Even though it was found out to be a hoax, the act committed by Dauntarius Williams on Nov. 1 has caused great harm to the Manhattan community. What started off as a “prank” ended up causing division and turmoil within the Kansas State family, and this man wasn’t even a student at the university.
Nevertheless, it brings up a great discussion about race and racism on our campus, and the university canceled class for a “KSUnite” event on Nov. 14. While I hope something good comes from this, there needs to be a concrete plan to help change the culture on campus.
One way to tackle this is to add a cultural immersion class as part of K-State’s required classes. Not only will it help to educate students on the many different cultures and backgrounds that exist on campus, but it would help to bring a cultural change that K-State needs in times like this.
There is a class like this already offered at K-State: American Ethnic Studies 160 (AMETH 160). This class would prepare students about the many different cultures and ethnicities that exist in the world, especially the ones that attend school here at K-State.
Not only that, but in a country that is getting more diverse as the years pass on, it’ll be helpful after college as well, providing students with the knowledge they’ll need to live in a diverse society. Not to mention, it’s already a course on the K-State 8, so students wouldn’t have to take an extra class to fulfill the requirement.
All in all, it’s a great opportunity for students to learn more about diversity, and I hope that if K-State really wants to make a change to the climate around campus, this is one of the changes they’ll make. It would really help K-State unite and make for a more inclusive and diverse family.
Raushaid Penn is a senior in mass communications. The views and opinions expressed in this letter are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Collegian. Please send comments to opinion@kstatecollegian.com.
