As the semester comes to an end and only a few columns are left, I realize many events and changes have occurred during these few months. Events such as the beginning of a war, another victim of Baton Rouge’s serial killer and many other national tragedies have greatly influenced LSU’s community. LSU tackled one problem fairly well. The problem of diversifying LSU has been a long struggle, but this spring semester shows significant changes.
In the beginning of the semester, I wrote a column about diversity and how minorities should start being involved. As a Hispanic columnist, I wrote from experience and told how I became involved with diversifying LSU. My contribution was becoming a Reveille columnist. Around the same time this column was published, another column about diversity also was published. An editor from The Reveille wrote about the creation of a diversity committee including employees from The Reveille. The idea of the committee illustrated one of student media’s efforts.
One of my observations was the spring semester had many more programs and meetings, which included topics on minorities. I attended many more African-American programs, such as the African American Cultural Center holding poetry nights or public meetings. The gospel concert was one event held in the LSU Union, with several African-American choirs from different universities.
Improvements also were concentrated in The Reveille’s staff. The number of non-whites hired to write has increased. In addition, it became more obvious the writers were making efforts to have more quotes and pictures from minorities. Also, there were entertainment hip-hop stories, such as the stories on 50 Cent and Common. I also contributed to the hip-hop articles and wrote my own ideas on different topics that have been popular in the music industry.
Also, there have been an interesting number of courses at LSU that introduce a variety of topics. Classes such as the Life of Tupac Shakur (African American Studies 3902, Section 13) and the culture of hip hop have been offered as electives for students.
According to the LSU News Web site, LSU introduced a new learning community, which includes several classes. The classes explore different topics such as the history of Black popular culture and a kinesiology course on African Americans. On the LSU Highlights Web site, Louis Harris, assistant professor of kinesiology, explains the importance of this learning community. Harris said, “We’re training students to go out and be leaders in the community and the community is diverse. Today’s students will be providing services for and working with and for people of all different races and backgrounds.” This quote specifically explains why it is one of LSU’s obligations to provide a diverse community.
In older generations, it was harder for minorities to make a difference. In January 1957, Ollie H. Burns was the first African American to graduate from LSU with an Master’s degree in library science. In the 1940s, African Americans were not able to attend the University. But eventually, successful lawsuits in Oklahoma and Texas made it possible for lawsuits to be filed for admission at higher education schools in Louisiana. Finally, three successful cases for LSU led to the admission of African Americans. These significant events occurred because minorities have the rights just as the majority does. The chance was given in the past; therefore, the opportunity to make a difference still is open.
According to the profile on Ollie H. Burns, she comments, “For a society to be inclusive, people have to change. Policies can be established, regulations can be what they want to be, but if attitudes remain negative toward one group or another, there is little progress.”
The semester has opened many opportunities and chances for many people. Clearly, the events such as war and crime have been obstacles to working to unite the community. It is not about whites versus non-whites anymore. The community does not survive with one group, but it works because different backgrounds come together to make one melting pot. This semester slowly closes with a number of small, significant changes, but it demonstrates the potential of LSU’s future.