An informal and interactive discussion about the needs and concerns of all minority groups at NIU will take place from 12 to 1 p.m. today at the Center for Diversity Resources’ Affirmative Action and Diversity Resources office 166/178.

Phinette Maszka, coordinator of constituent relations and program development for AADR, said Collective Stories and Cultural Experiences is a series of discussions created by AADR “to encourage all faculty, supportive professional staff, operating staff and students to become more knowledgeable and aware of all people and cultures.”

Maszka wants to keep the names of the panelists for Wednesday’s event “Collective Stories and Cultural Experiences: Privilege and Access of Invisible Minority Groups,” a surprise, but she said all will have experience in dealing with stereotypes that deem certain diversity groups invisible in the educational setting.

Samuel-Louis Bandy, president of Native Americans Together Insuring Our Nations’ Sovereignty and a graduate student in foreign languages, said he hopes the discussion will help dispel many of the stereotypes facing Native Americans.

“Many people think we’re all spiritual, we all know the history of our people, we’re drunks, lazy or drug addicts,” he said. “They also think there’s one Native American culture, but there are over 600 different nations in the U.S. We’re regular people, too. We don’t all come from reservations, and we don’t all get school for free.”

Michelle Bringas, program coordinator for Asian American Resources, said she hopes the misperception that Asians and Asian-Americans are the “model minority” will be discussed.

“The model minority stereotype is that Asians are all geniuses and good at math and computers, but not all Asians are like this or good at these things,” she said.

Margie Cook, coordinator of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Resources, said the discussion will show that there are groups of people who are overlooked even when diversity is discussed and that there are many other aspects to diversity besides ethnicity.