I am writing to address several concerns that I have about the upcoming dedication of Jack Trice Stadium.

There is a great effort on the parts of many individuals within this university and this administration to present this dedication as a symbol of the university’s commitment towards diversity and multi-culturalism. Nothing could be further from the truth.

To begin with: NO NON-MAJORITY STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS (i.e. Black Student Alliance, Asian Pacific American Awareness Coalition) were asked to be a part of the dedication planning committee.

Better yet, no organizations representing non-majority students received invitations to the event. Only after I and other non-majority individuals voiced concerns about this slight on the part of the administration, was an invitation sent out via e-mail to various individuals and organizations less than 48 hours before the dedication (a completely reactive-yet-predictable move).

The struggle to rename the stadium after Jack Trice had stretched over decades with many individuals of various backgrounds working to ensure that this student-athlete of African descent is properly honored for his contribution to this university both on and off the field.

Many students of African descent and BSA have always believed that the stadium should have been dedicated to Trice from the beginning. And despite the obvious reasons to dedicate the stadium after him, administrators at ISU had refused to entertain the notion until last year.

Now, some of you might be inclined to believe that we, as a nation, have progressed enough. And having become so “enlightened,” many people, who in past decades might have objected to the dedication because Trice was black, were more willing in 1996 and 1997 to name the stadium after him.

But that is not the case, and so let us be frank. Everyone knows (although some might be reluctant to admit it ) that the decision to dedicate the stadium after Jack Trice came about as a result of the efforts of the Black Student Alliance and The September 29th Movement.

These two organizations, for at least the past two years, have raised issues of multi-culturalism and diversity on ISU. They questioned the dedication of Catt Hall (due to Catt’s racist and xenophobic remarks) and the lack of commitment on behalf of the university toward non-majority groups.

They called for increased funding for the Cultural Studies Programs (African-American, Latino studies and American Indian/Native American Studies), for the establishment of an Asian-American Studies Program, and for increased retention and recruitment of non-majority students, faculty and staff.

And in doing so, these two organizations, along with other progressive groups on campus, brought awareness to these issues. When the university attempted to silence these students, the university recieved bad publicity.

Everyone, from some faculty and staff on this campus to The Des Moines Register and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), criticized ISU for its restrictions on the students’ freedom of speech.

And so the decision to dedicate the stadium to Jack Trice was meant as an appeasement. But even in attempting to appease us, the administration cannot help excluding non-majority students from participating in this event. It is in their nature. It happened with the naming and dedication of Catt Hall and it is happening now with Jack Trice.

And so, at the eleventh hour, when I am asked to take part in the dedication ceremony, I declined to become part of a process that was exclusionary from the beginning and now wants my participation and that of BSA merely to give the impression that students of color had a role in this dedication.

I refuse to be a token and I don’t have to be part of the dedication ceremony to know that it is the hard work of countless individuals, as well as the Black Student Alliance and The September 29th Movement which made the dedication possible.

This dedication ceremony is merely “a photo-op” for the administration. They hope to reflect a climate of inclusion and of diversity. Do not be fooled.

If that was the case, why does Jischke still refuse to recommend the name change of Catt Hall? Why doesn’t he re-open the renaming process like he did with Jack Trice? Why does the university regard non-majority students as irrelevant until they need us for publicity? Why do we remain invisible today?

The answer is simple. This administration is about exclusion and racism. Let’s call this for what it is; they are no more interested in having us on the dedication committee than they are about truly addressing the needs of non-majority students until they are forced to.

If you didn’t know, now you know. The options are limited: remain invisible, become a sell out or a token or join the struggle! La Lucha continua!

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Meron Wondwosen

Senior

Political science and french

President, Black Student Alliance