After reading class surveys he requested all students fill out, TA Tyler Wise declared to his entirely white Political Science 104 discussion a “diverse group.”
“Wow, what a diverse and interesting group! I’m sure we’ll have some lively discussion with all these interesting backgrounds in one room.” said Wise to his discussion, 18 out of 20 of whom were from either Wisconsin or Illinois.
The University of Wisconsin has repeatedly reaffirmed its commitment to diversity, and as Wise can attest, this commitment seems to be paying off.
“We have to make sure to be respectful of our differences in this class,” continued Wise. “as we may have different values, political beliefs and religions.”
Wise was most likely referring to potential tension between Protestants and Catholics as eighty percent of the discussion is Christian.
With recent bias and hate speech reports, the UW has admitted that it is not perfect when it comes to acceptance on campus. TAs in all departments work to cultivate a more understand culture.
“I feel really included, the TA always goes out of his way to call on me and get my perspective. Coming from a unique background gives me a cool insight into things, and I’m glad I get to share it,” said David Frankenberg, who although raised Lutheran, is half Jewish.
Madison takes multiple types of diversity into account when shaping its student body, including income diversity. Students in Wise’s class ranged from the ‘complaining about being broke but planning spring break in South Padre’ income bracket to the ‘living in the Hub but torrenting textbooks online because they’re “too expensive” ’ bracket.
While the current state of affairs leave some feeling there is more to be desired, there is hope. While all students in this discussion were American, one fourth of the jackets were “Canada Goose,” perhaps foreshadowing the open mindedness of the next generation.
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