Student group responds to SOTU

A quote about education from President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday stood out to Emma Campbell.

“‘One of the best investments that we can make for a young child is giving that child a quality education,’” said Campbell, president of the Black Student Union. “This stood out to me because he didn’t just say education. He said quality education. Even though I’m here to address the concerns at Indiana University, it started before we got here.”

The Black Student Union met Wednesday for its own address at the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center.

Campbell said statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau represent the educational disparity among races.

Campbell pointed out that even though President Michael McRobbie and the IU Board of Trustees didn’t meet their goal to double the enrollment of underrepresented domestic minorities by the 2013-14 school year, they’re still working toward it.

She also pointed out that new administrators like James Wimbush, vice president of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs, and Joyce Rogers, the vice president for Development and External Relations for DEMA, are leading the charge on improving the lives of the underrepresented student population.

Vicki Roberts, the associate vice president for Administration and Culture  said she and DEMA are all working hard for the students at IU.

She came to listen to the students’ concerns on campus.

“Our goal is to provide a quality education,” Roberts said.

Campbell said a feeling of isolation, a lack of financial help and lack of mentorship were some concerns in the black community on campus.

Campbell recalled something one of her mentors at Indianapolis’ Center for Leadership Development told her.

“If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu,” Campbell said.

She said she will take that quote to the grave. It made her want to get more involved.
“It makes me want to reach out to other minority students to get us to the table,” Campbell said. “If we don’t have anyone advocating for these policies, how will we hold infrastructures as our own and make these administrators accountable if we’re not at the table?”  

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