As College of William and Mary students, we know that the College maintains a strong commitment to promoting and increasing diversity among the student body.
In the Student Assembly presidential debate, all candidates endorsed that commitment. Promoting diversity can produce a cultural awareness that is imperative for all students to acknowledge in accordance with the liberal arts mission of our school.
The question, however, is how to tangibly achieve that commitment. Carlton Smith ’15 voiced his position on increasing multiculturalism across campus, one of his main platforms, by creating a multicultural council of leaders from cultural organizations on campus.
This is an excellent idea to promote diversity and multiculturalism. Because there are so many cultural organizations on campus, this idea would allow the SA to reach out to a significant portion of the College community.
The council would draw attention to their causes and would provide a concrete link between these organizations and the SA, and would help to educate and inform the student body about the cultures that make up our community. Through this medium, the currently underrepresented voices of students and their issues could be heard.
The council and SA would also work to bring speakers to campus who embody this multicultural ideal, and continue to bring iconic figures like Maya Angelou and the Dalai Lama to campus. Embracing diversity and spreading culture creates a rich and fulfilling community of varying ideas, beliefs and perspectives.
Of course, all of the interests and views on campus cannot be represented, and not every form of diversity has a club to represent it, but forming this council would be a great start to embracing diversity and promoting multiculturalism on our campus through the SA.
Email Michael Testa at mrtesta@email.wm.edu.