I have always been fascinated by protests. There is something about people speaking out, standing their ground and taking action that draws and captivates my attention; not to mention, it’s hard to ignore a large group of people screaming at the top of their lungs.
Fortunately for me, there is plenty of protesting on the University campus. On my way to class the other day I heard the familiar rhythmic chant. As I approached Johnson hall, there stood before me the bright picket signs and the typical group of gawkers. As with any protest, I received the customary, informative square of paper. It said, “Keep top ranking history professor Martin Summers (-) Commitment to diversity means keeping top ranked faculty of color (-) If U of O is committed to diversity then keeping Martin Summers is a strong priority.”
I left knowing that Summers is both well-liked by a sizable group of students and that he is among the “top ranked faculty of color.” But one very important piece of information was missing: the reason he may be leaving the University. I puzzled about this for a while. The only situation that I could imagine warranting a protest was one where he was fired or somehow forced into retirement.
The answers soon came in the form of a news article (“Student rally supports retaining professor,” ODE Feb. 21). As it turns out, Summers has not been fired; he is considering leaving. Yep, that’s right, students are protesting because a professor might decide to leave and the University is not doing enough to fight for him.
Summers has been offered a faculty teaching position at the University of Texas: Not only will he earn more money, a permanent part-time position has been offered for his partner, Karl Mundt, an intern in the College of Arts and Sciences. It sounds to me as though Summers has received a fairly good opportunity, but it is not the University’s responsibility to make a counter offer. I trust the University to do whatever can be done to retain quality professors, and I think it’s great that students are willing to stand up and let the administration know that a great professor may be lost. I do not, however, understand why the race card came up.
In the previously mentioned article, Multicultural Center spokeswoman Kit Myers said, “We had to have the rally today to put pressure on the administration. Friday, we felt like the administration hadn’t dealt with the petition at all, so we held a rally just to let them know that students are concerned with the retainment of faculty of color.”
I would like to know why professor Martin Summers’ race is so important in this situation. Should the University make an attempt to keep him on staff simply because he is a minority (I don’t know what his race is)? I have never had professor Summers, nor have I met him; I do not know what kind of teacher he is. Considering that his students are willing to fight to keep him says a lot. Why can’t his students advocate for him based on what kind of teacher he is rather than on his race?
I understand that these students are not only advocating for their professor, they are advocating for diversity. When it was time for me to pick a college I decided on the University of Oregon because I did not want to attend a small, homogenous college. But is race the definition of diversity? Is skin color the only thing that makes people different? Everyone has different experiences, views, beliefs, histories, perspectives and views on the world. Many things make us different from one another; race is a small component.
Walking across campus every day I bump into a lot of people and I see a diverse population. Sure, there are a lot of white people at the University.
According to the University Web site, for Fall 2004, 74 percent of students listed themselves as white. But does that really surprise anyone? If you hadn’t noticed, Oregon is a very white state. I remember when I moved to Oregon, nearly 7 years ago, from the Los Angeles area. I was driving around town with my family and I was simply amazed. I kept thinking: Wow! What’s with all the white people? Oregon was like the twilight zone; I was no longer in the melting pot of cultures, races and religions.
Though I have been missing out on some of the diversity that existed in Los Angeles, there is a different kind of diversity here in Oregon and Eugene. Diversity should always be encouraged but it should not be used as a front for different issues. Let’s fight for and keep our professors because they inspire, educate and transform, not because they change the demographics page on the school Web site.
Correction:
Because of a columnist’s error, Friday’s “Diversity extends beyond skin color” incorrectly reported the gender of Multicultural Center spokesman Kit Myers.
The Emerald regrets the error.