UCLA students rally for diversity

Students lined the sides of Bruin Walk at noon on Tuesday to protest what they feel is a lack of diversity in the University of California system as well as the recent hate crimes that have occurred on other campuses.

Protesters joined hands, chanted and fliered to students on Bruin Walk who were forced to pass through the path made even narrower by the chains of ralliers.

The protest was organized by a variety of student groups on campus, including the Afrikan Student Union, the American Indian Student Association, the Asian Pacific Association, MEChA DE UCLA and other clubs that speak for underrepresented minorities.

“The purpose of the event is to challenge the university to take the most proactive and direct method to increase and address diversity on campus,” said Corey Matthews, chairman of the Afrikan Student Union.

He said that the purpose of the demonstration, which was scheduled to last until 2 p.m., was to acknowledge the diversity across campus. Protesters also encouraged students to sign a petition for the creation of a general education diversity requirement at UCLA.

However, despite attempts to educate students on Bruin Walk, many passersby remained confused about the purpose of the protest.

“I don’t understand what they are trying to say. I’m sure they have good intentions but I don’t understand what they are,” said Justin Long, a third-year mechanical engineering student who walked through the aisle created by the protesters. “Chanting tells people nothing; there is a better way to get the point across to students.”

One protester shoved a flier between first-year physiological sciences student Matt Singer’s back and backpack. Singer said he did not know what students were yelling about and didn’t get the opportunity to learn because of the tactics that were used. He added that using intimidation is not going to get people to side with students on this issue and that it only pushes them away.

The protesting students were allowed to keep their position on Bruin Walk as they were not preventing people from reaching their destination on campus, according to university police.

In addition to educating fellow students about the problem of diversity, the coordinators of the rally want the chancellor to ensure that enrollment of underrepresented communities will not be affected by the budget cuts. They added that the university should support outreach programs and make them a priority, Matthews said.

Leaders also want the diversity requirement proposed to the university to be met by March 12, he said.

Protesters distributed a petition to students that would create a diversity requirement at UCLA, as it is one of the only UC campuses that does not have a similar requirement, according to the proposal.

The proposal “would not be creating new courses or adding to the GE requirement but would identify and facilitate the education of students, and make people aware that the university cares (about diversity),” said Layhannara Tep, academic affairs commissioner to the Undergraduate Students Association Council, in a pre-rally speech.

The proposed requirement would become part of the Foundations of Society and Culture. Instead of taking two courses from either the historical or social analysis, students would be required to take one course from each of the historical, social and diversity analysis categories.

The Academic Senate, the board that regulates university curriculum, did not have an opportunity to comment on the proposed requirement.

Aside from serving educational purposes, the protest was inspired by the hate crimes that have occurred on other UC campuses in the past week, including the noose found in the Geisel Library at UC San Diego, the swastika sign carved onto the door of a Jewish student at UC Davis, and the graffiti of a noose found on a bathroom door at UC Santa Cruz.

“The protest will help bring to attention the fact that racism activities happen all the time, everywhere, and people don’t really know about it,” said Kim Davis, a first-year history student who has no affiliation to coordinating groups. “There should be more awareness, and schools, especially public institutions, should be a safe place.”

Tep said it is important to educate students about this issue to create a culture of tolerance and understanding about all students at UCLA.

“Diversity is more than what people pinpoint it as: It not only includes race but gender, sexuality and religion too,” Tep said.

With contributing reports from Samantha Schaefer, Kavitha Subramanian and Sonali Kohli, Bruin senior staff.