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Courts the computer. I'm just gonna do that. Yeah. Let's hope that one.

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Okay. Okay. And I apologize, I don't have my glasses on me today,

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so I'd like my screen zoomed in. Okay. So this is Taylor curly interviewing Ella Burton on November 23rd, 2021.

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And I'm going to ask the first thing I'm going to ask us about your early life before you'd, if you can talk about your childhood or

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maybe your school experience before coming to the university. That's where I'd like to start. Okay.

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Good morning. I grew up in Sussex County. I graduated from keeping open high school, had a great education.

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Their participated in sports and clubs, etc. And then once graduating from Cape an open, I went on to Salzburg State College at the time.

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And I stayed there for two years. It was because of financial aid and the lack of money that I ended up coming back in state

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and transferred to the University of Delaware. And my Salisbury experience, I'd been an RA on

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campus and had been involved in a number of clubs and organizations and sorority, cetera, and then ended up having to leave. All of that was pretty devastating,

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to be quite honest. In all in the midst of that, my grandmother passed to whom I was very close and she had

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actually live with us as well. So transferring the UD that was quite an adjustment from a very small school to

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a very large school with where you knew no one and you would just simply your ID number. The most part was quite an adjustment for me.

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I became an RA up with Christiana towers, which was pretty new then was the place to be for juniors and seniors.

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And that was a good experience and I continued from there. Okay. And what about you came to UD

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after your time after cheers at Salisbury said? Yes. How long were you at UB for?

00:02:55.910 - 00:03:07.160

Two years. I graduated in four years. I was bound and determined to get a four-year degree. And I did. I was a communication major

00:03:07.160 - 00:03:18.560

minor and African-American studies and business. So it was quite a feat. Actually, the experience was

00:03:18.560 - 00:03:27.140

not all positive at the University of Delaware, I found it quite challenging to navigate as

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an African-American students on the campus, interacting with some of the professors. And thankfully, we did have staff on campus that supported us.

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And when we had an issue, we could go to them and kind of disgust and say, how do we, how do we work through?

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And my word we'd be navigate now, but it wasn't navigate then. It was what I need to do. And so those challenges

00:04:07.610 - 00:04:22.650

were, we're very evident. At the University of Delaware. We use the African American Center. I'm not sure what it's called now.

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That's on South College Avenue might be the Center for African American culture or something like that now,

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but it was the Black Student Union then. That was like a place of refuge for many of us to come together and to take a moment

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to study together and to work together and into campus events too. Help others know who we were and that we were there

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for them be academically successful and contributors to society just like everyone else. So that that that was that helped us.

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Did you live on campus at all when you were at the University of Delaware? I did. As an RA I was in

00:05:23.480 - 00:05:34.910

the Christiana towers the first year that I was there. When I transferred in as a junior. And then thankfully, again,

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that was a blessing for me because I was an RA in Maryland and one of the members one of the faculty or staff

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that was in the admissions department that was helping me make that transition smoothly because UD had a winter session and we did not.

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So we finished in December and because of UDL winter session, that actually gave me a sufficient amount of time to be able to

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make that transition smoothly and be able to begin the spring semester. And he contacted the housing department at UD because I had no clue.

00:06:24.290 - 00:06:32.110

I'd never seen the campus. Nothing. It was not it was not like I had a college visit and I was like, Oh, this is the point.

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I was I was literally coming to a campus site and seen I had seen you the via a magazine cover and

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with the course offerings. And so I hadn't met the GPA requirements to get into the College of Communication,

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College of Arts and Sciences, et cetera. So that part of my world went very smooth because academically I did not have any issues,

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but I didn't have housing. And so he made a call and spoke to someone and told them who I was and what I

00:07:04.700 - 00:07:15.710

did and my involvement on campus. And the rest is history. I became an RA. I showed up, they gave me

00:07:15.710 - 00:07:26.450

the orientation and I loved it. I was an RA my senior year at college town. I moved from the towers over the college town.

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And that was a real treat because that was true apartment living and a lot less people on the weekends. So that's what I did.

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So I was definitely on campus and got involved in just about any and everything that was academically available and

00:07:49.790 - 00:08:03.920

relevant to what I felt futuristic, we would matter for me so that that went very well actually. What at what year was it

00:08:03.920 - 00:08:16.490

when you transfer TDD? I transferred spring 81 and I graduated AT to bring the baby to and I did that.

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For me. It was quite difficult because I had to go to school both summer sessions because University of Delaware required like

00:08:31.250 - 00:08:47.950

a 124 credits versus the 120 that I was expected to get at Salisbury. Then there was a semester where I got a D in my major,

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which you could not do. So I had to take a course, so retake a course, I should say. And so I went summer session 12.

00:09:00.870 - 00:09:11.690

Then I came back to fall, spring. Yeah. No, I went winter session and then it was like I was in school around

00:09:11.690 - 00:09:22.580

the clock and I was like, I'm graduate in June 82 and I did. So that was the big deal. I was a first-generation college go

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or I was first one in my family to graduate. So for me it was bigger than just getting a degree. It was necessary that

00:09:33.440 - 00:09:42.260

I got a degree and there was no there was no room for failure. As far as I was concerned. It was I was making

00:09:42.260 - 00:09:57.970

a life shift not only for me but for those that would come after me. So around 82, I'm just trying to think. A lot was going on.

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They get my chronologic way like I'm thinking, can you speak more about campus life? I mean, I know a lot about the dorm.

00:10:11.550 - 00:10:20.170

We're an RA what about did you do a lot of activities, I guess maybe outside of school and new work or what was Main Street like maybe.

00:10:20.170 - 00:10:26.680

Oh, my goodness. Well, to be honest with you, Street was the first place that I was called the inward.

00:10:26.680 - 00:10:32.530

I was walking down campus. I had just gotten to the University of Delaware where I didn't really know anyone.

00:10:32.530 - 00:10:41.360

Honestly, I was on this campus and quite miserable. And it was challenging for me to be here because as I said,

00:10:41.360 - 00:10:51.880

the finances is what drove me away from the school I was attending. But I knew that going back home and taking a year

00:10:51.880 - 00:11:00.360

in working wasn't an option. I had to keep going. And so it was my faith that really kept me moving.

00:11:00.360 - 00:11:12.910

And I believe that finally people were taking care of me. That I didn't even know at times. So when I was on campus,

00:11:12.910 - 00:11:25.190

while Main Street was was as you know, UD is predominantly white. I was a black female walking down Main Street heading back

00:11:25.190 - 00:11:34.500

to the towers and had gone to what the five and dime it was their van. I don't know if it's still there.

00:11:36.070 - 00:11:42.990

That I had made my trip to goodwill for staff for my dorm and I had made my trip to the five and dime.

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And I was just kinda meandering back trying to keep my head together. This is before the spring semester had begun. So it was pretty isolating because

00:11:58.310 - 00:12:06.470

I was up in the towers and nobody was back. Winter session was still happening. Cold blustery. So it's not like you're out meeting anyone.

00:12:06.470 - 00:12:22.050

So these white males drove by, yelled out, where are you going? Inward? And it shocked me. I turned around, I looked and I'm thinking,

00:12:22.050 - 00:12:31.970

who did they just say that too. And it was me. And I was just like, Oh my gosh, is this environment that

00:12:31.970 - 00:12:44.730

I just transfer it into, that was quite devastating, honestly. I think back to it now and I was like, I was totally taken them back,

00:12:44.730 - 00:12:57.680

never had, was not expecting that to occur. In a university, quote, unquote setting. They appeared to be university aged young men.

00:12:57.680 - 00:13:08.140

Not that they weren't, but certainly appeared to be. So that's when I had kind of grow that extra layer of skin

00:13:08.140 - 00:13:19.030

and say, you know what? Oh, I got to show the white people what this is and who I am and what I can accomplish.

00:13:19.030 - 00:13:27.530

And you have to understand during that era, we were coming in off of the movie routes where we were being established,

00:13:27.530 - 00:13:38.230

but we were becoming more Afro centric. Politics was shifting. Ronald Reagan was in office. It was a lot going on during that period.

00:13:38.230 - 00:13:47.000

So being at the university, I began to not only taking communication courses, but also Black Studies courses.

00:13:47.000 - 00:13:59.960

Because that is where I was hoping to meet a number of people that looked like me or were like-minded, at least wanted to learn and wanted to grow.

00:13:59.960 - 00:14:08.630

I was a member of a sorority. I happen to see a young man who was in a fraternity, black man who was in a fraternity.

00:14:08.630 - 00:14:16.610

He saw my umbrella and he was like, Let me take you to your sisters. And from there that's when the camaraderie and the bond and

00:14:16.610 - 00:14:27.230

the connections became great. I worked in the, I worked for a professor as well through college work-study like in

00:14:27.230 - 00:14:39.170

his office. Which was great. So I got to meet professors. I got to me. Judith Gibson who was a, was an academic Affairs

00:14:39.170 - 00:14:47.330

and the President's Office. Ron Whittington, who was an admissions director at the time. I'm trying to remember

00:14:47.330 - 00:14:51.630

the gentleman who was in charge of the Black Student Union at the time. But at that point,

00:14:51.630 - 00:15:03.050

the university was actually beginning to put some money into the house there. But it was nothing like some of the other houses.

00:15:03.050 - 00:15:10.070

The Women's Studies Center that I would go into or the Teacher Center that I would go into. I always felt like ours with

00:15:10.070 - 00:15:22.630

substandard to everyone else's. But that didn't stop us from forging ahead. Yeah. So were you in this already just like you did

00:15:22.630 - 00:15:31.500

for the two years you are here or where are you at your other college? I was I had became a member of the sorority prior to.

00:15:32.290 - 00:15:39.440

What's your warranty? I meant to ask just so I get Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. Yep.

00:15:39.440 - 00:15:50.890

I was in Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and was a very active member, became move through and I don't know, held several offices,

00:15:50.890 - 00:16:00.640

was able to work with, I guess the Pan-Hellenic Council was on whatever that I don't know what it is. I don't know if what's called the SB board.

00:16:00.640 - 00:16:07.420

I can't remember all the names. It's been so long. But anyway, I worked with the other sororities and fraternities,

00:16:07.420 - 00:16:18.730

you when we would do community service days and we would do fundraisers all together. So we did a lot over and PR now haul to get their number of activities.

00:16:18.730 - 00:16:26.630

I'm going to assume Cornell is still there. It was a few years ago. I do come back for. Alumni weekend, I didn't

00:16:26.630 - 00:16:32.800

make it back this particular year, just kind of and then of course, the pandemic? Yeah.

00:16:32.800 - 00:16:40.940

Yeah. But we were there in mass and we normally tailgate and congregate at the Center

00:16:40.940 - 00:16:50.330

for African American American Studies. For us, it was the BFOQ, so I was a member of that organization as well.

00:16:50.330 - 00:17:06.030

So quite big, quite a bit on on campus in that respect. Well, it sounds like you've got some level of support at UD.

00:17:06.520 - 00:17:16.640

Are there any particular people that you remember? Maybe like faculty are just like a community member that was a leader for

00:17:16.640 - 00:17:26.970

you or write many important people that might have helped you. Oh, absolutely. Ron Whittington, as I said,

00:17:26.970 - 00:17:44.960

was definitely an advocate. Judith Gibson was in student of academic affairs and oh gosh, I wish I could remember his he was

00:17:44.960 - 00:17:58.980

the chairman of Black Studies Department. James I'll remember once we finish this interview, did you do You know James Newton?

00:17:58.980 - 00:18:07.350

That's ham. Yeah. Our interviewees know him. So I absolutely, absolutely he was when I say

00:18:07.350 - 00:18:18.650

a phenomenal man on many, many levels, I can remember specifically seeking him out when I had a professor, I wished I couldn't remember

00:18:18.650 - 00:18:39.400

his name so he could go down. You're on mute. You're on mute. I just got kicked out.

00:18:39.400 - 00:18:45.590

Sorry about that. Everything. It paused and then it just I don't know if that was the Wi-Fi issue or what it was.

00:18:45.590 - 00:18:53.190

I'm sorry about that. No problem. I'm sure. I'm blaming it on the university. Right?

00:18:53.190 - 00:19:01.630

That's right. That's what we always do. Right? By every recording I'm sorry that we interrupted.

00:19:01.630 - 00:19:14.860

Last thing you were talking about was James Newton was dreams new in yes, Doctor Doctor Newton and Dr. Gibson. I had reached out to them.

00:19:14.860 - 00:19:25.130

They you know, when I was telling them my frustration and what I was doing and how hard I was working in his class.

00:19:25.130 - 00:19:34.760

And literally, it was practically consuming everything I was doing at the university this course was and I just couldn't seem to break

00:19:34.760 - 00:19:41.360

the sea level then I was like, I know that I'm doing a work in this class because I didn't have Cs in my major.

00:19:41.360 - 00:19:53.080

And they intervened. And they had I don't know what they said or what they did to this day, to be honest.

00:19:53.080 - 00:20:03.290

But something shifted in him, um, towards me and they had given me tools. They were like, This is how you need to handle this.

00:20:03.290 - 00:20:12.890

Like go back, document, adress, it, show him the information, et cetera, et cetera. And as a result of what they did for me,

00:20:12.890 - 00:20:24.710

I'm in education now. I teach those same skills to my students to go become self-advocates and try it this way. Perhaps they're gonna react this

00:20:24.710 - 00:20:41.190

way and whatever the case may be. So they supported me like no other that was yeah.

00:20:41.190 - 00:20:47.090

Oh, okay. They wouldn't let you they wouldn't let you stay. So I would be like,

00:20:47.090 - 00:20:51.850

where am I going to go and what am I going to do? And thankfully, I didn't have a whole lot of stuff

00:20:51.850 - 00:21:02.070

because I was a meager means at that time, I couldn't imagine packing up what I have now, but then I didn't have a whole lot.

00:21:02.070 - 00:21:09.640

And they helped me find they were like, well, Upward Bound is getting ready to happen. And they connected me with the people at

00:21:09.640 - 00:21:21.370

the University of Delaware that were in charge with Upward Bound. And so I was able to work with them. And the fame program over the summer,

00:21:21.370 - 00:21:31.480

which was another experience as a result of that particular job. That was the first time I'd ever been to New York to see a play on Broadway.

00:21:31.480 - 00:21:42.910

It it ran at me experiences that I would not have had. Otherwise coming from the farm land of Sussex County.

00:21:42.910 - 00:21:52.740

Now, my love of theater is insatiable and everybody's like, you're going to New York for a matinee. I'm like, Yeah, we're going to format.

00:21:53.110 - 00:22:05.600

So I'm dragging friends didn't New York and young people to New York so that they can experience and trying to give back with

00:22:05.600 - 00:22:16.060

tickets to The Lion King and to whatever to rent or to whatever is out there that I think they would enjoy just to spark

00:22:16.060 - 00:22:35.700

interest in the arts and that kind of thing. That's nice. I was a teacher did that. Okay, So well,

00:22:36.190 - 00:22:47.390

I'm curious about more specifically, the racial climate on campus. I know you talked a lot about that in general.

00:22:47.390 - 00:22:58.440

More so people It sounds like you got support in various ways, but did you get any support from the white community at

00:22:58.440 - 00:23:10.250

all or did you only find that support in the black community? I think there was support. It definitely was support

00:23:10.250 - 00:23:17.690

in the white community, but there was refuge in the black community where you can be your authentic self

00:23:17.690 - 00:23:33.220

and just be very transparent in your emotions within the, within, within the race to be able to speak your truth, so to speak.

00:23:33.220 - 00:23:45.840

That mattered a great deal. In terms of getting support. I actually forge relationships with different.

00:23:45.840 - 00:23:55.810

Like I said, the professor that I worked with, worked for in the communication department. That was an awesome experience.

00:23:55.810 - 00:24:08.390

I was able to learn how the university system work by being around Dr. Whittington and Dr. Gibson. They would introduce me to others.

00:24:08.390 - 00:24:21.550

And therefore, I would have opportunities to, like, I got invited to the President's house for a social which was a big deal.

00:24:21.550 - 00:24:33.440

Yeah. Going through the President's house for social. And so that was nice.

00:24:33.440 - 00:24:41.270

And then you make those other connections, you know, people in the cafeteria that serve you every day

00:24:41.270 - 00:24:50.720

just to please and thank you and excuse me, and you make that connection and then they get to get to know who you are. And they'd say, come

00:24:50.720 - 00:24:57.320

back around before you leave and they'd have a little container sitting there on the side and you're like That's for you and

00:24:57.320 - 00:25:08.880

which doesn't seem like a big deal. But when you're on limited resources and that meal is your meal, that makes a difference.

00:25:08.880 - 00:25:17.970

So while you're studying late at night, you're like, oh, I can have these. I can reheat these for chicken fingers. They put it in this container

00:25:17.970 - 00:25:30.080

or they've given you some apple sauce and some Jews and some whatever we may have had for dinner. Or they, these were

00:25:30.080 - 00:25:40.640

not necessarily people of color. They were white people who just with smile and make sure that you are okay. And they would ask you,

00:25:40.640 - 00:25:54.960

how are you and would really mean it. So that matter, during that during that racial climate where a group would walk by you and not speak,

00:25:54.960 - 00:26:05.900

it was almost as if you were invisible. You might say, good morning and they would put their eyes on you and look away as if you were in anatomy an object.

00:26:05.900 - 00:26:19.550

So those things were real. And at the university. And not just my experience, but shared experiences that we could speak

00:26:19.550 - 00:26:28.410

to when we were at the University of Delaware. It wasn't all bad, but it wasn't all good.

00:26:28.410 - 00:26:40.020

I'm the Dean of the College of Arts and Science. I cannot think of her name. Oh my gosh. But she was absolutely amazing.

00:26:40.180 - 00:26:53.400

And she would, you know, I could go in. I had an advisor but my advisor sometimes was never available. You don't have that problem.

00:26:54.460 - 00:27:04.310

But I would just go over to the deans and Ms. Stevens was the secretary there. Kate Stevens was the secretary at that time.

00:27:04.310 - 00:27:13.270

I would go in and she wasn't African-American. And I was going to say Ms. Kate, Ms. Stevens, I I'm not sure

00:27:13.270 - 00:27:19.280

if I have everything because you have to remember. I was that kid who was bound and determined to graduate in

00:27:19.280 - 00:27:27.070

four years and I needed to know semester by semester and my meeting and my checking off every box that the university says,

00:27:27.070 - 00:27:35.240

I need an order to get this degree. And for me there was no room for error and I couldn't afford to repeat classes are take

00:27:35.240 - 00:27:47.120

something unnecessarily at that time. And I hadn't made that very clear to the MIT department chair, to the professors.

00:27:47.120 - 00:27:54.590

And so I had no problem really advocating for myself because I, because I had to I think

00:27:54.590 - 00:28:05.090

a part of that was because I was an only child. That that level of independence, this kinda grew up in me and I didn't

00:28:05.090 - 00:28:16.010

have to be boisterous or aggressive about it. It was just helped me and I was unashamedly willing to ask all of the questions that I needed

00:28:16.010 - 00:28:28.660

until I got what I needed. So so the so the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences was just amazing for me.

00:28:28.660 - 00:28:42.660

And I can remember when I walked across that stage and she handed me my diploma. Instead of shaking my hand, we embraced. And I will never forget that.

00:28:42.660 - 00:28:53.180

It was just I still get emotional about it. She's shaking everybody's hand bone Volvo and the names are being read and they call it my name.

00:28:53.180 - 00:29:01.870

And I looked at her and she looks at me and we just bell in each other's arms like, Girl, you did this and that.

00:29:01.870 - 00:29:14.870

You made this happen along with me. So that's that was real. So yeah, it's always a two-way street. I don't think you can do it, people.

00:29:14.870 - 00:29:28.130

I don't think you can ever divide the race. Excuse me. I don't think you can claim that. It's all because excuse me.

00:29:28.130 - 00:29:49.070

Something like that. Okay. You're okay. That's a lot of talk.

00:29:49.070 - 00:30:00.380

Oh, I understand. So I think we stand I know. I stand on the shoulders of many of many races of men and women.

00:30:00.380 - 00:30:10.570

Senior people in that. So senior people are custodial team at the University of Delaware or housekeepers, the people that clean came

00:30:10.570 - 00:30:16.870

in and clean their bathrooms. We got to know them. White, black, and indifferent. Latino.

00:30:16.870 - 00:30:28.880

We got to know them because they were people to us, they mattered. We mattered to them. So it was just a different perspective.

00:30:28.880 - 00:30:45.270

Yeah. Wow. That's a great way to end your college education having that hug.

00:30:45.270 - 00:30:57.220

Yes, wonderful. And so you graduated communications major with Black Studies Minor, he said, correct?

00:30:57.220 - 00:31:06.490

Yes. Yeah. Oh, how did how do you think UD impacted your life?

00:31:06.490 - 00:31:15.700

Afterwards after college, I guess. Do you think that the education wasn't good and you got was it hard to find a job?

00:31:15.700 - 00:31:28.710

Was what was the next step in your life? I think I didn't I didn't find the University of Delaware helpful in helping me find employment.

00:31:28.710 - 00:31:40.130

Okay. I did I got the degree. I the College and Career Center was there, obviously. Did utilize it,

00:31:40.440 - 00:31:50.010

went on interviews and that kind of thing. My hope was that I would go on to graduate school. I did not get accepted in the one that I

00:31:50.010 - 00:31:59.410

want it nor the one that I could afford. So I did not do that. I ended up working for an insurance company

00:31:59.410 - 00:32:11.320

for a number of years. My career did do well. I cannot complain about that. And then I came back to

00:32:11.320 - 00:32:25.610

the university where I began my I was pursuing my Master's degree. And Dr. Barbara van door, Nick, who is who?

00:32:25.610 - 00:32:30.590

I don't know if she's still there at the university or not. She could be. But I think she was

00:32:30.590 - 00:32:44.130

the chairperson at the time, extremely instrumental in helping me make the decision about which pathway in education I need it to go.

00:32:44.130 - 00:32:55.770

Because you can take a test if you have a college degree, pass a practice exam and become certified. But our conversation was

00:32:55.770 - 00:33:05.420

around excellence and that's something I've I've strived for all of my life. I don't want to just be good. I don't know if Jim Collins book

00:33:05.420 - 00:33:13.610

from good to great book, It's a real fat one. Or you can get the skinny version. I read this skinny version, okay?

00:33:13.610 - 00:33:27.740

But it has a lot of great information in it. A lot of great values and principles. And I also think that my spiritual faith, my belief and my belief in God,

00:33:27.740 - 00:33:35.440

and the direction of the people that he placed in my life has helped order my stepson has helped with the success that

00:33:35.440 - 00:33:51.640

I have had the opportunity to experience. So he so in terms of the university support, I didn't find it like, Oh, yeah, they're going to really help you do this.

00:33:51.640 - 00:34:02.670

I think it's really, it's really up to the student to pursue as much as they can. I always say though,

00:34:02.670 - 00:34:14.810

you don't know what you don't know. So if you're never informed of what's out there or you're not within a sphere of

00:34:14.810 - 00:34:24.020

influence that can point you in that direction, then those opportunities on an opportunities for you.

00:34:24.020 - 00:34:35.810

So I won't say that the university didn't have the resources, obviously do. Did they make them fully aware in a way

00:34:35.810 - 00:34:54.290

that was accessible to all, quote unquote. I'm not quite sure they did in the eighties. I'm hoping that has shifted in the 2000s. As we're here in 2021 going into 2022.

00:34:54.290 - 00:35:03.170

I really hope that that is not an issue on the campus of the University of Delaware. In terms of educating me, it introduced me, Dr.

00:35:03.170 - 00:35:13.280

Newton introduced me to a lot of firsts. Dr. Carl Turner, who was the first African-American background here, Dr. Alvin Turner and on and on and

00:35:13.280 - 00:35:24.500

on bats are not the optometrist, the psychologists. So as now a Wilmington community member, I've gotten to meet and to know these people

00:35:24.500 - 00:35:31.790

as people and they are absolutely amazing. But when I hear their stories about the University of Delaware, I was like, well,

00:35:31.790 - 00:35:41.060

I guess I came through a cake walk, but for me at the time, it was difficult. It was challenging. There were lots of tears and emotions that

00:35:41.060 - 00:35:50.870

were that I struggled and fought through. I can't imagine what they went through during the time that they were there in the sixties,

00:35:50.870 - 00:36:12.210

early seventies. So well, that's, that's great. I mean, that was a lot of information. Bank. Let me look what else is there.

00:36:15.520 - 00:36:29.380

Sounds like you had a a somewhat positive experience at UT in ways we have to create. You have to create that?

00:36:29.380 - 00:36:36.170

Yes, absolutely. You can't. Yeah. To some degree. Yes, absolutely.

00:36:36.170 - 00:36:43.060

Well, looking back, is there anything that you want to point out about the university at the time you were here,

00:36:43.060 - 00:36:52.550

or how have you found in the years since you've been there? Some sort of connection back to like, oh, you know,

00:36:52.550 - 00:37:04.760

I'm glad I went there or I don't know. Anything. Anything else that you'd like to talk about about UD? I guess for me it's a college relationships.

00:37:04.760 - 00:37:17.630

It's the sisterhood of the sorority that we have developed those 3040 year relationships. And we are still connected.

00:37:17.630 - 00:37:28.770

We watched each other's children's grew up the fraternity members. When we come back, we are intentional about coming back.

00:37:29.020 - 00:37:43.620

When we do the homecoming weekend. And we are intentional about celebrating that at the student for African-American culture.

00:37:43.620 - 00:37:52.720

We're intentional about attempting to we're intentional about the donations to make sure that it is broadening

00:37:52.720 - 00:38:03.120

the base to help all students at the University of Delaware. So my experience has been good in that respect.

00:38:03.120 - 00:38:10.570

I'm not sure. I mean, for me, I'd really like to see more staff of color

00:38:10.570 - 00:38:22.990

at the University of Delaware. When I look at those numbers, doesn't add a lot has changed. When I look at the student population in

00:38:22.990 - 00:38:39.650

positions that has not shifted a great deal. So the campus is beautiful. It's growing it as massive, it is more than appealing.

00:38:39.650 - 00:38:47.240

It's a very selective college to go to hole so much prestige. I mean, I, you know, when I tell people I went to university

00:38:47.240 - 00:38:53.420

and they are like Homer, yes. And I'm thinking, wow, it was a nice school but it wasn't I didn't think

00:38:53.420 - 00:39:02.930

it was the university now, but little did I know, I guess by their standards. It's still a very good school.

00:39:02.930 - 00:39:12.560

But again, they have a hike. They they they have a high level of expectation. I would like to.

00:39:12.560 - 00:39:21.090

But again, my there's been good, but there's also some things that I'd like to see occurred differently at the University of Delaware.

00:39:21.090 - 00:39:36.090

Yeah. I agree. Well, you did a wonderful job speaking and just kind of knocked all my topics off of the great.

00:39:36.090 - 00:39:46.800

That's great. Yeah, that was great. And I just feel like you I got all my information.

00:39:50.530 - 00:39:58.860

Yeah, I feel like that was if there's anything else you'd like to talk about, something maybe I didn't bring up.

00:39:58.860 - 00:40:06.410

No. No, I am content. If you have enough information, I want to know a little bit about

00:40:06.410 - 00:40:18.480

you and what your major is, and how you came to having to do this. Well, I'll stop the recording then we'll get there.