By Lauren Sheffer, News Correspondent

Claps and whistles erupted from a crowd of about 70 as Nancy Giles, a frequent pundit on CBS Sunday Morning, stepped onto the stage of Blackman Auditorium Feb. 13.
Giles began her presentation,’ hosted by the Northeastern University Center for the Arts, by asking everyone in the audience to hold hands.
‘We live in this world of texting and cell phones,’ Giles said. ‘We are losing the sense of touch. Even across the aisles in Congress.’
Giles is known not only for being a pundit on CBS Sunday Morning, but for past roles in the dramatic series China Beach, and comedy series Delta. She has produced two solo theater pieces:’ ‘Notes of a Negro Neurotic’ and ‘Black Comedy: The Wacky Side of Racism.’
Giles’ talk mostly revolved around how society’s preconceptions of her ‘- as both an African American and a woman ‘- have impacted her career.
Giles described many of her early roles as ‘single moms who had 17 kids and were drug addicts, or a drug counselor, crisis counselor or a nurse.’
She also recounted a part that her agent had described as being ‘perfect’ for her.
‘[The character] was a prostitute who’s selling her children to get drugs. Why am I perfect for that,’ she asked the audience.
However pleased Giles is with her current position on CBS Sunday Morning, she said she has noticed a significant decrease in the amount of screen-time she’s had since she questioned how racism and the aftermath for the survivors of Hurricane Katrina may be linked. As a very open liberal, Giles guessed ‘the producers have been trying to appear fair and balanced since then, to show different points of view.’
Giles recalled how frustrated she felt whenever one of her co-hosts brought up the supposed issue of Barack Obama being ‘not black enough.’ Giles asked the audience ‘So attending Columbia or Harvard makes him ‘too white?’ Well, I guess it’s better to vote for someone who really understands our unique experience, like Hillary Clinton or Rudy Giuliani? … Would Martin Luther King Jr. have been more authentic if he ‘axed’ us to march on Washington? Or if he gave his ‘I Be Havin’ a Dream’ speech?’
Giles continued to share her thoughts on the Obamas as the First Family.
‘I think having Michelle Obama as First Lady will alter our view of beauty,’ she said. ‘[But] right now, size discrimination stinks, and it’s everywhere.’
Giles noted that 64 percent of American women are considered ‘plus size,’ and quipped that maybe the other 36 percent’ should be considered ‘minus size.’ Furthermore, she expressed horror at the recent invention of size 00.
‘That probably stands for ‘Uh-oh, I’m hungry!’ Seriously, I wasn’t even a size 10 when I was 10!’
Those ruminations on size insecurity resonated with Shanise Bland, a senior communication studies major.
‘I think my high point was when she started talking about her weight and height, because I have similar proportions,’ Bland said.
Other students found similarities between themselves and Giles.
‘She talked about things I could really relate to, even though I grew up in a different generation,’ said Anna Sears, a sophomore fine arts major.’ Sears added ‘I’m surprised at how funny it was. I thought it was going to be more serious.’
Bland was surprised at how much she laughed during the presentation.
‘From the flyer, I didn’t expect her to be as funny as she was,’ she said.
Lorraine McMaster, a senior English major and Bland’s friend, added ‘I just love her honesty.’