The event is intended to welcome new black students, explain to them the resources available on campus in the NMBCC and elsewhere and introduce the freshmen to black faculty and other black students, said Yolanda Treviño, assistant vice president for diversity, equity and multicultural affairs.
“We just really started this as a way to welcome freshmen,” said Inger Nemcik, operations manager at the NMBCC. “We felt like that’s a precarious group. We really wanted to embrace them. A lot of them are coming from first-generation families to go to college, and we thought that was some extra level of support that we were offering them.”
The event brings together not only IU black faculty and staff, but also black community members. Nimcik said these people can help black freshmen get connected outside campus, give tips on success in IU and act as surrogate parents or family members.
During the ceremony, speeches were made by a graduate speaker, Brandon L. Washington; undergraduate speakers Drew McKenzie and Aysha Jemison; and Dr. Maresa Murray.
The speeches focused on tips for academic success, as well as on reminding students not to forget their heritage. Washington quoted an African proverb, which he said is summarized as “I am because we are,” and McKenzie spoke about how freshmen should not forget their culture. He said he was born and raised in the Bahamas, but he did not spend time teaching others about his culture, even though he was learning about theirs.
The final charge by Murray was a pledge the freshmen repeated, in which they declared a commitment to academic excellence, not letting obstacles stop them from achieving and promised to respect themselves and others.
“Dr. Murray, her speech was really inspirational,” freshman Gregory Wilson said. “It was really good ... It’s nice to see that there is a very established support system for me and for other African American students.”
Wilson said his high school had roughly the same number of black and white students , but coming to IU, where black students are a minority, was not a culture shock because within his classes he was still sometimes the only black student.
Nimcik said the experience of being in the minority can cause some black freshmen to feel alienated or strange since many of them come from primarily black communities. She said the services provided by the NMBCC are always available to students throughout their education at IU.
Freshman Toni Pringley, who is from Bloomington, said there are actually more black students in her classes now than in high school even though there is a small population of black students at IU. She said programs and places geared toward black students are important because they can have a place to go where they are around people who share some of their experiences.
Pringley said she might join the Black Student Union because she is not used to being around black people. This would give her the opportunity to learn more about her culture. A telecommunications major, Pringley has signed up with the National Association of Black Journalists.
The NMBCC offers many services to students such as tutoring and counseling through a partnership with Counseling and Psychological Services, which Nimcik said allows students to discuss issues in a stress-free environment.
Trevino said black students can have questions like, ‘Do I belong here when there are so few of us here?’ These questions can be answered through talking to other people, using the resources available to students and sharing aspirations.
“When people talk about their goals, I think others will learn about them and will point them to resources and others who share similar goals and who are able to help mentor,” Trevino said.
