ALFRED ANDERSON | Staff Writer
N.C. State students gathered at Daniels Hall to discuss the disadvantages faced by students of color at predominantly white institutions ,PWIs.
The Eta Omicron Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the Beta Chapter of Sigma Omicron Epsilon, Inc. and the Gamma Sigma Chapter of Lambda Theta Phi collaborated with the N.C. State University Counseling Center to lead a discussion about what it means to be a student of color at a PWI, This past Tuesday.
Amongst a diverse audience of N.C. State students, Dr. PJ Adams of the N.C. State Counseling Center provided his services as the guest.
Born of Korean and White American descent, Dr. Adams shared his experiences growing up with a Korean mother and a white father. He shared a photo of the first graduating class of NC State, which only consisted of white males. Dr. Adams told anonymous testimonies from students about their experiences with their peers and professors at PWIs, stimulating a discussion about specific experiences of N.C. State students and citing instances of self-segregation around campus.
Adams briefly touched on the idea of White Privilege, including topics like ‘overt racism’ and ‘classroom privilege’, which elicited strong responses from many that were in attendance.
Unfortunately, due to time constraints, Dr. Adams said he was not able to delve as deeply into some topics as he wanted to.
Adams suggests that N.C. State implement more programs in the future that center on this specific point of interest.
“I think that the program was very informative and very relevant as we discussed challenges minorities experience everyday on NC State’s campus,” said Ivana Mbullah, a junior in textile technology. Marcus Zeigler, also a junior in textile technology enjoyed the program. “I feel like it was a very eye-opening and interesting program, [and] as a student of color I do feel as though I have to work harder to adapt to attending a PWI.”
