Iowa State President Martin Jischke recently took strides to improve and develop increased awareness of diversity issues on campus.

These include the appointment of Derrick Rollins as the university’s diversity adviser, the allocation of funds to renovate the Black Cultural Center and to hire four new faculty members for the Faculty Senate-approved diversity and internationalization requirements.

These decisions by Jischke should be applauded.

They represent the university’s concern to move forward in educating students about diversity, but they should not bury current or past issues that have divided this campus, such as the controversy surrounding Catt Hall.

The building was named after Iowa State College alum Carrie Chapman Catt, who was active in campaigning for women’s voting rights, but had allegedly made racist remarks in the process.

Uhuru!, a campus publication, has criticized Catt for her actions since the building was dedicated last October, and members of the specially-organized September 29th Movement have pressured the administration to rename Catt Hall.

John Anderson, university relations interim director, said the Catt Hall debate has held back these new diversity plans, but they are not an appeasement to the controversy.

However, this isn’t a justifiable reason why the Catt Hall debate should end the priority of the issue within the administration.

While the new diversity plans are important to initiate, the Catt controversy is still very much alive, and it will be for some time.

We hope that the university’s new moves toward developing tolerance and awareness among diverse groups is a genuine effort to improve ISU’s situation, rather than an attempt to stifle, side-step or ignore the Catt Hall debate.

So before the administration decides to consider other diversity concerns, they should listen thoroughly to the people behind this debate, until it is no longer an issue.