CSS begins to address the challenges and opportunities of Diversity

Dear parents and rest of CSS community,

 Last week we paused our regular learning cycle to focus our community’s attention on an issue of fundamental importance to our school, to our nation, and indeed to the entire human species.  For two days we explored the many dimensions of diversity – through film, through dialogue and debate, through role playing and hands-on activities, and through self reflection. I want to thank Prof. Lymaris Caraballo – one of our Teachers College-Columbia University interns, who together with all our core faculty and staff, organized this very special event.  Our students found the workshop to be a worthwhile learning experience here is a sample of student comments: “The Diversity workshop was amazing and taught me many things”   “It was cool because it inspired me to be more kind to people”“I think the Diversity workshops were great because it was worth thinking about ethnicities in some classes and learning about names or words that hurt other people”“It was a chance to see how different we are and that is OK”“It helped us understand how to accept each other because our differences and made it WORTH WHILE!”“I think it gave everybody a little more respect for one and other”“I thought the diversity workshop was OK. What I got the most out of was keeping your identity to yourself and not changing it because you want to fit in”“The Diversity Workshop helped me realize that what someone believes in does not determine who they are. Ex: If you know that some is gay, then you shouldn’t treat that person any different than how you treat a person who is straight”“One thing that I got out of the Diversity Workshop was the ability to not only tolerate, but to understand that Diversity is everywhere and that it’s a good thing to have”“It taught us how to respect others and gave us an opportunity to change.” I also want to share my introductory speech to the student body: Diversity – the challenges and opportunities of our differences. Over the next two days we will collectively analyze, discuss and learn about what we understand is the meaning of diversity, and why it is such an important subject for us to think and act upon. I want us all to reflect deeply on the meaning of diversity and its special challenges and opportunities. We are blessed by being one of the most diverse selective science, math and engineering school in the state and in the nation. Our diversity is of national prominence and one of the things I am personally most proud of. At CSS-MSE students from all walks of life, of all shades of skin color, and of different beliefs and cultures, learn together. They philosophize and debate and discuss all manners of issues together – they are learning actively from each other – from their differences, and also from their commonalities... This is a beautiful thing to see, and the whole world is watching. In a world marked by disgusting and nonsensical divisions, by racism, by genocide, by ethnic strife, by homophobia, by discrimination towards the disabled, by a mentality of us vs. them, we have a special responsibility to show a different way: that we can derive a special kind of strength, a special bond, from our human diversity. And also that our lives – all our lives, are enriched by the multitudes of experiences that encapsulate our differences. This is a moral imperative for all of us and part of the special challenge and opportunity of our institution…. At the same time CSS-MSE, as a young community where we do not yet know each other; we need to be patient, kind, empathetic, loving, and above all inclusive and tolerant. We must also come to terms – that is accept and embrace - the challenges that come with this beautiful rainbow – challenges that stem from those very differences, our particularities of culture, of our sexual orientations, of our differences in wealth, of language, of values, of perspectives and experience. I do not have an easy answer for how to address these difficulties – But I do know one thing: your life and that of others can be greatly enhanced by sharing with people who are different from you. By learning to not just tolerate people who are different from you, but by actually caring and loving them – by appreciating their diversity – you will become a better person and lead a richer and happier life. As part of your voyage of growth that is your tenure at CSS, I want you all to move from the merely “tolerating” diversity – in some ways the minimal expectation of human decency that we must require from all of you – to a more expansive and moral understanding of diversity – “appreciation” – that is: realizing that your life is enhanced and enriched and made so much more meaningful and beautiful by our differences.  Join us on the voyage of appreciation and love of diversity.  Dr. Maldonado