When third-year Engineering students Justin Steele and Ermias Abebe do venture out of the E-school and into Gilmer 130, they are used to sitting in the audience seats.The evening of Feb 4, however, found them standing at the front of the auditorium, facing a few hundred of their peers.
That Tuesday night the two stood prepared to teach others about their own history through a presentation entitled "Connecting Communities: A Look at Current Race Relations through the Lens of Black History at U.Va."
"Preaching to the choir"
The presentation was first introduced to the public a semester ago, but at that time the audience make-up was almost entirely African-American.Steele noted that originally the presentation had been geared toward African-American students and was publicized with that in mind.
"The initial statement of purpose was to increase ownership of African-American students -- so that they could say U.Va. is their school," Steele said. "It was heavily, heavily publicized to the African-American community the first time. We were trying to get diverse students, but the push was towards African-American students."
Steele said he remembers the very different dynamics of the first presentation, likening its interactive vibes to the experience of attending a church with an all-black congregation.
"For me it felt much more interactive -- I was feeding off the crowd, they were pushing me forward," Steele said. "I was teaching them about their history
Read More
‘I Run With Jim’ T-shirt campaign raises over $8,000 for local charities
By Xander Tilock | 50 minutes agoThe success of the project, and its impact, are a testament to Ryan’s reputation in the community.
10 things I would do differently this syllabus week
By Anna Stamey | YesterdayIf I could redo my first week at the University, I’d make a few changes — ones that could save me my time, money and sanity.
On embodying ‘Hey There Delilah’
By Mai Hukuoka | 5 days agoA long-distance relationship – in which the hurdle of communication and staying connected doubles in size – was the bane of my existence, something that I wanted to shy away from for as long as possible
