F E ATU RE S
WWW.GUILFORDIAN.COM
Open community forums hosted by
DAC, discuss & combat race issues
BY EMILY CURRIE
Staff Writer
On a sunny winter day, students, faculty and staff sat
in a haphazard circle in Founders Hall. Faculty and staff
occupied one corner, while students spread out across the
rest of the room. Shifting around in their seats, it was clear
that individuals were hesitant to talk about the red-button
topic. . V
Of the 35 people that showed up, most were white.
The March 5 "Race and Reality at Guilford" forum was
sponsored by the Diversity Action Committee.
"(The DAC) is a (group) of representatives from most
departments on campus, as well as students, charged
with overseeing the implementation of the institutional
diversity plan," said Director for Diversity Training and
Development Jorge Zeballos, co-chair of the DAC.
Zeballos made it clear that the point was to find
solutions.
"The purpose of this forum is to create the kind of school
we want to have, not just to complain," said Zeballos.
The committee is united in their goal to bridge racial
gaps. The job tackles Guilford's struggles with diversity
in segregated housing, black students' desire to see more
faculty that look like them, and students of color feeling
uncomfortable speaking up.
One brave student broke the tension by describing
what racism is to her.
"Some people think racism is one thing, but it's actually
the way you speak and the jokes you tell," said senior
Emily Morazdn "That's racism.
"Be aware of what you're saying. It's not okay to make
those jokes."
Junior and Latina Ines Sanchez De Lozada helped
organize the forum. She believes some teachers do not
know how to talk about diversity.
"A lot of these conversations can seem confrontational
and hard to have, and this needs to change on all levels at
this school," said De Lozada. "It's not just the way faculty
addresses (race), but the way students interact with one
another."
Thinking back, Edwina Greene '13 takes in a breath
before timidly summing up her Guilford experience.
"I felt like there was bias (at Guilford)," said Greene in
a phone interview. "I felt discrimination from the white
female faculty. In a psychology class, two white girls
made a racial remark about me, and I reported it to the
instructor. Nothing was done to those students."
Junior and woman of color Ilari Pass grew outraged in
a class she took last semester. The instructor was white
and the topic was African American theory.
"You can teach Black history until you are blue in the
face, but you can never comprehend what we still have to
deal with in this society," said Pass to the instructor.
Underrepresentation of black students was not the
only hot button touched on at the forum. Housing
where residents are socially segregated was repeatedly
mentioned at the heated meeting.
De Lozada recognizes the difficulty in speaking up
about race, which touches people in an oftentimes painful
way.
"I live in a theme house where everybody is white
except me," said De Lozada. "At a meeting, I brought up
the fact that I was uncomfortable in the living space.
"After the meeting, no one came up to me to talk about
it. (It) just feels like I'm alone."
While creating an understanding, diverse community
comes with a laundry list of challenges, the DAC is
hoping the community forums promote change. The next
forum will be in April. A diversity curriculum for First
Year Experience is also in the works.
"(We hope) all members of our community will feel
their voices are being heard and action is being taken to
address concerns," said Zeballos.
"We have a voice, but sometimes we have to scream,"
said De Lozada.
Open Forums
April 2 @ 1:30 p.m.
Founders (West Gallery)
April 30 @ 2:30 p.m.
Boren Lounge
For more information, contact
Ines Sanchez de Lozada
sanchezdelozaclaai@guilforcl.edu
Community members came together at the forum on March 5 to discuss diversity and race in housing, faculty and the classroom.
/
First-year Tyler Kossover finds an innovative place to relax.
Donn hacks, tricks, tips
for better college living
BY ABE KENMORE
Staff Writer
I returned from winter break to discover that my
roommate had turned our Binford dorm into a physics
lab using a scientific laser, a pillowcase, sunglasses and
a binocular lens.
I have no need to conduct laser experiments in my
room, but I do enjoy finding resourceful solutions to the
problems of dorm life. To this end, I reached out to the
Guilford community and uncovered some practical dorm
hacks for living, studying and eating well in your dorm.
If you have an adjustable bed — like the ones in
Milner -i— you can raise it to the top of the frame and
swing a hammock underneath, forming an informal
bunk bed. Hang blankets around the bed to complete
the feel of a schooner captain's cabin.
Zack Wolfe, first-year
If you live in Binford, you know the joys of the massive
storage cabinets above the closet. But did you know that,
with few blankets these can become sound-proof study
areas? Just climb up there and hide away.
Tyler Kossover, First-year
Not many people enjoy that lovely blue glow you get
from fluorescent lights. To improve the quality of light,
hang silks or other light cloth over them.
Olivia Chalkley, first-year
A few uses for those piles of old papers — stuff them
into wet shoes to dry them out, use old newspapers to
clean windows, or fold colorful, one sided handouts
around letters like gift wrap for a quick envelope.
Naomi Madaras, sophomore
Try using a hanging shoe organizer keep tools, school
supplies and other things orderly and out of the way.
Molly McCarriston Stoltzfus, First-year
If you like milk in your tea/coffee, but don't have a
refrigerator, pick up a few single serve plastic creamers
next time the Caf has a free coffee table out. They are
much better than powdered non-dairy creamer.
Abe Kenmore, first-year
Speaking of coffee — have a teakettle, but no coffee
maker? Cut the bottom out of a paper cup and invert it
over a mug. Then, use a rubber band to attach a coffee
filter over the hole. On top of this, add your coffee
grounds and pour hot water through.
Kenmore
Don't have time to cook breakfast in the morning?
Combine water or milk with oats, mix in sugar and
cinnamon, and let the whole thing steep overnight in
the refrigerator. In the morning, you have ready-made
oatmeal.
Katie Fullerton, sophomore
Alternatively, make Swiss Bircher Muesli — mix
equal parts cottage cheese and rolled oats, add frozen
fruit or fresh fruit and a little juice and let it sit
overnight.
Kenmore
Quick and easy breakfast sandwich; scramble an egg
in a saucer, add some cheese, and microwave for one
minute. It will be perfectly cooked — just add to a bagel,
biscuit or toast.
Kenmore
They may not help you with that physics homework,
but hopefully some of these ideas will make living in
your dorm a little easier. So what are you waiting for?
Start hacking!