At a People of Dartmouth panel on Thursday, four panelists spoke about finding community at the College. Their stories varied from adapting to a community with a mixed socioeconomic profile to finding support on campus despite having parents who refused to pay tuition.
The Inter-Community Council, which selected the speakers, hosted the event in order to supplement the annual Men of Dartmouth and Women of Dartmouth panels. Event organizer and ICC co-chair Bennie Niles ’15 said the panel aimed to unite people from different communities and genders and give them a space to share their unique experiences.
Panelist Brendan Murphy ’14 discussed his strict upbringing. Because of this background, he said it was initially difficult for him to socialize with his peers at the College. Yet, with a tone of relief, he said that he has found a sense of community through the lightweight crew team and his fraternity, especially in adverse times.
The fraternity, he said, allowed him to stay in the house even though his parents stopped paying for tuition and housing. His family threatened to end its financial support if he did not quit rowing or enroll in the courses they chose, he said, and followed through when he said he would not do as they asked.
Through the fraternity’s support and understanding from the various communities he was involved in, Murphy said he could continue his studies at the College.
Billy Peters ’15, who is one of 18 student veterans on campus, spoke about his transition from a community college to Dartmouth, calling it “quite drastic.” At first, he said, it was difficult to approach his classes and navigate socially.
He added that veterans at the College tend to be dispersed, which made it harder to find community. After some time, he built a foundation of friends and community through the Greek system and the rugby team, he said.
Hui Cheng ’16 expressed a different perspective.
“I really wanted to challenge the idea that there are inclusive communities at Dartmouth,” she said in an interview.
On the panel, Cheng talked about her experience during freshman fall and sorority recruitment. She said she found it difficult to feel fully included in a community that was largely of a different socioeconomic class than her own. She noted, however, that the College does a good job of fostering first-year communities.
Even after spending over a year at the College, Cheng said she has still has not found one group that encompasses the socioeconomic breadth of students at the College. She said it is particularly hard for people who do not fall into a “predetermined box” to find a community at Dartmouth.
A residential college system, Cheng said, could provide a sense of community for everyone, regardless of race, socioeconomic status, Greek affiliation or gender.
Niles said he hoped the event gave students tools to find and improve campus communities.
Carene Mekertichyan ’16, who attended the event, said she could relate to the stories.
“Being someone from a lower socioeconomic background can really impact your experience at Dartmouth,” she said.
The article has been revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction appended: Feb. 21, 2014
Due to an editing error, the initial version of this article incorrectly stated that Thursday's event was the first People of Dartmouth panel. In fact, the first was in February 2011.
