Panel discussion spurs multicultural debate

Skiff Staff

The voices of audience members continued to grow louder as students, faculty and passersby debated the necessity of nationally-recognized multicultural months.

Sponsored by Student Development Services, the panel discussion titled “Cultural Months: Have We Gone too Far?” was held Monday afternoon in the Student Center.

SDS chose panel participants based on their editorial responses to Miranda Nesler’s “White Pride” column, which was published Oct. 4 in the TCU Daily Skiff.

In the column, Nesler, a freshman English major, said cultural months were reverse discrimination. She said due to the racial crimes committed by her ancestors, society wrongly labeled white pride as white supremacy.

Linda Moore, an associate professor of social work, moderated the event. Moore read a statement from Nesler, who was unable to attend the event.

Nesler’s statement, which labeled culturally defined months as exclusive to majority members, ignited another debate. Nesler said educating youth instead of pushing the majority under the minority is the true answer.

“While such months do educate on cultural histories, they also act to segregate those cultures from mainstream American culture,” Nesler said. “This gives the idea that the culture is not terribly important to America and making it difficult for people outside that race or ethnicity to join in.”

Initially, no audience members responded to Nesler’s theory.

David Dunai/SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER An audience of more than 50 students participated in a panel discussion Monday in the Student Center Lounge. The discussion, titled “Cultural Months: Have We Gone to Far?” was sponsored by Student Development Services.

But panel member Yonina Robinson disputed Nesler’s comments.

Robinson, a senior broadcast journalism major, said the purpose of cultural months is for minorities to take pride in their history.

“It is an open invitation,” Robinson said. “People simply choose not to come. Majority members don’t understand or take for granted minority group contributions. If (cultural history) is not taught, and we don’t have programs, students will continue to think history is only the European version.”

The discussion continued to grow more heated as the audience expressed a fear of attending a multicultural meeting where they were no longer the majority.

Sarah Sucher, a sophomore speech communication major, said it is hard for people to come out of their comfort zones, but students should get involved in multicultural activities.

“On this campus, white people make excuses,” Sucher said. “I understand that fear (of acceptance) is a legitimate concern, but they must realize that those events are about being college students.”

Daniel Bramlette, a senior radio-TV-film major and panel member, agreed with Nesler and questioned the effectiveness of culturally defined months.

“You can’t force people to do something,” Bramlette said. “They don’t promote any real change. Real change is changing people’s minds and changing how they are. (Cultural months) are ineffective to people with closed minds.”

However, Maria Montes, a freshman interior design major, said many aspects of her education were forced on her.

“How many people would attend school if it wasn’t required,” Montes said. “If I have been forced to learn a Western European version of history, why can’t they be forced to learn about mine?”

At the end of the debate the audience jeered as Raquel Torres, a junior e-business major, said students who are dissatisfied about TCU’s representation of cultural months should take action.

“If you are truly unhappy, then do something about it,” Torres said. “Hold TCU accountable until they change the curriculum. We should all go and sit in front of Sadler Hall and say we won’t take anymore UCR classes until they give us what we want — (more diversity class choices).”

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