As the Cornell community commemorated the 40th anniversary of the takeover of Willard Straight Hall this weekend, the question remains: How far have we come since the tumultuous spring of 1969? Four decades later, some facets of campus diversity have us concerned for the future of Cornell.

It is debatable what the takeover itself directly accomplished. Yet it is undeniable that the image of 50 to 100 black students emerging from the straight — armed with weapons, following a 33-hour occupation — caught the nation’s attention and shed light on the unequal representation of black students in institutions of higher education, particularly in the Ivy League.

In the 1970s, following the occupation, Cornell lead the way in enrolling an impressive number black students, but in the last two decades, we fear the University has backtracked in its diversity objectives.

There were only 137 black students enrolled in the class of 2012 — an utterly shameful number indicative of a major step in the wrong direction for Cornell. Immediately following the takeover, admissions numbers reflected progressive growth, as the University admitted about 260 black students into the class of 1974.

So, wherein lies the problem?

Assuming that Cornell’s recruitment efforts and financial aid initiatives are what have failed to attract minority students and make it feasible for them to attend in the past, we are hopeful for the future. We applaud recent initiatives the University has taken to make Cornell a more plausible choice when applying for college by establishing student-to-student mentoring programs for minority applicants and offering more robust financial aid packages.

This year, Cornell may potentially enroll the largest number of black students in its incoming class than it ever has before. But bringing a larger minority population to Cornell then extends to the issue of integration once students arrive here.

The administration will be quick to boast diversity initiatives that are guided by councils made up of student and faculty representatives and host programs aimed at improving inter-race dialogue. But these programs all target the students and faculty who themselves take the initiative to partake in such diversity endeavors.

These programs are supplemental to campus and academic life and appeal only to the students whose attention is already focused on these concerns. The University’s goal should be to open the eyes of those who may be naïve to the reality of these issues.

The approach to diversity on campus must be broad and far reaching. From the start, students at Cornell are forced to segregate themselves, not necessarily along racial lines, but divided nonetheless. Housing, for one — from Greek organizations to cooperatives to program houses to off-campus housing — encourage self-segregation most prominently. We need to see a more integrative approach from the get-go towards the mingling and mixing of ideas, outlooks and perspectives.

Student activism is what once brought these issues to the forefront, but we fear that the concept of diversity has become a statistic. Rather, conquering these issues must take a more forward approach campus-wide, addressing issues that go further than improving minority admissions or hosting cross-cultural dinners and discussion panels.