Buffs Together

We're All in This Together

By Marissa Kelley, Kristin Oh and Alina Lopez

In order to fight against the school’s long history of predominantly caucasian students, Assistant Vice Chancellor Alphonse Keasley is advocating a new program called the Diversity, Inclusion and Academic Excellence Plan. Rather than putting blame on a single department or group, the program’s intention is to make inclusion everyone’s responsibility and to try to recognize everyone’s part in achieving inclusion, Keasley said. The Plan is not only for ethnic minorities, but for men, women, and abled and disabled students, faculty, and staff.

Gangadharbatla suggested putting people into different groups, like a simulation in a classroom, that would expose them to a different world view.

“Diversity pushes the human race forward,” he said, “because if everybody thought and did the same thing, we’ll all be doing the same thing.”

“It takes somebody with a different experience in life or something that’s different to come up and say ‘well, what if we went this way instead of going that way,’ because in my life I’ve done all of these things, and this is what my life tells me. That’s what I think pushes the human race forward is this ability to think differently and have a different experience.”

Zacq Richmond will have much to look forward to this fall. He is in the summer bridge program, which includes multicultural classes.

“I’ve learned a lot of about Hispanic people, Mexican people, Asian people and their cultures. They do different things but we’re still all people at the end of the day, so we just all need to come together.”

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2S_LFxFOAE]

MEET THE NEW GUYS

Zacqariah “Zacq” Richmond

  • Hometown: Denver, Colorado
  • High School: Rangeview HS, ‘16
  • Study Plans at Ƶ: Computer Science
  • Dorm: Kittredge Hall
  • Favorite Color: Green
  • Favorite Food: Chicken alfredo
  • Favorite Music: Rap and R&B
  • Pets: One cat but more of a dog person
  • Siblings: One younger brother
  • If he could be any food: Hot dog
  • Dream Travel Destination: Brazil during Carnival
  • Hidden Fact: He is part Mexican
  • Hobbies: Working out and hip hop dancing
  • Most excited about Ƶ: Meeting new people and the environment
  • Plans for joining clubs at Ƶ: intramural football and basketball as well as ROTC and Black Student Alliance. He plans on starting a black fraternity.

Winfred Sanaki

  • Hometown: Aurora, Colorado
  • High School: Lotus School for Excellence, ‘16
  • Study Plans at Ƶ: Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Favorite Color: Blue
  • Favorite Food: Home-cooked pasta alfredo
  • Favorite Music: Any music that’s not screamo
  • Siblings: Two older sisters
  • Dream travel Destination: Go back to Italy to create new memories
  • Hobbies: Soccer, videogames, reading mystery and fantasy books
  • Favorite Movie: “22 Jumpstreet”
  • Most excited for about Ƶ: First semester classes
  • Plans for joining clubs at Ƶ: Intramural Soccer and Robotics club