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News Release

Last modified: Thursday, September 4, 2008

Black student orientation focuses on IU and the Bloomington community

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 4, 2008

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center at Indiana University will present the second annual Black Student Orientation on Friday (Sept. 12).

The program will begin at 6 p.m. in the Grand Hall of the center, located at 275 N. Jordan Ave.

Organizers say the event offers an opportunity for students of African descent to gain knowledge of campus and community resources that will help them make a successful transition to the city of Bloomington and IU.

This year, an expanded focus on the Bloomington black community will include a segment on the city's black history presented by Elizabeth Mitchell, as well as presentations from faith-based organizations and black-owned businesses. Musical, praise-dance and spoken-word performances will highlight the event, which also will include prize giveaways and drawings throughout the evening.

Black faculty and staff members will be on hand to provide students with an opportunity to interact, ask questions and identify potential sources of support within the IU family. Representatives from several student organizations, including the Black Student Union and African American fraternities and sororities, will provide information about themselves and discuss upcoming events for the semester. The evening will conclude with a catered fish-fry, free to all participants.

Black Student Orientation is in keeping with a tradition of identifying and supporting students of color as a response to frequent requests by black students for more knowledge and involvement with the black community and to address a feeling of isolation that some students initially express.

"The event is an excellent starting point for undergraduates to begin to plan their work and work their plan at IU," said Ghangis Carter, director of recruitment and retention in the IU School of Education. "The resources from the campus and the community provide an excellent launching pad for students seeking to maximize their potential."

Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center Director Audrey T. McCluskey added, "This event, along with other planned events during the year, confirms the center's commitment to enhancing the academic, cultural and social well-being of our students and to creating a sense of belonging among them."

For further information about Black Student Orientation, call the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center at 812-855-9271.

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