Anonymous, Class of 2024

You can actually date at a PWI. I know many people struggle but it’s just about taking that chance. I was never really looking for a relationship it just found me. Yes, I would flirt with people to see if I still had it or a few guys would approach me but it didn’t seem genuine. You can feel it when someone wants an honest connection with you. We were 2 people with different backgrounds who just connected so well. That being said, It’s typically separated by sport and race. Most black people on campus connect well even if we came from different places. Then you have your select few who don’t associate with other black people. It makes you wonder have they never been around other black people or if they don’t know how to approach us. The Black Student Union is a space that allows you to be unapologetically black. This is my first time attending a PWI so when I went to my first BSU meeting it was so welcoming. It felt so nice to be able with them. There wasn’t really a barrier that stopped us from connecting. Ripon has different organizations for diversity, but I don’t think they understand minority students. Those places exist but they don’t do what’s needed. They touch on surface-level topics that people are tired of talking about when no change happens. They are supportive of students of color with other marginalized identities. I sometimes feel they cater too much to LGBTQ+ on campus because these organizations have mainly white students. Blacks students who are a part of that community usually attend BSU meetings because their race comes first. I do not feel represented. They try to showcase us like they have representation, but they don’t. Ripon could have more teachers of color. They desperately need more teachers of color because they have a lack of representation on campus. Who really wants to attend a school that barely has people who look like them around or educate them?? If you want to come here, please be comfortable in your blackness. Don’t be afraid to approach the black people on campus. Don’t attend the parties they totally suck.