Building Bridges is a “newsletter celebrating campus diversity” at California State University at Chico. The Fall 2010 issue describes some diverse diversity activities, including (on page 3) a “Diversity Summit” that “inspires change and awakens hearts.” One of the change inspiring heart awakeners was Ann Schwab, mayor of Chico, a Chico State graduate with a major in psychology, and a staff member of Chico State’s Community Action Volunteers in Education, whose comments on diversity deserve wide notice.
“Sometimes,” she said, “the best way to learn about diversity is to feel diversity….”
Through listening to people speak about the hate they have felt through acts of discrimination, Schwab said she could feel their pain. She now sees the true importance of promoting open minds and understanding diversity in the CAVE office and its programs.
Schwab said she wants to spread knowledge that diversity is not always immediately apparent and that it is more than skin color or economic status. Schwab said she realized that being a high-achieving student or being blonde can also be diversity factors.
Roger Clegg, to whom I am indebted for calling my attention to Chico State, emails that he has two reactions to this rather dispersed notion of diversity.
The first is that this reminds me of the scene in the movie Legally Blonde, where the Harvard Law School admissions committee decides to admit Reese Witherspoon, not only because she has great grades and a perfect LSAT, but also for the sake of diversity: They have never admitted anyone before with an undergraduate major in cosmetology. The second is that this is a welcome development, since if we all can add to the campus’s diversity (and, since each human being is different, we certainly can), then there is no point in adding points for diversity anymore.
Roger soon corrected himself on some important points — “according to YouTube, she majored in “fashion” rather than cosmetology, and she had a 179, not a 180 on her LSAT” — but his basic point still stands tall: if we’re all diverse, then no one deserves preferential treatment because of his or her diversity.
Not even blonde fashion majors….
