Campus leaders walk united

Students from every campus organization met with faculty and staff at Dallas Hall Tuesday to participate in the annual Unity Walk to pay tribute to Martin Luther King Jr.

The group walked across campus from Dallas Hall to the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Commons where SMU President R. Gerald Turner, student trustee Steven Schindler, Mustang 11 member Matt Houston and Student Body Secretary Thomas Kincaid spoke about how King’s dream has influenced the SMU community.

Schindler praised the university’s commitment to diversifying the campus, but was quick to point out that “the quest for human equality and the struggle against hatred belong to our time.”

He also warned those in attendance not to equate progress with “problem solved” or “dream fulfilled,” that problems still exist, although in muted ways.

Even if the days of freedom marches and bus boycotts are past, Schindler said that students should seek new, peaceful ways to reach out to those who may be different, to inspire others to a more inclusive community, and to become active participants in the pursuit of King’s dream.

Kincaid encouraged students to attend an event sponsored by a group they are unfamiliar with and to meet someone from a different background. He stressed the importance of student diversity, pointing out Student Senate’s ongoing plans to work with the Division of Enrollment Services concerning next year’s incoming class.

“Diversity is essential to a good education for it is the unfamiliar that stretches us, not the already known,” Kincaid said.

Martin Luther King Jr. week events continue today with Kefla Hare from MTV’s “Road Rules: Down Under,” who is speaking on the week’s theme, “Keeping the Dream Alive” From noon to 1 p.m. in the Hughes-Trigg Forum.