A Shot of Hennessy
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| What do you mean I can’t join Penn Masala?! |
Being a white, non-Jewish, straight girl at Penn sucks.
I can’t take off class for high holidays, I can’t join half of our a capella or dance groups, and there is certainly no “cultural center” or special celebratory month/week dedicated to me.
I am so jealous.
Coming from a Catholic family with no particular devotion to our church or our mish-mosh European heritage, I often envy my peers who share common bonds of culture and religions.
The cultural communities here at Penn are well-developed enclaves - a veritable home away from home for students who join. They offer a social starting point for new students and a valuable networking resource for jobs, internships and, often, romance.
Hillel, especially, is a prime example. Probably due to the combination of the high density of Jewish students and the fact that the group shares both cultural and religious bonds, from the outside it looks rather appealing. Not to mention they have a bad-ass building to chill in.
The LGBT center is equally awesome - if I were a lesbian I would definitely hang out there all the time. Another of the most interesting buildings on campus, The ARCH, is home to Makuu, PAACH, and La Casa Latina.
So what am I to do?
I guess I could have joined a sorority, but it’s a little too late for that - anyway, it’s not really my scene. A gender-specific group might offer companionship, but how am I supposed to meet guys in Wharton Women?
The number of culture-, race- and religion-specific groups on campus is astounding. There are so many, in fact, that it leads to self-segregation and a narrowing of the diversity of our social circles.
Of course like will want to be around like, and I’m not suggesting that we dissemble any groups, but one of the things I most looked forward to when coming to college was meeting people who are unlike me - who have different perspectives on the world.
We need to mix it up. If these groups truly want to spread awareness of their cultures, issues and ideas, they should take a more active role in creating opportunities for people of all sorts to come together, rather than excluding them.
Maybe Birthright will even let me have a free trip to Israel - because God knows, no Catholic in their right mind would hand out free visits to the Vatican City for liberal college students.
A Shot of Hennessy appears every Monday and Wednesday.
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September 17th, 2007 at 10:32 am
I know how you feel. That’s sort of why I’m learning Korean.
September 17th, 2007 at 10:58 am
Witty , thought provoking and brutally honest — I like it !
September 17th, 2007 at 3:21 pm
Agreed. Nice statement, Ms. Hennessy. We’re a family here at Penn; why is segregation still such an issue these days?
September 18th, 2007 at 12:01 am
While I think your article was very well written, the argument is one that has been heard quite often and is very untrue. Just because there are many minority-interest groups on campus, that doesn’t prevent you from attending their meetings or going to their events. If you feel that uncomfortable stepping into social circles where you are an ethnic minority, image how the real ethnic minorities feel on a daily basis.
September 18th, 2007 at 2:15 am
Just because someone is physically a member of a minority or cultural group does not mean that they feel comfortable in partaking in that group’s activities. Although I was raised as a reform Jew, I’d never feel at ease stepping into the Hillel. Come to think of it, I’ve only been in that building for a non-denominational career fair. The campus could use more clubs for people without a particular cultural or religious affiliation who aren’t musical and don’t play sports.
September 18th, 2007 at 7:13 pm
You’re great. As a white, non-jewish male, I wish there was a place for us to meet.
September 18th, 2007 at 9:49 pm
I agree with Grass on this one - many of the groups on campus that are not based on ethnic identity are predominently white. For many minority individuals, stepping into the office of the Daily Pennsylvanian can be as intimidating as you walking into the Arch. On a perfect Penn campus, not only would these minority groups open up to other students, but mostly white groups would also encourage minority participation.
September 5th, 2008 at 8:31 am
[...] though, at least you have Stuff White People Like. And hey, even your fellow white people think the same! I dance, you join my group, [...]