Biff Hoffman Minority Lectureship Series 2014
Apr 30, 2014
This spring, the Phi Lambda Theta Chapter of Chi Phi at Bucknell University continued its Biff Hoffman Minority Lectureship Series, welcoming onto campus Ernie G, a well-known and widely acclaimed empowerment/comedy speaker. This Minority Lectureship Series has been a staple of the Phi Lambda Theta Chapter for many years, and each year is an opportunity to expose the campus to issues dealing with diversity, and stimulate discussion on how to improve both our chapter, and the university as a whole. This event has been immensely successful in all its years, and this year was no exception.
Ernie G is a young, Latino entertainer who has developed his own unique form of Comedy he calls “Latino Edutainment – Educating and Entertaining with a Latino Flavor!” He gave his own interesting perspective on diversity, mixing together humor andpersonal stories that closely related to the students at Bucknell. He has previously travelled the country, performing at schools, organizations, and major corporations including Disney, Pepsi-Co, General Mills,U.S. Armed Forces, National Council dela Raza, Latin American Educational Foundation, and the Hispanic College Fund, sowe were ecstatic at the opportunity to have him at Bucknell.
During his time on campus, Ernie participated in several events organized by our chapter. Ernie introduced a new flavor to the lectureship series, skillfully incorporating humor to many sensitive topics on diversity. With his own personal story to reference, students were engaged by his unique perspective. In addition to this lecture, the Biff Hoffman lecturers always participate in a discussion with the chapter, as well as a dinner with students, faculty, and administrators.
Ernie G. continued these traditions, and both events went extremely well. The chapter discussion was a chance for brothers to talk informally and personally with Ernie, bringing up issues on diversity that spoke to them. The dinner continued in a similar fashion, but with other students, faculty, and administrators given the opportunity interact with Ernie. These events are customary for every speaker part our annual Minority Lectureship Series, and Ernie had an amazing time partaking in them.
Different from years past, Ernie stayed on campus a second day after his lecture, giving us the remarkable to organize for him many other events that had not been done in the past. We took full advantage of the opportunity, organizing talks with diversity groups on campus, interaction with faculty, appearance on campus radio, and a visit to a local high school. Ernie also talked to Bucknell Posse scholars: students that are part of a nationwide program that identifies public high school students with extraordinary academic and leadership potential who may be overlooked by traditional college selection processes.
These students are placed into multicultural “Posses”, and granted full-tuition leadership scholarships. Many of these students also later attending Ernie’s Leadership Workshop, which was also attended by many other students from diversity groups across campus. This was an opportunity for students to interact one-on-one with Ernie, and address many diversity issues on campus. Ernie also took part in a faculty breakfast, a chance for faculty to interact individually with Ernie.
Making use of our campus radio, WVBU, Ernie went on the air, talking live for the whole campus to hear. Finally, Ernie went to a local high school in Milton, to talk to students there about diversity as well. All of these events went extraordinarily well and we were very grateful for Ernie’s participation. The opportunity we were given and success in which we exposed the campus to such an interesting perspective on diversity is one that will not be soon forgotten by everyone at Bucknell.
- J.T. Ferrara, ‘16