by Deaven Hawkins

The spring semester is almost over and what a wonderful spring semester it has been. A lot of joy and happiness has spread around campus, and the Sankofa Center has been one of the main reasons for this. Tons of events have been hosted in the Sankofa Center such as NBA 2K and Madden tournaments, various movie nights, informational talks and more. Alongside these events have come fresh faces and voices. The Collegian had the chance to catch up with first-year student Amarion Wilson and asked him why he loves being in the Sankofa Center.

Wilson stated that the Center is a nice environment, and he always feels welcomed. Wilson also remarked: “Being an African American male at a predominantly white institution and knowing I have somewhere I can do my work, socialize with friends and even play videos games freely is why I love being in the Center.”

Wilson stated the things that stand out to him about the Sankofa Center is the way everything is put together: “Being away from home my first year has been hard. Meeting new people and taking my first college classes brought a lot of anxiety and stress. Knowing I can have peace and a clear head space while being in the Sankofa Center makes me feel like I can call it home and that is what you need as a first-year student.”

When asked what his favorite thing about the Sankofa Center has been, Wilson stated the center is somewhere that he can be comfortable and be himself without being judged.

Another person that the Collegian chose to interview is first-year student Shane Akers and his work with the Sankofa Center. Akers chose to work in the Sankofa Center after meeting Juliet Lowery, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, during welcome week. Akers was already planning to join Greensboro College and join the Center, but when lowery explained her plans for the Sankofa Center and recruiting more students to visit the center, Akers felt even more inspired to join. Akers stated the things that stood out to him about the Sankofa Center were the different races that you will see come through. The Center is not only welcoming for African Americans but all races in Greensboro College. It is a place where you can feel welcomed, loved and appreciated.

When asked what his favorite thing about the Sankofa Center was, he stated, “It is a calm environment. I can go down there to see my friends and study. In times when I am stressed, I know I can go there for a quiet space.”

A college is more than just a place where you go to class and get work done. It is a place where you find yourself, start new beginnings and explore a new life for yourself. Having somewhere where you can focus and fine tune yourself is what the Sankofa Center is about. Sankofa is an African word from the Akan Tribe in Ghana, and the meaning of the word perfectly describes what the Sankofa Center symbolizes for students: the word “SAN” in Sankofa means “Return,” “KO” means “go” and “FA” means “look-seek-take.”