BY ELIZABETH HIPPLE

In print | Published September 28, 2006

Last week as I climbed the stairs in Sharples, I saw a sign for “The Ring” tacked on the top of the archaeological dig that is the bulletin board. My first thought — remember, it was in the morning — was that some group was showing the movie of the same name. At some point, I realized that the flyers were advertising a forum on closed groups.

This then led me to my next logical thought: what the hell is a closed group? For, at my high school (I am a first-year, so yes, I have the annoying habit of comparing college to high school, like it matters), there weren’t closed groups for the simple reason that, officially, no one likes being excluded. (Lawyers, however, love exclusion — it pays for their BMWs.)

As a community, we have a fine line to walk between promoting diversity and acknowledging different backgrounds. While I believe that, whenever possible, groups should be open to anyone with an interest in participating, I realize that a need for closed groups does exist. Swat Survivors is an example of a closed group that should remain closed because of the intensely private experiences that members share with one another. These are experiences that only another survivor can ever truly appreciate.

The same argument can be made for other closed groups that I think should be open, however, such as SASS and SAO. I can never understand what it is like to be black or Asian. There are some experiences, whether they are discrimination or just awkward misunderstandings that arise from different cultures, which I will never have because I am not of the same background as the members of these organizations. However, how can I, or anyone of any background, learn anything about people who are different from me if I am not allowed to join certain groups because I do not fit the right background? Social groups are one of the best ways for people to learn new things about different cultures, hobbies or really anything. Classes and workshops, for all they are used to promote appreciation of diversity, can be intimidating.

Even if Swarthmore’s policy changed tomorrow, I doubt that any actual changes would occur. The now formerly closed groups would probably not see many new faces that look different than their own. People, without an official policy, would still feel that cultural groups are only for people of their own respective cultures. Humans feel awkward in groups where they are in a minority and naturally do not put themselves in positions where they will feel out of place.

As I ramble through my logic, the sheer complexity of the question confronts me at every turn. For every statement anyone could make in support or opposition to closed groups, there is another argument to countermand it. I think that we can all agree that there is still room for improvement in diversity issues. Maybe opening groups up to all interested people would help to improve Swatties understanding of others, or maybe we would still self-select into largely homogenous groups. While Swatties push themselves out of their comfort zones more than the vast majority of people in this world, more needs to be done — not by the administration, but rather individuals need to open themselves up to questions and expose themselves to different realities.

Elizabeth is a first-year. You can reach her at ehipple1@swarthmore.edu.

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