The diversity issue is a dead horse, so (whack) we’re not going to (whack) beat it (whack). A diverse student body would be nice, but the university might want to start small. So what is old Ed Board getting at? Diversity in leadership? No. Diversity in faculty and staff? No. Think smaller. How about diversity in television programming?

Since SMU is nestled in the palaces of the Park Cities, we are subject to much of its lifestyle. However, the fact that SMU doesn’t get Black Entertainment Television is laughable. The cable television station is one of the nation’s highest-rated channels and, despite the name, has very diverse programming. The problem is not the station or its programming, but is indicative of a larger-scale problem that the university has yet to understand the true scope of.

Although there seems to be no answer to the enigma of missing minorities at private universities, Ed Board surmises that one of the ways to attract a wide variety of people – be it racial, cultural, religious or otherwise – is to take care of that which you have. Recruiting a diverse group is meaningless if you lose a diverse group. Very, very small things, like the lack of BET, only reinforce the initial perception that SMU is not a school for minorities. Whether it is or is not is a question that’s too formidable to answer.

The University Park bubble is possibly the main barrier to SMU’s intellectual and proverbial growth. Obviously, the campus can’t be picked up and moved, so it’s time that we took the initiative to break that barrier. Unless this university is set on manufacturing 6,000 new “Parkies” every four years, SMU has to find a way to create a diversity oasis in the middle of barren terrain.

Besides, BET plays Justin Timberlake and he’s white . . . sometimes. And Eminem makes the countdown every day. Wait, this isn’t helping. How about just the fact that to our minimal minority community it is crucial that the entire campus is exposed to the occasional racial debate or non-traditional Hollywood movie.

So start with small things. Before recruitment, before acceptance and even before the distribution of dollars, Ed Board would like to see little gestures extended to make sure the community we have in place can feel a little more welcome in the Park Cities. So even if the diversity horse (whack) is going through a little rigor mortis, there’s a chance a little “106 & Park” can get it back on its feet.