More than 50 high school students from the Seattle and Spokane areas are getting to experience what college is all about this weekend as part of the 30th Annual VIBES Conference on the Pullman campus.
Guided by the Associated Students of Washington State University (ASWSU) and organized largely by members of the Black Student Union (BSU), the Visionaries Inspiring Black Empowered Students (VIBES) conference aims to educate students about the benefits of higher education and the resources available to help them attend and succeed in college.
“When I think about building community and the way this conference celebrates Black students and Blackness, this program is really profound,” said BSU Advisor Amir Gilmore, an assistant professor and associate dean of equity and inclusion for student success and retention in the College of Education.
Making transformative change
VIBES is the first time many of the conference participants have been on a college campus, WSU senior and VIBES chair Lebeza Alemu said.
“They are a little nervous and intimidated at first,” Alemu said. “Gradually they begin to interact with us, ask questions, and see themselves as future college students.”
The conference begins on Friday with a welcome ceremony at the Elson S. Floyd Cultural Center, followed by a visit to the Student Recreation Center. Participants will spend Saturday attending workshops on college expectations, learning about student clubs, exploring majors, and hearing WSU students talk about their college experiences. The day will end with a resource fair, bowling, a talent show, and dancing. The conference concludes on Sunday with a banquet.
Senior Shanelle Brown, VIBES director of ceremonies and former co-chair, said about 60 WSU students are running the conference — organizing everything from programming and marketing to registration and security.
“As an architecture major, I seek opportunities to work in collaborative spaces where I can share ideas,” Brown said. “My involvement with VIBES gives me the opportunity to work with other students and build leadership skills for the future.”
For Alemu, her involvement with VIBES is a way to give to the Black community at WSU and show high school students they will not be alone if they choose to come here.
Akshaya Venkatesh, an ASWSU graduate assistant in the Office of Student Involvement and an advisor for VIBES and the other two ASWSU conferences: Children of Aztlan Sharing Higher Education (CASHE) and Shaping High School Asian Pacific Islanders for the Next Generation (SHAPING), said watching the conference unfold is amazing.
“As an international student, these conferences have taught me so much about what these communities stand for and what they are trying to accomplish.”
Gilmore said it is truly special to see the passion WSU students have in organizing VIBES.
“They are deeply involved students who are juggling many different things, yet they come together yearly to put together this conference,” he said. “They are focused, motivated, and driven to make transformative change in the Black community.”
Increasing scope and scale
WSU student organizers are not the only ones helping to make transformative change: Generous donors have made significant contributions to support VIBES, SHAPING, and CASHE.
The funds donated by Boeing, College Hill Custom Threads President and Coug alum Tony Poston and his staff, and former WSU men’s basketball coach Ernie Kent help pay for transportation, food, housing, and even scholarships. Several conference participants who are admitted to WSU will be awarded $2,000 New Heights, New Hope Scholarships during the banquet to help defray the cost of attending WSU next year.
Kari Sampson, director of development in the Division of Student Affairs, said the donations allow organizers to expand the scope, scale, and impact of the conferences.
“These donations really help us provide experiences that foster priceless connections and great memories of their first time on campus as future Cougs,” Sampson said. “Students make friendships that last well beyond this visit to WSU.”
