Students around the Ivy League said their schools don't do enough to address minority issues. In a stark contrast to the glossy brochures of Ivy League admissions offices boasting diverse student bodies, minority student leaders at all eight schools criticized campus officials for not paying enough attention to their concerns -- including efforts to ensure minority representation. Statistics representing minority presence show that -- with the exception of Asian students -- the percentage of minorities at Ivy League schools is lower than their representation in the nation's population. For example, Yale University's current freshman class is comprised of 6 percent black students, while 12.7 percent of the nation is black, according to a 1994 U.S. Census Bureau current population survey. "The number of black students that Yale has admitted has gone steadily down for four years, meaning that once the senior class graduates, black students will make up less than 6 percent [of the undergraduate population], which is very disturbing to me," said Yale sophomore Brooke Richie, head of the Black Students Alliance. "The result of this problem makes for a less diverse environment and makes it less probable for blacks to apply in future years," she added. Richie added that the high costs of an Ivy education and relatively high average family income of Ivy students combine to prevent many students from even applying -- since they don't think they are financially capable. "Yale should be making more of an effort to retain this minority presence," Richie said. Yale's administration has cancelled its Minority Scholars Weekend for the last two years, making Yale the only Ivy school without such a program. "There is almost a disregard for cultural life at Yale," she said, adding that there is a "very deep sense of dissatisfaction" among the minority groups at Yale, and student activism and protest is on the rise. Richie's lament is echoed by students around the Ivy League. At Cornell University and at Penn, students charge recruiting efforts could be stepped up. But administrators at both schools defended their programs. According to Cornell University Student Assembly Minority-at-Large George Ortiz, Cornell lacks active outreach programs to attract minority applicants. "Each of our seven colleges has its own plan, but we don't have a centralized effort," he said. And although Cornell does have a minority hosting weekend, Ortiz labeled it as "nothing impressive." Penn Admissions Dean Lee Stetson said the University has always had a commitment to minority presence. "Enrollment tries to maximize the number of students from disadvantaged minority areas, especially Hispanic and African American students," Stetson said. "We are committed to students of all walks of life," he added. Black Student League President Rasool Berry, a College sophomore, said one of his first impressions, when he came to the University through a minority recruitment program, was that Penn lacked a strong black presence. Although Penn sponsors a Minority Scholars Weekend and other Native American, African American and Latino recruitment programs, Berry said the University could increase its efforts to encourage minority students. "The number of minority students is ridiculous, and the University can definitely do more recruitment," he added. Even at schools where students do not criticize minority recruiting programs, many minority student leaders said university administrators are not responsive enough to their specific concerns. "Although I think Harvard does a really good job with minority recruitment, once the minority students get here, Harvard appreciates us for statistics, but the administration continues to refuse to hear us," said Jessy Fernandez, co-chairperson of Harvard University's Minority Students Alliance. "To me, the most important thing is for Harvard to make it a priority to broaden its curriculum and make it more relevant, since the curriculum is currently stifling and prevents students from learning about other cultures," the sophomore added. Columbia University Student Council President Alejandra Montenegro described a similar situation at Columbia, which proved to be one of the most statistically diverse members of the Ivy League -- attracting minorities because of its reputation as a diverse campus in New York City. Despite that diversity, students have struggled to get ethnic studies institutionalized into the university's curriculum. Last spring, protesters took over an administrative building and conducted a hunger strike -- to no avail. "The president didn't want to speak to us," Montenegro said. In contrast, Brown University boasts an associate director of admissions in charge of recruiting minorities, minority alumni interviews and a Third World Weekend -- aimed at attracting minority students. But some Brown officials say even the existing programs are not enough. Mahdesian noted the difficulty of finding African American and Hispanic students who have high grades or the opportunity to get high grades because of societal factors working against them. Dartmouth College, which tops the Ivy League with 1.8 percent Native Americans, celebrates the 25th anniversary of its Native American Studies program this year. "Dartmouth College is a place where Native Americans can affirm their cultural heritage -- in the last 25 years, about 400 students from 25 tribes have attended," Director of Admissions and Minority Recruitment Christine Pina said. But Dartmouth has a fairly small percentage of black students compared to other Ivies. Princeton University junior Kevin Hudson, chairperson of the Third World Center Governance Board, agreed that "colored issues are peripheral at Princeton," forcing minorities to constantly explain the need for such places as the Third World Center, which promotes intercultural diversity. "There needs to be recognition that there is some kind of disparity in minorities' experiences" as compared to that of other students, he added. Cornell students also noted a lack of commitment on the part of their administration. "Cornell doesn't put its money where its mouth is," Ortiz said, "When you start out the next millennium with these unimpressive numbers, it forces you to question the priority of the university where minorities are concerned." Ortiz mentioned the "constant debate" over Cornell's North and West campuses, saying that minorities' practice of traditionally residing at North campus is seen by some as self-segregating. But Berry cautioned not to "mistake solidarity for segregation -- if people are alike, they are bound to coalesce and bond together."
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