(no subject)

[terrypurple73]

Long and extended Community discussion tonight. I'm feeling exhausted mentally in a way that is new to me. Not mind-racing, but just pulled to some sort of different place. I don't really know how to describe it, other than to say it is a new way of being mentally tired.
How do we bring diversity into the Community? What kinds of diversity are out there? What strengths do we have as individuals and how can me balance those in next year's group? What does privilege have to do with our lives, and how is solidarity connected to that? Why is our entire community this year straight and white? How can we feel vested in our greater community in the area, while we are upper-middle class college kids? How do we reach out to attract students who aren't of the same background that so many of us are?
I'm not looking for answers right now. Or even any words of wisdom. I think these are important questions to discuss as a group, and I'm really grateful Caitlin has the courage and ability to facilitate a discussion on all of this. And I'm just pretty mentally drained.
It was good, though. Important. Also, FAC was a really good time this afternoon. A good crowd and a different way to play- poetry and music and banana muffins.

Comments

Thanks for all the Muffins

[pueo77.livejournal.com]

I ate like four of the banana muffins. I dunno why. They were just that good . I didn't even feel like I needed dinner once I got home.

I wasn't part of the discussion about diversity, and I know you didn't ask for a response but here's one anyway.

Despite the fact that the SOP population is "on it's face" white, upper-middle class, and straight, I seriously doubt that it has anything to do with the community being racist, classist, or sexuality exclusive. It is merely a reflection of the pool of potential applicants. Look at Creighton's population and you will find that the majority of people are: racially White, middle-class, and straight (or at least not openly gay/bi).

These are traits that are not easily changed. We are born into them and will likely hold on to them unless something drastically changes. We are, however, human beings with more than the obvious external parameters.

What the community lacks in outward appearance is more than likely to be compensated by its internal ideas, views, and experiences. Collectively the internal community could be said to represent people from Arabs to African's to Asians to Hispanics, From poverty stricken to wealthy, From gay to bi to straight, from Left to Right and capitalist to socialist (although probably more socialists ) .

The mere fact that the community is wrestling with the topic of diversity is a vivid indication that the diversity of ideas, values, and experiences exists.

Diversity is not only what is outside but what is inside too. What's outside may be what determines how we are treated by the rest of the world. What's inside, however, helps us determine how react to the world in turn.

Both inside and out are important but not determinative of life's most unsettling questions. What value we give to internal and external diversity is really up to each person (or community) to determine for themselves. ~Pat

[(Anonymous)]

I think Pat is right. Not that it would not be good to have different backgrounds represented, but that does not necessarily mean that their viewpoint would be any different than yours, or any better. Mom

[terrypurple73.livejournal.com]

love you. i'll give home a call some time soon. :) ~T