In an increasingly global world, college students appreciate diversity more than ever.
Some students even select universities based on its acceptance of diverse students.
Fairfield University President Jeffrey P. von Arx, S. J., has been trying to make Fairfield one of those universities by increasing diversity on campus.
“Von Arx offers outstanding leadership in the area of diversity, threading diversity in all things educationally,” said Larri Mazon, director of the Center for Multicultural Relations (CMR).
The CMR, directed by Mazon for the past 22 years, heads up many active programs and organizations.
The CMR, located in Loyola Hall, offers a range of opportunities for students including counseling, academic advising and professional development.
Although it is open for all students some of the student body think that it is an exclusive center.
“The multicultural center is a place where members of AHANA and SALSA hang out”, said Michael Steffany ’07.
Many students have similar ideas about the CMR.
Yet, it is involved in many other activities that students neglect to acknowledge.Every month CMR dedicates its activities to a certain group.
This month is Black History month and they have various activities on campus related to this theme.
“The Two Towns of Jasper” is playing on February 21 as a member of the center’s Film series.
In other events, Anita Hill, a professor of Law and Women’s Studies at Brandeis, will be hosting an Open Visions forum on Feb. 23 at 8 p.m.
The CMR is there for African-American, Hispanic, Asian and Native American (AHANA) students but is also is there for those students that do not meet this description.
Mazon stated that one of the problems is that “many of the European American students on campus do not use the center.”
Since the purpose of the center is to increase the understanding of differences and human diversity through educational and cultural programs it is clear that it is a center whose mission involves all students on campus.
Nicole Williams ’06 said she has seen an increase in kids coming to the CMR in her four years, yet she feels that “students are still skeptical thinking its only for members of AHANA.”
The center hopes that more students will benefit from what it has to offer.
In the future there are even more promising opportunities for the CMR such as a move to the Campus Center and its ever-increasing sponsoring of events.
Numerically, since von Arx has been president there have been more diverse students on campus.
But, not all students are involved in the CMR, so the question remains, is diversity being increasingly intertwined on campus or just seen through statistics?
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