By Evans Erilus

This is the conclusion of a three part series of two black students and their lives at Northeastern.

There are a multitude of obstacles invovled with being a minority in the world of academia. The question is, where does the solution to these problems lie?

One must almost instinctively point towards the faculty and administrators to curb this problem. One such individual is Mark Harvey, the program coordinator for Northeastern University’s Office of Special Support Services, where he is a major part of the Legacy 2000 Mentoring and Retention Program. According to Harvey, the program is designed to connect incoming Black and Latino freshmen with an upperclassman who is studying in the major. This gives them the incentive to be the best student that they can be and also to connect them with the resources that are on campus, and to give them a sense of belonging here at this institution. To Harvey, however, it means much more than just that.

“Other staff persons may have a different perspective on my relationship with my students, but for me, what it means is not just coming in here at eight in the morning and leaving at 5 p.m., students come in and get what they need, and that’s it,” he said.

Perhaps more than any faculty coordinator on the university grounds, Harvey emphasizes the avenues of assistance for incoming minority students. But why do the students feel alone and uninformed about the resources at hand?

“I could be wrong in this, but I think that it may have something to do with the institution in itself when they go out and recruit these students,” he said. “They need to talk not more so about the academic process, or how to get into the university and financial aid, but what are the support services and/or departments that are there for them. ”

There is also an opinion that a student’s appearance factors heavily into the assimilation process. Harvey passionately disagrees with the view.

“My perception is that yes, you can listen to black music, you can listen to hip-hop, and dress a certain way, wear the Timberland boots and the jeans and what not, those kinds of things,” he said. “But at the same time, also learn how to speak the King’s English. It’s all about adaptation; can you adapt to a particular culture versus the other.”

Most importantly, it is essential that one accepts and appreciates his or her identity in order to better understand others, according to Harvey.

“I would say just know that it’s okay to be black; be prideful of that,” he said. “But it doesn’t hurt to socialize and/or be connected with other cultures, to learn about other cultures. Educate others about your culture; I think that’s important, from a holistic point of view and perspective.

“But you know what, I see how black students or Latino students kind of always assimilate or adapt to white culture, but I don’t see the reverse in terms of white students getting to know, or going into the institute or going into the LSCC. I don’t see them taking the initiative to adapt to black culture, black issues … that doesn’t happen, or it rarely happens. We are always the one to adapt to them, always.”

So, do white people have a responsibility to meet African-Americans and other minority groups halfway? Mike Penders, an Irish-American middler criminal justice major, is not so sure that is the case.

“No, and I don’t feel that they have to adjust to mine; if we all did, then everyone would be the same,” he said. “The thought has crossed my mind to walk into the O’Bryant Institute, because I lived next into it. I’d hear loud music playing; my friends would be like, ‘Don’t go in!’ and I’d be like ‘Why?’ They’d say, ‘That’s their institute, that’s a place for them.’ In theory, it’s open to everybody, but it doesn’t seem or feel like it is. I know if I went in there, I’d be received oddly; it’d probably be just the same if a black person walked into the O’Malley institute [an Irish version of the John D. O’Bryant African-American Institute.]”

Harvey said he agrees with Penders’ assessment, but finds no reason to use that as a crutch.

“I would say stay true to yourself, educate yourself, you definitely want to stay connected to your peoples, but also, it doesn’t hurt to educate others about who you are.”