LGBSU Educating and Supporting Our Campus
Alison Haig

Does October 11th mean anything to you? How about LGBAPs? If nothing here rings a bell please read on to find out more about the Lesbian, Gay, and BiSexual Student Union (LGBSU).

October 11th is an important day each year for the LGBSU and the gay community -- it’s National Coming Out Day. The LGBSU is the main support system on campus for students who are dealing with the sometimes difficult process of “coming out” to family and friends. National Coming Out Day is just one feature of the on-going support the LGBSU provides for the gay community on campus. Jen, co-president and treasurer of the organization, found support and friendship in the LGBSU when she decided to “come out” to friends and family.

Support, along with education, have been two of the main purposes of the LGBSU in their 25 years on campus. The goals of the group include making it easier for gays, lesbians, and bisexuals to live on campus and defending the human and civil rights of the gay community.

Jen feels that the typical reactions from students towards the group are mixed -- some supportive and some misunderstanding. According to Jen, the university administration does not give the LGBSU any problems. However, she was disappointed that the organization was not given an office in the new student center considering the number of years they have been on campus.

The LGBSU breaks down stereotypes and promotes understanding within the straight community on campus as well. About 30 times a year, the LGBSU provides Lesbian, Gay, and BiSexual Awareness Programs (LGBAPs). These programs are conducted upon request in many dorms and classrooms. The LGBAPs have helped a great deal of students on campus regardless of their sexual orientation.

Jen encourages curious students to go see what the LGBSU is all about. You can do so by phoning 831-8066 or stopping by the office (room 201 Perkins Student Center) or by showng up at a meeting. The LGBSU meets Sunday nights at 6:30 in the Blue and Gold room of the Perkins Student Center. Jen also adds that there is an option for anyone interested but hesitant or nervous about just showing up at a meeting. By contacting the office, one of the 60 some members (some of which are not lesbian, gay, or bisexual) will meet with you beforehand until you feel comfortable attending a meeting. Any curiosity is worth satisfying, so if you want to know more information about the LGBSU or if you would like to become a member -- please contact them.

The Time Is Now
Laurie Elliott

Ana, a Puerto Rican second-grader, walks from her family's run-down townhouse towards her bus stop. She lives in a small suburban town; the majority of the population is white. Her class has twenty students: eighteen of which are white. The only friend Ana has is an Asian boy named Navid, who has been held back twice. Ana and Navid spend part of their day in a "special education" class, which contains other students in the elementary school, who are either Hispanic, Asian, or African American. So, is this class considered to be "special ed" because it contains students of a race other than white? Ana's teacher, Mrs. Miller says that Ana must be placed in this "special ed" class in order to improve her English. However, Ana does not have a problem speaking or understanding English. Ana and her parents immigrated to the U. S. while Ana was a baby. Therefore, Ana grew up speaking both Spanish and English fluently.

In the regular classroom, Ana's seat is in the back of the classroom, and has been throughout the school year. During group-work assignments, Ana is always paired up with Navid, while the other students are usually paired with a different student for each assignment. Even though Ana raises her hand to answer Mrs. Miller's questions, she never gets called on. It's almost as if she's not a part of the class.

A lot of foreign students are discriminated against by their peers. However, in Ana's case, she was discriminated against by the teacher. What would you as a teacher do in this situation? What would you do if you if you were a parent volunteer in this classroom? The time is now to make a change.

Small Pond to Big Pond
Marie Huffman & Barbara Barnett

We stepped on to the place they call the “mall”, surrounded by four thousand unfamiliar faces. It was freshman orientation day and, as transfer students, we were required to attend. We sat down to listen to the presentations of faculty and staff members from the university, and feelings of apprehension and panic began to fill our minds. What were two students coming from colleges with less than 2,000 students doing ready to start at a university with over 15,000 attendants? We began to feel as if our desire to go to the University of Delaware was a mistake.

The differences were vast. The campus stretched out across several streets, and the probability of finding our way to our classes in the time allotted seemed impossible. The mass of students roaming the area, hurrying in different directions, was overwhelming and many bicycles and cars were whizzing by us without stopping. The classes were four times the size that we were used to, and everyone seemed to be just a number on the attendance sheet. Also, as commuting students, the complications of parking at the field house and catching the shuttle bus everyday seemed like another added change that would take some getting used to.

However, as the semester went on, the fears that went with transferring from a small pond to a big pond diminished as we began to adjust to our routine and make friends from many different areas and walks of life. The differences that at first seemed too large to overcome began to ease as our feelings about the university and it’s opportunities returned to their original passion. We realized that, although a large university can be intimidating, the exposure to other people and the wider range of experiences that the University of Delaware has to offer is something that we will not regret taking part in.

Multi-cultural education is an approach to teaching that promotes the understanding, acceptance and respect of different cultural groups. Opponents of multi-cultural education feel that it takes away from the American culture and American society. But studies show that students who are taught in a multi-cultural classroom benefit in a number of ways. For example, students who learn about the achievements of their own cultural group tend to have a higher self-esteem than those who do not. And higher self-esteem can lead to higher grades and self-respect. In addition, when any culturally diverse groups interact, students can begin to understand and appreciate different cultures, rather than just tolerate them as so many of us do. The following are a few ideas for teachers who want to incorporate multi-cultural education in their classrooms:

1. Help students realize the contributions that different groups or individuals have had on American society. Perhaps students can research and report on such figures as George Washington Carver or Harriet Tubman. Even present-day figures can be researched or discussed such as Jaime Escalante or Maya Angelou.
2. Help students break down the walls that divide them by dispelling stereo- types about certain ethnic groups. Children need to know that what they have learned in the past or what they may have seen in the media may not necessarily be true.
3. Practice peer tutoring and cooperative learning to help students interact and become friends. Once children get to know one another, they realize that they are not so different after all.
4. Have a multi-cultural day in class. Students can bring in food, music, pictures, etc. and share them with the class.
5. Any idea you can think of that promotes the understanding, acceptance, and celebration of other cultures!!