#i2amru (I, Too, Am Reinhardt) Volume 1 Number 1 | Page 18

Irie experienced culture shock
when she first came to Reinhardt
and, much as she had done when
she first came to the United
States during her middle school
years, she learned to adapt to this
new environment. “It was culture
shock in the way that I was so
different; it was hard for me to fit
in. I was naturally out.”

“It was
hard for
me to fit
in; I was
naturally
out.”

Irie was put off by the comment,
noting, “It represents a lot of
people’s views that ‘Well, we’re at
the top. What happens when they
come next to us?’” She believes
that a lot of Reinhardt’s students,
due to their privileged backgrounds, are not okay with the
idea of fighting for people’s equality, even if they are aware of the
existence of social injustice.

Nobody said that we’re trying to
get above everybody else. We just
want to be on the same playing
field. I want to walk into a store
and not be followed. I want to
be able to walk into a place and
speak and not have people look at
me and have myself thinking ‘is
it because I’m black that they’re
looking at me like this?’”

“I want
to be able
to speak
openly.”
“I want to be able to
speak openly and not
have people tell me that
my experiences are not
legitimate until a white
person agrees with me.”

While Reinhardt University, with its well-kept lawns
and its appealing architecNonetheless, Irie agrees
ture, may at first seem to
that, over her four years
be an idyllic haven for the
Irie frolicking on the Gordy lawn at Reinhardt.
at Reinhardt, she has
incoming freshmen, Irie
seen changes that give
points out that much like
any other college, Reinhardt has its They are unable to place themher hope that Reinhardt University is progressively furthering
fair share of problems.
selves in somebody else’s shoes
awareness of an array of differand believe that racism no longer
In a class where there was a
ent social issues and increasing
exists.
discussion about whether Afridiversity on its campus. She has
can-Americans should obtain the
joined several organizations
“They’ve grown apathetic,” Irie
same rights as their Caucasian
on campus to be a part of this
adds with a frown, “They [Caubrethren, a Caucasian student
movement and to help people
casians] think that we [Afripiped up and asked, “What about
become aware that there are,
can-Americans] will usurp their
in fact, social forces working
my rights?”
position, but that’s not the case.”
against minorities.

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In August of 2014, she became
the Vice-President of Reinhardt’s
Student Activities Council (SAC)
and has helped sponsor programs
that would bring light to certain
causes and issues.
She said being a part of those
organizations helped her become
more relatable to others and, in
turn, have them become more
interested in her culture.
As she says, “Every organization
helped me learn a little bit about
myself and to accept myself. To
embrace my ‘different-ness’.”
She believes she started a family
atmosphere that was previously
non-existent in SAC.
Yaneli Bibiano-Balthazar, a sophomore who worked for Vanessa
in SAC, spoke highly of her leadership abiliti es.
“She was an involved leader. She
led by example and would be the
first to dive into projects with
enthusiasm.”
Through SAC, Vanessa Irie was
also able to interact with some of
the university’s higher-ups, such
as Dr. Roger Lee (Vice President for Student Affairs) and Dr.
Walter May (Assistant Dean of
Students and Director of Student
Activities).
“Coming from an Ivorian background,” Irie says, “you don’t
usually put yourself that close
to authority figures, yet I got to
know Mrs. Phylicia Fair [Coordinator of Student Programming],
Dr. May, and Dr. Lee pretty well.”

Irie felt a sense of sisterhood
among her fellow cheer mates.
Irie believes that there has been
a definite synergy effect; she has
increased the number of activities geared towards diversity on
campus, and the organizations
that she has been a part of at
Reinhardt have also helped her
grow, both as a student and as an
individual.
She is also complimentary of the
change in Reinhardt’s classrooms
as well, stating that she believes
that there have been discernible
but conspicuous changes in the
way that students respond to the
diverse activities and courses
offered by the school.
Still, Vanessa Irie has been involved in several other key
organizations besides SAC. She
was involved in the Student Government Association Executive
Board, the cheerleading team, the
Hiltonian, the COMment Club,
the African Descendants Students
Association, the Helping Hands
Club, and the Honors program.

She has also served as a Freshman Orientation leader for the
school’s Waleska campus and
a student blogger detailing the
first-year student experience for
Reinhardt’s Admissions Department. Furthermore, in her final
year, she has been inducted in
the national honor societies of Pi
Gamma Mu and Lambda Pi Eta.
She wants to be as well-rounded
an individual as possible before
she steps out into the real world
of journalism, which she aims
to conquer as part of her goal of
increasing awareness and furthering diversity. Irie is currently
interning with WSB-TV with
Channel 2 News in its Public
Affairs Department and has
brushed shoulders with the likes
of Fred Blankenship, Channel 2
Action News anchor. She envisions herself as the next Anderson Cooper, stating, “I appreciate
that as a journalist he can put
value on human life and not just
the story.”

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