“We play a very integral part in this community, and we want to be recognized for that.”

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Transcript for Travesty

For the first two years of college I went to a large state university. So coming to Valparaiso was somewhat of a culture shock. I don’t feel at home at Valpo; I feel like coming to school is a job, and I’m here to fulfill my requirements and to receive my graduation certificate and continue on. If I had it my way, I would probably already be gone. I am, more or less, here to propel myself forward and prepare me further for the future.

My least favorite thing about Valpo is how uninviting the community can feel. The diversity here, to me, is lacking. I feel as if there is not a good representation of multiple ethnicities and races and religions; it is still a large drop off–a large distance between the amount of students from ethnic or racial or religious or ability…populations. There’s not enough.

The treatment of the domestic minorities on campus is shitty, to say the least, lacking. The domestic minorities on campus have feelings; they have voices. They want to be heard, they need to be heard, and on the occasions they try to speak, it seems as if the message goes in one ear and out the other. There’s been far too many instances where the domestic minorities on campus have felt underappreciated and undervalued and, like they are not, you know, paid attention to. And those things are a tragedy. You know, it’s a travesty that those things would be taking place on a university campus that claims to be well informed on its student population.

I’ve been to many different places through Valparaiso. It’s been an excellent experience academically. It’s been a wonderful door opening opportunity. But not once have I been mentioned, you know…I’ve been asked for an interview. Or not once have I been asked to you know, speak to the campus newspaper about the things that I’ve done. Yet I’ve seen other students featured in the campus newspaper and asked for interviews and brought up in the spot light of the university for the same things. It just goes to say that my experience isn’t equal. Or it isn’t as valued.

We play a specific role as minorities. We play a very integral part into this community, and we want to be recognized for that. We want to feel as if the university cares and values the things that make us different from the majority. An ideal Valpo, to me, would have the great academics, would have (you know) the small town feel, would have that community feel, but it would be accepting to everyone.