilizing its diverse mix of students. According to University statistics, Penn currently enrolls its highest-ever number of minority students, and this figure represents the highest total in the Ivy League. For this accomplishment, the University should be commended. Yet the environment of Penn's campus still does not lend itself to the most advantageous level of interaction between diverse groups. When a prospective student looks at an admissions brochure, it appears that diverse interaction is widespread. Look at any picture. What do you see? There is a taste of everything -- an African American male, an Asian American female, a couple of Caucasians and maybe one Hispanic student. This propaganda does not provide an accurate depiction of life on Penn's campus. Some may say that I was naive in thinking that all racial groups would interact on such a favorable level. But why would I assume that Penn would not foster the interaction that I expected? After three years here, it has become clear to me that students find a comfort zone that often reflects their backgrounds. I have no problem with this primary interaction. However, the level of "secondary interaction" is inadequate at Penn. I believe that not enough is being done to increase this latter type of interaction. According to this concept, simply being in the presence of other people will spark more intense interaction. One example is someone from one cultural group attending another cultural group's meeting. But without such interaction, what is the actual value of diversity? A significant amount of knowledge can be gained from contact with people of different backgrounds. Penn needs to make a concerted effort to understand the perceptions of students and make changes accordingly. Until I enrolled in an academics-based community service course last spring entitled "Self-Segregation on Penn's Campus," I too was complacent about this issue. But after investigating the topic, it became clear to me that there is a problem of interaction between Penn undergraduates. As a result of that course, proposals have been launched. After following up on these ideas, members of the class will present suggestions to the Penn administration. Additionally, groups such as the University Council Pluralism Committee, which works on the issue of diversity on campus, have developed their own ideas. I urge Penn officials to take these proposals very seriously. Penn can implement several concrete initiatives to increase interaction. Small changes have been made already, but the University needs to keep an open mind to novel ideas. For example, a proposed research-based course on multiculturalism -- in which students learn the critical techniques of research by studying the topic of diversity -- could improve the problem. Furthermore, a New Student Orientation brochure focusing on how to maximize one's diverse experience at Penn is another tangible solution to the greater issue of interaction. If proposals such as these are carried out, the relations between diverse groups will begin to be ameliorated. I do not see any objections from students or the administration to increasing the level of interaction on campus. Coming to Penn was one of the best decisions of my life, but I think the experience of future students can be even better. I encourage the Penn administration to improve campus life by making diverse interaction a top priority. A consistent effort is necessary before this problem will be resolved.

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