Derrick Rollins, the diversity adviser to Iowa State President Martin Jischke’s cabinet, spoke yesterday about the difference between his childhood in Kansas City and how his children are growing up in Iowa.

Yesterday, from noon to 1 p.m. in Room 244 of the Memorial Union, nearly 30 people attended a discussion on the topic, “The Term ‘Race,’ Is It Appropriate?”, sponsored by the Ames/ISU YWCA. Rollins and Kathleen Hickok, an associate professor of English spoke at the forum.

Rollins said the difference in environment has made his children’s experiences growing up different from his.

“The dynamics of what they are experiencing is very interesting to me,” Rollins said.

Rollins said he thought people today are in evolving situations and perceive other groups in a different light compared to years ago.

“If you take two people of the same race you may think they have things in common, but they may not,” Rollins said. He added that even if two black people are alone in the room together, they may not always automatically relate to one another and be able to communicate.

He concluded his introduction with the statement, “Scientifically, there may be a difference, but socially we can say there is a difference in race.”

Hickok said using five divisions for races is becoming outdated. As the mother of a biracial child, Hickok, who is white, said the divisions do not correctly categorize her adopted child.

“Scientists have not found any human traits to divide people into separate designations,” Hickok said.

She said though it is important to stop dividing people into races, people should not ignore the philosophies and religions of each individual group.

Upon conclusion of Hickok’s and Rollin’s statements, questions from the audience were welcomed.

The first to voice his opinion was Milton McGriff, a graduate student in English. “It [race divisions] is an outside construct. Most of us would like to see a day when it is not necessary,” McGriff said.

Rollins asked everyone how they felt about the term white.

“I have a Latino daughter. She has blond hair and looks white. People have a stereotypical impression of a Latino as a person with a dark complexion,” said audience member Jeanne Higgs, a freshman in English.” We term race with the hue of a person’s skin.”

Rollins, who has an Irish background, said when he celebrates St. Patrick’s Day many people wonder why he does it because he is black.

Hickok added that most people are not aware of the fact that they may have a mixed heritage because in many families the mixed ancestries are forgotten or hidden.

“I am not going to be seen as a German-Native American student, [because of my skin color which is black]” said Tai Coleman, a graduate student in English.

The conversation then moved to the topic of college recruitment and ethnic backgrounds.

Audience members said schools send out different welcome packets specifically geared towards students of each race group. An Asian student, for example, may be sent a welcome packet showcasing campus activities that would appeal to them.

Hickok asked, pertaining to white students, “How do you know if students would not be interested in minority student activities?”

“I have been encouraging the recruitment packets to have multi-cultural items in them. It has been a slow going process. There is a need for specialized materials though,” said Dennis Peterson, the director of the Office of International Students and Scholars.

Peterson said the specialized packets are helpful to certain minority groups who need to know what resources the campus provides.

Coleman said the American culture is unique in its treatment of race. “I have traveled and in Spain I was seen as an American, not as a black person. If I stood beside a white woman they would see us as Americans.”

In conclusion, Rollins said, “Race is a learned kind of thing. One learns to be a particular race and learns how to interact with others based on that upbringing.”