After reading Jane Charles-Voltaire and Jackie Enedina Cruz’s letter in Wespeaks, “Reevaluating the image of the new Clark Hall” (Argus, December 5), I felt compelled to respond. Ms. Charles-Voltaire and Ms. Cruz referred to Clark Hall as “homogeneous” and a “misrepresentation of Wesleyan University”. They stated that giving tours to prospective freshmen only in the Clark Hall dorms hugely misrepresents Wesleyan University. Although I don’t totally disagree with this last comment, I hope to correct the inaccurate image of Clark Hall implicit in their letter.
As a student of color living on the second floor of Clark Hall, I can personally vouch for the fact that we are representative of the racial diversity at Wesleyan. On my floor alone there are four international students (altogether nine students of color). The other three floors are even more diverse. I don’t believe that it is fair to judge the entire population of a dormitory building on a few misinterpreted incidents with RA who were protective of a newly renovated building.
Charles-Voltaire and Cruz referred to a situation that occurred involving a rude student and a loud and persuasive RA However, Charles-Voltaire and Cruz were unaware of the problems that Clark has had with theft and vandalism this semester. Three framed paintings have been stolen from our ground floor lounge, a huge expense for Clark residents who will have to pay for the loss. Vandalism in Clark has included stairwell walls defaced with markers and non-Clark residents urinating in hallways. We had been warned by our RAs that, if vandalism and theft continued, everyone in the dorm would face consequences. For these reasons, Clark residents have been instructed to question all visitors to the building unless they are accompanied by residents.
Charles-Voltaire and Cruz stated that they “aren’t saying that all Clark students are inherently racist.” However, bringing up race at all makes one think to the contrary. They go on to state that “Clark’s homogeneity allowed the presumption that being a student of color labels you not only as an outsider, but also separate from the Wesleyan community.” By coming to Wesleyan, I had hoped to find a tolerant place where I would be fully accepted regardless of my race, and I believed I had found it after I stepped into Clark on my first day at Wesleyan. But Charles-Voltaire and Cruz’s claim that “Clark promotes many of the definitive tensions in our community” judges the people of an entire dorm. I do not understand their rationale. As Clark Residents, we completed the same survey as every other Wesleyan freshmen when choosing our dorm. How could we have known about the stereotype that would define us when we arrived at our prospective dorm? Had we known of this image of Clark Hall, many of us may have relinquished the idea of free cable and numbered our preferences differently. I now find myself categorized only by the dorm I live in. When I tell people that I live at Clark, some have made rude comments. Although I may not be judged by my race here at Wesleyan, I may now be judged by where I live, and how odd is that?
Charles-Voltaire and Cruz wrote that we must “try to prevent homogeneous dorms from forming, especially those which house freshmen.” I agree with them on this particular point. I don’t believe that an entire dorm designated for freshmen is a good idea. At Clark, we have not made upperclassmen friends who can explain the ropes of the school to us. We have had to struggle through the process of adapting to being thousands of miles away from home with other freshmen who are going through the same adjustment themselves.
The Admissions Office is already working at avoiding “homogeneous” dorms. I don’t think there is a quick and easy solution to this “problem,” other than working harder at being more accepting and trying not to judge people by where they live (or by any other stereotype). Perhaps one day freshmen may not have the choice of where they want to live. Dorms may be simply assigned so that “jocks,” “weirdos,” “crazies,” “preps,” “geeks,” etc, will all live side by side. Wesleyan is diverse, not just by race. All these different types of people learn together at Wesleyan, going to the same lectures and taking the same tests, hopefully becoming informed, multi-dimensional individuals through the liberal arts education and tolerant culture that Wesleyan is known for by all.
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