I am wrapping up my first year at NCC. Engaging with the radio station, building relationships with professors and understanding myself have all been rewarding processes. However, on campus, I find it difficult to establish meaningful relationships with other students of various cultures. For some reason, the ethnic groups on this small campus limit their intercultural communication.
According to Laila Williams, ’25, other students feel the same. A student responded to her anonymous survey on differing cultural events stating, “…if it is not within my culture it makes me nervous like I won’t belong.”
Despite these beliefs, I know that through relatability and mutual understanding, we can start reshaping the essence of our interdependencies. We can also develop the necessary tools for intercultural communication.
“As we go and we connect with each other, it reduces our bias. Because we learn other people’s journeys, and we are more cognisant of people’s experience and journeys,” said Eric Armstrong, Assistant Dean for Equity and Inclusion.
Narrative
Talking with Ian Adipo, ’24, about his time at NCC before his flight back to Kenya, he mentioned having an amazing time at NCC. However, Adipo mentioned that he developed a mindset believing that making friends was necessary for a good college experience.
“NCC has a strong athletic community, and the majority of athletes interact closely with themselves, which is visible everywhere. At first, I didn’t understand why students were in groups at Kaufman Dining Hall… as an international student, I became concerned, thinking that to get around NCC, one needed to have friends,” said Adipo.
I can understand the need for friendship, but Adipo also mentioned that other international students feel excluded on campus.
“It is difficult for an international student to make friends… I am an extrovert, so it was easy for me to make friends, but most international students struggle to make friends. Additionally, the majority of them speak English as a second language, making communication difficult,” said Adipo.
Sadly, that part is not just related to international students; it’s a problem for diversified communities nationwide. Many organizations on campus even feel excluded from advertising, unless the school needs a diversity post. That unfair exclusion doesn’t motivate intercultural communication.
Effects on individuals
I also know the feeling of being unfairly excluded from a campus. I missed out on saying goodbye to many classmates because of an unfair suspension in middle school. Since then, I’ve lost trust in the education system and presented myself inauthentically to succeed.
The times I let my guard down often make me angrier. Last semester, a professor I respect equated me wearing my hoodie to a criminal robbing a bank. This professor didn’t mean it negatively. However, many in the class did not receive the comment well.
Fredlyn Pierre Louis, ’23, also recognized that he had to be constantly alert on campus and present himself differently. Otherwise, society would stereotype him as “just another black man.”
As another Black man with aspirations, I feel that when we comply and change our appearances, it is more likely that we will be asked for a photo or video highlighting the school’s diversity than to be recognized as scholars.
That’s a bold claim I didn’t want to believe, but eventually, I realized that I wasn’t invited to any College Scholars events this semester. Instead, one of the only emails I got regarding the program asked me to participate in the video welcoming new students. It was up to me to reach out for better communication, just like it’s up to you to learn more about other cultures.
Let’s bridge this divide, one intercultural conversation at a time.
“To summarize, making social interactions at NCC can be overwhelming at first, but once you get to know the other students, it will be a pleasant environment,” said Adipo, ’24.
