By Steve Seepersaud
"When I first got to Binghamton, it was clean, there were mountains and there were trees. Oh, my God, it was amazing," said Joseph Cordero ’90, MA ’93, about his first few days on campus as a 17-year-old, noting the contrast between his new surroundings and home in The Bronx. He recalls that his younger self knew little about how college worked. For instance, he didn't bring bed sheets, thinking moving into the residence hall would be like going to a hotel.
These anecdotes elicited a fair share of chuckles around the Zoom room during the Alumni Association's Feb. 26, virtual event "Roots of Excellence," at which Cordero — a member of the association's board — was the keynote speaker. About 70 alumni and students bonded over common experiences as students of color at Binghamton. Co-sponsored by the Alumni of Color Network (AOCN), this event supported and encouraged Binghamton's legacy families, and demonstrated mutual commitment to fostering diversity, connection and pride.
Panelists were: Lamara Burgess '10, Taris (Burgess) Rodney '08, Coleen Cohen '98, Claudian Francis '22, Nilia Francis, Tonya Parris '92 and Charisma Parris '11. The virtual floor was open to anyone else who wanted to speak.
Common themes emerged across the stories that were shared: growing up in a large city with many similar faces, finding a very different dynamic on campus, and making a concerted effort to find community.
As an undergraduate, Cordero quickly saw that the social environment on campus wasn't as peaceful as the physical scenery surrounding it. He became very active in advocacy for students of color and against hate speech. He encourages both students and alumni to continue to make their voices heard.
"It is so important that we have a seat at the table," Cordero said. "It is important that we are involved with what goes on. I'm blessed to serve on the alumni board and my question all the time is, 'How does [what we are doing] impact Black and brown alumni and students?'"
Alumni and students alike shared how — in addition to preparing them for a career path — Binghamton developed them intellectually and socially.
"Binghamton shaped me into the person I am today," said Janiera Headley '20, now a first-year law student. "Binghamton holds a very special place in my heart. I was president of Black Student Union during [its 50th year], a big year for us. I was an inner-city youth myself. I don't think I'd be the woman I've grown into without my Binghamton experience."
"I was an inner-city kid as well," said junior Kyle Matthias. "I gained a lot of social skills and learned more life lessons than I would've if I stayed in [my home] environment."
Like Headley, others expressed pride in their involvement with student organizations and were pleased to see the number of clubs on campus has grown in recent years. The downside, as the alumni see it, is the groups don't seem to collaborate as much as in the past. Although Binghamton is more diverse today, some feel the increased and intense political polarization hinders and inclusion.
"People have become more vocal about their sides in political debates and that creates divisions on campus," said senior Brandon Cabraie. "There tend to be situations where people don't respect each other's ideals and that creates separation."
Whether it's in person or online, fellowship is incredibly important because, as Cordero stated, AOCN is Binghamton's largest affinity network. This sentiment was succinctly captured in a comment AOCN co-leader Jessica Samboy '08 posted in the chat, "Community is INTEGRAL!"