ALUMNI RETURN TO ENHANCE MINORITY EXPERIENCE FOR STUDENTS—

Amongst the activities taking place during Homecoming Week 2014, Wofford in conjunction with the Alumni Office hosted the first ever Black Alumni Summit for black alumni and current students. The event, taking place on Thursday, Oct. 23, allowed students the opportunity to interact with Wofford alumni during both lunch in the Gray-Jones room and also the student experience panel held later on in the day.

“I thought that the student panel that participated boldly in front of all the participating alumni was the most impactful portion of the Summit. To hear the thoughts, concerns and motifs of the alumni really opened up my eyes to future possibilities here at Wofford,” says junior Robert Massey. The alumni were very pleased with the changes they saw on campus.

Lisa Yebuah, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, a previous Wofford cheerleader and Bonner Scholar, noticed the Village for the first time from graduating in 1999. “One thing that really gave me great level of hope was the great diversity I saw on campus,” says Yebuah.

Yebuah, along with other alumni in attendance, were grateful to notice the changes of scenery on campus in addition to the increase of diversity within the student population.

“The campus itself has changed. I noticed the Michael S. Brown Village Center, the amount of extended parking, the streets that were blocked off and chained—it is showing that Wofford is changing. Expansion was the main thing that I observed while coming back on campus—both physical and population expansion,” said Jil Littlejohn, president and CEO of the Urban League of the Upstate and Wofford graduate class of 2001.

Pleased with the positive outcome of the Black Alumni Summit, many alumni are wanting to form a Black Alumni Group for black graduates of the college, which will not only enhance the alumni experience for black graduates, but will also potentially establish mentorships and connections amongst alumni and current students.

“I’m all for anything that can benefit the students and the college,” says Lawrence Meadows, a previous member of the African American Association of Students (AAAS), which existed before it was renamed the Association of Multicultural Affairs and included members of all backgrounds.

Littlejohn agrees.

“I think it is very much needed. Most graduates know how to network and mingle amongst the Wofford network and beyond. Making the connections in both the Black Alumni network and outside the network can open doors to many possibilities for students. I believe that forming this group will be more helpful than hurtful,” says Littlejohn.

The students are excited about this new opportunity through the school as well.

“I hope to see more engagement through stronger networking. Recognizing that we have plenty of resources on campus to get information from and having the mentality of “taking the bull by the horns,” I hope to see more Black Alumni summits in the future. I also hope to see that the word ‘inclusion’ is understood and broadcasted throughout the communities on campus,” says Massey.

As a member of Campus Union, “I encourage alumni to give back because you can’t complain if you’re not participating,” says Meadows.

— Jonathan Franklin and Jewell Singleton