Two
of the first things I was told about Rhodes were that it is a diverse campus
and the campus as a whole is very involved in the community. Both of these statements
are true in some ways, but also deceiving. While there are racially, religiously,
economically, and etc. diverse students, the ratio of difference is skewed in
one direction; Rhodes campus is mostly comprised of white upper class students.
In addition, like-students tend to stick together. In other words, the campus
can be some-what segregated, which causes some issues throughout the campus.
Students take full advantage of their right to express their opinions, and can
be very insensitive towards others that may be effected or offended by these
opinions. I am a firm believer in the freedom of speech. On the other hand, I
have a lot of issues with our society and societal norms today in addition to
the campus climate at Rhodes. The United States was founded on the basis of
freedom; freedom of speech, freedom of choice, etc. In zooming out, I think
that people have the right to their opinions whether I agree with them or not.
Zooming in, on a more personal level, I also think that it is important to be
considerate of those around you. On a small campus such as Rhodes it is
inappropriate to be posting things such as “build the wall” amongst other
things students have posted concerning race. There are students on campus that
have first-hand experience with crossing the border or have family members and
friends who live with the fear of being deported. In posting things such as
these, it, I feel, becomes a personal attack. There is an understood line that
should not be crossed, and often times it is at the expense of others.
For
example, the recent Trump comments written throughout the campus, or the
Facebook comments during the recent campus elections. I related to what Ashley
was saying in class the other day. Each time there is an incident that enrages
students or causes issues throughout the campus, the college is quick to throw
together a town hall meeting, or discussion for students to come and feel
heard, but no real changes have been made. Something that students may not
grasp, is that it is really in our hands to force the changes we call for.
Professors are here to aid us in any way they can, but the professors are paid
by the school, there is something to lose. For us, we pay the school to be here.
Some may think, “I’m just here for four years, I can tough it out,” but if one
is willing to stand by and accept the circumstances during a time in their
lives when they have a say, then they will be “toughing it out” for the rest of
their lives. I for one, will not be doing that.
I agree with the overall message of your post. But I have had an interesting view of the protests and events on campus. This incoming class of freshman for the year 2020 is over a hundred students short from filling the usual quota for a class. And I believe that it is at least in part due to the climate of this campus. I am on the track team here at Rhodes and throughout this year we have been having recruits visit campus to hopefully convince them to come here. One girl that we hosted came on one of the big admissions days when the student body was out in force with protests and there were signs up all over campus. Unfortunately these demonstrations seemed to have an adverse effect on this girl who saw these signs and determined that Rhodes was in fact not a safe place for her to go to school. It is an unfortunate situation that some members of our student body do not feel safe on this campus and that there are aspects of our campus culture that need to change. It is just interesting to see how this has effected the college outwardly in terms of admissions and our overall image.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this post in that I do think Rhodes administration could do a better job at making students feel heard; I think that as a whole, the institution is preoccupied with maintaining a well-respected image in the Memphis community. This sometimes interferes with creating a safe campus climate that allows for individual development and awareness.
ReplyDeleteAs a student that has spent 3 years at this school, I am willing to admit that I dislike a lot of characteristics about this school. Doing it again, I would not have chosen to come to Rhodes. During my prospective student visit as an athlete, I felt comfortable, welcomed, and open-minded about what this campus could offer for me in my upcoming years here; however, now I think that it has not proven to be a place that challenges values and beliefs of individuals. Instead, it works like a Greek life system in that it is okay to be different, but you must go about it in a certain way. I am not a person of color, I am not part of the LGBT community, and I am not independent from the Greek life at this school. Sometimes, though, I still feel like a creature that everyone is looking at as if they have never seen someone like me before. I wonder if this is an aesthetic specific to Rhodes or if this is a general feeling that individuals have on college campuses; since I don't have anything to compare it to, this leaves me feeling confused, uncomfortable, and ashamed about my presence here.
I could go on about the reasons for my dissatisfaction as a student here - it is incredibly difficult being a girl on this campus, and it is hard to create friendships with those of the opposite gender. Since I am not from the South, I find myself wondering if this is a Southern trend or if I should attribute it to the small size of Rhodes. It is almost impossible to say hi to a boy at the Rat and have them not respond in a way that screams, "That girl wants to suck my dick." Still, I am not sure if these social issues are a result of the wealthy upperclass students who attend this school, or if the campus climate creates a false sense of entitlement for those who allow it to. It continues to baffle me every single day.
I agree with your post that the Rhodes college administration is very indecisive and unable to deliver proper solutions to these problems. I honestly feel as if the administration in general does not listen at all to the students. It seems they are willing to throw a town hall just to say that they actually did something. In general, Rhodes is primarily interested in the perception of the college itself, media attention is the only thing that will actually fundamentally change the Rhodes administration.
ReplyDeleteIn general, I would have to say I am definitely proud to have been at Rhodes for the last 3 years as I transferred from a college that was very racist and not diverse at all. Being maybe one of 3 Asians on campus, it was pretty strange actually. My previous college was even more exclusive than Rhodes I would have to say, as you only remained on your prospective sports team. Even though everyone was independent, it actually made things even more confined believe it or not. Despite what others in the class view the fraternities as, I believe they are good for the campus. I truly don’t believe they are as exclusive as everyone thinks they are. I can definitely say I have friends in every single fraternity and there is a limited amount of animosity between them. Looking at this objectively Playing Lacrosse and belonging to a fraternity on this campus, I guess I might have had a different experience than others in terms of being closed off from the community. Despite this, I feel a lot of heat comes down on the fraternities for rejecting independents but I can honestly say up until this second semester I don’t believe that has been the case. As long as you know at least one person in the fraternity, I always believe that it is open to all. I am interested to hear what others think about the exclusivity of the fraternities on campus, and I will totally respect whatever opinion you may have. I am always open to having more people at parties on campus.
I also agree with the points that you bring up in your post. When I came to Rhodes 4 years ago, I felt very comfortable fitting in and my race or gender did not have much of an effect on how I interacted with others. In the past two years, first with Yik Yak, the sock monkey, Trump comments, and even with the sexual assault/rape incidents, I have felt excluded and sometimes unwelcome at this school to the point where I have unconsciously distanced myself from the social culture and environment of the school. In my opinion, Rhodes has become a place that I don't really take pride in anymore because of these issues that have surfaced, yet the administration does nothing about. The administrators need to actually listen and respond appropriately to what ALL of the students need to say about their experiences and opinions on these issues surrounding "touchy" subjects. It will take a lot of work, but I have hope that someday Rhodes will be a more inclusive and welcoming place for all regardless of gender, race, religion, etc.
ReplyDeleteThe sentence from your post that really stuck out to me was when you said, "I also think that it is important to be considerate of those around you." Anyone is free to say or believe whatever you want and I am fine with it. I think that where the line gets crossed is when you're intentionally doing or saying things that you know could potentially hurt those around you. Even if you don't understand why it might bother or hurt someone, common sense should lead you having some idea that it might. This suspicion should affect your actions so that all students might feel welcomed and accepted.
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