Thumbs up: Black Male Initiative strengthens community
DePauw has a distinct student stereotype.
Princeton Review's top-15 party school is often the first label to come to mind. Resume-cushioning is a close second
But organizations like Black Male Initiative help prove that the spirit of DePauw takes shape in its community.
The group promotes African American males, as well as those of other multicultural backgrounds, to strengthen resolve to stay enrolled until graduation. Now six years old, it hosts meetings and speakers to create an environment that builds community from student to student.
The Admissions office has shown distinct interest in increasing student body diversity, and the Black Male Initiative should be a good indication the approach is a good one, supported by the existing comminity.
The university should be recording these numbers and sharing them with prospective students. Those could show definitive progress.
We enrolled in this liberal arts institution to have our ideals challenged, our comfort zones explored and our horizons broadened. What better way to do that than discussions and interactions with students of different backgrounds, different interests and different histories than our own.
In our opinion, DePauw is at its best when those with a variety of backgrounds come together to strengthen community by not only supporting eachother, but also challenging the status quo.
Thumbs Up: Trustees green light five big campus projects
In the Tuesday, Feb. 21 issue of The DePauw, we reported that the trustees made an exciting decision.
Let's be clear: approving five projects that require major renovation or construction is a big deal. Especially when the buildings targeted are the most used facilities on campus: the dining hall and student union, the library, athletic center,and student residences.
These are the buildings the DePauw community spends their time in, which can only mean good things for the way our community interacts and grows together.
The trustee's move also says a lot about the power of students' voice. We've been talking about Roy O. Wests' too dark and dusty corners and Lilly Center's tight quarters for a while now — but funds weren't realistically available. The trustee's heard students loud and clear and their actions reflect that.
We appreciate the trustees' willingness to listen to student suggestions and to take them into account in proposing changes. We hope they will continue listening.