S.L.U.E.

The Multicultural Affairs Office is excited to start a new mentoring program this year.  S.L.U.E. [Student Like Us Everywhere] is a program specially created for multicultural students to support eachother.

-RECENT NEWS-

In an article in Jet weekly magazine, Imani Josey writes on being a minority on college campuses:

  The academic year has started, and many African-American students at college campuses across the country are getting acclimated to campus life. But how can students adapt to life on a campus when they are a minority?

This is the question that Louisa Griggs, 21, asked herself when she stepped foot on Duke University’s campus three years ago.  Currently a senior with a major in psychology and an eye for a career in medicine, Griggs admits that it took some time, but she now feels at home at her university.

“Though Duke has a Black population of about 10 percent, I’ve grown up in multicultural environments, so it wasn’t ethnic mixes that gave me culture shock; it was more so adjusting to the Southern environment after having lived in Chicago the majority of my life.”

In order to expedite the adjustment process, Griggs decided to throw herself into campus activities.  She made friendships through the Black Student Alliance during her first year, and later joined the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.  “Duke has a very close-knit Black community.  If you wanted to, you really could go to Duke and have an all Black experience.  There are so many organizations to join- The Divine Nine, Black Student Alliance, volunteering groups, and all of the umbrella organizations.”

According to the African American Students’ Guide to College by Marisa Parham with Melanie Barron, the key to choosing between an HBCU (historically black college or university) and a predominantly White institution is having a solid goal for one’s educational experience.

Kendra Julion, a 20-year old with a passion for journalism and communication, decided on the University of Missouri two years ago.  She states “I think attending a school like Mizzou gives you exposure to different types of people like in the real world.”

Socially, the junior communications major got her first taste of campus life after attending the annual Fall Fest, where school organizations set up booths for students to gather more information.

“Though I found many Black students by using online services like Facebook, I also found on-campus options like spending time at the Gaines Oldham Black Cultural Center.  There are a lot of events where you have the opportunity to meet Black students.”

Andrina Kelly, the senior book editor for The Princeton Review, found herself in unfamiliar territory when she stepped foot into one of the nation’s top Ivy League schools.

Having graduated in 1998 from Harvard University, the New Orleans, LA native found her academic expectations more challenging than her social life.  “Being one of the only Black students that had gone to public schools in New Orleans, I felt like I had to prove myself.  That first semester I definitely felt a level of self-doubt and insecurity”, said Kelly.

Kelly, a product of the majority Black New Orleans public school system, had been a stellar student during her high school years. “I came from a high school where I excelled at everything [after getting to Harvard] I basically felt like I had to start from scratch.” 

In order to combat her insecurities, Kelly sought the affirmations of family, friends, and from within. “Keeping a strong support system is key,” she said.

“I think the number one advantage of going to a predominantly White school is exposure.  I encourage students to join clubs of various ethnicities and cultures.  There probably won’t be another opportunity to explore others’ cultures in a safe environment that a college campus can provide.”

Princeton Review's senior book editor Audrina Kelly suggests exploring option if you find yourself a fish out of water on your college campus: