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The proposed diversity requirement seems

entirely reasonable. According to this newspaper,

diversity classes would “also count under either

the visual, literary and performing arts or

individuals and societies requirements already in

place,” and “there would be no additional credit

requirements for students on top of the current

minimum of 180 credits.” Given that the addition

of two diversity classes to required curriculum

would be of minimal inconvenience, it’s hard

to argue that the imposition of said classes

would be a burden to students or the university

administration.

When Thomas Cloud claims that it would

be “inordinately complex” to require diversity

courses at a public university, his language seems

strangely exaggerated. If anything, large public

schools like the UW are probably much better

suited to teach courses on diversity than private

ones, as Cloud seems to imply. Furthermore,

Cloud is unrealistic in portraying the concept

of diversity at UW as some sort of misguided,

left-wing political agenda. Diversity in America

is more than simply an abstract idea or a political

notion, but a fact of life and an important part of

our cultural fabric; we encounter diversity every

day, and must learn to navigate and appreciate

situations involving many different types of

people. As demographers are well aware, our

diverse society will only become increasingly so

in the future. Increased diversity is quite literally

the future of our country.

If diversity courses expose students to new

ideas and challenge their way of thinking, then

this is all in keeping with the purpose of a

university education. William Ray is right: “We

need much more intelligent discussion of what

diversity means and why it’s important.” The

diversity requirement would be a constructive

step towards this end.

Alex Jeffers

Senior, international studies, political science and

economics

In response to “Being a public university

Cloud (June 2)

I read Thomas Cloud’s column “Being a public

university complicates teaching diversity” and

was truly puzzled by the disconnect between what

the columnist says the diversity requirement is

and what the diversity requirement is actually

meant to do. Think about this. In public schools

across our country’s 50 states, we teach children

about state history and highlight racial and

ethnic history specific to the area. In Washington,

schools tend to focus on American Indian

history because of the wealth of information and

culture that is available from coastal tribes. We

do so because we’ve made a conscious decision

as a community that this is an important aspect

of U.S. history that we want children to learn

— our understanding is more full because of

its inclusion. We don’t expect these children

to walk away with some all-encompassing

knowledge of American Indians. Rather, we say

that to know Washington history is to know

Washington American Indian history as well.

Why is that any different when it’s a public

university? The diversity requirement isn’t meant

to be a one-stop-shop where you gain some

lifelong knowledge about diversity with a fistbump

after the final. By proposing the diversity

requirement, we say that gaining knowledge

about the diverse world we live in (and not just

racially diverse) is important and we insert that

as part of the curriculum here. And it’s not some

outrageous thing either that is specific to Seattle.

The University of Massachussetts and Cornell

already have a similar requirement in place for

its students. Yes, we should rely on students

to choose the path they want to take at school

but we also lay a basic framework so that when

they come to the UW, they receive an education

that is more full, more complete. Cloud has a

worldview. I have a worldview. Our worldviews

come from our socially defined identities like our

racial background, sexual orientation, age, gender

and so forth that define who we are. The point

of the diversity requirement isn’t to teach you a

worldview. The point is to teach you that yours or

mine aren’t the only ones that exist.

Luke Lee

Alumnus, 2006, American Ethnic Studies &

Women Studies

After reading Thomas Cloud’s Thursday article

about the proposed diversity requirement, I

have to question Mr. Cloud’s implication that a

diversity requirement indoctrinates students into

a liberal worldview.

First of all, I take issue with his assertion that

the choice of Barack Obama’s autobiography as

the 2009-2010 common book was an expression

of liberal bias. He says that this is evidenced

by the fact that UW faculty and staff donated

money to the Obama campaign, but he did not

specify whether or not the University donated

these funds or if individual faculty members did

so on their own. I think that this is misleading

because there is a big difference between a

public institution openly or secretly supporting a

political figure and an individual employed by a

public institution privately giving them support.

Secondly, I take issue with Mr. Cloud’s

belief that a diversity requirement is a way for

a liberal institution to push its worldview on

its students. Maybe I’m a naive college student

held down by white guilt, but I support the

diversity requirement because I think that it is

a way for college students to learn about other

viewpoints — basically the opposite of what Mr.

Cloud is saying. The UW has faculty members

that are well-respected in their fields, and I have

always had the impression that academia is

self-correcting and that legitimate institutions

encourage their students to come to their own

conclusions, not indoctrinate them. I do not

understand why Mr. Cloud is so afraid of this.

I also take issue with his support of school

vouchers. School vouchers actually undermine

education because they provide the illusion

of choice. Public education is designed to be

secular and inclusive, but school vouchers

would indirectly give public money to private

institutions and put students who do not fit

into the local religious schools at a disadvantage

among other many things. Basically, it’s just a

terrible idea.

Also, if Mr. Cloud is so in favor of private

schools and is so opposed to this “liberal

establishment,” then why does he go to school

here? It reminds me of how Ayn Rand secretly

signed up for Medicare when she was dying of

lung cancer.

Hope Reilly

Sophomore, history, Scandinavian studies,

Swedish

In response to “Kick Out Sodexo Coalition

by Hayat Norimine (June 2)

For the past seven months, United Students

Against Sweatshops (USAS) members have

worked tirelessly to stand up for the reputation

of UW and ensure that our university only

associates with companies demonstrating ethical

conduct. Their commitment has consistently

amazed me through this year, and I believe that

they deserve to be heard and recognized by

the administration. Yet I also want to state that

the Associated Students of the University of

Washington (ASUW) Student Senate has passed

a resolution calling for the UW to terminate

Sodexo’s concessions contract (R-17-36, available

on senate.asuw.org). This resolution represents

all UW students on this campus — over

40,000 people — and it is imperative that the

administration listens to us. This campaign has

been spearheaded by very passionate members

from USAS, but it also has earned the respect

of the entire UW student community. For this

reason, I wish to thank the members of the

diversity communities that have recently joined

the Kick Out Sodexo coalition and to encourage

other students to become involved. Sodexo’s

track record contains worldwide human rights

violations, and we, the students of UW, should

have a voice in how the campus is run. We should

not allow our university to become tainted

through association with companies such as

Sodexo. Instead, we should continue to stand

up and ensure that this contract with Sodexo

is promptly terminated in order to protect the

integrity of our university.

Michelle Nance

Sophomore, business administration and political

science

The recent crimes committed by the thugs on

campus who are attempting to harass the UW

into hiring only union members is a disturbing

trend in politicized bullying. There is no reason

Sodexo or any other company should be treated

this way.

Why are these protesters doing it? Because

of “human rights” abuses, they claim. What

Sodexo has really done is to refuse to force their

employees to join a union. Instead, they give their

employees freedom to be a member of a union,

or if they choose, to not be a member of a union.

This is very troubling to the Service Employees

International Union (SIE U). If given the choice,

most people will not pay union dues for the level

of income that these jobs are able to demand.

The only waythe SEI U are able to convince

employees in grocery stores to pay $50 per month

for the privilege to earn minimum wage, is by

intimidating employers into forcing it. Sodexo

is still paying higher than market value for most

of its positions. This is why Sodexo Mexico has

won the Social Responsibility Award for the last

6 years.

If you are a member of those protesting

Sodexo and accusing them of “Human Rights”

abuses, you need to understand what you are

doing to the phrase “human rights.” There are

human beings in the world being sold into

slavery. There are humans being arrested and

persecuted for religious beliefs and political

ideas that they dare to speak out against. There

are children being kidnapped and forced to be

soldiers in bloody wars. To cheapen the very

important meaning of the phrase “human rights”

is repulsive and shameful. How dare you cheapen

the phrase to bully into play your political

viewpoint!

This is America, after all. We do not embrace

the European ideals of socialism that calls for

forcing someone to join a group in order to have

a job. We embrace the morally superior and

Constitutional value of Freedom of Association,

which gives people the freedom to choose

whether or not they join a union or any other

group for that matter.

Brian Cox

Senior, mechanical engineering

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