Ever since I walked onto the Grounds of the University of Virginia, I continue to be reminded that I, a black female, represent diversity for those that find themselves in the majority. No matter what I do, I can't help but walk into a classroom or meeting and count the number of people that look like me, and then become slightly disappointed and uncomfortable when I find that my count never went above one: just me. This feeling of discomfort was what I felt when I walked into my first University Judiciary Committee meeting as a first-year student in 2007. I sat in a room where many people knew each other because of their Greek affiliations or mutual friends; they had no reason to get to know me.
As time went on and I became more involved in UJC I made a few friends, but I still had a problem with the fact that I could count the number of black people in the room on one hand. UJC is a representative organization, and to represent the entire student body it must reflect that student body.
The managing board of The Cavalier Daily ("Not by the numbers," Sept. 21) attempted to argue that major student groups, such as Student Council, the Honor Committee and UJC, should focus on "the quality of their recruits" and focus less on the statistics. Last time I checked we all go to the University of Virginia, and most students here are more than qualified to be a member of any committee or council. Of course as an economics major, I understand that statistics are not an ideal way to track anything because they are not always an accurate view of reality, but as a student in the Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy I wonder what alternative ways the managing board would suggest that UJC and other such groups track their success in outreach and improving diversity.
As a minority in a majority group, I can say that numbers do make a difference, if for nothing else than for the comfort of a student. Unless a majority student finds themselves in an African-American Studies classroom, they will not ever feel the discomfort of walking into a room and being the only person that looks like them. I stayed in UJC for the past few years because I chose to make a difference, and assist in outreach to all students. And by outreach I mean handing a flyer to any student that walks past, not just ones that you think you can relate to.
What I found out through this process of outreach is that people in minority communities, despite what you may think, do not feel welcome and are not well-educated about major University groups like Council, the Honor Committee and UJC. It is always left up to a few students from minority communities not afraid to break out of their comfort zones to join these groups, but it shouldn't be an issue of comfort. A student should not just hear the words "all are welcome," but they should be able to feel that they are welcome when they walk to a table at the activities fair or they have someone come to their dorms and talk to them about an organization.
I know for a fact that UJC has made major strides in doing this during the past three years. I have been a part of the outreach, and the focus of the outreach has been to make sure we reach the entire University community. Because UJC has done major outreach to the past two first-year classes, more people, with more diverse backgrounds have become interested in UJC, not just those that already are well-acquainted with the system. All three of these groups, and any others like them, should not be criticized for their use of numbers to show improvements in diversity, because I guarantee if the numbers were closer to the numbers that the University chooses to admit each year, then these groups will truly be representative of the communities they serve with people of all races that are more than qualified to be there.
Jasmine Jefferson is a fourth-year student in the College and a student in the Batten School.
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