Panels focus on minority issues

Alvin Alvarez gave Oprah Winfrey and Montel Williams competition this week. Last night the staff psychologist at the University Counseling Service, hosted a mock talk show filled with dialogue and controversy in Annenberg starting at 8 p.m. The scripted show, organized as part of Asian Pacific American Heritage Week 1994, tried to promote student discussion and action on minority issues, according to Alvarez. "This week is all about laying these issues out on the table," said the psychologist. "We haven't decided what Asian American means. We can't answer that for you. Our goal is to stimulate you to figure it out on your own." As part of this discovery process, three different issues were presented using panels formed by various University students. These students played specific roles on each panel to ensure a wide variety of opinions were represented. One panel asked audience members to consider if Asian-Americans, who make up 20 percent of the University's population, should receive as much funding for their activities as African American and Latino campus groups. "If 20 percent of us earned our way here, we deserve to be treated that way," said one audience member. Dating and marriage within the Asian community -- an issue that seemed to hit home with the participants -- was another panel's topic. This group analyzed the conflict between traditional values and American ideals. "These skits mirror things you've all been experiencing, " said Alvarez. But minorities and the Greek system was the topic that generated the most audience participation. Student discussion focused primarily on the merit of joining a minority interest fraternity or sorority. Although some panelist's attitudes evoked laughter from the audience, many of the issues were sobering and thought-provoking, said students who attended the show. College junior Rosemary Wu, an APA coordinator, said the issues discussed during the staged talk show are relevant to the entire campus community. "These are not issues that pertain solely to Asian Americans, " she said. "They are inclusive of every student here."