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BY ROSARIO PAZ

In print | Published November 9, 2006

Mary Lyon RAs are planning to hold a series of conversations about diversity this month in response to interest by ML residents on the issue. The ML Diversity Workshop-Conversation Series, a compilation of discussions and other activities aims to promote a higher understanding of social justice as it relates to various issues both on campus and in Mary Lyon, according to ML RA Scott Storm ’08.

“We noticed on our halls that there was a lot of interest in diversity issues,” Storm, a main proponent for this multi-event occasion, said. “We want to spark even more dialogue.”

The open-to-all ML diversity series is a completely new attempt by the off-campus dorm to address topics such as the difficulties and implications of living in ML, the privileges and advantages of living in ML, the gender-neutral bathrooms and gender ratios on certain ML floors and the implications of social class as they relate to living in ML.

“I think the purpose of the program is to support a diverse community of Swatties, and, as an RA, to foster a community that deeply cares about social justice,” Storm said. “I think the community of ML is really tight-knit and that this diversity series will only help to foster a really awesome community.”

The list of events that have been planned to occur this month includes “Diversity and Living in ML,” “ML and Social Class,” “Privilege and ML” and “Gender and ML.”

“I’m really excited for the social class one because I don’t think social class issues get talked about enough here,” ML resident Claire Galpern ‘10 said. "Also, I think it’s important that we keep having conversations about diversity after orientation."

In addressing social class, Storm plans to host a Privilege Walk, in which those who attend line up in the middle of the room and answer true or false questions, with the end result being that “more privileged people will start walking forward and less privileged people will start walking backward.”

Though most of these issues pertain to any dorm and the college community in general, one of the more specific points of discussion will revolve around certain stereotypes concerning the types of people living in ML.

According to Storm, it is usual for students who live in ML to be characterized as “very studious, sometimes awkward or sometimes SWIL-related. That’s not what ML is like at all.” The “Diversity and Living in ML” discussion, in particular, aims to enlighten the college community on issues like these and provide a forum in which the ML community can reflect on what this means for themselves, as well.

“The open diversity series would help to dissolve the stereotypes given to ML residents,” Lizbeeth Lopez ‘10, a resident of Willets dorm, said. "At the beginning of the year, I thought that people who lived in ML were antisocial … I didn’t know that freshmen lived there. But, now I realize that I prejudged."

Despite the focus of the discussions on these broad topics as they relate to residents of ML, the series is open to all who wish to attend. According to Storm, this includes “people who lived in ML in the past” and “people who are interested in the topics” who do not necessarily live in ML. “I hope lots of people from other dorms come also,” Galpern said.

Storm is not only open-minded about the campus-wide audience he’d like to see at some of these events, but also about the nature of a diversity series, which need not pertain just to one dorm. “I think that you could really easily have one in every dorm,” Storm said. “It’s something that other dorms should definitely look into.”

Although these four events will only run through this month, Storm and the other ML RAs are hopeful that this diversity series will be able to continue throughout the whole year.

“We’re just sort of touching the tip of the iceberg,” Storm said. “I would love to see a discussion about race, sexual orientation … as well as the campus in general.”

Storm and the other ML RAs hosting and sponsoring the ML diversity series are open to ideas anyone might have about an event they could host in the future that would continue raising social awareness and promoting social justice. For more information concerning this month’s planned events for the ML Diversity Workshop-Conversation Series or the possibility of additional events in the future, please contact Scott Storm at sstorm1@swarthmore.edu.

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