New Student Orientation events are often scoffed at or ignored by first-years. This year has proven to be an exception, as the new Pluralism in Action program used a play composed of incoming first-years’ admissions essays to make diversity an interesting topic. We commend the University for recognizing the need for new diversity programming and implementing an effective presentation.
According to Director of Orientation and Leadership Erika Cohen-Derr, the original Pluralism in Action program was created in the late ‘90s to address incidents of discrimination on campus. The program included a speaker, followed by discussion sessions led by student leaders and members of the faculty and staff.
Cohen-Derr said that the program was modified this year to make it more personal. “We felt like it would be more powerful-or powerful in a different way-to tie it directly to our community.”
The decision to change PIA was a good one, since organizers say the overwhelming response was positive.
“The most interesting thing about the performance for me was how it broadened my understanding of diversity,” said Nicole Cramer (CAS ‘08). “I had never really thought about diversity in terms of family experiences and upbringing.”
The most positive thing about PIA is that it seeks to prevent discrimination rather than address it after the fact.
After last year’s publicized incidents of racism, the University mobilized administrators and student leaders to engage in dialogues about intolerance on campus. While this works toward alleviating tension on campus, it does nothing to prevent future incidents from occurring. One improvement to the PIA program would be to make the history of hate based incidents known to incoming first-years to further emphasize the extent of the problem.
The new PIA should not only be institutionalized during NSO, but also be implemented throughout the year. The only way to end discrimination on campus is to attempt to prevent incidents from happening, and Pluralism in Action is perhaps the best measure that Georgetown has taken.
