Dean Mills' Letter to the Alligator

Letter to the Editor
Freedoms should be used with wisdom

I write to you in response to the recent cartoon depicting Kanye West and Condoleezza Rice as well as the numerous letters to the editor that have addressed campus diversity in recent months. I believe the use of the n-word in the cartoon reflects the poor judgment of the artist and editorial staff of the Alligator.

Despite the use of this word in popular media and the youth culture of today, many individuals with a sense of history, justice and equality still find the n-word, and all other symbols of hatred, to be distasteful and insulting. For many, the n-word is not a term of endearment or a hip lyric from the latest CD. Certainly, the issues of "freedom of expression" and "freedom of the press" underlie the decision to run the cartoon, but one would hope the exercise of these freedoms would be guided by wisdom and discretion.

On the matter of campus diversity, it is interesting to note that most of the letters to the editor on the subject of campus diversity have, in a very stereotypical manner, correlated inferiority or low standards to this goal. As we know, UF has very high admission standards, which have been established by the credentials of our students. We also know that under the One Florida Initiative, race is not used in the admissions process. I personally know that UF seeks to attract the very best students!

Therefore, any argument that equates diversity with lowering the standards is a weak argument. From my perspective, the notion of diversity is about more than just increasing the number of underrepresented students (structural diversity). Diversity also includes how we interact with each other. Becoming a university that better reflects the demographics of our state will not in itself make us a more prestigious university. However, if we just try a little harder to move outside our comfort zones and reach across imagined human boundaries, each of us might be a little better prepared to flourish in the world beyond our gated communities.

I challenge every member of the Gator Nation to give serious thought to what it means to be a Gator. Is your Gator identity one of exclusion and limited perspective, or are Gators truly world leaders in a broad sense?

Terry L. Mills, Ph.D.

Associate professor of sociology and associate dean for minority affairs