When people first meet Andy Teye \u201919, they frequently assume he must be American because he doesn\u2019t have an accent (he\u2019s from Accra, Ghana).<\/p>\n
When some people first meet Jai Ryung \u201cJenny\u201d Lee \u201917, they often jump to conclusions, thinking she\u2019s from California (she\u2019s a South Korean raised in Indonesia).<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been there (to California) once. It was great,\u201d said Lee, an economics major.<\/p>\n
During a special Homecoming panel discussion Tuesday in Hartness Pavilion, Teye and Lee shared their diverse perspectives on stereotypes, identity, perceptions, and expectations at Furman as minority students on campus.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are Furman,\u201d sponsored by Furman\u2019s Student Diversity Council (SDC), featured the perspectives and stories of 11 student leaders representing a variety of underrepresented racial, religious, cultural, gender, and sexual identities.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are often afraid to talk about these things, but a lot of this ties into what \u2018home\u2019 means,\u201d said Emma Zyriek \u201917, a double major in music and political science and the SDC president.<\/p>\n
Featured panelists also included Jose Bailey \u201917, Jocelyn Boulware \u201917, Nathan Mathai \u201917, Kristen Murdaugh \u201917, Dov Tennenbaum \u201917, Fareeha Abrar \u201918, Bradwin Amos \u201918, Aishwarya Tripathi \u201919, and Junyang Chai \u201917.<\/p>\n
While some panelists had experienced a variety of challenges, several said they were happy to educate their peers about their cultures and identities when they were genuinely curious and wanted to learn more.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t learn from people exactly like you,\u201d said Chai, an Asian studies and economics major from Xi\u2019an, China. \u201cYou learn from people who are different than you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Boulware encouraged students to be active in pursuing positive change. \u201cI\u2019m honored to be a part of the project\u2026 of multiculturalism on this campus,\u201d said Boulware, a philosophy major from Chester, S.C.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t let your conversations end here,\u201d Zyriek told the audience. \u201cStories are important. Listening is important. Take these stories out into your community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Deborah Allen, associate director of student activities for diversity engagement, said she felt honored to know many of the panelists, and admired the student leaders who were able to use their platform to share their own narratives.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, there are two important messages I hope those in attendance were able to take away. One, to understand the importance of seeing yourself reflected in the community you are a part of, and two, that intersectionality is a very real thing.\u00a0 We are all multi-dimensional beings, and our lived experiences are what make us who we are,\u201d said Allen. \u201cMy hope is that this was the beginning of some crucial dialogue surrounding the experiences of our underrepresented students, and how we can work toward a more diverse and inclusive community at Furman.\u201d<\/p>\n
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