Unfortunately, there are factors that will hinder and restrict the advancement of multicultural education as a means for people getting to know each other as cultural-beings. There are factors that can especially contaminate our views and attitudes of each other as we try to become educated in multicultural environments such as Iowa State University.

These factors cause the formation of misinformed thinking and judgments on the part of individuals who are caring and thoughtful members of our community.

One such factor is the misrepresentation of the spoken word and misrepresentation of concepts and data that produce articles that are inaccurate, misleading, and offer a distorted representation of communities of color and other marginalized communities in our society.

This happened in a Feb. 24 article in the Iowa State Daily, headlined “Minority students may feel alienated due to scholarships.”

At the request of a Daily reporter, the Minority Student Affairs department brought together three staff members that were involved in facilitating two focus groups to respond to and discuss several questions:

1. As an African-American, Latino/a-Hispanic, Asian-American/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaskan Native student … How do you view Iowa State’s campus climate/environment?

2. Is the campus environment receptive to African-American, Latino/a-Hispanic, Asian-American/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaskan Native students on Iowa State’s campus?

3. Do you think the campus environment/climate on a university’s campus hinders learning for African-American, Latino/a-Hispanic, Asian-American/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaskan Native students?

4. Have you impacted the cultural climate on Iowa State’s campus? If so, how?

5. Do you think you are a change agent?

6. What are some of the important qualities of an effective African-American, Latino/a-Hispanic, Asian-American/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaskan Native change agent?

There were no questions that facilitated discussion on scholarships. The discussion of both groups focused on the students’ experience as members of the ISU community.

As well, there were several misquotes of myself and others that were in the room that day for what we thought to be a discussion with a representative of the Iowa State Daily interested in the outcome of the focus groups and the campus experience of students of color, not another piece on “minority scholarships.”

The George Washington Carver scholarship and Multicultural Vision Program scholarship at Iowa State are given to students based on their academic merits prior to entering Iowa State. These students are some of our university’s best undergraduate scholars and leaders as well as contributors to the diversity of our community.

The media at Iowa State has the potential to be a positive media activist in the development of a strong multicultural and pluralistic campus community.

This will require the capacity to appropriately frame the activities and issues that they cover, the capacity to do meaningful and informed cultural critiques, and to offer representation of the diversity of our community.

I believe it possible, so let’s get busy.

Leonard D. Perry

Associate Dean of Students

Director of Minority Student Affairs