Running head: DIVERSITY STORY

Diversity Story
Durand Capers
Wright State University

DIVERSITY STORY

Life is an open road, we are always

Abstracts

looking

reflecting There was only color

forward to a destination while

on our past. My past makes for a long

story, yet

We stood as painters palettes

interesting to say the least. As a

student

Patiently pondering potentials

who was accepted into four different

colleges,

Porcelain was not ready for our pastels I got a fair share of diverse
Neither were we,

backgrounds. The experiences I

captured

We just wanted to create

helped me grow tremendously as a

person

Something similar to Jesus

and as a friend. However, the best part

for me is

Self-portrait finger paintings.

the fact that I am still growing and

learning

Were just trying to reflect

from different experiences with

diverse

God

groups. My adult experiences started

at

Organically

Michigan State, then went on to

Oakland

University, Sinclair Community

College,

and Wright State University. I have

visited other colleges, such as Wayne State University, University of Michigan, University of
Toledo, Bowling Green, Ohio State, Clark Atlanta, Morehouse, Spellman, Kennesaw State, and
Georgia State. At these different institutions I was able to see some of the diverse dynamics that
take place on their campuses. In regards of the use of this story, I will only be going in depth of a
few institutions.
In the summer of 2005 I was accepted into Michigan State University and attended the
new student orientation on campus. This was an exciting trip for me because I have never stayed
overnight on a campus before. I was also excited based on the concept of meeting new people.

DIVERSITY STORY

As a person from Detroit, MI it is common for us to look for others from Detroit. We purposely
look for others from our city and celebrate success. Sadly, when I finally met some people from
Detroit they appeared to be to themselves and standoffish. This interaction made things awkward
for me because this was a time they wanted us to meet and greet other students. To no avail I
ended up without an area to go to until I was called out by a group of white and Asian students to
sit with them. I grew up in a diverse neighborhoods and had exposure to other groups.
Nonetheless, this caught me by surprise and was by far the thing that opened up my complete
experience. Everyone in this area was from different places and was very easy going. The
conversations I had was great because we shared stories that showed us how experiences are the
same across the board despite background. The rest of the orientation we all stayed around each
other and I started to notice how people reject the thought of inclusion. I felt like I have been
friends with these people for years.
Unfortunately, I did not attend Michigan State University and later that summer I applied
to Oakland University. This campus had people from a lot of different places and this was my
first experience with International Students. Everyone was in a place of inclusion here. Of
course, likeminded people hung around each other. At this institution the student body was very
inclusive overall. Differences were embraced and we were able to have a lot of great experiences
because of that. Programming appealed to more than one crowd. The housing department,
recreation center, and student program board made sure of this fact. The two years I was able to
spend at Oakland University taught me a lot on prosperity. There was not any reports of impartial
behavior from staff or faculty. Minorities had prominent positions on campus and diversity of
staff reflected the students. In regards of the inclusion component, there was one incident when a
white student painted a confederate flag on his face and walked around campus. This is

DIVERSITY STORY

something that bothered me based on the fact he was trying to get a response. I remember the
assistant dean reminded me that the only group of people who paint their faces are clowns.
Oakland University was also the first place I really experienced Greek culture. It was at
this school I found out more about the Divine 9 Greek organizations. I was immersed into the
culture as I gained friends who were Alphas, Kappas, and Deltas. I became quite aquatinted
with the Deltas on campus and I got the luxury of forming some close friendships within that
organization and assist with their programming. The organizations that were on campus did a lot
of collaborating with one another and it kept the spirit of the campus alive. There was not a sense
of division at all. I was also challenged putting myself in a position to grow. My best friend was
a gay female and did not hide it from anyone. She was also a person that everyone loved.
Growing up in an urban environment, it is frowned upon to be gay or associated with them.
During the early 2000s, more females openly showed their sexuality than men would. My friend
was a person who talked to everyone and never hid her feelings, nor did she every let anyone
disrespect her friends. At this point of my life I have not been around people of the GLBTQ
community and hanging around her I was introduced in the most perfect way. I learned how to
not look at people a certain way because they are a part of that community. I learned how to
respect someones character without compromising their identity. I knew what it was like to be
an outcast to a community so I embraced the friendships I developed with these people. This was
something I deemed self-sacrificial because I knew people would look at me differently for being
around these people, yet I did not think it was fair for anyone to not have a strong supporter. I
started reciting poetry reflecting on the experiences.
Upon starting Sinclair Community College, I never thought that I would make the impact
that I did on the school. I have never thought a community college could be so impactful on me

DIVERSITY STORY

as well. The first thing that took me by surprise was the fact that I was exposed to NonTraditional students. This included high school aged and senior citizens. I also quickly learned
about the history of Daytons past of racial division. Due to my experiences I was very
comfortable around different groups of people and I did not let this affect my education. Within
two months of attending Sinclair I got the job of being a Student Ambassador in the Admissions
Office. I was honestly told that I was hired based on my previous work experience, personality, I
was a male, and the fact I have not tried to flirt with the current workers in the office. The
underlying issue in the office was there were 13 Student Ambassadors, all of which were female.
Every female had a different background, but there were not any student male staff. A lot of the
people who applied only did to get closer to the females. So, that dynamic played a huge role in
my outlook being in admissions. To an extent I was a layer of protection for the females that
worked in the office. Working in admissions gave me a new role on campus. I was the first face
people seen walking in the doors and I had to definitely be an inclusive person. What translated
from here was while I was on campus I gained the reputation of being resourceful. I was able to
connect with people of different backgrounds and situations helping them in ways they could not
get from anywhere else. I was also able to break through some of the culture divide in the school.
I was involved in creating situations on campus where people had to work together and leave
their comfort zones. Giving people experience in talking with and connecting other people
started to break the divide that was previously there. In fact, people were shun for those types of
actions.
Besides being involved with the school from my position I also started a poetry club on
campus. The club was named M.E.L.O. and became the largest, most diverse, and active club on
campus. Everyone who was involved in this club became more involved in culture issues and

DIVERSITY STORY

sought to correct them in their communities. The marketing department caught wind to my
ability to interact with people and seen I was a person of influence, so publications became more
diverse. It was a great thing to see different faces in different positions of the school. Within the
time I spent at Sinclair, there were many people who went on to Wright State. When I graduated
and attended Wright State, I started seeing some of the same things that was started at Sinclair.
The irony is Sinclair never had housing, but had a lot of participation from the Student Body. I
hope that whomever is in a position to make a change can and will. Wright State and Sinclair
sinuously had a big changes during the same time. This could be directly related to the economy
or just the new generation of students. At any rate, we can still make for a great experience for
them.
My experiences shaped me into the person I am today. In reflecting on my most
memorable experience I would say it was the cross between Oakland University and Sinclair
Community College. I was able to indulge in conversations and experience over a period of years
with people I never would have thought I would talk to. However, Sinclair Community College I
would say is my proudest moment. I directly seen the change take place in the school and I was
supported for my contributions in doing so. To this day anyone I have interacted with from
Sinclair would say I inspired them to be better people. Although I have done a lot, I am still
human and learning from my mistakes. I want to continue to learn from others making sure my
words are used to build and not destroy or postpone. After being in a place where I was not
charged with being politically correct, I have to learn to better adapt to my environments.

DIVERSITY STORY

DIVERSITY STORY

They Told Her She Wasnt White Enough

-Kyla Young

They Told him he wasnt black enough

-Shon Houston

They told her that she wasnt white enough

So they made three inch incisions above her breasts;
Making her a carbon copy of silicon
That doesnt look anything like her mother
They told him he wasn't black enough

so they beat his body

With these new augmentations she looked more
til it was the color of pavement
Like ever Hollywood angel ever seen.
and his blood filled
Peroxide and tanning spray in hand she took to the sky
concrete crevices like tar
With Technicolor dreams and no map to guide her

With a blood soaked brow

On her misguided journey, her crescent shaped mouth
he became the next hood Jesus
Would often get mistaken for the moon.
carrying the sins of these men
She began noting stars like arrows; pointing her into every wrong way
to the father
Until she went north and found him.
asking only for forgiveness as he turned the other cheek

and began to see visions

He made everything clearer:
of the angel of his dreams
That love was something she had never seen, so they took

To this star crossed concept unnaturally.

cause all he wanted
See, she was everything he wasnt.
was to be seen as human

fully man, created in the image

This roaming Juliet never could have day dreams,
of the stars
By dawns break shed cry, her back was broken.
because he was the dark blanket that covered the sky
By the daughters that havent been born yet,
and she was the moon
But the system has that effect on people.
that lit his

world
They were her diamonds; composite of coal under pressure.

Identified by her blood tent hair and his hard coated skin.
Cause when colors collide
They could only be scratched by their own.
his world became high definition
Out of the cities spite,
defining the situation the day called forbidden
For their father and her
but he never hesitated
They were made to be whole.
to bite
and become enlightened being forever united
as one

but night is always broken by the day

and the sons of the morning got in the way
saying
there love way a lie
and nothing they could say
could save
the night

cause they were his gems

that were made in the silence of this city
like diamonds in the rough
they were purified to be
tougher
than any other
just like their mother
and him
because they were made