NAME: Andrew Partington

HOMETOWN: Erdenheim, Pennsylvania. Right outside of Philadelphia; and by that I mean actually right outside.

HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY RACIALLY/ETHNICLY: White, although I did find it interesting that I am 5% Sub-Saharan African.

YEAR: I am excited and sad to say that I will be a senior but I only have one semester left. I graduate in December 2005.

MAJOR/MINOR: Advertising/Sociology

ACTIVITIES/CLUBS/ORGANIZATIONS: Officially this is the only activity or club or anything that I am involved with at Penn State (and proud to be involved I might add). I also work for Starbucks. Needless to say I party with the best of them, and I think that that should be considered one of my activities.

WHAT DO YOU GET FROM DOING THIS WORK?

This whole race relations thing is hard to explain. From the time I took Soc 119 to the times I facilitated conversations about race, each experience has brought something different to me. It sounds corny sometimes to say that I am a better person for having done all of this, but it is true. I remember when I was a TA for Soc 119 and in one of our many discussions I said, "I really can't explain it, but ever since I started this whole process something in me has changed." I can't begin to explain to anyone who hasn’t experienced some aspect of this project how amazing it is. The whole process really changes a person in multiple ways. I have really grown as a person, and not only in
regards to race, but many aspects of my life. To say the least, the project and everyone involved are near and dear to my heart.