Recently, we have been made aware of comments made at a town hall meeting Aug. 21 in Le Mars regarding the multicultural groups here on Iowa State’s campus.

The following comments were made by U.S. Rep. Steve King: “I went to the Iowa State website and […] I typed in ‘multicultural’ and it came back to me, at the time, 59 different multicultural groups listed to operate on campus at Iowa State. It started with Asians and it ended with Zeitgeist, so from A to Z, and most of them were victims’ groups, victimology, people that feel sorry for themselves and they’re out there recruiting our young people to be part of the group that feels sorry for themselves.”

As ISU students, we are deeply disappointed in these comments because as part of your constituency we would expect an elected official to be more informed about their voter base. Iowa State takes pride in having a long history of diversity and inclusion. Our multicultural groups do not promote “victimology,” but help new students integrate, transition and find an identity for themselves. These groups work to promote leadership, advocacy, education and awareness about different cultures. As students, we are not just proud of the multicultural groups on our campus, but the vast array of opportunities for students to get involved based on their interests. We recognize each person on our campus brings a unique perspective to our campus community.

In this ever-changing, more globalized world, knowledge of many cultures, ideas and identities is an imperative part of an education for our generation. Students going into their chosen professions must be worldly, independent and critical thinkers. The United States is one of the most culturally, racially and religiously diverse countries in the world with a long history of immigration and integration of many different backgrounds.

Iowa State strives to create an atmosphere where there is positive communication and cross-cultural understanding to have a more well-rounded community. With programs such as NCORE/ISCORE, students are encouraged to engage in conversations and discourse about the world around them.

As part of your constituency, we extend an invitation out to you to visit and tour our beautiful campus and meet with some of the student leaders of the different groups and clubs on campus. We would love a chance to show you around and clear up any misconceptions you may have about our university or the students here.