Last Wednesday, at an event cosponsored by The Concerned Black Students Committee, Hillel, and MOSAIC, a group of predominantly Jewish and African American students met in the Cutter-Shabazz living room to discuss "intergroup dating"--dating between members of different races, religious backgrounds, or creeds.

While some religious conservatives have long been branded as racist and segregationalist for suggesting that, from a cultural perspective, interracial and interreligious dating may do more harm than good, apparently it is all right when those of Jewish or African-American descent espouse similar, or stronger, views.

Much of the conversation seemed to revolve around what the students' parents expected (or even demanded) of them. One young man from Hillel explained that he came from a long tradition of Judaism, and that because all of his family members are Jewish he feels obliged to marry a Jewish woman in order to uphold 5,000 years of Jewish tradition. His parents, he explained, would simply not accept anyone who is not Jewish. His sentiments were echoed by a young woman who admitted that she could not imagine dating or marrying anyone who is not black.

One female student, however, did confess that she is of mixed heritage herself and that she was actually comfortable dating many different guys of many different races.

Another admitted that while her parents weren't adamant that she marry someone black, they did expect her to marry someone of the same class who possessed an education similar to her own.

One girl went so far as to say that she could never marry a white man because their children might "pass" as white, which was apparently unacceptable.

Another Jewish student admitted that he had dated a Christian girl "for fun" but would never consider marrying someone of another faith. Apparently when his girlfriend found out that he'd never consider taking their relationship to another level because of her faith, she was hurt, and all he could do was admit, "She's right. I wouldn't take her seriously."

An African-American student said that while she could not fathom a black woman dating a white man (and that her friends wouldn't let her), she thought it was all right for a black man to date a white women--she claimed that in such situations it's obvious that the black man just wants someone "who's easy."

In the end the consensus seemed to be that inter-group dating and marriage usually just won't work. Nobody offered any advice about how one might deal with this problem or what one should say to those (many of whom were present) who do not look favorably upon the practice.

Those dating interracially may just want to think twice before bringing their dates by Cutter-Shabazz (why anyone would do this anyway is anyone's guess) or the other bastions of multiculturalism and tolerance on campus.