Students Greet Trustees Bearing Gifts

Last Friday, members of the Board of Trustees attending a fundraising luncheon at Stevenson were greeted by a pleasant surprise - chocolate Hershey's kisses courtesy of students representing the Dance Diaspora, the Colors of Rhythm and their allies within the Theater and Dance department. As the Trustees approached the dining hall, they encountered members of the student group, who came bearing welcoming signs, easter baskets and plenty of candy.

The purpose of the gathering was to establish a friendly dialogue between the Trustees and students who have recently criticized the Theater and Dance department for its lack of curricular diversity and its indecision about the status of Adenike Sharpley, a visiting professor who has yet to be granted faculty membership. With that goal in mind, the students stocked up on chocolate kisses and arrived at Stevenson bearing signs that read "Welcome, Chocolate kisses for the Board of Trustees" and "Thank you for supporting students of color."

Junior Johanna Almiron, who has been vocal in her support of Sharpley, explained that the gathering was not so much a protest as an amicable meeting between the students and members of the Board. "We wanted to welcome the Trustees because we know that, at the heart of it, they are here to help and to listen," she said. "They want to know what should be done for the students on this campus. So we decided to greet them with a welcoming committee on Friday."

Sophomore Emma Cott, who also attended the gathering, echoed those sentiments. "We wanted to have a civilized conversation," she said. "Theater and dance just needs more space."

For his part, Dean of Students Peter Goldsmith was impressed by the demonstration and the efforts of the students involved. "It appeared to me an altogether thoughtful, reasoned and civil expression of concern about a range of issues relating to multiculturalism, with the Trustees as the intended audience," he said.

At the General Faculty meeting on Tuesday, it was officially announced that five new faculty positions would be made available in the near future, which will pave the way for 10 new acourses in the College and the Conservatory. The students gathered at Stevenson wanted the Trustees to know that such openings should be filled by deserving professors like Sharpley, who have worked tirelessly to support students of color in the Theater and Dance department. Furthermore, the students wished to express their desire for the creation of an Ethnic Studies department and an increase in amount of Theater and Dance curriculum that is relevant to students of color.

"[Sharpley's] work needs to be validated," Almiron said. "She deserves much more than she is getting, both from the administrative level and the departmental levels. The problem with her situation isn't limited to the departments, and that's where the Board of Trustees comes in. If the Theater and Dance department could support her, they should and they would. For those departments to hire her, they need the support of the Trustees. And we needed the Trustees to know that some of those openings should be filled in the Theater and Dance department. We're dying for it."

Another issue discussed at the General Faculty meeting was student housing, a different issue that is nevertheless pertinent to the Sharpley situation. "Every year, African Heritage House and Third World House are strongholds for communities of color," Almiron said. "They function as solid empowerment houses, places that we'll always need. Adenike Sharpley is the faculty advisor for African Heritage House, and she's done so much for us. We need to make sure that the people who are important to those houses are not overworked and underpaid."

Although the impromptu meeting between the members of the Board and the students was cordial and productive, it remains to be seen whether it will have any long- term effect upon the status of Sharpley or the curriculum in the Theater and Dance department. It did, however, provide one brief, beautiful moment in the history of democratic education.