Michael Vick, Nikki Giovanni To Address Diversity
By Neal Turnage

In an attempt to increase campus diversity, the Virginia Tech Department of Undergraduate Admissions will enlist the aid of two world famous former Hokies in Michael Vick and Dr. Nikki Giovanni.

The NFL superstar and the renowned author will speak to potential Tech enrollees during the department’s weekend-long Gateway program April 7th and 8th.

Yalana Bryant, assistant director of undergraduate admissions and coordinator of the event, says Gateway is a yield program geared toward increasing underrepresented student populations within the university such as African-Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans and Alaskan natives.

“Our intent is to be persuasive,” said Bryant. “But basically to share with them how welcoming and inviting and supportive this environment can be.  There is a network of individuals here available to assist them even though they are grossly underrepresented on this campus.”

Admissions data at Virginia Tech in 2005 showed 15 percent of its students list themselves as minorities.  Applicants are not required to divulge their ethnic backgrounds.

Gateway expects approximately 150 high school seniors who have been offered admission to Virginia Tech to visit the campus during the event.  Current Tech students will act as hosts for the weekend, accompanying the participants to the various activities in an attempt to make them feel more at ease.

“Students who visit Virginia Tech are more likely to accept our offer than students who have just heard about us,” Bryant said.

Gateway will look to match its attendees with hosts with similar backgrounds.  Monica Raugitinane, a sophomore in communications of El Salvadorian and Thai decent, says she believes in the program’s mission.

She admits that diversity was a concern of hers when she decided to come to Virginia Tech, but now wants to do her part to lessen the intimidation facing prospective students.

“I’m just very excited to get them motivated,” she said of the participants.  “I really want them to come to Tech because as a minority I feel that the experience is very different and I would really love to see the numbers come up.”

The format of the program will provide many opportunities for Raugitinane and her fellow hosts to convince the visitors to enroll at Tech.

The first-day agenda for the event features an opening address from Nikki Giovanni, a student panel and a student organizations exhibition called Gateway Showcase.  After the official events on day one have concluded, the visitors will be treated to a student organization-hosted party in the Old Dominion Ballroom of Squires Student Center. 

Day two has the students attending a number of information sessions and workshops in conjunction with Hokie Focus, another recruitment yield program.

Students will conclude their weekend at a tailgate-themed party where they will be able to meet and hang out with Michael Vick. 

Originally called “Black Student Preview”, the program has evolved over the last ten years in what the university describes as “the spirit of multicultural diversity” and expanded to include more than just African-Americans.