Student to speak on diversity
By Colleen Straniero
Staff
Writer
Tyrelle Collins plans to
advocate a positive and culturally diversified campus environment when
he presents at a conference at the University of Nebraska this month.
He will discuss diversity issues at Purdue and his organization The
Kitchen Table.
As co-founder and president
of The Kitchen Table, Collins, a graduate student in the School of Liberal
Arts, will present at the 5th annual "People of Color in Predominantly
White Institutions: Building Diversity in the University and the Community
Conference" Nov. 27 and 28 at the University of Nebraska. He will discuss
how to create an accepting campus environment that embraces racial unity
while using Purdue as an example.
Jessica Willis, executive
vice president for organizational relations for The Kitchen Table, said
that the main focus of Collins’ speech and the organization is
to "bring people outside of the normal academic environment"
that normally might not meet otherwise.
Since many Purdue students
are from Indiana, where the overwhelming majority of people are white,
Willis said that Collins will discuss how many students are not exposed
to different cultures and environments.
"The real world is a
much more diverse place," she said.
Willis said that students
have typically grown up in very sheltered environments, and that they
need to understand other races and cultures.
"We have to be able
to understand and accept each other," said Willis.
Collins said that Purdue
is not making enough efforts to be racially unified, that there is definitely
room for improvement and the president should be more actively pursuing
this issue rather then just talking about it.
"Purdue has a long way to
go as far as diversity goes," said Collins
He said that students would
be more likely to follow the examples of the administration and faculty
if they embrace racial differences more publicly.
Hidden racism, conservatism
and racial stereotypes are some of the problems that plague the University;
this is what holds us back from becoming a more accepting campus, said
Collins.
He said if students and faculty
were more educated about different races and cultures, if they conducted
themselves in a more professional manner and if they were exposed to
more racial and ethnic differences in social situations, this would
help to alleviate many of the problems we have between races and cultures
on campus today.
The University could promote
racial acceptance by introducing new programs such as a multicultural
department or providing better funding for clubs who want to support
such an issue, said Collins.
Collins co-founded The Kitchen
Table along with Christopher Lynch and Theodore Brown just over one
year ago in the hope of making students more aware of racial and cultural
issues at Purdue.
The basis of the organization
is to address the importance of diversity and togetherness at Purdue.
It focuses on education, business and entertainment.
Collins said The Kitchen
Table was created because there was an absence of clubs that advocated
complete racial and cultural unity and that it was time to create change
on the campus. Willis said their motto is "facilitating an environment
that creates togetherness."
There are many clubs on campus
that focus on just one specific minority or international group, but
Collins said that this is one of the few on campus that embrace all
races, cultures and ethnicities. He said that all people are welcome,
and they will be understood and respected.
While establishing The Kitchen
Table, Collins said that other African-Americans were often jealous
of him. He also said that he received little support and that they might
not be fully ready to embrace diversity, just like many other types
of people.
Collins hopes to establish
similar organizations like The Kitchen Table at other universities and
wishes to be nationally recognized one day.
As a minority, Collins said
diversity has been an advantage in his own life. It has created opportunities
for him through advancing his own career and allowed him to inform other
people about racial and cultural issues.
Collins is also the president
of Athletes Review, Inc., an organization based in Indianapolis that
provides educational and athletic programs for youth. He and his mother,
attorney Adrienne Pitts-Mink, founded the organization in 1993.
Collins graduated last May
with his bachelor’s in communications and African-American Studies.
He is currently taking graduate courses.
• For more information
on the conference, contact Willis at 495-9369.
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