One of the problems at Penn State is that many students have had limited contact with black people before arriving at University Park. I know I went to a nearly all-white school system in State College, and my interaction with blacks was limited.

Without cross-cultural experiences, most people form their ideas about another race based on second-hand information from friends, the media and family.

Last year when riots broke out in Virginia Beach there were allegations of racism within the local police force. The sad fact is, millions of Americans turned on their televisions and saw footage of young black students looting stores.

The incident that might have sparked the looting was forgotten. The allegations of police racism were lost. Images of a few unruly black students stuck in our minds. Massive media attention focused on gang violence in Los Angeles provided us with more images of black violence. It's not hard to imagine how people with limited cross-cultural contact would develop faulty stereotypes about black people by watching the actions of a few as reported on television.

More recently, you have the Bensonhurst killing. This bizarre case and other recent racial incidents make it easy to see why blacks have become increasingly distrustful of whites.

Despite my growing up in an racially segregated environment, I think I have benefited from two experiences. In early 1980, Penn State recruited a football player named Harry Hamilton. I was lucky enough to meet his father, Stan.

Because I was only 12, I had never given much thought to black-white relations. My thinking was that blacks just wanted to be like everyone else.

Stan Hamilton told me that he wanted me to notice his color. Being black meant a great deal to him, just as my background meant a lot to me. As an Italian-American I take pride in ancient Rome and the art and music that my ancestors' homeland gave the world.

As an African-American, Stan takes pride in the ancient Egyptians and the distinct culture of his ancestors' homeland.

He introduced me to the history of black people in America, which, until then, I was unaware of. Sure I had heard of Martin Luther King Jr., but now I was learning about Medgar Evers and Malcolm X.

Stan taught me other things. He insisted that my brothers and I call him Stan, but my parents would never let us call adults by their first names.

We reached a compromise by calling him Uncle Stan, since he was more like an uncle than a friend of the family. It was fun to introduce him to people as our Uncle Stan and see their reactions.

Stan's outlook on white people had become cynical because of many racial incidents. When Stan's sons were in high school, crosses had been burned on their lawn and the word "nigger" written on their lockers.

But the interaction between our families showed us we could not judge a group by the actions of a few. Our shared experiences, such as water battles, skiing lessons from Stan and just hanging out together proved we both had something to learn from each other.

A second experience that I've been blessed with was playing football for the last four years. The team brought together young men from all different backgrounds, from all over the country.

Both black and white players worked together to attain a common goal. In working with each other to reach a common goal, differences were forgotten.

Until I started playing football at Penn State I had no appreciation for soul music. After working out in the weight room to the sounds of Janet Jackson and an assortment of rap artists, I began to like a musical style that until then I had never given a chance.

One of the best things in team sports is seeing so many different young men working together. When it's late in the game and the other team is driving to win, differences of color among players no longer matter. They depend on each other to win the game.

When the work is finished and everyone has moved on, some of the best friends that players will have made in their lives will be their teammates.

If racism is to subside at Penn State and across America, black and white people must work together for common goals. In getting to know each other, our preconceived notions about each other disappear and we become more sympathetic to each other. Each individual become more important than the stereotypes and prejudices that existed before.

I now understand that I should not expect black people to become white, but instead, should try and learn a little more about their culture and heritage.

Ending racism does not come from the minority culture assimilating into the majority culture. Ending racism comes from both cultures gaining an appreciation and respect for each others' culture.