The focus groups on multiculturalism two weeks ago were a lesson in frustration for many participants. Lots of people were talking about many different things-whiteness, international issues, issues that U.S. students of color face on campus. We think this shows that people want to talk about these issues in a formal setting-not just with their friends-but they aren’t given enough of a chance. There were too many issues addressed in too short an amount of time. Everyone wanted to talk about his/her issues, but none of the issues were fully fleshed out.

Maybe MCSG could hold forums-like the successful one Tuesday night-more often. Not just when there are decisions being made, but when life is being lived, when multiculturalism-or the lack thereof-is being experienced. That way, when decisions are made, we will all come to the table with a deeper understanding of the issues, and of each other.

Regardless of what the school has done and is about to propose, it is ultimately your responsibility to get involved. A good way to start is by reading the following. If this is stuff you’ve heard before, you’ve either experienced this yourself or you’ve been involved in the debate about multiculturalism. If not, this is evidence of, among other things, the lack of space for this debate to occur.

First, we want to commend the administration for opening this debate to students in a meaningful way. The focus groups and the open forum in the last weeks each allowed more than 50 students to express their views to MCSG and to the members of the Multicultural Steering Committee. This was a huge improvement over how the Council for Multicultural Affairs (CMA) was founded three years ago, with a maximum of controversy and a minimum of student input. We appreciate the tremendous efforts of MCSG and the student members of the Multiculturalism Steering Committee, Haris Aqeel ’04, Andre Carrington ’03 and Beth Azuma ’03.

The Admissions office is often given all the blame for Macalester’s failure to recruit U.S. students of color. It’s true that Admissions should make more of a proactive effort to recruit students of color. While a full-time staff member, Jimm Crowder, focuses on international students and transfer students, the two staff members who are supposed to address multiculturalism do so in addition to their normal admissions duties. The office has also had trouble keeping multicultural admissions officers more than two years.

Admissions is not the only department having problems retaining staff that are supposed to help students of color. Cynthia Fraction, the former associate director of the CMA, was a great administrator and an asset to the college who left after only one year.

The staff members we do retain are overworked. Sedric McClure in the MAX Center is involved in activities dealing with multiculturalism all over campus, and he travels to other colleges to talk about these issues as well.

Associate Dean of Students Joi Lewis is in a similar situation. As Jimica Dawkins ’03 said at the open forum on Tuesday, “I can go talk to Joi, but when there’s fifty people going to Joi … that gets tough on her. She’s not the Associate Dean of Colored Students.”

We hope that the Steering Committee will come up with a plan that will provide for staff positions, and ensure that those occupying them are well-paid and well-supported by their colleagues.

But Admissions can’t do anything if students of color do not want to attend Macalester. Often, when prospective first-years come to visit, students of color tell them the truth-that Macalester is not what it pretends to be in its brochures.

There clearly needs to be more of a support system for students of color on campus. The International Center provides that for international students, and does an excellent job. While U.S. students of color do not have the same needs as international students, the center could be looked to as a model for domestic multiculturalism.

And, as one person pointed out in the forum Tuesday night, staff and faculty should not be hesitant about requiring this debate on campus. Exposure to these issues should start during orientation (before students have learned that little in college is actually “required”). Professors should require students to attend forums and take notes, just like they require attendance at the International Round Table. A lot of (white) people complain that the multiculturalism discourse is ubiquitous-and yet it is quite easy to get through Macalester without thinking critically about race.