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The Rice Thresher
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Mugambi Jouet-Nkinyangi Will Rice College junior. It is an official policy that the only radio station that can be played in the Autry Court weight room is KKRW Classic Rock. Moreover, the station absolutely cannot be switched to KBXX The Box because of previous complaints. Some people objected against playing hip-hop music in the gym, and the staff decided that only the most mainstream radio station would be played. Even though KKRW is a great station, I think people should have the right to listen to different stations and types of music, including KBXX. This anecdote reflects the status of diversity at Rice, where the rule of the majority prevails and is often unchallenged. Not all members of the Rice community are treated with the same respect and consideration. Rice has been known to have a serious diversity problem but there has not been any significant improvement over the last three years. The status quo remains. Take it or leave it. If you don't like on-campus life you might as well move off-campus. Well, maybe it is time for adjustments. It is true that some people are making real efforts to make on-campus life more welcoming to all students, but they constitute only a small fraction of students. The truth is that the majority of students are satisfied with the present situation and remain unconcerned with diversity. Rice University's lack of diversity is best represented by the residential college system, which is clearly not working for everybody. Orientation week is a fine illustration of the residential college spirit. The greatest error committed by the organizers of O-Week every year is to assume that all Rice students have similar interests. Many think that it is commendable to impose the same rigid program to all incoming students and expect all of them to appreciate it. O-Week should be tailored to inform incoming students about Rice University's organization, and should offer facilitative social activities for students interested in them. Nevertheless, all students are supposed to participate in the same games and social activities as if they constituted a homogenous group. The insensitivity to diversity demonstrated by the organizers of orientation week every year is lamentable. Little consideration is shown for the numerous incoming freshmen that do not fit into the mold of Rice's mainstream social life. It is important to realize that people are different, and that we live in a diverse society - and I'm not talking only about race here. Even though numerous polls have confirmed that orientation week and the residential college system are of limited appeal to minority students, many white students are not particularly attached to on-campus social life either. In an effort to increase diversity, a diversity training session has recently been added to O-Week. While this was a necessary addition, it can only have a limited impact in itself. Unfortunately, the attitude at Rice is often to preach diversity instead of applying it. The veritable way to promote diversity at Rice is to actually practice it by changing the organization of orientation week and the college system. Unfortunately, the inconsiderate attitude for others that has become part of the residential college atmosphere has taken even graver proportions. Even though diversity remains a major issue, the appalling attitudes of some students seem even more problematic. Indeed, the atrocious lack of respect that Hispanic janitors have to deal with at Rice University is deplorable. Janitors are neither servants nor slaves, and their purpose in life is certainly not to clean up the excessive filth left behind by thoughtless college students. Certain individuals think it is acceptable to leave the most unspeakable filth to be cleaned by the janitors. Not only are the janitors hardly respected, but civilized students are also treated with the same disregard. Many have been appalled to find the common bathroom floors sticky with alcohol, a shower cabin soiled with someone's feces, or a sink filled with vomit for the entire weekend. Naturally, the perpetrators often refuse to cleanse their own mess during the weekends because they know that come Monday morning the janitors will have to clean up. Such behavior is often tolerated because of racist attitudes and because of the aforementioned inconsideration for other people. It is time for change. Time for all members of the Rice community to be treated with equivalent respect and consideration. This is one of the keys to diversity. Mugambi Jouet-Nkinyangi is a Will Rice College junior.
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