By AMBER MEAGER
Meager@newsroom.byu.edu
Wynante Sewell was surprised her first year at BYU to look over a sea of people -- not because there were so many students.
She realized she was one of few black students on campus.
'I felt like no one really understands because I am having a different experience being a minority,' Sewell said.
Despite a challenging freshman year, Sewell stuck it out and seven years later she is still at BYU as a graduate student.
A new multicultural discussion group organized by Women's Services and Resources and facilitated by Sewell will help students cope with the challenges of being a minority on campus.
Sewell, 25, a student from Palm Bay, Fla., working on her master's degree in marriage and family therapy, said the majority of students who drop out of BYU are multicultural women. She hopes the discussion group will help with retention.
'I have heard lots of students say their first year is hard for them. I want them to know that there is support,' said LaNae Valentine, coordinator for Women's Services and Resources.
The multicultural discussion group met Tuesday, Feb. 8, to express concerns ranging from roommate problems to dating to professor insensitivity.
'Generally, people aren't aware that (cultural insensitivity) exists,' said Adrienne Sotuyo, 22, from Omaha, Ark. majoring in social work.
Sotuyo helped organize the discussion group for students like her.
'Even if you are confident, (racism) affects you in so many ways, including with your education, emotionally and spiritually,' Sotuyo said.
Dolcie Thompson, 20, a junior from Phoenix, Ariz., majoring in Spanish shared solutions with the group on how to help others, particularly roommates, appreciate different cultures.
'I shared things in my culture (with my roommates) like music, language, food, literature, traditions and customs,' Thompson said.
By teaching her roommates, Thompson said she was able to open their eyes to a new culture.
Sotuyo said there are a several purposes for the multicultural discussion group.
'The healing process starts when we can just talk to each other,' she said.
The discussion group will help students recognize that there are others on the campus who share similar feelings and experiences, Sotuyo said.
'The group will help me become aware of other cultures as well as relate to other girls in the same situation,' Thompson said.
Sotuyo said the multicultural students will also meet to discuss solutions.
'If this is such a problem, issues will need to be addressed by the multicultural office, the dean, professors and students,' Sotuyo said.
Sotuyo said she realizes attitudes, beliefs and life-long convictions cannot be changed easily.
'We need to be ourselves. We can't expect BYU programs to do it for us,' Thompson said.
Even though the discussion group was established for multicultural women, all women are invited to attend, Sotuyo said.
'Some people don't know how to communicate with multicultural students. The discussion group could help them,' she said.