In four years, about 400 students, faculty and staff have completed Conversations on Race, a nationally recognized program at Indiana University at Bloomington.

"It's amazing," said Daisy Rodriguez, who completed her doctorate at Bloomington in the spring of 2003 and was a one-time participant and longtime facilitator during her years on campus. "I definitely witnessed some 'a-ha!' moments, especially with white students struggling with what it means to have privilege."

'A-ha!' moments are essential when it comes to maintaining momentum after a campus bias crisis. Too often, an incident happens, an inspirational speaker comes, some partial resolution is achieved and ... nothing.

Students resume their studies, meetings are lightly attended and ultimately cancelled, momentum is lost and potential gains fall by the wayside.

Also, your core group of activists, frustrated by a return to campus apathy, may begin to turn on one another, disagreeing about tactics, misdirecting their energy.

Part of your role as a student advocate is to provide next-step opportunities, to make sure there is something constructive for activist-minded students to carry out.

Bloomington made sure of that, and so can you.

Next >   9 MAINTAIN MOMENTUM · page 2