Sunday, March 20, 2005

Multicultural

An aside from campus visits. Both George Mason and James Madison Universities referenced "multicultural" in our visits. JMU had better propsective student information and our tour highlighted the "multicultural" building.

Guess having a multicultural interest as an official, named campus program is de riguer in academe these days. Back in the stone age, we just had students of different races, genders, ethnic origin, religions and countries of origin. We had student organizations (clubs) for any that chose to do so. (The "Arab Night" bash was worth attending at least once)

I'm not sure we needed any official program to emphasis "multicultrualism." We just accepted the fact that those folks were there, and if the spirit so moved us, learned about their different culture by attending any programs the clubs may have given, or just by association with those folks. We did not need, nor would most of us welcome, some official program with learned drones telling us how important it was and just how we should officially study and accept it.

Well, now we are in the age if enlightenment. Are things better? Or are we just finding ways to create a need and then fill it with folks who ought to be looking for something useful to do with their lives?

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