Ethnic groups benefit from
Day on Campus
By Anna Herkamp
Summer
Reporter
Sunday marked the beginning of the sixth Minority
Student Day on Campus, a program only offered in the School of Pharmacy.
This day on campus entails most other activities
for "normal" Day on Campus, but also includes some activities specifically
for underrepresented ethnic groups, particularly African American, Hispanic,
Latin, Native American and some Asian groups.
This year, approximately 14 students will be attending
with their parents.
Minority Student Day on Campus gives Pharmacy students
additional information they need to know about being on a campus dominated
by a white majority, said Jackie Jimerson, director of minority programs
for the School of Pharmacy.
The main idea of having a separate day for these
students is to let them know there are people who are supportive of
their academic career and to introduce them to the community of minority
students on campus already, she said.
The program is sponsored by the School of Pharmacy
and is open to freshmen minority pharmacy students. The program is part
of the retention efforts in the school to support the increasing number
of minority professionals in the pharmaceutical industry, said Jimerson.
Students for this particular day on campus spend
Sunday night in Shreve Hall. The additional day on campus experiences
include more informational sessions about courses they will be taking
and getting to know some upperclassmen who have been in the program
for a year or two. Students will also be able to meet and talk with
faculty members who teach the courses
Dean Ballotti, director of the HORIZONS program,
said Purdue is a predominantly white campus with only eight or nine
percent of students from minority backgrounds.
"It can be disconcerting," he said. "It helps to
know there are other people who look like you on campus."
What's different about Minority Student Day on
Campus is parents come with their students for a day and a half beginning
Sunday morning and lasting through Monday. During the first day, students
and parents got an opportunity to see what residence hall life is like.
Parents were paired with other parents in Shreve Hall for the night
while students were paired with other students. The participants are
paired with people they don't know.
Sunday morning between 10 a.m. and10:30 a.m., students
and parents were welcomed into the residence hall and toured the campus.
On Sunday they also got an introduction to minority programs in the
School of Pharmacy, participated in a review session for math, joined
upperclassman for dinner and attended a Day on Campus presentation.
Sunday evening, students participated in social
activities such as bowling. They finished their day about 10:30. p.m.
Today, students will learn about the School of Pharmacy through presentations
by chemistry graduate students about introductory courses they will
take. They will also complete other Day on Campus activities including
attending informational sessions about financial aid, getting their
ID pictures taken, opening their computer accounts as well as possibly
opening a bank account or looking for a job if they choose to.
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