With Student Council elections underway, Asian student groups, La Sociedad Latina and the Black Student Alliance held forums last night to discuss minority concerns with student government and the proposed honor referenda. These forums are part of a movement among minority communities at the University to take a more active role in the honor system and Council elections.
Some administrators and student leaders say this growing interest and activism indicates a desire among minority students to become more involved in organizations that historically have been run largely by white students.
For this year's elections, the Asian Student Union, the BSA, LSL, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People at U.Va., the National Organization of Women at U.Va. and UNiTE, a diversity group on Grounds, formed a coalition to endorse candidates.
"This is the first time all of these organizations have had an endorsement," ASU President Janis Millete said.
"There is quite a bit of activism in the community already. There are a lot of students doing a lot of wonderful things. But what I hope for is a more visible and more vocal community," said Asst. Dean of Students Glenna C. Chang, whose special interest is advising Asian students.
This year, "for the first time ever, the Honor Committee recognized the issue of spotlighting," Honor Committee educator Stephanie Hsu said.
Spotlighting describes what many believe as society's tendency to pay unwarrented attention to minorities. Many minority students believe the honor system targets them.
The Honor System Review Commission addressed the need to confront the "valid concerns and negative perceptions regarding diversity and the Honor System" in its November report.
The Honor Committee's Diversity Awareness Committee and Honor educators have made a strong push this year to reach out to minority groups and change perceptions of the honor system.
"We realized that honor had to do something" this year, DAC chairwoman Lindy Blevins said.
DAC and the Honor Committee education pool have spent this year developing personal relationships with the Dean of Students Office, faculty and minority student leaders.
"This has been one of the more active years," BSA president Mike Costa said. "I'm optimistic, but the problems still haven't been solved.
Educators also regularly attend meetings of most Contracted Independent Organizations to explain the honor system and to increase the Committee's awareness of minority concerns. As part of the outreach of DAC, minority recruitment efforts to place minorities in student offices have been a major mission this year.
The Committee has five minority students running for honor representative positions from the College, Engineering and Law Schools.
Laura Soong, a first-year Law School student, was elected two weeks ago as one of next year's Law School honor representatives.
"It's exciting because it shows the fruits of our recruitment efforts," Committee Chairman Thomas Hall said.
Council also has seen a strong pool of candidates running for every office.
"Throughout the 1990s, and continuing today, Student Council has had a very strong minority presence," Council President Joe Bilby said.
"I think this has been a good year." Third-year La Sociedad Latina President Greg Staff said. "I was on LSL last year, and I've definitely seen a change, but we can do more."
Student leaders say the increased emphasis on diversity awareness has made this a landmark year for Council and for the Committee.
"Overall, students have done a good job in outreach," Dean of African American Affairs M. Rick Turner said.
"There's been more outreach than any other year since I've been here, and I've been here for 13 years," Turner said.
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