Minority groups host weekend

Prospective students from all over the country were on campus from Saturday until yesterday, participating in the University's annual Minority Scholars Weekend. Members of the University's minority community said the weekend had an impressive turnout. They were generally pleased with the feedback they received from prospective students. College freshman Olivia Troye, coordinating secretary of the United Minorities Council, said she was thrilled with the positive responses she got from students who she met during the weekend. "I tried to get to know as many students as I could," Troye said. "I got the sense that many of them were really serious about the University." She explained that she made an effort to encourage prospective students to come to Penn but tried not to give them the feeling that they were guaranteed admission. "It's difficult because we want them to desire acceptance at Penn," Troye said. "But at the same time we realize that not everyone will get in." Engineering and Wharton sophomore Maya Walrond, coordinator of the UMC's events for the weekend, said she was thrilled with the level of University-wide support for it. "In previous years we've always had a hosting crisis," she said. "But this year everything was extremely well-organized and we had no hosting problems." However, Walrond pointed out a discrepancy she observed over the weekend, and said she hoped it would be remedied in future years. "There were not enough Native American scholars," Walrond said. "That is a real crisis that needs attention." She added that overall, the weekend was a success, due to many improvements made in recent years. "Minority Scholars Weekend has been traditionally thought of as a party weekend," she said. "But I feel that this year we were able to show students both the social and the academic sides of the University." La Asociacion Cultural de Estudiantes Latino Americanos President Jorge Leon, a College senior, said he felt the prospective students were extremely receptive to the weekend's activities. He added that a Biz Markie party held over the weekend, along with a UMC panel discussion and ice cream socials, contributed to the spirit of the weekend. "It's imperative that we keep up this high standard for Minority Scholars Weekend," Leon said. "It's unifying for the minority groups on campus, and it's necessary to preserve Penn's diversity as an Ivy League institution."