If "Fade to Black" is so diverse, why do they only specialize in Hip Hop dance? By specializing in Hip Hop, does "Fade to Black" mean to convey the idea that all non-whites think Hip Hop is the sole and best representation of their culture? I would think that there are a great deal of other dance styles that represent all racial groups.

Based on the information provided in this article; I think that "Dancing with the Stars" is a better representation of multicultural interests in dance than this group. At least on Dancing with the Stars you see dances that are at least from several different ethnic groups.

Once again, diversity is a joke.

Did you research Fade to Black Dance Ensemble after this article was published or perhaps speak with one of the members? I believe the answer to this question is "NO". If you did, you would know that they do not only specialize in Hip Hop. In fact, if you would have throughly read the article you would see a quote by Miss Irena Harold stating that they have Salsa routines and are not limiting themselves to Hip Hop. Diversity is alive and well; racism seems to be your problem.

Also, take a closer look at the picture on page 3. There are black, white, latino, and asian people in Fade To Black Dance Ensemble. But you need watch Dancing with the Stars because your brain is not comprehending what an active diverse group of students looks like. TV is better for you, you are not ready for change.

If you want to be diverse at this school then maybe we should take lessons from Prarie View. Check out the Batt article One University Many Faces from 2-22-07. Apparently diverse = black. The Prarie View president of Student Govt. Assoc. has the following to say about diversity:
Of the 7,912 total students enrolled at Prairie View A&M, according to System records, 7,008 of them, or about 88.6 percent of the student body, are African-American. White students make up about 5 percent of the student body.

"When I look at or think about diversity, I have to keep in mind that we are ahead of the scope as far as being diverse," Arnold said. "Blacks are the majority here, so we are a little disengaged with the whole push for diversity."

Once again to those who have a small knowledge of Fade To Black, do not be so quick to say things that about people you know nothing about. We are diverse not only in race but in background, gender, and most of dance styles. I as the DIRCETOR of DANCE, can tell you that we always assure people that we welcome your style. I know i always make that comment, if someone has a cool river dance, I am so willing to learn it. We love dance and that passion is not limited to Hip Hop. Hip Hop, yes, is what we are known for but if you ever took the time out and go to one of our shows, you will see that we welcome any style. AND yes, if someone brought a fly Polka dance, i welcome it and I am the one in charge of dance. AND maybe read the article again because i did say we do salsa.

I've read all of the comments pertainng to the OUTSTANDING article written in the Batt, and I first want to say JOB WELL DONE to the Executive Officers of Fade to Black Dance Ensemble!!

You guys are doing more for this university than past officers ever imagined.

in response to the negative comments:
*sigh* Guys [reffering to F2B] you know you will always have those that will oppose your movement and what you stand for. WE all know what F2B is capable of, and how talented everyone is thats involved with the organizations. When I read the quote that F2B specializes in hip-hop, I thought that someone might take it the wrong way with it being a diversity aRticle and all... but for the record... Fade to Black Dance Ensemble specializes in everything they attempt, and master all feats! F2B is KNOWN for hip-hop routines, but have a variety to choose from. The current executve staff are not only good friends, but are also excellent leaders! Keep doing what you're doing! Your organization is a success...and trust those that hate you will still spend they're money to see your show on April 26th.... hoping that you will fail... and leaving with a sad face.

Carry on with all the good you are doing for Texas A&M University, Bryan/ College Station Area, and anyone within eyes reach of the talent you hold as a group!

*screaming* I LOVE FADE TO BLACK ENSEMBLE!!!!!!!! WHOOOO- HOOOO!

Cam

I am glad to see how passionate everyone is about diversity. However, I wish that we could have this type of discussion without resorting to petty name calling and attacks on each other's character. We are all Aggies people let's act accordingly. I do not agree with the comments of those who seem to believe that Fade to Black is pushing for unfair preferential treatment of African Americans or other ethnic groups in admission to college or, for that matter, any other area. Fade to Black is simply doing our part in helping Texas A&M accomplish its mission statement, namely the portion that states,"[Texas A&M] seeks to serve persons of all racial, ethnic, and geographic groups, women and men alike, as it addresses the needs of an increasingly diverse population...". Diverse does not equal Black or White or Latino or any single ethnic group; diversity is the evenly distributed sum of ALL ethnic groups. Fade to Black supports underrepresented ethnic groups obtaining higher levels of education not only at Texas A&M University but at other educational institutions as well. Also, Fade to Black welcomes all genres of dance not only with open arms and an open mind but most importantly with an open heart. Please do not write this organization off as a plea for handouts for African Americans because that is certainly not the case.

Diversity is not a joke and the lack thereof is definitely not funny.

"Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." –Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

I am the Vice-President and the only member of Fade 2 Black who has been in the organization for the past FIVE years. With this type of "status" I would like to first say that I am offended that anyone would take an organization that I love and have served my entire collegiate career and make a mockery of it. Not only is that rude but it is disrespectful. However, it's okay, because I have learned that many people fear what they don't understand. You don't understand my "Passion for Dance" and therefore you write it off as "the sole and best representation" of my culture.

Since you don't understand, it is my duty, as a future teacher, to educate the uneducated. Hip Hop, although often confused as only a style of music or dance, is actually a culture. If you go to any dictionary, or if you are computer savvy you can go to dictionary.com, and look up hip hop and the definition will read as follows, "the popular sub-culture of big-city teenagers..." This definition reminds the reader that hip hop is a culture not just a dance movement. (I encourage you to rent the movie "Brown Sugar", it would help you understand). Hip Hop is the umbrella term that leads to a variety of different items. The dance craze entitled hip hop, includes an assortment of features: breaking, popping, crumping, graffiti art, and beatboxing, just to name a few. And yes, we as Fade 2 Black Dance Ensemble specialize (thanks Cam) in this art form. There's in no reason for us to deny that. We are known for our energetic and lively performances. However, that is not all we do.

We enjoy learning from our members. Every year, since I have been a member, we have incorporated a new dance form into our annual Fall and Spring shows. I believe that you did not thoroughly read the article. Instead you wrote it off as another article, being "shoved down your throat" that dealt with the growing issue of diversity. No one asked you to give special or extra recognition to someone based on their skin color. In fact, our article states that we aren't based on skin color, we look for your passion; hence the title, "Passion for Dance".

If you would review the article (if you need another one visit our cube in Koldus), it states that applicants must fill out an application. The application has seven short answer questions and two essays questions. One of the questions is: Do you have prior dance experience? This is the opportunity for applicants to let us know what type of dancing they can bring to Fade to Black. We are open to new and exciting things. So if you have a Polka routine that you want us to learn, bring it to us. We don't mind, we actually encourage our members be active choreographers for our annual shows. We make sure that members in our organization have "character", as you put it. We don't base our selections on ethnicity or race, it's based on how well you work the two or three days of try-outs and your application.

You have taken one aspect of Fade 2 Black, our dancing, and completely changed it. How about the community service we participate in or the family atmosphere we provide. You zoned in on what you thought to be a diversity article and tuned everything else out. As Aggies, we should all attempt to understand one another, and by your comment, I can see that you don't understand us (Fade 2 Black). So I invite you to our practice, Mondays, 9 pm, Read Building; or come on April 26th, 2 pm, Rudder Theater for Spring Show. You can take a look for yourself, at who we are and what we stand for. Then and only then will I say you have made an educated statement about my organization. Until then, you are speaking about things you do not know about nor understand.

"Tis better to be silent and though a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt." President Abraham Lincoln