Fist fights and cold stares that African-American students pass to one another on campus are cries for help, a New Student Admissions representative says.

Brenda Major, coordinator of Multicultural Enrollment for New Student Admissions, said that as soon as students confided feelings of bitterness against each other, she organized workshops, in the spirit of the Million Woman March, so African-Americans can discuss problems they are facing.

A workshop for men, Brother, Brother, Brother, will take place at 2 p.m. Sunday in the Admissions Reception Center, and the Sister to Sister workshop will follow at 3:30 p.m.

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Actually, I had a few young women ask me when was I having a workshop because they were very concerned that they didn’t have any female friends, Major said. They say women’s attitudes are kind of cold, and they feel more like adversaries or enemies.

For seven years, New Student Admissions has sponsored workshops for students to make peace by discussing issues that concern them.

Major said attending college, being a minority on a college campus and taking care of oneself are a few of the topics open for discussion.

In hopes of pursuing the message of African-American unity following in the footsteps of the Million Woman March, Major invited to the workshop some SIUC women who attended the march.

I hope they will share with us some of the key things that were stressed at the march, Major said. I know the main point was unity. Maybe we can get that spirit among our students on campus.

Debbie Perry, special events coordinator for New Student Admissions, said the Million Woman March is an important event for African-American students to remember, and she hopes the workshops will be noteworthy as well.

It brings back memories and the feelings of brotherhood that is not easily expressed in words, Perry said. It’s important that we continue to have these workshops.

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Giving students an open forum to voice opinions is a step toward solving some problems, Perry said.

They get a chance to get all their emotions under control, she said, especially if they have a chance to express themselves in an uninhibited way.

Having separate workshops, one for African-American men and one for African-American women, will allow each group to openly express their true feelings.

Each group has unique issues that they need to discuss, Major said. They’ll feel more comfortable with being themselves and saying what is really on their minds. Positions, attitudes and postures change when the opposite sex is present.

Although Orlando Matthews, a senior in elementary education from Cairo, intends to share his concerns at the workshops, he said men and women should have one workshop together.

There are a lot of problems that men and women need to sit down and talk about, Matthews said. We have a lot to learn from each other. And we need each other to survive.

He said a room full of African-Americans provides a broad representation for stimulating conversation that he often is not exposed to on a regular basis.

Brothers need to learn how to stick together and stop all the fighting and having beef with each other, Matthews said. We need to unite and do something positive.

Following the workshops, Perry hopes African-Americans will be able to make wise decisions that will affect their futures.

There should be some self assurance in terms of your own personal welfare, she said. In the long run, we are looking for successful people.

FACTOID:The Brother, Brother, Brother workshop sponsored by New Student Admissions will be 2 p.m. Sunday at the Admissions Reception Center. The Sister to Sister workshop will follow at 3:30 p.m.