Many first-year minority students adjusting to campus life find themselves seeking a balance between their roles within their minority groups and the larger Penn State community.

The Multicultural Resource Center provides various services to focus on the academic success and social development of minority students entering Penn State.

In the first week of class, the resource center held a fall orientation for its minority students, offering "strategies for success."

Marcus Whitehurst, director of the resource center, said the orientation put students in touch with faculty and staff who focus on equity and multicultural enhancement on campus. All first-year minority students were assigned counselors to assist with any problems they may encounter.

Whitehurst also encouraged students to take advantage of the many programs offered through the center, such as "Blends of Traditional Heritages," which focuses on biracial students or "KEWL," which provides a student mentor for Asian and Pacific-American students.

One of the main concerns minority students have is finding a niche in their smaller groups while staying involved in the Penn State community as a whole.

Naomi Williams, president of the Student Minority Advisory and Recruitment Team, said striking this balance has been a challenge in her four years on campus.

"Everyone needs a support system of people who are going through similar experiences," she said. "At the same time, integration into the larger Penn State community is so important."

Williams said she believes Penn State is still fairly separated ethnically.

"For example, Homecoming is a really big event for Penn State but the Black Caucus puts on its own cultural extravaganza that many Penn State students don't even know about," Williams said.

Oscar Barbosa, president of the Latin American Student Association, said groups that focus on minorities might help incoming freshmen transition from home to college life.

Barbosa said his group allows students the opportunity to meet other members of the Latino community, provides assistance for any language barriers and holds picnics to encourage a sense of community.

"Basically we just hang out and have fun," he said. "We help each other in our small community, but do not feel segregated from Penn State as a whole."

Unlike minority students who are targeted by the university upon arrival by advisers, members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community are not identified when they arrive; LGBT students must actively look for available resources.

"We are trying to get more involved in activities such as THON and Homecoming," Allies president Christy Merchant said. "We want more LGBT students to feel involved in Penn State as a whole."

Some still feel segregation of minority groups on campus is a visible problem.

"Even parties at Penn State tend to be 'mono-race'," said Jon Schreiner, program coordinator for the Race Relations Project. "In my own experience, things still seem to be segregated here because people are reluctant to step outside their comfort zones."

By starting a dialogue on campus about current issues, the project hopes to help race relations continue progress at Penn State.

"We have found that people are willing to talk about these issues," Schreiner said. "It's just a matter of making them feel comfortable first."