Phuong said that student apathy toward ethnic studies is due to the fact that the subject "doesn't elicit a sense of urgency."

But according to Harvard Business School student Daniel Vasquez, the issue is too important to ignore.

"You really have to press your professors, the administration, all the way from Rudenstine on down," he said. "You guys [have] got to get pissed off. It's the students who really carry the torch."

Being a Harvard student allows students to make their opinions on the issue heard on a national level, added panelist Linda Schlossberg, a lecturer on women's studies.

"Don't underestimate what that Harvard label can do for you," she said. "Anything you do will make the national news."

After the forum concluded, clusters of students broke off into smaller discussions.

William L. Everson '02, director of public relations for the Asian American Brotherhood, said that the panel was instrumental in demonstrating what kind of initiative the students themselves need to take.

"The student body has to be motivated to take a proactive stance in making a change for the better," he said.