To the Editor:
Heath Mayo's '13 essay on social integration ("Desegregating Brown," Sept. 12) focuses on the tendency for most students to develop relationships with people from similar backgrounds. There have been other essays in past Herald issues on the subject. I would ask Mr. Mayo to take his concern a step further and turn his thoughts into action. This would be a wonderful social science research project for someone on campus. Is there as little social integration on campus as Mr. Mayo suggests? What are the dynamics behind this? What groups and forces act to create opportunities for increased integration of students from different backgrounds? What makes this an important goal for Brown to foster this type of integration? Finally, what suggestions might lead to changes that would promote increased integration?
Pursuing these suggestions would be a tall order for Mr. Mayo in his senior year. But this might turn out to be the most important learning experience of his four years.
Tom Bale '63
