I’m glad they can express themselves without being punished as well, and that they are trying to bring about positive change.
On the other hand, it seems small consolation that those who dare speak out about their lived experiences at W&L won’t be reprimanded for it. Are students who feel genuinely hurt and betrayed supposed to just be grateful that they weren’t punished for complaining?
More broadly, in terms of the “Expectations vs Reality” at W&L, it seems that these students feel like the university let them down, and they are clearly disappointed with (in one student’s words) the university’s “failure as a whole in terms of racial equity.”
Surely that sort of sentiment is something that potential students (especially students who care about racial equality and racial justice). might want to consider before applying and/or enrolling, don’t you think?
The OP was referring to their and their prospective student’s experience at a University-sponsored event to which they were invited. I chimed in originally because, coincidentally, I had taken a prospective applicant tour with my DS24 only a few days after that event.
The other references made here by posters promoting an inaccurate view that W&L is somehow less of a comfortable environment for certain students over others on the basis of their skin color is not tied to a recent, real life experience by anyone currently affiliated with the school. Pulling quotes off of websites or quoting incomplete or decontextualized information is simply not the same thing as actually meeting people, observing classes (albeit from a distance), and seeing the school on a day when classes are in session.
I do question the agenda of those who post such information but do not have a current interest in the school.
For those of us, such as myself, who are both parents of prospective students and alumni, I try to separate my own experience as a student there many years ago from how my child might experience and view it. I don’t feel entitled to a say in how the school operates today, and that wouldn’t change even if I had the ability and interest in making a hundred million dollar donation to the school, which I do not.
I find it curious that others who have no apparent interest even as tangential as my own feel so entitled and would put time and energy into posting about a place at which they have only expectations but no direct knowledge of reality.
If any of these posters do, please, I would be happy to be corrected. I’m just not seeing it with the cherrypicked links and graphs. I prefer to stick to actual experience.
Pausing. Users may want to use the downtime to review Terms of Service and the Forum Rules, since 4 different moderators have posted notes on the thread to no avail.
Below is a description by a recent URM student at Washington & Lee describing “expectations vs. reality” of her first year at the school. IMO it may be worth a read for anyone who might be considering attending the school. It begins . . .
To be a student at Washington and Lee, you have to adopt a strength you never knew you had.
I’m lucky to be acquainted with a W&L graduate who realizes Lee is a traitor and is doing something about it - check out retired general Ty Seidule’s speeches and writing about this issue. He helped lead the naming commission that has resulted in changing military bases names with confederate associations. This is what change should look like at W&L before they can say they want to be diverse. He is a target of the generals redoubt group due to these views.
Yes, I’ve read it, it’s very interesting - really spells out how much of the confederate worship came about during the Civil Rights Era.
The military is leading the way on this issue - Fort Lee will become Fort Gregg-Adams during a redesignation ceremony April 27, honoring two Black officers who excelled in the field of sustainment and made significant marks in U.S. Army history.
The generals redoubt group can’t even accept the renaming of Lee Chapel - a place that basically was set up to worship Lee, he is the altar. Check out their marketing of this event at the building formerly known as Lee Chapel.
I think the point is that this powerful groups of Lost Cause loving alums and students who are hosting talks on W&L’s campus are still using “Lee Chapel” despite the name change.
If it makes students or faculty uncomfortable, then too bad, I guess?
The military is rightfully renaming government installations-not dictating what private schools should do. That is a big difference.
Perhaps the school or a donor could offer to pay for the disinternment and reburial elsewhere of Lee, his wife, children and parents in some appropriate cemetary with whatever religious ceremony dictated.
I never suggested it should be mandated to a private institution, my comment refers to being a example of behavioral and policy change. We can criticize an institution without suggesting they be forced to change.
I am no Lee apologist, but that is an offensive suggestion, to disturb a grave site for political reasons.
The historical societies that have say over University Chapel and the historical designation on campus would never accept this suggestion for that reason. I’m not speaking for them, but I have worked with similar organizations in my area, and that’s an extreme position that almost never occurs at other such similar sites, even when a new property owner wants to disinter old graves.
