Author: Saida Harpi

Learn the campus and Important buildings

Andrew Roberts, author of The Thinking Students Guide to College: 75 Tips for Getting a Better Education, gives advice to college students looking to fully utilize all that their college has to offer. Roberts talks about choosing majors, interacting with professors, being successful and so on.  What I believe that Roberts does not talk about is how to utilize the physical campus itself and its surroundings. Trinity College is located in the city of Hartford, Connecticut. Hartford is a very diverse city and gives opportunities to any Trinity student who wants to experience activities beyond this campus. It is an open campus which allows the local residents to enter on their own free will but this also allows the students to explore beyond the college campus. When I first arrived on campus I did not understand where anything was except my dorm and Mather hall. I am an out-of-state student and was unfamiliar with Connecticut. Due to my lack of familiarity, I did not take the initiative to learn about the campus and the surroundings and decided to learn only about the essential buildings: Mather Hall, Little Dorm, and Seabury.

I wish that I had utilized the campus more during my first semester at college.  My advice would be to learn about the campus and its important buildings. There are many advantages to knowing your campus and important buildings in the campus. As you learn more about the campus you may find new interests that you may not have had before; many different buildings on campus are themed such as the social sciences, humanities, language, math, science buildings and much more. If you were to learn about them and the events they may offer they could provide unique learning opportunities find new interests, or even meet people that you would not have had the chance to meet. As a freshman you may not know what major or classes you want to take but if you were to just take a walk and enter a random building there is a variety of things you could find. Many buildings have bulletin boards that hold event posters or contacts for people with questions, comments and concerns.  You can walk into almost any building to find and learn about what it’s used for and for what you could utilize it.

During my second week on campus I needed to find Trinity Commons. I went to the Welcome desk in Mather Hall and asked for a map, however, I am not very good at reading maps. I tried following the map and went to many buildings that were not Trinity Commons, but along the way I found many other buildings. I was forced to explore the campus so I could find Trinity Commons. Along the way I found the Ferris, which is where school dances, sports events and the gym are located. If I had not stumbled upon the building I may not have had the motivation to ever use it. I also found the buildings and grounds office. This is the building that you go to if you have any problems with your dorm. We had a broken blind and heating problems and when the time came to find buildings and grounds it was an easy trip. Knowing about the campus is very helpful for many reasons but one that many may overlook is the social aspect.

College is not only for academics but it is a very social experience. Knowing where buildings are on campus is very important when trying to attend events or looking for space to hold an event. Getting to know people at college could be one of the most important college experiences because not only will it help you during college, but it could help you after when trying to find a job. There are buildings that were built on campus that are geared to people’s specific interest. There are cultural houses such as, AASA (Asian Student Association), UMOJA (African American Student Association), and LVL (La Voz Latina, Latino Student Association). These houses are important because they hold events weekly; not only can you learn from these events but you may also be able to make connections with people that are similar to you or have similar interest. I am an African American student and have an interest in Asian studies. I decided to find the Asian American Student association house, AASA, and introduce myself. By the end of the meeting I did not know that I would be running for freshman correspondent, and no sooner become a member of their executive board. Taking chances, learning about the campus, and finding important buildings may be scary at first, but it may help you embark on an unexpected journey.

President James Jones of Trinity College issued a white paper and used the quote, “Everything changes except the need for change” (Jones 34). The quote may first have one believe that change is not worth the effort but the quote is saying the exact opposite. This quote is the answer to many if the questions that student leaders on campus struggle with every day; “How am I supposed to get people to come?” “Why does it matter if no one else cares?” Trying to get people to come to cultural events is constant struggle on campus. Student leaders are constantly trying to figure out creative events that will bring in more student participation. There will always be a need for change, there is doubt about that but what is there to change on Trinity’s campus? The one problem to focus on is the issue of race and social class on campus; it is not often brought in small conversation but in large forums when there is an incident. That’s the problem race and social class are not talked about until something bad happens.

Race on campus is a problem because we make it one. The fact that people are taught to accept different people’s races instead of the person themselves. Although race plays a factor in a person’s upbringing it does not always define a person. People on campus are taught to watch what they say, to not ask ignorant questions or to not say anything at all. I believe that is the problem, everyone is taught to keep it inside, but how do you learn without asking any questions? The problem on campus is that there are many people who are ignorant to other races and are taught not to ask but to just accept without reason. It’s hard to accept the person if you are not able to see past their skin color. Humans are naturally curios, and often one would not be able to know anything without experience or asking questions. People are scared to ask questions for fear of being judged so they remain ignorant, which is the cause of most racist comments.

Race is such a big deal on campus but it is not often spoken about. It can be the white elephant in the room at times. In the documentary by Alfonso Bui (Trinity Class of ‘08), Some Place I Call Home, there were multiple forums documented in 2007 where students spoke out about the hate on Trinity campus and the possible solutions. When students spoke about the problems and solutions they spoke only about the Fraternities on campus. During the forums there were many people that spoke about Trinity and its problems on a broad scale, the school as a whole. But as the forums continued people began to analyze the root of the problem and some began specifying where the problems were. Many students specified that it was the fraternities on campus, or they mentioned Vernon street as a whole, but when they mentioned Vernon street no one spoke about the cultural house; Vernon street was known only for the fraternities. There was no statement about the cultural houses on campus, which are located right next to the fraternities on Vernon Street. The main job of the cultural houses on campus is to spread awareness of different cultures and answer questions that may help lessen racial discrimination on campus. One student said that the fraternities were the center of Trinity that brings everyone together as well as the most vital part of Vernon. The cultural houses were not even mentioned as a part of Trinity’s campus. The lack of acknowledgment shows that the cultural houses are not doing their jobs; they are not even being recognized on campus. There needs to be a general agreement that there is a problem and then the cultural houses can become the popular solution. It is hard to force a person to learn about a culture unbeknownst to them or where there is a general lack of interest. It is the hope of the cultural houses that people would attend in the hopes to learn new things about the specific culture affiliated with the house. But from experience people seem to just come for the food. They eat then they leave, often not caring to ask where the food has come from. It is then up to the cultural houses to find a medium where they don’t only enjoy themselves but learn something new as well.

Cultural houses are not exclusive at Trinity College they are done at many colleges around the country such as, University of Pennsylvania, Stanford, and Cornell. There was an article commenting on the addition of new cultural houses to Duke University which states, “Cultural houses have been successful at peer institutions, such as Stanford University, Cornell University and the University of Pennsylvania” (Koelsch). Although the institutions mentioned above are not a part of the NESCAC community they are institutions of higher learning. Many would say that you cannot compare a small liberal arts college to a large university but with this comparison this shows how far trinity has come. But this does not mean Trinity should stop, the presence of the houses is not enough they need to be more involved in the community. The cultural house’s location is on Vernon Street which is popular for its fraternity parties. It would help if the cultural houses were making their existence known on campus. There are many ways such as tabling at Mather Dining Hall. This is an easy way to let people on campus know about the existence of the cultural houses on campus. When I talked to some students about two months into the semester there were freshman who didn’t know there were cultural houses on campus let alone where they were. Freshmen are the easiest people to talk to because they are the most eager to learn about the campus. If there were information sessions that focused on the student activities and resources on campus there would be more opportunities for the houses on campus to make themselves known.

It is easy for frats to attract a crowd with alcohol and music; it’s hard to attract a crowd with any less than that. You can lead the horse to water but you can’t make them drink. But what the cultural houses need to do is make more events that happen on the main side of campus. Many dormitories are closer to Mather Dining Hall which is on the other side of campus when compared to the culture houses. If the culture houses would hold events in the spaces provided in Mather, Rittenburg Lounge and the Washington room, the horse wouldn’t have to go as far and may have more incentive to drink, or in other words attend an event. If you want to push someone past their comfort zone more often than not you must do the pushing yourself, you cannot rely on the person to do it themselves.

There needs to be more communication between the houses and other clubs and organizations on campus. Recently there has been more incentive for cultural houses to come together to create events to drawn in a different crowd, but if it’s not mandatory for the cultural houses or monitored by a superior there is plenty of room for failure. It should be mandatory for each culture house to plan an event with another club, organization, fraternity, or sorority at least once a semester. It is easy to suggest but it is the follow through that is often left behind. The multicultural affairs office needs to take more responsibility of the houses to ensure that they are doing their jobs, or to make sure they are getting the support they need to be successful. If the multicultural affairs office could be involved it would create a whole new networking system that could also include the faculty and admissions.

Sources:

Alfonso Bui (Trinity Class of ‘08), Some Place I Call Home, Kingsbridge Productions video, 2007,

Jones, James F. Jr., “To Reweave the Helices: Trinity’s DNA by Our Two-Hundredth Birthday” (2011). Trinity College Archives. `

Koelsch, Anna. “Three cultural houses form for Fall 2012 | The Chronicle.” Duke Chronicle. 10 Nov. 1930. Web. 1 Dec. 2011.

About the author: Saida Harpi attends Trinity College where she is a First Year. This article is based on her findings and research in her first year seminar “Color and Money” taught by Jack Dougherty.

Saida Harpi

First Year Seminar

Color and Money

Jack Dougherty

Revised Proposal

Race on campus is a problem because we make it one. The fact that people are taught to accept different people’s races instead of the person themselves. Although race plays a factor in a person’s upbringing it does not always define a person. People on campus are taught to watch what they say,  to not ask ignorant questions or to not say anything at all. I believe that is the problem, everyone is taught to keep it inside, but how do you learn without asking any questions? The problem on campus is that there are many people who are ignorant to other races and are taught not to ask but to just accept without reason. It’s hard to accept the person if you are not able to see past their skin color. Humans are naturally curios, and often one would not be able to know anything without experience or asking questions. The problem is that people are scared to ask questions for fear of being judged or told not to ask questions so they remain ignorant, which the cause of most racist comments.

While have been on campus a short while I have already learned a lot about the cultural dynamics on campus. Race is such a big deal on campus but it is not often spoken about. It can be the white elephant in the room at times. In the movie by Alfonso Bui (Trinity Class of ‘08), Some Place I Call Home, there were multiple forums documented where students spoke out about the hate on Trinity campus and the possible solutions. When students spoke about the problems and solutions they spoke only about the Fraternities on campus. There was no statement about the cultural houses on campus, when there main job on campus is to spread awareness of different cultures and help bring an end to racial discrimination. One student said that the fraternities were the center of Trinity that brings everyone together as well as the most vital part of Vernon. The cultural houses were not even mentioned as a part of Trinity’s campus. The lack of acknowledgment shows that the cultural houses are not doing their jobs; they are not even being recognized on campus. Mr.Voitsekhovsky from University of Maryland says “There must be a genuine commitment to immersion.” There needs to be a general agreement that there is a problem and then the cultural houses can become the popular solution. It is hard to force a person to learn about a culture unbeknownst to them or where there is a general lack of interest. It is the hope of the cultural houses that people would attend in the hopes to learn new things about the specific culture affiliated with the house. But from experience people seem to just come for the food. They eat then they leave, often not caring to ask where the food has come from. It is then up to the cultural houses to find a medium where they don’t only enjoy themselves but learn something new as well.

Sources:

Schuman, Jamie. “Language-Immersion Houses Expand to Serve More Students, Cultures.” The Chronicle of Higher Education 18 Nov. 2005 : A38. Print.

Alfonso Bui (Trinity Class of ‘08), Some Place I Call Home, Kingsbridge Productions video, 2007,

Race on campus is a problem because we make it one. The fact that people are taught to accept different people’s races instead of the person themselves. Although race plays a factor in a person’s upbringing it does not always define a person. People on campus are taught to watch what they say and to not ask ignorant questions but to just not say anything at all. I believe that is the problem, everyone is taught to keep it inside, but how do you learn without asking any questions? The problem on campus is that there are many people who are ignorant to other races and are taught not to ask but to just accept without reason. Humans are naturally curios, and often one would not be able to know anything without experience or asking questions. The problem is that people are scared or told not to ask questions so they remain ignorant, which is the cause for most racist comments.

A possible solution can be open discussions at cultural houses, where anyone is allowed to come and learn about another culture or ask questions they may have. These meetings would be judgment free and open to anyone willing to learn. But then how do you tech those who do not want to be taught? That is where the campus needs to come together as a whole. If a daily email with a fun fact came out about a different race everyday with the daily emails or there is a question box where anonymous questions may come in and be answered.  For every question there is an answer even if it not completely clear. There should be a campus wide campaign to end ignorance.

The evidence I need here is answers from the interviews and my own personal experience. While have been on campus a short while I have already learned a lot about the cultural dynamics on campus. Race is such a big deal on campus but it is not often spoken about. It can be the white elephant in the room at times. I could also use Tatum’s book to breakdown the mindset of people on campus and why the dynamic may be the way it is.

[Saida: next time, turn your web code into a link, by selecting text and the “link” button above. -Jack D] https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AtkroIUE8KHOdHA3cjV2eDRYS3g1Y1hzYlVPUjF5QXc&hl=en_US

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AtkroIUE8KHOdFVUVkVtWDNUY3hNX09PMVZRMUhMbEE&hl=en_US

In the spreadsheet I created a column where I inserted what I believed each applicant could potentially contribute to the college. I believed what Trinity College wants is a student who would be able to expand and grow but also contribute to the vast community. I deleted the class rank column because many of the applicants were not able to give a class rank rendering the information useless. I also deleted the school column, because I do not believe that going to a private or public school should make a difference in if you are admitted. In the end the decision came down to making the most geographically, academically,and culturally diverse class.

I believe that Lisa Wu should be put on the Waitlist for The College. Lisa seems to be well rounded with adequate grades but her interview was not impressive. She lacked the exuberance that she seemed to convey in school that was stated in her recommendations. She seemed to lack the qualities of a leader. But this does not mean Lisa is not worthy of The College, I believe that she has potential and just needs a bit of a push toward the right direction. To give her the benefit of the doubt she may have been nervous but the interviewer stated, “I do not think Lisa would stand out and can be an exceptional leader/student at [Trinity]. I do however think she could handle [Trinity] from an academic standpoint just fine”. This information seemed to contradict many of the statements given by her teachers such as, “maturity beyond her years”, “natural curiosity”, “and charismatic leader “,” strong-willed determination to succeed”.  It was disconcerting to hear that Lisa did not quite live up to expectation but she seems to have potential and I believe there is no real cut off for potential but a dotted line, where she still has a chance.