Inequality on Campus

For the latter half of this semester, in my social stratification class, we have been working on a group project on a topic of inequality on campus of our choice. My group chose to delve into OSU’s portrayal as a diverse institution, but this portrayed image not corresponding to the racial demographics that we see on campus. We interviewed staff members that work to improve opportunities and representation for the most underserved groups, Latinx/Hispanic and African American/ Black students. We got their perspective into the barriers for minority enrollment and what can be done to improve these programs from both higher-level administrators and students. Additionally, we interviewed students in some of these programs to get their view of how they see the diversity of campus and how it has impacted their college experience.

A short excerpt from our group’s work to give a peek into our project is as follows: “When comparing the racial demographics of the student body released by the Undergraduate Student Government, we discovered that nearly 70% of students on campus identify as White while only 4% identify as Latinx or Hispanic and 6.6% identify as African American or Black. While comparing these statistics to those of the Columbus community we became more aware of how much our campus doesn’t reflect the city that we live in. In Columbus, Ohio 61% of people identify as white while 28% identify as African American or Black and 5.5% of Columbus residents identify as Hispanic or Latinx. It must be understood that there are barriers in place that prevent many people of color from accessing higher education, but as a PWI with a commitment to increasing diversity on campus OSU is in a position of power to make their students of color feel represented and appreciated on campus.”

Overall, I enjoyed working with my group on the project. As a student, being able to advocate and raise awareness for the change I would like to see on campus, along with working with individuals from diverse backgrounds that want to see the same change as well, will be something that sticks with me from my college experience. Moving forward this provides me with another fire lit inside of me and a reminder of why I advocate for social justice, diversity, and inclusion both on and off campus.

Mount Leadership Society Scholars D.C. Trip

Over spring break, I went to Washington D.C. as a part of my Mount Scholars annual D.C. trip. We visited The Capitol, CATO institute, various monuments, Ford’s Theatre and toured the Pentagon, Lockheed Martin, Arlington National Cemetery, and National War College. Along with getting to have dinner with alumni of our program, lunch with the some of the OSU Government Affairs staff, and meet Senators Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown.

I learned how fast paced the city is and there’s a certain vibe about the city which you can only understand by being there. There’s also a career in almost every area; you don’t have to have a job that is political to work in D.C. There’s many components and details that go into how everything manages to work. I found it fascinating just to take in all that D.C. has to offer.

On the last full day of our trip, we spent time with the congressional office of our personal districts. I had the amazing opportunity of shadowing Congresswoman Joyce Beatty of Ohio’s 3rd congressional district. I got to see a peak into her daily life including, going on The Capital lawn to interact with student protesters during the national walk out for gun violence, meet members of the Congressional Black Caucus, talk with members of her staff, and tour her office. I was also recruited to be a part of a video that her office is producing to show how influential Rosa Parks and her legacy has been. It was riveting to just travel with her and go through the hallways, elevators, and private subways reserved solely for members of Congress. Overall, I had an incredible experience and I can see myself possibly having a future in Washington.

Mount Leadership Society Summit

 

As a part of Mount Leadership Society, we celebrated leadership month, that concluded with our leadership summit in October. Every year there is a new theme for summit that corresponds to one of our Mount essentials. This year’s theme was consciousness of self, so we further developed how we can be more self aware in a variety of contexts. We were also able to pick two breakout sessions to attend; I attended “An Unapologetic Black Girl Issa Professional Black Girl!” and “Gender as a Social Construct”.

In the first workshop, listed above, we discussed stereotypes with black girls and being professional black girls, in the way that we take being a black girl as serious as being a professional. I now represent myself in this light, and as a black girl in today’s society I personally related to much of the material that was shared. In the second workshop listed we defined the “boxes” of male and female gender, how society has constructed these boxes, and the stereotypes and assumptions that correlate to them. I learned some pressures that guys face simply because of their gender, that I hadn’t ever thought of and how that can affect them. In general, I found our discussion riveting and very thought provoking.

 

 

Overall Mount Summit was a very great learning experience and lead me to new insights. I think anytime you can learn something new, or a new perspective on a subject, it can not only make you more informed, but also lead you to think more critically of your own thoughts and actions.

Artifact 1

This past weekend I traveled to Girl Scout Camp Ken-Jockety to go camping with members from my old Girl Scout troop. Growing up, I was always active in Girl Scouts, and with that camping. Girl Scout camp is one of the first places I can remember enacting my leadership skills and finding out characteristics about myself.

Having the opportunity to get out of city and reconnect with nature is something I always find to be valuable, especially amongst a busy life as a college student. Not only to be able to encounter things you don’t see amid everyday life on campus (such as the stars at night, the various animals that inhabit the land, and and the quiet of being outdoors), but also being able to focus solely on yourself and what is around you. Having the time to think about your aspirations, goals, and inner self in an environment that highlights these notions is breathtaking. Coming back to a place where I began my leadership experience, has now come full circle with where I am in my OSU experience as a Mount Scholar.