Less than one week after a former member accused MSU Residence Halls Association officials of not promoting diversity, RHA President Derek Wallbank said diversity is one of the organization's main focuses.
The distribution of a letter written by former Director of Racial, Ethnic and Progressive Affairs LaToya Logan accused RHA of poor representation of diversity among constituents.
But Wallbank said the organization has allocated most of its funds to programs for campus diversity, and recently won the statewide award for diversity given by the Michigan Organization of Residence Housing Association.
Wallbank said despite the organization's efforts and the fact he did not agree with Logan's claims, he wants to work to fix the issues she expressed concern about.
"I think that LaToya was perfectly clear in her letter that she thinks that we could be doing more," he said. "No one can ever do enough to promote diversity."
Wallbank said race or sexual orientation issues that have come up this year on campus have been addressed in open forums with MSU President M. Peter McPherson, which RHA helped to organize.
And Wallbank said RHA will work to do more.
"When people come to me personally and ask for my help next year with regard to lobbying for certain causes, I'll make their voices heard," he said.
Logan said she had looked at all of the things RHA had done this year, and said she still felt the same. There are issues she does not feel are being addressed by the organization.
However, she said she has no suggestions for improvement.
"I don't think that one person is in control," she said. "The general assembly needs to speak up, they have the power."
Former RHA president Tim Liss said RHA is not prejudiced against people, but he agrees with Logan that people need to discuss the issue.
"If you pay your RHA tax, you have invested faithfully in the organization and have a right to know what is going on and let your voice be heard," he said.
"If you feel something can be improved upon or changed, silence only hinders that from happening."
