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Associated Student Government members respond to lack of racially diverse representation

By Bonnie Miebers, Senior Staff Writer

Of the 52 senators in Associated Student Government (ASG), 10 identify with racially diverse backgrounds. One international student and one student of Middle Eastern heritage are on the Executive Cabinet, which is made up of 14 members. The international student who is a cabinet member is also the only international student in ASG.

All but one of the presidential and vice presidential candidates identifies as Caucasian. One vice presidential candidate is a member of the Miami Tribe.

The lack of minority representation in the presidential and vice presidential candidates running in this year's student body presidential elections should not come as a surprise since many candidates served in the homogenous ASG before deciding to run.

While these numbers may be representative of Miami's over 80 percent white campus, some worry it may cause issues that minority groups face to be overlooked.

"I think ASG admittedly probably needs to do a better job at outreach to minority students," Student Body President Cole Tyman said.

Tyman said it is difficult for any student organization to get members to join its ranks, but ASG is putting in a renewed effort to gain minority membership. ASG faculty adviser Scott Walker said he has seen ASG become more open to the student body in the past five years. He also said he believes the senate is responsive to concerns that are made known to them.

"I'm sure ASG doesn't know every concern that every student has," Walker said.

The main concerns, however, are those issues that do not make themselves known to or do not get heard by ASG.

"I don't think that students of diverse/minority populations feel that their voices are heard by ASG," said Student Senator and ASG Parliamentarian Ifeolu Claytor.

Lack of diversity in the senate and the lack of minority representation cannot be attributed to a single cause. A general lack of engagement on the part of minority students is not the root of the problem either.

Magda Orlander, ASG secretary for Diversity Affairs, said many students who are considered "different" are unwilling to participate in structures that they feel do not want to hear their opinions or accommodate them.

"Right now you can put the majority of ASG and their ways of thinking into two or three categories so there isn't a place for outside ideas," said ASG Senator Taylor Edwards.

Diversity in way of thought and academic interests along with ethnic diversity are lacking in ASG.

According to Senators Sarah Valentine and Edwards, most senators come from similar backgrounds. While ASG is open to students of all backgrounds - in fact any student can run for student body president - the types of students that are typically interested in student government are business and political science majors. To remedy this issue and attempt to diversify the senate, ASG has added senate seats for each college.

"It's difficult for a group of students coming from similar backgrounds to introduce underrepresented issues on campus simply because most of the senators aren't in constant contact with the unique problems a specific group of people might face," Valentine said.

A possible reason for underrepresentation of minority groups in the senate is a lack of support. Many Miami students do not know what ASG is, how it runs or how or when to vote for members of the senate.

While there are groups and organizations all over campus that are welcoming to students of all backgrounds, there is a general lack of support from the Miami community at large.

Just as there is not one reason for this lack of diversity, there is not one answer to this issue.

Increasing diversity among the members of ASG will involve having conversations about race and diversity and increasing recruitment of diverse students to the university as well as into ASG.

Orlander believes having those conversations is not enough and increasing diversity calls for a structural change that will involve the voices of minority students. Walker said ASG is looking at changing the structure right now with the senate seats for each college.

Diversity training for members of the senate is also in developmental stages. Orlander says that this training will involve team-building exercises. It will not only be informative, but it would also call for self-reflection.

Tyman said, while ASG is predominately white, minorities have never been non-existent.

"It's in the mind of a lot of people to do a better job of reaching out to minority students going forward," Tyman said.