The first event that I went to was the fourth annual Poole College of Management

networking and etiquette dinner at the McKimmon Center. This event was on Wednesday,
October 15 from 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM. When I heard about this dinner, I was very excited to go
because I thought that this would be good experience for me. However, I could only find one
other person that could go to this event. I talked to Ms. Wright and she said it was okay that only
one other person went with me. The other person from my group that went with me was Matt
Curry. This event taught us how to eat properly while we are on interviews and while having
business lunches and dinners. There was a guest speaker that talked about experiences of her
own and how we should handle certain situations while eating with clients and bosses. As we
were learning, we were also given a four course meal for us to enjoy. The event also allowed us
to meet people from different companies and network.
I believe that this event will help me a lot in the upcoming years of my college
experience, getting a job, and during my career. This event taught me how to socialize and
network while under a dining setting. I learned all about which utensils to use and which glasses
and plates were mine. Our guest speaker told a brief story about knowing someone that was a
manager and he was meeting potential employees at a restaurant. One of the potential employees
used the manager's bread plate instead of his own and the manager knew right then that he was
not going to hire that guy. This story allowed me to understand just how important it is to use the
proper etiquette while dining with potential employers. After attending this event, I have a far
more deeper understanding on what to order at a restaurant and how to eat while in a business
setting.
Also, during this etiquette dinner, we had the option of networking. There was a lot of
employees from companies that were there during the event. The event started at 5:30 and we

had the option of walking around and introducing ourselves to the employees until around 6:15.
Then, we sat down for dinner and there was an employee from a company at each dinner table
that we could converse with if we wanted. This was great because it allowed us to talk to
employees and ask them about their personal experiences with companies under a more relaxed
setting while having dinner. Overall, this was an excellent experience. The event taught me how
to be professional over dinner while at the same time I was able to network and meet new
people.
The second event that I went to was called "Kunta Kinteh Island: An evening with Elvin
Ross." This event was on Monday, October 20 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Campus Cinema
in the Witherspoon Student Center. Three other students from my SNG went with me for this
event. The other student's names were Vicky Stice, Scott Bader, and Kirk O'Steen. This event
was a video that was sponsored by the African American Cultural Center. The video was about
the process of renaming James Island to Kunta Kinteh Island. It goes into detail of the why it was
renamed and the history of the Kinteh family, who is actually still around decades later. Also,
there was a discussion after the movie with the filmmaker, Elvin Ross. We were allowed to ask
questions and express concerns after we had learned more about the Island and Kinteh family
once the movie was over.
Before I had attended this event, I did not know anything about Kunta Kinteh Island. I
did not know it even existed. To be honest, it's sad to say that I wasn't very up to date on my
knowledge about the personal experiences of families that lived in Africa that lost their loved
ones due to slavery. I am very glad that I chose this event to go to because it opened my eyes to
some of the experiences that families went through during this time. I learned so much history
about the island and what happened on the island while people were taken from their homes and

put on this island to be kept and tortured until they were sold to be slaves. This island was a
holding cell for Africans that were enslaved during the Trans-Atlantic Slave trade. I also learned
about the family of Kunta Kinte. He was one of Gambia's well-renowned sons. He was taken
from his family and where he grew up and put on this island in solitude to "break him" until he
was sold.
This event expanded my knowledge about this issue in so many ways sense I was not
aware of it before the video. While talking and interacting with other people that were interested
in this topic, I learned about other's concerns about the island and slavery. This video opened my
eyes up to the culture and what they had to go through during this horrible time. This knowledge
teaches you how to count your blessings and helps you realize how much worse you could have
it. This knowledge can benefit me in future social settings, jobs, and classes because whenever
this topic is brought up, I will have personal information on it and I will be able to have a
conversation with someone about it while having my facts straight. There is a part of my M100
class that teaches us about the different cultures around the world. One example is of the music
from different cultures that we listen to every week at the beginning of class. So, this event
helped play along with the class because this was an eye opener about this culture.
In conclusion, being involved in the events and my M100 class has exposed me to
diversity in many ways. I grew up in a small town, went to a small high school, and then went to
Wake Tech, which is also pretty small compared to NC State. Coming to NC State this fall has
exposed me to so many different cultures, lifestyles, and opinions. I've met so many different
people from all over the world and has made me realize that people can live so differently
outside of my small bubble of North Carolina. After participating in my SNG, I've learned that I
would like to graduate from North Carolina and then go experience living some where

completely different than where I am used to. I believe that my group has served as a support
during this semester because we're all new to NC State and we're getting used to the campus. We
all help each other meet people and make friends.
In my opinion diversity is very important to a business organization. Businesses should
be very diverse in the work environment because it allows the employees to feel more at ease.
Not everyone is from the same place and so some people may feel isolated if they feel like they
are the only one with a different culture. However, if the environment is all about diversity then
everyone will feel more open without feeling different. This will also help a business expand
because no one will feel awkward about bringing up new ideas and plans during a brainstorming
meeting. My definition of diversity would be: people of different cultures with different lifestyles
and ideas. This definition has not changed because I still believe this is what diversity is.
However, I have became aware of more types of diversity. Also, diversity is important because it
opens everyone's ideas to new things and allows everyone to grow as a whole.