New York Times Article on Race Relations

<p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/18/nyregion/18trinity.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/18/nyregion/18trinity.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>is it true? because I am asian applying to Trinity..</p>

<p>It's hard to judge from the article, but, based on what I've heard and seen at other colleges, it isn't entirely about race. There's a woeful lack of middle-class, city raised kids from public and parochial schools, the kind who have already been heavily schooled in racial and ethnic good sense and who can act as a brake on their richer, less acculturated friends. It's an unfortunate fact that a lot of these families have been scared away by the sticker prices of these otherwise fine private colleges.</p>

<p>the articles doesn't say nething about asian-american students.... can anyone provide more info ?</p>

<p>Wow strong racism. I'm not so high on Trinity any more.</p>

<p>I would be very concerned about applying to this school. My experience with Trinity is that this article understates the problems, if anything.</p>

<p>
[quote]
My experience with Trinity is that this article understates the problems, if anything.

[/quote]
What's your experience?</p>

<p>I'm a minority student here and I personally feel that the 'racial tension' is just a blown up issue... The article hardly tells you the whole story. They mention that black students are stopped and asked for IDs at the library, when showing your ID when entering the library is mandatory. Most students flash their ID's as they enter, some sneak past, but even whites are stopped and asked for their IDs when they don't do so voluntarily. I have noticed that some people take offense when asked to show their ID, which is a shame. </p>

<p>And about minorities and whites dining separately, I had never even given this a thought until after I read the article!</p>

<p>I am not saying race is not an issue at Trinity, it is just not as one-sided as shown in the article. My experience at Trinity has not been ruined by this, but, not everyone has the same experience at college.</p>

<p>Wow strong response. Aaron where did you go to school before Trinity? IE- A small private school, large diverse public? etc.</p>

<p>Oh boy - time to do some damage control - first some background; I'm a current junior at Trinity and I went to a large diverse public school - Recently I have been one of the most vocal opponents of people who claim that Trinity is racially unfriendly. A few months ago some stupid person wrote the N-word on an african american students whiteboard. This erupted into a full out racial event because of a protest held in our dining hall that claimed the administration was complacent in racism. Students like myself recognize that there is some degree of racism at Trinity as there is at any other institution but rather call on the students to speak up, because administrative controls are already at their limit (if the person who wrote the N-word were caught, he would be expelled - I don't know what else could be done?). As aaron56 mentioned, the entire issue is blown out of proportion. There is a very small group of far-left students who are using the incident, as well as one where a student alledgedly dressed in blackface (though he claimed he was a hunter - it was a halloween costume and there is no sure way to tell) to bring attention to themselves. I think that if you talk to most people at Trinity they will agree that for most people, minority and non-minority alike, this is simply a non-issue exaggerated by a few activists looking for an issue to get their names out. I would advise everyone on this message board not to let this paint their views of Trinity, or if they do, to seek out more information, there have been massive debates in the Tripod (<a href="http://www.trinitytripod.com%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.trinitytripod.com&lt;/a&gt;) and I can point some out if anyone wants - as well, I would suggest contacting Trinity students if at all possible through this board or through other means. I won't deny that racism exists at Trinity - it does everywhere, but to claim it is worse than Amherst or Williams or Wesleyan is not really valid.</p>

<p>jtvoyager raises an interesting point: racially motivated graffitti appears somewhere at Wesleyan pretty much every year; the reaction to it is mild compared to Trinity; the administration sends out all sorts of e-mail and the deans hold sensitivity meetings. But overall, very few people think of Wesleyan as a racist place. Why the difference?</p>

<p>And why do students at colleges and universities all over the country still self-segregate racially in the dining halls (mostly b/w)? This isn't just a Trinity problem. I have seen it, to a greater or lesser extent, at every school I have visited.</p>

<p>If the link goes premium, you can read the story at:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976864830%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976864830&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>thats so sad, I was going to apply to trinity EDII but after reading all this, i dont think i can put this as my "first" choice... i know some people have had a good experience, but you can't just ignore those who didnt</p>

<p>god, stupid rich white kids!
I'm done with this school!</p>