THE SENTINEL OF THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY AT N.C. STATE UNIVERSITY
NUBIAN MESSAGE RALEIGH, N.C. n VOL. XI, ISSUE 1 n THENUBIANMESSAGE.COM n AUG 8th, 2012
Symposium Edition
Fact or Fiction: The Truth About Black Students Attending White Universities Common misconceptions about black students attending white colleges and universities revealed. Chelsea Gardner |Managing Editor Kierra Leggett| Editor-in-Chief
N
orth Carolina State University is home to 34,767 students. One out of eight of those students is black. Like others, black students enthusiastically join the Wolfpack family, ready to embark on the next chapter of their lives. They do so, not only having to cope with being away from home and all that they are accustomed to, but also with doubts about their decision to attend a Predominantly White Institution (PWI) instead of a Historically Black College or University (HBCU). These doubts are often based on the questioning and sometimes accusatory statements of others. The validity of these statements is to be debated.
Fact or Fiction: Admissions Offices are Seeking to Meet Racial Quotas. The age-old phrase is, “You only got in because you’re African American.” Almost every minority student attending a PWI has heard, or will hear, this statement. Not only does this statement minimize a students achievements and merit due to their race, but also it is false. The truth is there are no quotas. If a student was accepted to N.C. State or any other PWI, it was because they deserved to be.
Fact or Fiction: Black students that attend PWIs think they are “too good” to go to a HBCU. Many people assume that students attending PWIs come from privileged backgrounds and are at the top of their class. For these reasons, they also assume that PWI students are haughty and have an heir of superiority about them. In reality, students attending PWIs come from various economical, cultural, and academic
Students pose for a picture with Mr. and Mrs. Wuf Melvin Moore/Nubian Message
backgrounds, as do students attending HBCUs, and even if a student is at the top of his or her classes and comes from a privileged household, this is does not warrant him or her being accused of “thinking they’re too good to attend a HBCU.”
Fact or Fiction: PWIs are not as fun for minority students. Often times this assumption is based off of the differences in homecoming celebrations at HBCUs and PWIs. While there are some significant differences in the homecomin celebration at N.C. State and North Carolina Agriculture and Technical State University (NC A&T), the N.C. States’s Black Alumni Association maintains a strong presence in order to put together events for black students during homecoming, and of course, Pan Afrikan Festival in the spring. Homecoming celebrations aside, ultimately it is up to the student to make the fun!
essential to being successful in higher education. While students on HBCU campuses may be more prone to network because the majority of the people on campus look similar to them, students at PWIs can become just as comfortable doing the same. Also, PWIs have a variety of programs and events to help minority students transition into college and meet the right people. For example, the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs at N.C. State does an excellent job of allowing students to form close relationships and grow academically through symposium, mentorships, and various other events and programs. The HBCU experience is definitely different from the PWI experience. However, by choosing a PWI such as N.C. State, students ensure that they will have a dynamic and diverse college experience.
Fact or Fiction: Students do not form close relationships with peers and professors.
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Again, this is not true. Networking is
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