<p>if you really want the article I have a copy of the Review from earlier in the year and I could scan it for you. not till this evening though I got stuff to do right now.</p>
<p>sometimes it pays to be a bit of a pack rat...</p>
<p>First, I'm surprised that you can't tell what school I am associated by my screen name. It is pretty obvious.</p>
<p>Secondly, where you really got yourself into trouble was the assertion that white people will not live in the ethnically-themed program houses because "most white people at Cornell are afraid to". Do you really want to stand by that statement?</p>
<p>Ethnically themed program houses have had a long history of conflict at Cornell, this is true. But it has only been a lightening rod for a small subset of the population. Namely, students who live in these house and conservative groups who see no role for the University in supporting such a special-interest environment. </p>
<p>I stand by my comment that the majority of the Cornell population could care less about the program house debate as it impacts them. Cornell is a place where you do your own thing -- whether that be living in a program house, a West Campus residence hall, a fraternity or sorority, a co-op, a collegetown dorm, an apartment in Collegetown or a house down by the Commons. You live and let live. The idea that everybody on campus is afraid of Uj is laughable -- just because they don't have any interest in a dorm doesn't mean they are afraid of it. I never stepped foot in a fraternity after freshman year, but good heavens, I wasn't afraid of them.</p>
<p>And keep in mind that there are less than 200 students who voluntarily agree to live in these three houses. That is less than 20% of the under-represented population at Cornell. And in recent years the remaining beds in Uj have had to be filled by entering freshman who did not choose to live there.</p>
<p>Ehh... I respect that. You don't have to with such an extreme opinion as mine, but there is a stigma against Uj on campus. People do cringe when a Black person says they live in Uj, it's like "Oh...that's typical. She must be one of 'those' kind of Black people" Your group members will always hesitate if a meeting is scheduled there, and instead you'll meet in RPCC. This negative stigma makes it a bigger deal on campus than you let on. (I talk only about Uj because I've lived there)</p>
<p>And yes it is true that it is hard to fill the program houses, all six of them(including JAM) Even when freshmen are forced to live in them their first year, they find that they are just like any ol' dorm and they're content. They are all unique pockets of culture on the Cornell campus. </p>
<p>And don't forget there is the Jewish Living Center, many forget that one!</p>
<p>Do you think there is voluntary race segregation at Cornell? If so, is it due to comfort or mistrust? </p>
<p>I went to a small LAC many years ago with a handful of Asians, we had no choice but to be part of main stream. When my brother went to Cornell 20+ years ago, his best friend was a white guy from Boston. He still likes to come to my house for my mother's cooking. When I visit Cornell now, I see groups of Asians eating in restaurants by themselves (often speaking their own language, Korean, Cantonese...), or black students hanging out together. I am not the only parent that had made similar observation.</p>
<p>People naturally gravitate to other people like themselves. Some Korean students like to hang around other Korean students that speak their language and share their culture. Black students may like to hang around other Black students who are Nigerian, Caribbean, or just plain African-America like them may be and who may have the same interests that they do. It always funny that no one likes to point out the hordes of "all-white" groups on campus. Is it because they are a norm? White people also may like to hang out with other people who happen to be white and share the same interests that they do. </p>
<p>People at Cornell just hang with whoever, there shouldn't be the added pressure of making your friendship canopy more colorful. Instead there should be more focus o appreciating and accepting the backgrounds of others on a social and academic level and I think that is where a lot of the racial issues come about on the Cornell campus.</p>
<p>I think the most beautiful thing one can witness on a college campus is to see a group of diverse kids (black, white, brown, yellow...) hanging out together...</p>
<p>oldfort: yeah I think it is a "comfort" thing...that being said, I don't feel the need for cultural dorms if these kids are already going to hang out with each other. if cornell really wants to stand by its open doors, open hearts, open minds motto...then it needs to ensure that every freshman gets assigned to housing randomly...</p>
<p>I don't go to cornell - what are the culture dorms like? how do you learn more about the culture from living in the dorm? for example - how do people living in ujumma learn about african culture - do they get together and celebrate and learn about holidays/culture and stuff? sounds interesting. we have themed dorms at nyu, but they're not under heat for being segregated...like we have a french culture dorm and stuff like that.</p>
<p>you know how most dorms have like floor meetings or whatnot? well some of these dorms have required chats or discussions hosted by student clubs/orgs and often professors...</p>
<p>i dont see why these events have to be held in a cultural dorm...they should just be hosted in a neutral place on campus where it would be more inviting...</p>
<p>it's more of a defacto segregation that is going on here...cornell doesnt condone self-segregation (obviously) but that is what's taking place...</p>
<p>french culture dorm is more based on the french culture rather than on race...</p>
<p>race does not exist, ethnicity does, and many French would argue that there is a French ethnicity, so it is the same, Resurgam. </p>
<p>But yes Star like he said there are events held by the dorm, but they are not required by any means. All events hosted by the dorm are open to the public, and they do host many other events in "neutral spaces" on campus. They also sponsor student org events if you ask them to.</p>
<p>"then it needs to ensure that every freshman gets assigned to housing randomly..."</p>
<p>it is.</p>
<p>the themed houses are mainly for people who choose to be there. the spots that aren't filled by people who choose to be there are filled randomly by people who didn't choose to be there.</p>
<p>sorry to rain on your "cornell has segregationalist policies" parade.
get over yourself.</p>
<p>I hope the OP notices my offer of the article among all the discussion.
I think if I spoke another language or had a 'culture' to turn to I might might have made friends more easily. I've never gone to college anywhere else of course but it seems like there's a lot of people who speak in non-English languages together, and seating, sometimes even in some classes, appears to be organized by ethnicity. but if that's how people choose to spend their own time they shouldn't be shamed for the friends they make.</p>
<p>Quote TB17 : "Actually I saw no ignorance in my statement. And you still have not pointed why it was ignorant...again you cop out on defending you opinion."</p>
<p>TB, here is your statement I find very ignorant.</p>
<p>"But anyone can live in these houses, it's just that most white people at Cornell are afraid to, 'cause they think we'll attack them or something crazy."</p>
<p>No cop out on my end. Any statement that makes such a blanket assumption about reasons for behavior, whether real or imagined behavior, by one group of people in relation to another group of people, regardless of the groups involved, is ignorant in my opinion. </p>
<p>Feel free to disagree, but you are wasting your time trying to convince me that the statement as quoted above is anything but ignorant. In fact, it is more than ignorant.</p>
<p>
[quote]
When my brother went to Cornell 20+ years ago, his best friend was a white guy from Boston. He still likes to come to my house for my mother's cooking. When I visit Cornell now, I see groups of Asians eating in restaurants by themselves (often speaking their own language, Korean, Cantonese...), or black students hanging out together. I am not the only parent that had made similar observation.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>In my experience, there is still a lot of healthy and active interaction among students from different backgrounds at Cornell. Only 1/5th or so of URMs actually live in the thematic houses, meaning a lot of them join fraternities or live in normal dorms or rent out apartments with friends they have made. I know that my time at Cornell was certainly the most diverse and integrated time of my life, including my time abroad and the time I spent living in a big city.</p>
<p>You may not see this integration in a simple snapshot, but it is there. It can be seen in the different student groups (e.g. the Daily Sun) or performing groups (the Glee Club) or academic groups (RoboCup). Of course, you will also see people self-segregate at another point in their day (e.g. Kosher dining hall or Korean Christian Bible Study).</p>
<p>That said, there will always be self-segregation on a college campus, especially one as big as Cornell. People will always seek out those with similar values and attitudes to themselves, and a lot of times this falls along class/ethnic lines. You see it happen both in the Greek system and outside of it. And as somebody else said, probably the most self-segregating group of students at Cornell are white Jews from the tri-city area.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Sorry, I think I'm starting to sound like one of those minority "victims" which I hate.
[/quote]
@stargazerlilies
you said you hate them. i am not complaining, but why are you hating them. If you work hard, you'll make more money than them no matter which college you go to. Don't worry, and dont hate because you will get nowhere with that hateful attitude.</p>
<p>Perhaps hate was a strong word; let me restate and clarify my meaning - I dislike it when people who have nothing legitimate to complain about (such as the personal example I gave above) complain and cry foul at every little thing. And as a minority, it bothers me especially to see others crying racism at every little incident, even though any rational person could see it is a ridiculous accusation in that situation. People should save serious accusations of racism for situations in which prejudice is actually present. The word is tossed about so much, it begins to lose its meaning.
That is how I feel and it will not change, and I can be angry if I want to.
It has nothing to do with making money or going to college.</p>