Racism and the College: Roommate requests prompt concern

Racism and the College: Roommate requests prompt concern

Last summer, four to five admitted prospective first-years wrote in their roommate surveys that they "did not want to be roomed with a minority student, according to Dean of Students Erica Wonnacott."

Volume 83, Number 4

Sharon Harper

The Campus

10/02/1987

Erica Wonnacott- Dean of Students

"'These are people who need to learn something. I don't want to say 'Bang--you're out'. I'd rather admit them and then work on trying to make them see what's wrong with their attitudes."- Wonnacott

"Having matched roommates for the past 20 years, Wonnacott recalls requests in previous years-- 'one every once in a while'-- to be placed with members of the majority. 'We've honored such requests,' she states, 'we don't want to make a guinea pig out of anyone."

"Wonnacott receives requests from minorities as well to be roomed with other minorities. 'Sometimes we obliged these requests and sometimes we don't."

"'I and either Dean Ardister or Dean Mathis will go to the people who request not to be with minority students and talk to them privately. Their housing slips have been saved. We're not out to embarrass anyone, we're out to educate. Ignorance is what we're dealing with here."- Wonnacott"