3/2/98
Editors/news directors: This weekend's Cultural Connections program featuring panel discussions, campus tours, a banquet and dance is open to the media. Some highlights that may be of interest to photographers or reporters: A student organization expo will take place from noon to 12:30 p.m. Saturday in the Morton Hall lobby. Parent and student panel discussions will run from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Rooms 235 and 237 of Morton Hall. Campus tours begin at Morton Hall at 4 p.m. Saturday.

Contact: Tim Hamilton, 740-593-4113

ATHENS, Ohio -- Prospective African-American, Hispanic/Latino and Native American students will get an up-close look at Ohio University during the Office of Admissions' Cultural Connections program Saturday and Sunday, March 7 and 8. The program will recognize the academic achievements of minority students and provide a final chance for university officials to encourage them to attend Ohio University.

"Our objective is to bring the students and their families down to showcase the university," said Tim Hamilton, assistant director of admissions. "The goal is to reach multicultural students who may be undecided about which university to attend."

Officials expect 80 students, all of whom have been accepted for admission to Ohio University, and their families. The event, now in its eighth year, is co-sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Administration.

Cultural Connections, previously known as Green and White Day, will feature a number of activities designed to let students and parents learn more about Ohio University. Representatives from every academic college and several departments will be on hand to give students an opportunity to talk one-on-one with faculty and students in their fields of interest.

Two panel discussions, one for prospective students and one for parents, will be conducted to let both groups raise any questions or concerns. The panel for students will feature current multicultural students who can provide perspective on attending Ohio University. The discussion for parents will consist of faculty and administrators who work with multicultural students on campus and, for the first time, a parent of one current student and one Ohio University alumna.

Informational sessions on financial aid and housing also will be conducted, as well as walking tours of the campus. On Saturday evening, a banquet to honor admitted students and parents will take place, and later that night a dance is scheduled.

Hamilton said African-American, Hispanic/Latino and Native American students often have a harder time adjusting to college than non-minority students. Some of the students may not have been in the minority in their high schools. That is one reason the Cultural Connections program will include multicultural students on its panel, he said.

"Panel students have experienced what it's like first-hand," he said. "They can relate that to the participants."

Hamilton said Ohio University's major selling points to multicultural students are its strong academic program, its selective admissions policies, the safety of its campus and the strong, tight-knit nature of its minority communities.

In previous years, a majority of students who participated in the program eventually chose to attend Ohio University, Hamilton said.