Mariah Craven CAS ’03 352.6399

As “a rational being who wants to achieve something great in this world” and as a black student, I feel compelled to respond to Jacob Cote’s letter of retort to Scott Brook’s column last week. I applaud Brooks for writing about a sensitive topic that, in my opinion, is not talked about enough at BU. I don’t know how many prospective black students Cote has spoken to recently, but I hosted one last year, and talked with many at my younger sister’s high school. A few don’t care that they could be the only black residents on their floor, or that they may be the only black face in a class, but most do. Had I realized how few black students are actually here, I’m not totally sure I would have even come. We don’t feel this way because we are racist or ignorant or irrational. I don’t even think that most people of color feel this way by choice. The way that “society” treats people of color sometimes leaves much to be desired, and to be honest, “society” occassionally feels a little hostile. Besides, it is hard to enter alone into an environment where you are the only one of anything. Cote accuses Brooks of blaming low black enrollment on a conscious effort by the BU administration and student body to keep blacks away. I don’t think this is true, but at the same time I wonder why there is no conscious effort to ATTRACT black students. We attend a stellar school, yet most other universities exceed us in this area. Cote should also not dismiss race by equating skin color with hair color. People in this country have been – and still are – killed and persecuted because of skin color. Again, in a perfect world, color wouldn’t matter, but I believe that a couple hundred years of racism has thrown hope for that out the window. It is because of a this history that we should all be pushing for more blacks at our school. Having more people of varied backgrounds in classes would add a new dimension of thought to discussions, and to me, that’s the whole point of coming here. I once dated a white guy who told me that “race doesn’t matter.” It was easy for race not to matter to him, because he had never been mistreated because of it. I picture Cote as being the same way. So, I want to ask Jacob Cote to picture himself at a school where he is the only male in every single one of his classes, the only male in his brownstone, the only male in the dining hall, and to pretend that every opinion he hears comes from a female viewpoint. Sure, all of this is bearable, and maybe even comfortable. But when you think about it, it doesn’t seem very rich or complete, does it?