class of 2024

Precious Omomofe, Class of 2024

Editorial Team — Thu, 11 Aug 2022 03:13:35 +0000

From my experience at Pomona, it seems pretty good so far. Academic wise Pomona is very much up there and they have a lot of resources for students to make sure they can succeed and get the help they need. They have the QSC which is where a lot of Black people hang out, especially at night. My first semester we were all always there with the seniors and some of the juniors just doing work or chilling together. There are other resources like tutoring and mentoring and all that, and the professors are understanding. It also depends on which department you are in. I am in the science department. I know my professors are more understanding to a certain extent, but econ they are not as understanding. It also depends on your relationship with the professor. In terms of like, the racial culture, there are little microaggressions here and there, but they are not as bold as to say something big. And for me especially, I tend to keep my circle very POC; I surround myself with a lot of Black people and most of the people I talk to are Black. I have experienced microaggressions from people who come on campus because I work for PP athletics, so talking to other parents or adults who are white is where I have experienced microaggressions. I had an issue with a professor: he was not catering to the Black students, but we talked it out and we fixed it and everything. So there are definitely people here who will help you if you ever bring up an issue. The BSU, which I am in, has a lot of events and we encourage first years to join BSU so you can know the dynamic and everything. I feel like the Black people here all kind of know each other and we all hang out and look out for each other. It’s really nice because I feel like I have a community here. We all talk to each other and we collaborate. I have a lot of friends from the other 5Cs. The Black people here, even if you don’t know each other will still say “hi” because that’s just how it is here. Every school has its own issues with racism and anti-blackness, and Pomona definitely does have its issues but I feel like every college is about how you make the most of it, how you approach the problem, and how you almost live around the problem. I feel like a lot of the Black students here are very conscious of that so we try to make Pomona a better place for us and a more accommodating space for us. I like everyone I have met here, it does have its issues, but it is a good school.

Darian Jacob, Class of 2024

Editorial Team — Thu, 14 Apr 2022 04:04:25 +0000

I’d say many of the resources for Black students here at UL are in the form of close-knit relationships. UL is not cliquey at all. My college is, and always has, made it a goal to design with inclusivity. For me, this means I have an opportunity to be heard and consulted based on my unique experience. I feel represented. They are very supportive of students of color with other identities as well. I want prospective students to know that our culture is one of tenacity, creativity, and perseverance. I’ll always know to live by that.

Anonymous, Class of 2024

Editorial Team — Thu, 14 Apr 2022 03:20:56 +0000

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.

Truth Arnold, Class of 2024

Editorial Team — Sat, 22 Jan 2022 19:45:35 +0000

There isn’t enough diversity for there to be major cliques, but similar ethnicities try to stick together when they can. I don’t really know if there are resources available for black students honestly. Besides a safe space like Black Student Unity (BSU), there isn’t really that much for the black students. They have supported black student activism and heritage months for most (if not all) people of color. They also take situations of discrimination and hate seriously. Most teachers also support students of color and try to make it as comfortable for us as possible (at least the teachers that I’ve had so far). Honestly, I think they’re trying their best with what they know. They typically listen to their students and faculty of color and take all of it pretty seriously which is all I can hope for really. It’s a bare minimum, but it’s still nice. I know the new administration is trying to make a change with the discrimination team to help with issues against POC which is ultimately nice, but I do not entirely feel represented. With LGBTQ+ people, I think on the surface level they are supportive (and no one is outwardly against it), but I know of some instances where (on an administrative level) there can be some points where I think they don’t like to publicly embrace LGBTQ+ issues for their image. For disabled people, I think there is not enough done or it could be improved upon in the academic and landscape sense. There is not enough consistency in accommodations to the general student body academically for mental/neurological issues out of their control. And physically, the campus is not disabled-friendly for people that use wheelchairs or not other physical accommodations. I think the structure of the campus could definitely do better. If you’ve already been to PWI’s throughout your academic years then you already know the kind of space in which you’ll find yourself in. You probably won’t find people that you’ll be able to relate to culturally. You might find that some content or issues that are said by others might lack sensitivity and tact. And honestly, that just comes with the lack of awareness that some places have with Black people and black culture in general. It honestly gets more tolerable as time goes by and honestly, it’s not too bad when you get used to it. But it doesn’t mean that it’s all that great either if you’ve gone to predominately black schools your whole life. My honest advice is to just stick to your safe spaces, stick to people that you trust and know, and stick to your roots. That is honestly something good that you can lean on by the end of the day outside of the academic things in college and something that can get you out of the chronically non-black get-togethers that happen on campus half the time. Also, find faculty that are very sensitive and understanding to the issues that affect you! Being able to vent to them and ask them for help on certain issues that might be hard to solve will get you places!

Anonymous, Class of 2024

Editorial Team — Sat, 22 Jan 2022 18:54:12 +0000

CNU is not entirely segregated, but somewhat. There are resources for Black students but I have never used them. I honestly don’t know if the school supports students of color. I wish CNU had scholarships, jobs, and study help for students of color. I do not feel represented. I believe the school is supportive of students with other marginalized identities. If you can, don’t come here but if you end up getting here, be open-minded.

Michael Boyd, Class of 2024

Editorial Team — Sat, 22 Jan 2022 18:52:48 +0000

CNU is cliquey to a degree but with there being more white folks than black, the black folks tend to have to intermingle with the white folk. I don’t believe there are any resources specific to black students. CNU supports black students by treating them like white students. I wish CNU would reach out to more people of color when they do anything about bringing new students into the school. I feel they could do more in terms of diversity. If you’re not going to an HBCU, find others who look like you and don’t just hang with the white population.

Wayne Peterkin, Class of 2024

Editorial Team — Sat, 22 Jan 2022 18:46:33 +0000

One night I went to socialize with my white neighbors because I spent a lot of my first semester inside. We hung out in one of their rooms, and it was just one other person. The person I was with propositioned me for drugs, and I decided to take a step out and try what he had. I had a bad trip, and while I was sitting there trying to process things, he and our other neighbors seemed to vibe with that kind of experience, as if it was normal. That day reinforced to me that my background, culture, and habits are not the same as theirs, and I need to be more cautious of when I enter their environments. It can be segregated, but it’s not on purpose. We acknowledge each other as POC in general spaces, and we hang out if the opportunity presents itself. But more often than not, we end up hanging out in groups we feel most comfortable with, like our identity organizations. The biggest resource is the BLACK STUDENT UNION! I am the current treasurer of BSU here at UVM. We host weekly meetings in our center for students of color. We put on events throughout the year to develop community for black students, including 2 of the biggest events of the year: Soul Food Social in November, and Fashion in February. We also have the mosaic center which has counselors we can talk to; they put on BIPOC events for us throughout campus, and they have the Women of Color Coalition club. That’s about it, we have to support ourselves. I wish UVM would season the food better or get POC to cook the food. Instead of having white chefs attempt to make staple cultural dishes. Do I feel represented at UVM? Not at all, I have to fight for representation. Mentally prepare yourself for the culture shock, bring whatever you can that makes you feel at home. Find friends that you can stress with over the hard experiences you will face and the difficult coursework.

Anonymous, Class of 2024

Editorial Team — Sat, 22 Jan 2022 17:27:06 +0000

You can see the divide between races and ethnicities, but for the most part, people tend to integrate and befriend anyone who they believe is friend-worthy. There are some resources for Black students, but they are often student-provided. Other times, the resources are there but are not as convenient as they should be. They offer scholarships for us to come but are not the best at providing safe spaces and opportunities with Black people in general. I would like to see more safe spaces, as well as more automatic support. I have heard that some people of different races get aid quicker than Black people. Also, I wish the microaggressions would stop as well. That is not to say that there is not any support, but it should be more beneficial. We do have faculty and staff here to change the narrative, but the negative encounters Black people face here should decrease at a faster pace. I feel that more representation is coming along as more Black students join the school. I also feel represented through the student government and clubs because a lot of Black people run important events, clubs, etc within Bard. Do not be afraid to pick the school that is best for you based on these encounters, but make sure you prepare for them and seek out safe spaces and people within your school who can aid in guidance and listening. As long as you have someone to talk to, you will be fine because we all are working to create better opportunities for Black people. Sometimes actions of others are discouraging and saddening, but we will get through it together; we are here for each other.

Chipo Muzilikazi, Class of 2024

Editorial Team — Sat, 22 Jan 2022 17:25:29 +0000

CCU was cliquey between races; there was an obvious imbalance of Black vs white students, especially in the performing arts department. I did not always feel represented at school. Sometimes I did, but in most cases, I felt that my upbringing and culture were totally different and not acknowledged such as gospel music in the worship ministries. There was an attempt to make a group that acknowledged diversity and they recognized the racial tension happening in the world while trying to address it during the year of George Floyd. I wish the school was not so new at incorporating programs for people of color or awkward about the topic of color. If there is one thing that will allow you to survive this world besides the Lord Himself, it’s a good skill/education.

Anonymous, Class of 2024

Editorial Team — Sat, 22 Jan 2022 17:17:15 +0000

At Scripps College, there are some resources geared towards Black students. However, our situation is a bit interesting, as we function within the Claremont Consortium. There are five undergraduate institutions, and we have an Office of Black Student Affairs (OBSA), that gears more resources for Scripps students, alongside the other schools.

I think that friendships at Scripps are not segregated by race, although I have a community of Black students I am able to lean on. Despite this, I do not feel wholly represented at Scripps. Oftentimes, I am the only Black person in my courses. I wish Scripps took more initiative in recruiting Black students, alongside providing the resources necessary for their success.

Acknowledging my critiques, I would still recommend Scripps to prospective Black students. There is so much available on campus and within the Claremont Consortium. I ask them to consider affordability alongside community. While the Black community at Scripps is small, we are close-knit and welcoming. In addition, there are four other institutions that provide us with diversity, more than any other liberal arts institution.