Members of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity led a discussion about segregation and other bias-related issues at the forum in Cabot Auditorium, to which faculty and students contributed.Ouch, that was too close for comfort.
To open the event, student readers presented fourteen anonymous student-submitted stories that dealt with issues concerning race, religion and sexual orientation.
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A straight male recounted his experience at the dance that kicked off this year's campus "Gay-pril" celebration. He wrote that he felt uncomfortable getting looks from other men while dancing with some female friends. One of the girls told him, "Now you know how we feel at a dance."
Event organizer and senior Doug Glandon [MA Zeta '06] conceived the idea of this public discussion after attending a Bias Intervention Team Mocktail event held in the fall. He met a female student at the Mocktail who told him a personal story of racial ignorance and the use of slurs on campus.How far are you willing to step out of your comfort zone?
"I was shocked that in our liberal bubble it could happen," Glandon said. "I have been here for four years and I try to pay attention, but I didn't know about occurrences like hers."
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"The idea to hold the forum was sparked by a general student sentiment on campus that we are such a diverse place, but that we don't make full use of that diversity," Glandon said.
"This is one more step in a large process; one part of a dialogue that we hope to have started that will continue here at Tufts," Glandon told the Daily.
A community ponders 'cliquishness' within its ranks - News
