Maryland’s own Towson University is in the heat of the national spotlight.

TU’s claim to fame (or shame) is the  attempt by one undergraduate to launch a White Student Union organization on campus.

A senior studying U.S. History at Towson, founder Matthews Heimbach explained to the university’s newspaper, The Towerlight, that the Union would:

…replicate what every student union does on campus…you have a Black Student Union who promotes black heroes; we want to do the same thing.

He also argued that the organization would serve as:

a safe space for members who have filed hate/bias reports and who have had anti-white language used against them.

With the exception of having a faculty adviser, the club has met all of the requirements to be formally recognized as a legitimate student organization by the Student Government Association. However, it has met with a great deal of contention, though apparently this is nothing terribly new for Heimbach.

He once started an anti-multiculturalism, right-wing group at Towson that eventually lost recognition with the resignation of its adviser. However, Heimbach is attempting to reach out to a broader audience with the White Student Union, insisting that the organization is open to everyone.

In a video interview with the Huffington Post, he stated: “if you’re fighting for white interest, and you’re fighting to advance my culture, that’s fine. Join.”

Some argue that the Union should be allowed as a club on campus, but, as Towson’s Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs for Diversity Victor Collins puts it:

In my observation in American society and history, I don’t know if white students have been discriminated against or denied access to intuitions. This is a predominantly white institution. I don’t understand why they have to [form.]

Others, rather ironically, reacted to what they viewed as racism in a rather racist manner. Said one black student during a forum on the matter:

What is white history? What is white culture? Because if you look back over history, nothing positive has come out of white history or white culture, because you’ve done nothing good.

Apparently this individual is not terribly familiar with history.

Regardless of some of the misguided responses to this contentious issue, there were some students who expressed their concerns more tactfully. For instance, one white student said that he was initially excited about the prospect of a White Student Union, but he came to realize that its intentions were not as he had anticipated, stating: ”I feel like this is for all the wrong reasons.” 

What’s your view on the matter?

If other ethnic groups are allowed to organize on university campuses, then should it naturally follow that white individuals be allowed to organize for the same purposes as well? Or should the idea of separating into different groups based on ethnicity be discouraged altogether to promote true equality in America? 

Perhaps you’re somewhere in between the two extremes, depending on the circumstances. After all, there are very few issues that can really be viewed in plain black and white.