University to host first-ever minority alumni conference

BY RAY DELGADO

The university will throw open its doors this weekend for its first-ever conference geared specifically toward minority alumni and issues of diversity at Stanford.

The conference, titled "Community, Diversity and Excellence -- Celebrating Stanford's Minority Alumni," is organized by the Board of Trustees Task Force on Minority Alumni Relations. More than 650 of the university's estimated 22,000 minority alumni are expected to attend the three-day event, which begins Friday.

The conference is billed as an opportunity for alumni and the university community to "celebrate our achievements, to take stock, to ask the hard questions and to share some easy conversation."

Conference highlights include a conversation Saturday morning about diversity featuring President John Hennessy and former presidents Richard W. Lyman, Donald Kennedy and Gerhard Casper, followed by a question-and-answer session. That event will be followed by a talk by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, who will discuss his time at Stanford and his work on the court.

Conference participants also will be able to attend a variety of workshops and panels, including a panel on the cultural and political persistence of the Native American community, an exploration of the shifting demographics in urban America, breakout sessions with members of the Board of Trustees, a discussion on mixed-race identity and a panel on student activism.

Walk-up registration will be available on Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., or interested participants can register online at http://minoritytaskforce.stanford.edu/conference. The website also has details about the conference schedule and programs. Any sessions being held at Memorial Auditorium are open to the university community. SR

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