Melanie Olmsted was hired as director of racial, ethnic and progressive student affairs two weeks ago. And Olmsted took the position with no concerns about representing minority issues - despite not technically being one.
“I never would have applied if I thought I wasn’t qualified,” said Olmstead, a former representative for the College of Social Science. “I’m not the main force of anything - the organizations are the main force.”
Olmsted’s role is to provide a link between the Council of Racial Ethnic Students, the Council of Progressive Students and ASMSU, MSU’s undergraduate student government.
She said concerns people may have about her being a good representative for minority and progressive students because she’s not a minority are valid, but she will work with the groups and is willing to listen.
“I’m a white female and there’s nothing I can do to change that,” the interdisciplinary studies in social science senior said. “I’ll never be able to know what other people are thinking, but there are feelings like distrust and anger that we all feel - and those core feelings are what matters.”
Pat McKee, the Student Assembly representative for the North American Indian Student Organization, said Olmsted’s time as president of Women’s Council gave her some experience with progressive issues although she hasn’t been a CORES group member.
Still, McKee said a student with closer ties to the CORES and COPS might have been better.
“It’s my feeling that minorities do a better job, but I’m pretty confident she’ll do a good job,” he said.
But Mary Phillips, president of Black Student Alliance, said she was excited to hear Olmsted was selected for the position.
“She has an open mind, and she’s worked with the CORES and COPS before,” Phillips said. “I think she’ll bring in the same experience and drive.”
Phillips said it shouldn’t matter if the director is not considered a minority - what matters to her is how well a person does the job.
And this isn’t the first time the a nonminority has held the position. James Feeney, who is white, did so two years ago.
Charles McHugh, an English senior and chairperson for Academic Assembly for the last two years, said Feeney was more qualified then anyone else who applied at the time and did a great job.
“A lot of people were sad to see him leave,” McHugh said.
McHugh added Olmsted was the only person who applied this year who was qualified.
Still, McHugh said ASMSU should have done a better job in going to the different CORES and COPS groups for input. He said ASMSU could have gotten a better response if it looked at people not involved with the student government to fill positions.
“Melanie’s been involved with Women’s Council and she gets the job done,” he said. “But ASMSU likes to hire and promote from the inside.”
