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The Spectator
Diversity Discourse
Tolerance Course Would Be Needless
by Kate Tummarello '11Managing Editor
The most important lessons we learn in college aren't taught in our classes. It is our interactions with each other that we will take with us when we graduate.
Some argue that all Hamilton graduates should have an appreciation for diversity and that there should be a required class to enable this appreciation. I dare to disagree.
There are many concepts that some would argue Hamilton students should learn to embrace before graduation. Ideally, every student should graduate from Hamilton with a fully developed political awareness. As educated, potentially active members of our society, every Hamilton student should gain an understanding of our nation's political systems and beliefs and our role in the global political sphere.
However, Hamilton requires no such government class. It is expected that through our extracurricular interactions with students, staff and faculty members, we can learn the implications of current events and to understand belief systems other than our own.
Similarly, every Hamilton student should graduate with an awareness of environmental concerns. The importance of recycling extends far beyond the Hill, and most people, HEAG member or not, would agree. Still, there is no curriculum requirement that forces students to take an environmental studies course. Are these issues less important?
Of course not. However, we learn about things like this from interacting with other intelligent and aware members of our community.
The list of lessons Hamilton students should learn goes on and on. It would be impossible for the College to require that every student take a class to teach us all of these things. Instead, the responsibility falls on the students to learn as much as we can from every aspect of our college experiences, especially interacting with those who approach things from a different perspective.
A "diversity appreciation" requirement will not solve Hamilton's problems. If anything, it will make the majority of the student body grow to resent the requirement. Instead, we, as a community, need an eagerness to share with and learn from those who think differently than we do. Don't understand the views of the Womyn's Center? Go to their meetings. Disagree with the College Republicans? Talk to their members.
Every student, of every background, with every point of view, must both listen and be listened to. If we want a true and lasting change here at Hamilton, it must be led and supported by the student body, not focused around a curriculum change.