Recent racial tensions on campus have sparked debate concerning the purpose of the Student Union Diversity Committee (DC). While some senators believe the committee should focus only on racial tensions, others feel it should encompass all issues of diversity.

Racial minority senator and co-chair of the DC Kassian Polin '05 said he is among those who oppose the committee focusing solely on racial issues.

"It is against every instinct in my body to act against the interests of racial minority students," Polin wrote to the DC's mailing list. "I firmly believe, however, that having a broader scope for the DC not only does not undermine the racial minority cause, but actually enhances it."

Others believe the committee needs to devote the majority of its time and resources to racial minority students.

"Last year, we did other things besides racial diversity, but the problem is we don't have [a] set direction," Class of 2006 Senator Edgar Ndjatou said. "By trying to focus on too much, we can't accomplish anything."

The original purpose of the committee is a matter of contention.

"My original intention was making sure the racial minority students had voice in the student government," the committee's founder and last year's Senator for Racial Minority Students Nicole Amarteifio '04 said. "People say minorities should get more involved, but we shouldn't have that burden."

Student Union Vice-President Ken Gantz thinks the DC should encompass all diversity issues.

"[The] DC was never created with the sole, explicit intent to focus on race... it was intended to focus on all issues of diversity, not just race. If right now DC just focuses on race that's fine, but not permanently," Gantz said.

DC Intercultural Center Liaison Ernesto Lopez '06 argued the DC is not sufficiently focused.

"Someone wanted to do something for Mental Health Awareness week and something with Trisk," Lopez said. "But it's too spread-out and it has become race versus diversity. The DC has the potential to be a strong advocate if we narrow our focus now and then as we get older we can open up."

Lopez said that because of last semester's events, the DC focused on events on campus during its weekly meetings and thus was unable to plan any programs. Its $500 budget for the semester was unspent.

"We never had a chance to sit down and talk about anything else because of the Justice issue and then the Muslim posters," Lopez said.

Ndjatou and Amarteifio expressed the same sentiment.

Amarteifio said the committee was "not efficient" and if it tries to focus on everything it "becomes a waste of time."

"I feel sad that the committee does not want to focus on racial minority students ," Amarteifio said. "I'm leaving and I have nothing to gain, but I know the importance of having a committee for racial minority students."

Ndjatou also said debate puts the broader issue of defining diversity in the limelight. He said that when there is talk of diversity, its meaning is left ambiguous.

"At Brandeis people talking about diversity means racial diversity and given the events of last semester, we haven't gotten over that," Ndjatou said. "Once we can get past that and alleviate tension then we can focus on other things. By targeting one aspect of diversity, DC can accomplish more; DC is not just here to do events, we're here to make institutional changes."

There is continuing discussion on DC's goals this semester.

"A more broadly focused DC would not divert resources from racial agendas to others, because such agendas reinforce one another through the building of campus-wide bridges that the DC as a Union committee should be committed to," Polin wrote in an e-mail to the DC mailing list. "I want a DC that institutionalizes in the student government the most precious bonding that the members of BBSO and BOO enjoyed during the barbecue held last year."

Polin said he said he intends to take a more assertive role and facilitate events that create an impact on campus.

"The DC will get its act together this semester, because I believe Brandeis students, racial minorities or not, would like to see it help create a more harmonious campus through the Union-institutionalized facilitation of cross-cultural understanding," Polin wrote in the same e-mail.