COLUMN: "Diversity, Diversity, Diversity"

From Bruce Forman's "Shaking The Tree," Spring '92. What does diversity mean on this campus? An ad taken out by Women United for Change this past Friday in The Daily Pennsylvanian called for "the removal of fraternities that violate the characterisitics of diversity." Thursday, Spring Fling Co-Chairperson Josh Perelman, talking about the selection of the headlining band, said that, "We wanted to make the concert a diverse endeavor." Asked about fraternity rush this past fall, I even used the word. I said that rush turned out great, it was very successful and it produced a very, very, very diverse group of guys. Diversity has become a keen buzzword. It is considered a panacea, an immediate solution to any frictional social problem at Penn. People stress the need to strive towards it. There is even a Diversity Awareness Week at the beginning of school each year. What does it mean? Are we speaking of cultural diversity, ethnic diversity, intellectual diversity or diversity in sexual preference, or maybe all these things? It's unclear to me because the word is bandied about so often. It's easy to use because everyone else uses it and it sounds positive. It is used as a badge during politically correct ramblings, rather than as a substantive adjective. Diverse. Diverse. Diverse. It is muttered out of too many mouths without any challenge to its meaning or implications. In the strictest sense, diversity means variety. But I think in the collegiate vernacular the definition is deeper and narrower. Cries of the need for diversity do not ring out because a particular group are all pre-meds or athletes. Rather, we all know that groups are challenged about their composition when it appears all members are a certain color, say white. This is doubly true when they live in a desirable location. Women United for Change would be happier with fraternities if they represented a broader palette of colors. Even though the fraternities on Locust Walk are not all white, and do have minority members, apparently they do not have enough to achieve diversity. Diversity, as a function of color and race, is simple and superficial. Especially at such a high-caliber institution as Penn, we ought to be more concerned with differences in opinions and views, and foster an atmosphere in which all are free to express themsleves. Of course it's true that these differences often arise from the influence of different backgrounds. No one will deny the importance of one's culture and ethnicity in shaping their values and insights. But it is the end product -- feelings and thoughts -- which ought to be treasured, not just color or ethnicity. The fact that the majority of fraternities are white is not enough to demand they be diverse. It is not as if the entire pool of minority students rush fraternities. Many minority students, but not all, choose fraternities in the Bicultural InterGreek Council. Some even choose to become brothers in fraternities on Locust Walk. Some decide of their own volition not to join any fraternity. These are only the building blocks of the intellectual diversity and understanding that should be the real goal of the Penn community. This would be the most fruitful diversity for Penn. It is certainly much better than wasting time determining the appropriate ethnic representation in campus groups. Striving for understanding of culture and ideas would be better use of energy and talents. And this has already proved successful through COLORS and other outreach programs. Telling groups they ought to be diverse is a tall order. It's an unmeasurable thing. Who is to decide what the proper criteria are? If racial mix is paramount, then is DuBois College House diverse? Should there be movements to diversify it? If you think the Locust Walk fraternities ought to diversify, what about the black fraternities? Certainly, presence on Locust Walk alone should not necessitate more minority membership. Even if the Walk is at the heart of campus. The best argument to kick fraternities off Locust Walk is if they misbehave and do not demonstrate "exemplary behavior," whatever that means. This, all of us can probably agree with. Let's not get bogged down in this sort of discussion of counting colors and ethnicity. Rather than fight for diversity, we'd be better off working to improve tolerance and understanding. · Bruce Forman is a junior Finance major from East Greenwich, Rhode Island. Shaking the Tree appears alternate Mondays.

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