The mood was relaxed in the Newcomb Lounge as a diverse group of students snacked and mingled before last Friday evening's program began. The People of Color Orientation: "U.Va.'s Unspoken Histories," held at the Newcomb Ballroom, was the event at hand.
The purpose of the night was "to continue the first-year orientation experience at the University by putting it in a cultural context and also to build a sense of community among people of color," Associate Dean of Students Leonard Perry said.
Students attending enjoyed showcases of dance, poetry and drama by cultural groups on Grounds. These groups sought to remove "racial barriers by promoting and embracing diversity through friendship, social awareness, entertainment, and understanding," the program stated.
The Organization of Young Filipino Americans kicked off the performances with a high-energy dance that got the whole crowd clapping. The University Salsa Club also entertained the audience with a vibrant, sensual performance full of spins, turns and smooth moves.
Unlike the salsa performance, the first year experience isn't always that smooth. The Paul Robeson Players, the independent, student-run African-American theater organization, explored the rougher patches of students' first year at the University through dramatic monologues.
Later in the night, third-year College student LaQuisha Banks and fourth-year College student John Pineda, president of OYFA, delivered a poetic collaboration entitled "A Dynamic Dilemma." It was a "dedication to the unspoken. This is our history..." Banks said presenting the first lines of the poem.
An important member of the University's history took part in the night's panel discussion. Roland Lynch, a 1971 College and 1975 Darden graduate, was one of the founders of Black Students for Freedom, which today is the Black Student Alliance.
Along with the Maurice Apprey, dean of the Office of African American Affairs, Lynch answered questions ranging from explaining the necessities that people of color should carry through life to encouraging people to step away from the familiar.
"It is important for people of color to step out of the familiar and try different thing," Apprey said.
Other speakers included Reverend Dr. Bruce A. Beard, pastor at Transformation Ministries First Baptist Church in Charlottesville, who discussed overcoming self-identity issues as a person of color.
The event, important because it was the first of its kind, was especially relevant in light of The Cavalier Daily comic strip incident that occurred earlier that week.
The event was "timely having come on the Friday of a difficult week," said Interim Dean of Students Allen Groves.
He did not talk much about the incident, but he praised students for their response.
"Students came together and had dialogue, which was key in this process," he said.
The idea for POCO sprang from Banks, who said while at the orientation for first-year and transfer black students, she recognized a need for people of color at the University to come together. Her next step was to contact third-year College student Bernice Ramirez, vice president of La Alianza Coalition of Hispanic/Latino Leaders. From this collaboration, POCO and the idea for Friday's event was born.
"Our goal is to begin community building between the different people of color at the University," Ramirez said. "We want to see a change in the culture of U.Va."
Though for all people of color, Ramirez emphasized that this event was especially for first-years who are "the future of the community of color at U.Va."
Perry reiterated the program's focus on first-years, saying "This program is for you!"
One such first-year, College student Breyon Whittington, described the evening as "a positive experience."
Though the night was over, the dialogue among students of color will be continued. A workshop to keep the conversation going is in the planning stages.
"It is important to talk about what it means to be a community of color," Ramirez said.
Overall, the event encouraged unity among students of color. Perry helped foster this sense of cohesion to all students in his speech.
"We are Cavaliers. We are special Cavaliers. We are Cavaliers of color -- a family within a family."
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