Council of Black Seniors presents proposal to VSA

Anita Varma Senior Editor

On Sunday, April 24, a representative from the Council of Black Seniors (CBS) submitted a proposal to the Vassar Students Association council (VSA) during open discussion to include the African Violets in the commencement processional and recessional. CBS Head Chair Maya Williams ’05 presented the proposal.

The four-page document outlines Vassar’s commitment to diversity, CBS’s statement of purpose, the mission of the African Violets, and the logistics of the processional and recessional.

In the proposal, CBS explains that they believe inclusion of the African Violets in Commencement would be “a step toward cultural pluralism.”

According to the proposal, CBS sponsors “social and cultural events that reflect the diversity of the senior class.”

Since 1991, CBS has hosted a Baccalaureate Service during Senior Week. This year, they would like to expand the African Violets’ activities to processing and recessing with the Daisy Chain.

The African Violets are similar to the Daisy Chain. The Daisy Chain is comprised of members of the sophomore class who work with the senior class on events throughout the school year. African Violets work with seniors as well and work with CBS on running programming events.

The conclusion of the proposal reads, “The inclusion of the African Violets into the Commencement processional and recessional with the Daisy Chain is a unique opportunity to build upon the College’s mission to promote and support diversity.” CBS was not available for further comment.

VSA and Senior Class Council members did not make a formal decision about whether they would support CBS’s proposal.

Class of 2005 President Vivek Mahapatra commented at the VSA meeting that there was a very short amount of time left before graduation, which would not be sufficient for the logistic changes that would need to take place beforehand.

Another topic for discussion during the VSA meeting was the visual of having Daisy Chain members in white dresses and African Violets in black. “You can’t ignore the symbolism there,” said 2005 Vice-President Simon Craven. “[It] might be stark to people who don’t understand what their missions are.”

VSA President Joe Wildfire ’05 noted that whether the African Violets will march in commencement is not under VSA jurisdiction.

“Commencement does not fall under VSA purview,” he said, as an explanation for why the proposal was not part of the official council meeting agenda.

The day after the council meeting, Wildfire explained that commencement is under the jurisdiction of the College, which would include administrators, students, and other members of the College community.

“Very few decisions are made by one entity, and if they are, they’re usually not good decisions,” said Wildfire.

At the end of the conversation during VSA, Williams explained that the intention of CBS showing their proposal to VSA was to start student dialogue about the idea.

Wildfire also expressed concern over the possibility of the precedent that could be set if the Violets did participate in commencement this year.

“It’s always a concern of the VSA when we talk about recognizing or authorizing groups…At what point do you draw the line. Just financially, logistically, and otherwise. Is that the best way to operate?” said Wildfire the day after the council meeting. “I think this is much of the same issue. Does this set the precedent that other students will want to march in commencement? I’m not saying it’s a good or bad thing.”

One argument made by several members of council was that the Daisy Chain already serves to represent the entire College community in the processional.

“I am not at all opposed to seeing the Daisies and Violets somehow combined in the future, but I do not believe that it is an urgent matter of campus diversity, as was suggested by the CBS proposal, for the two to be combined immediately given that there are no restrictions upon any member of the Sophomore Class from becoming a Daisy,” said Town Houses president Grant Hutchinson ’05 the day after the council meeting.

However, Wildfire added that the Daisy Chain is not necessarily representative of the entire Vassar community.

“Even VSA council…does not represent Vassar’s concerns as a whole,” said Wildfire. “I don’t think the Daisy Chain represents the campus as a whole, but it comes close.”

Adding the Violets to the processional and recessional would change the long-standing tradition of soley including the Daisy Chain.

“Tradition is a respectful reflection of the past,” said Wildfire. “However, I would add that tradition is somewhat malleable. If we become too stagnant in our adherence to tradition, we will never change. Some traditions need to be evaluated from time to time.”