Alexis Teasdell | Staff Writer
This week, the Collegiate 100 of NC State will be hosting its Annual Freshman Roundtable. This program is designed as an informal discussion among African American males. Upperclassmen will be offering advice and tips to underclassmen to ensure a successful navigation through college to graduation. First year males, have the opportunity to have their questions answered honestly and without any limits. Subjects discussed can range from academics to extracurricular activities. Students can even discover the best place to get a nice haircut near campus. The upperclassmen are giving back to the freshmen, by sharing the lessons they have learned and strive to build mentoring relationships.
The Collegiate 100 is an auxiliary organization to the 100 Black Men of America, Inc. which has the purpose of developing the social, educational, emotional, and physical needs of young black males on campus and in the surrounding communities who are in need of positive role models. The NC State chapter of Collegiate 100 was formed with the help of Mr. Tony Jeffries, Dr. Paul Bitting, and Darryl Hardy Jr. in 2006.
President Aaron Wise said, “Many times at events such as orientation and even the African American symposium, many students receive information from people who are in a totally different age group. I think freshmen are more likely to listen to people who are in their own age group, because they have shared experiences and the younger mentors have experiences which would more closely resemble issues that freshman may come across. This is one of the many reasons why programs such as the Peer Mentor Program are successful. It’s not only a learning experience for freshman males, but also upperclassmen males who attend the program, because there are some things that even juniors and seniors don’t know that the younger students may know.”
Wise said, “This is an annual event that the Collegiate 100 has been doing for a couple of years that has proved, to be a success. Not only is it way for us to share our experiences with underclassmen, but it is also a way for attendees to learn a little bit more about our organization which is dedicated to serving the community and actively participating in service initiatives.”
Our motto is “What they See is What They’ll Be. We want to make sure that we are promoting the best image for males that may look up to us for guidance.”
