You are a minority graduate student studying at a good University. You are having trouble with your graduate coursework because your undergraduate institution did not offer intensive courses in some upper level physics areas. Your first term grades were marginal.
During the second term, the faculty member in charge of the graduate program asks you to attend a physics meeting aimed at minority scientists to help the department recruit new minority graduate students. You are flattered, but are worried about missing class work.
Questions
What should you do?
What questions might an outside observer have concerning this situation?