What’s wrong with Trinity?
Please, someone tell me.
Let me preface this post by saying that I love Trinity. I really do. I’m proud to be involved in various scopes of campus life here. But I can’t figure out why I love Trinity. I really feel like I shouldn’t. I know that a lot of people are going to tell me that if I feel this way, I should transfer. And maybe they’re right. But maybe I just feel like Trinity has so much potential for greatness that I would rather attempt to contribute to its betterment than close my eyes, run away, and leave it in my dust.
First of all, what is this social scene? What kind of institution has such homogenous social activites. Partying. Drinking and going to the Frats. That’s “going out” on a Saturday night (and Friday, and Thursday, and Wednesday….) at Trinity. I am by no means saying that partying is bad, but why is it that it’s the only organized nightlife here. Vassar College has the Mug–a college run nightclub with DJs, dancing, food, poetry, and alcohol–but the alcohol is not central to the existance. Anyone can go to the Mug. Not just attractive girls and guys who bring attractive girls. I’ve spoken to Professors and other students about this, and one Prof even told me that when his female freshman students come to him and tell him that they were not let into a frat because they weren’t “cute enough” that he wants to “nuke” the frats. It’s true. If the fraternies are going to dominate the social culture, they should be open to everyone. I was talking to another student about this, and he told me that at another school (can’t remember which one) the frat parties are advertised and everyone is encouraged to attend. Why isn’t it that way at Trinity?
How about in the classroom? At Trinity, it seems like it’s taboo to raise your hand and participate in class. You don’t want to be labeled as “that kid” (we all know them, and we all hate them. But why???). My first day in a college class–last semester in Cognitive Psychology with Professor Haberlandt, I sat down in the front row (I can see better and I pay more attention in the front) and when the Professor asked questions, the room was silent. I figured no one knew the answer, but I remembered from my AP Psychology class so I raised my hand and answered. It seemed perfectly normal to me. It wasn’t until later that night when I met a Junior on my floor and found out that she was in my class that she made a remark about how I was the annoying girl answering all the questions. I learned my lesson very shortly. At Trinity, you don’t participate in class. I still answer questions every now and then but I certainly try to refrain myself from standing out as answering lots of questions. This same Junior friend (who has since become a very close friend of mine) told me today that her Linguistics Professor was wondering about this social taboo, and remarked that she notices a big difference between eager Freshman who have not learned to blend in and upperclassmen who have learned this unspoken rule at Trinity.
I got to thinking, though, after my friend spoke about that change that occurs with Freshman, and I realized that I, too, have changed. I remember, in particular, my orientation leaders talking about “campus climate” and presenting us with a list of simple, common-sense things like “do you say hello to people you don’t know when you pass them on the long walk?” and “do you hold doors for people behind you when you walk into a building?”. It was such an obvious answer. Of course! I say hello to everyone! That’s how you meet people! But I just realized that I’ve stopped doing that–probably because people seem to be so horribly offended when you try to talk to them. I image them thinking, “How dare this person speak to me??” when I get dirty looks. It’s little things like that I don’t understand.
This post is already much longer than it should be, so I’ll just end it here. Any thoughts anyone? Am I the only one who thinks that these are problems?
-Andrea
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You’re definitely not far off base… if at all. I pretty much am that kid who raises his hand to answer questions and ask some too and I’m quite certain that a lot of hte kids in my classes resent me for it. At my high school, i learned as much from the other students as i did from the teachers. Here, its just not the case. Students don’t like participating, probably because of the stigma you described. What I’ve tried to do is target professors that bring out the best in their students. So far, the best Professor I’ve found, for his ability to facilitate discussion and a variety of other reasons, is Professor Cabot. This is not to say that i haven’t had other great classes, as i have thoroughly enjoyed almost every class i have taken thus far. But Cabot has an uncanny ability to bring out the best in his students. He even breaks up his larger classes into smaller sections, creating more work for himself in order to improve the learning environment. He also calls on students at random in order to get literally everyone involved.
As for the partying thing, this is something that is a continual work in progress. Efforts by groups such as the ISC and Temple of Hip Hop have certainly improved the situation and are continuing to do so. But I’m not sure there is some level of broad sweeping reform that could fix the situation. I also feel that the frats get scapegoated a little much. It really isn’t their fault. Every time a fraternity opens its house to throw a party it takes a huge risk of theft and property destruction, all so we can have a good time free of charge. I’m afraid i don’t know much about the admittance policies, so i can speak to that. But they get blamed for a lot of different things on campus and its just not that simple. Fixing they party scene needs to be a collective effort by all the students. I just don’t know how to do it. Any good ideas?
I don’t blame the frats for everything. I just think that if the current system is to stay in place–where they dominate the social scene—that they should be truly open. I have never been to any of the frats that have reputations for leaving freshmen out in the cold to see how badly they want to get in, or letting in only girls with low-cut shirts, or guys who are accompanied by 4+ girls, partly because I would be humiliated if I wasn’t “cute” enough to get in, partly because I would feel like part of the problem if I was “cute” enough, and partly because it’s downright degrading. As if a girl can only be admitted into a party if she’s going to make someone lucky.
I am very familiar with the level of reform that’s occuring—I commend the Temple of Hip Hop for being groundbreakers in this regard, and I am aware of the new Vernon-Allen project to use houses currently holding offices that will open up when Seabury opens in the fall as student social spaces of whatever type students want.
I just think the issue is something deeper than just the frats, and I don’t think it’s anything that will be solved by offering more social alternatives. I think it’s in peoples attitudes. I just haven’t yet figured out where it comes from, or how to change it.
You raise some really good points. I think that it begins with admissions and the type of student that Trinity targets. Why isn’t Trinity need blind? This is a question that keeps getting raised but never really gets answered. I’d love it if this was something the SGA, or anyone for that matter, decided to pursue. What do you think?
I don’t know. I wish we were need blind. I just really hope that in four years, I can honestly look back and feel like I’m leaving Trinity better than I found it.
It is not possible for Trinity to adopt a need-blind admissions policy. There are only seven colleges in the country (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, MIT, Williams, and Middlebury) that can afford to do so, all with considerably larger endowments than Trinity. It is also delusional to think that there is a class full of engaged intellectuals in our applicant pool that we are simply not letting in.
As far as the code of silence in the classroom that you two are perceiving, I could not disagree more. Perhaps I have taken a different course of study than either of you, but I know that in my American Studies classes it is often difficult to squeeze in a comment because the discussion is so lively. There is a difference between offering thoughtful and important contributions to the discussion and being “that guy” who reminds the professor that he had promised a quiz on the reading. No one likes that guy, not even engaged intellectuals.
In response Andrea’s lament on our social life here at Trinity, my only response would be that if you see a void, fill it. As a member of a fraternity that is bombarded with hundreds of people every weekend, I appreciate that you both recognize the impossible situation we find ourselves in: hosting and financing the social life of a student body that is only 20% Greek. An open door policy is neither feasible, nor desirable. I am sure that neither of you would enjoy it if every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night you had to leave the door to your room open and hand out your beverages to whomever pleased to walk through the door. That sentiment does not mean that we are not accepting of a diverse crowd; walk into our house on any weekend and you will see the exact opposite. What most of the people there will have in common, however, is that they are friends with people in the house. So I would again say that if you see a void in the social scene at Trinity, fill it. After all, that is just what a group of men did on this campus in 1877 that has given me the opportunity to be a part of the brotherhood that I cherish today.
Lastly, I hope that you will continue to say hello and open doors and do all those little things that really are big things. Don’t be discouraged by those who don’t return the favor because you might be surprised by who does.
Andrea, you continue to impress me with your bright mind and lack of fear in voicing your opinion. As a woman, I think that these are the kinds of qualities that will bring you far in life. As a freshman you have already contributed so much to this school and I admire your courage in taking a stand for the underrepresented and trying to fix things to make this place better for everyone and not just a few.
Independent of what I am going say, I just really want you to know that that is what I think of you. I’m glad to have people like you on this campus. It’s perhaps what keeps me here at times.
Anyway, I agree with a lot of what you said about the frat scene. The first time I tried to go to AD freshmen year, I was pretty taken aback by the way in which the people waiting to get in had to basically beg, girls felt they needed to flaunt their outfit opening their coats in like 10 degree weather, I had never before seen that and on top of that, the guy at the door was such an @$$hole to everyone cursing at people- I know he was drunk- Anyway, I was pretty turned off by the whole thing- so I think that night I just went back to Psi U or something- not that I really wanted to go back but it was kind of the only other place (hence proving your point in the lack of variety of nightlife). I just want to point out before I go on that it is true that people do agree to go here KNOWING the nightlife is that way. Some people really like this. And I, myself, can’t say I haven’t enjoyed myself getting ballistically wasted and lost in a frat in the middle of a crowded dancefloor full of people as intoxicated as myself. My hands are not clean.
However, as for offering alternatives to campus life, people really have tried. But the only venues available for them are their own dorms (Write-ups after write-ups and then they stop) and of course, Vernon Social Center. I don’t want to trash Vernon Social Center, I have myself tried to organize a party there- but really, no one REALLY likes to go there. 1. cause there’s usually no alcohol 2. bc its a huge space that is really hard to fill and make look like it’s “POPULAR” (I want to stress the unspoken value of this word at Trinity) and 3. when people get there and see the empty void, they don’t like to stay- instead they’ll just try to get into that crowded frat.
Then of course, there are the cultural houses but that is a whole other post-worthy subject.
Anyway, I want to assure you that there are a great many people who feel the way you do. There just aren’t spaces/venues where they can realistically throw a POPPIN party. Whereas each and every frat does have that space- where they can serve alcohol without regulation and essentially do whatever they want with the space because campus safety can’t technically bust in on them.
Currently at work is finding these spaces on campus, some on Allen and Vernon, (a major project of Dean Alford and a few students) that are available as an alternative. It’s a work in progress.
I’d have to agree with John- because he made a great and insightful point- “If you see a void, fill it”. Trinity overall may seem like it is designed to serve a specific homogenous group within the college but from my own experiences in intermingling with different groups (remember athletic teams too, musical organizations, of course temple of hiphop) that you can really make this Trinity experience your own. The people are out there and they happen to be some of the friends that I cherish most dear.
I want to assure you that changes are happening. And though I don’t realistically think the frats will ever cede from their domination of the social scene (its just too ingrained in the tradition of the college), I certainly feel like there is room for alternative groups to start becoming popular as well.
I felt I also needed to respond to your comment on the classroom behavior. I think this depends on class to class. But I do take note of this in certain classes. To be honest, I am that girl that raises her hand all the time. I think I like the sound of my own voice- lol. I even took this test online once on personality defects and I turned out to be the “Hand-Raiser” – hence my annoying quality of always being the one to answer questions. I also humiliate myself sometimes by saying the wrong answer and then I kick myself for even raising my hand in the first place.
Anyway, some people’s classroom behavior is SO High school it really bothers me. They literally make-fun of people who are engaged in class- like it’s not cool or something. For some people it’s a slightly different reason, springing from a competitive attitude, that the person raising their hand is trying to get on the teacher’s good side above all the other people in the class etc. I’d be more Okay with the latter more than the former- but ideally they are both BAD. We should encourage one another to speak,whether out of competition or cooperation. Anyway, as for those students who don’t speak, I kind of take it as a “too-bad-for-you” situation, in that, since you don’t want to speak, now I’m going to look like I know what I’m talking about. Too bad for you. In the end, who gets the A?
You’d be surprised, the very same people who may criticize you at first end up being the ones wanting to study with you- haha and now that a test is coming and they need help, NOW they are your friend. peeps are funny, peeps are truly funny.
Anyway, Andrea, I think that you shouldn’t mind people like that. You’re just a freshman, eventually you’ll take a class where people are TRULY engaged and you’ll never be happier. At times, it’ll be hard to speak because so many people are talking and interrupting each other. You just haven’t taken enough of those classes yet. Keep your head up and keep your hand raised =)
Actually Andrea I want to share an article with you. I wrote it freshman year. In your free time, take a look at it.
http://media.www.trinitytripod.com/media/storage/paper520/news/2006/12/12/Opinions/Fight.For.Civil.Rights.Not.Over.Still.Going.At.Trin-2540630-page3.shtml
Jen–thanks for taking the time to respond so candidly, and for sharing that article with me. It’s comforting to know that my feelings are shared with others.
In response to John , I just want to say that Wesleyan University has need blind admissions.
Yeah, lots of colleges have need blind admission–like Vassar, for example. But Wesleyan also has about twice the endowment that Trinity does. It’s easy to do everything perfectly when your college has $800 million sitting around.
I am sitting in class right now and I’m really glad I stumbled onto the SGA website. I had no idea such a thing existed!
I understand the desire to have Trinity be need blind. However, our endowment at Trinity is in state where it is simply not feasible to give as much financial aid as we would like. I have to agree with a previous post, I highly doubt that there are wildly successful applicants that are being forced to look elsewhere, because Trinity does not provide enough aid for them. On the contrary, I know a few students who came to Trinity for the explicit reason that they got more financial aid than they did at another school. I don’t know if it’s changed since I’ve been at Trinity, but Wesleyan University was not need blind 3 years ago. Also, do not confuse need blind with meeting all need. A school can be need blind but then once the student is admitted, they can say “well we’re only going to give you x amount of money.”
In terms of the Fraternity scene, it is what you make it. If you want to go to parties at the houses you should probably try to meet some of the brothers or sisters who populate them. John made a strong point, the members of the houses are paying for people to come, dance, drink and sometimes eat, so doesn’t it make sense that they would give preference first and foremost to their friends and people who take the time to meet them? Would you host a party in your room for a bunch of strangers whom you may or may not be able to trust? Think about the Locknetics issue that was recently resolved. Students said that they wanted the interior locks of the new rooms in Jarvis to have Locknetic key pads. They rationalized this by saying that in a room of 9 people, it is very possible that you don’t know a couple of your roommates too well and may not be able to trust them. Take this issue and multiply it times 20 and you have a typical fraternity party. So is it wrong to admit the people that you know and trust? By opening the doors the fraternities have little to gain and very much to lose, should any type of altercation happen.
In regards to the classroom environment, I agree that it depends on the class. You have to realize, when a question is asked there are: people who don’t know the answer, people who aren’t comfortable speaking publicly and people who just plain weren’t paying attention. I for one, do not mind a student that raises their hand constantly and answers a lot of questions. However, it comes down to substance. I can’t stand the students who raise their hands and verbatim, regurgitate the readings or snippets of the professor’s lecture. It provides nothing to the classroom environment and when done repeatedly, might draw the negative attitudes you were talking about. I don’t mind the silences when questions are asked; if no one has a strong, insightful answer or guess, they shouldn’t be talking.
1. I know that Trinity cannot operate need-blind, although you are correct that we do offer much more financial aid that we, arguably, can afford. It’s in our priorities, and I’m happy about that. I hope, though, that once Jimmy has finished his fundraising plan, and our endowment is back up where it should be, we will begin to operate need-blind.
2. I’m very familiar with the Jarvis Locknetics issues (I, along with Jordyn Sims, made the proposal to the PBC and got the locks ordered), but the fraternity scene is a much different issue. My concern about the fraternities is not their admitting only people they know, it’s admitting only attractive females. Period. I’ve been to parties where none of us knew the brothers, and my females friends and I were welcomed in, but we were told outright that our male friends couldn’t come inside. I’ve also been in the situation where one or two of the females in a group are allowed in, but the less attractive girl is denied entry. It’s one thing to host a private party and only invite your friends, it’s another to advertise a campus wide party, and then degrade the women, and discriminate against the males. It’s disgusting, and furthermore, it’s illegal.