Opinion
Transfers Left Out Cold
April 13, 2009 - 11:00pm
I transferred to Cornell in the fall of 2006, and like many transfer students I had the privilege of living in the Class of 1917 Hall. It was certainly not the prettiest building on West Campus, but it was nothing short of home. It was the Transfer Center — it was the reason I fit in at Cornell, it was the reason I survived at Cornell.
The Transfer Center provided a network of transfers who were in the same situation as I was — the limbo of not wanting to be treated like a freshman, but not quite knowing how to make it at this school. We had resident advisors who understood the process of transferring and an resident hall director who led the hall council and his staff on how to build a community amongst such an incredibly diverse population.
My Cornell experience was so deeply rooted in this community that I decided to become an RA myself for the Transfer Program, which moved up to the Hasbrouck Apartments in 2007. It lacked the charm of the Transfer Center, but at least the transfers were together. That would be the last year for the Transfer Program though, and transfers would be blocked in groups on West Campus and in Collegetown from then on.
I am now an RA on West Campus, ironically in Rose House, the exact place where the Transfer Center once stood. I have been able to watch the transfer experience deteriorate in my three years on this campus from this incredibly unique perspective. I believe that the West Campus Housing Initiative was well intentioned with its treatment of transfer students, but it is time that the University realizes that they simply got it wrong. The West Campus Houses were not set up to build community the way that the Transfer Center was. The Houses are mostly suite style living where people are encouraged to block with their friends. Common space is sometimes floors away and the incentive to leave your room or suite is minimal. This is what traditional upperclassmen want and need — not transfer students.
The outcry from this year’s transfers has been overwhelmingly negative in regards to their treatment, but their voices gave gone unheard because they don’t realize that there are people scattered all over campus that feel the same way. Cornell has effectively taken away the transfer voice on campus, taken away the transfer ability to organize, their ability to lead. Instead of integrating transfers into the Cornell community we have successfully isolated them. I understand that this was part of a greater plan set into place many years before I arrived here, but plans need to change.
The option to live in a transfer community set this campus apart from other campuses around the country. We got rid of something that made us special, something that made us better. When the class of 2009 graduates the last memories of the Transfer Center leaves with us. I hope that the willingness to fight for the reestablishment of this amazing community will not exit quietly with us in May.
Last week the students of Cornell spoke through the SA staunchly supporting transfers and the remaking of the TC. It is time that the University listens to them.
I transferred to Cornell in the fall of 2006, and like many transfer students I had the privilege of living in the Class of 1917 Hall. It was certainly not the prettiest building on West Campus, but it was nothing short of home. It was the Transfer Center — it was the reason I fit in at Cornell, it was the reason I survived at Cornell.
The Transfer Center provided a network of transfers who were in the same situation as I was — the limbo of not wanting to be treated like a freshman, but not quite knowing how to make it at this school. We had resident advisors who understood the process of transferring and an resident hall director who led the hall council and his staff on how to build a community amongst such an incredibly diverse population.
My Cornell experience was so deeply rooted in this community that I decided to become an RA myself for the Transfer Program, which moved up to the Hasbrouck Apartments in 2007. It lacked the charm of the Transfer Center, but at least the transfers were together. That would be the last year for the Transfer Program though, and transfers would be blocked in groups on West Campus and in Collegetown from then on.
I am now an RA on West Campus, ironically in Rose House, the exact place where the Transfer Center once stood. I have been able to watch the transfer experience deteriorate in my three years on this campus from this incredibly unique perspective. I believe that the West Campus Housing Initiative was well intentioned with its treatment of transfer students, but it is time that the University realizes that they simply got it wrong. The West Campus Houses were not set up to build community the way that the Transfer Center was. The Houses are mostly suite style living where people are encouraged to block with their friends. Common space is sometimes floors away and the incentive to leave your room or suite is minimal. This is what traditional upperclassmen want and need — not transfer students.
The outcry from this year’s transfers has been overwhelmingly negative in regards to their treatment, but their voices gave gone unheard because they don’t realize that there are people scattered all over campus that feel the same way. Cornell has effectively taken away the transfer voice on campus, taken away the transfer ability to organize, their ability to lead. Instead of integrating transfers into the Cornell community we have successfully isolated them. I understand that this was part of a greater plan set into place many years before I arrived here, but plans need to change.
The option to live in a transfer community set this campus apart from other campuses around the country. We got rid of something that made us special, something that made us better. When the class of 2009 graduates the last memories of the Transfer Center leaves with us. I hope that the willingness to fight for the reestablishment of this amazing community will not exit quietly with us in May.
Last week the students of Cornell spoke through the SA staunchly supporting transfers and the remaking of the TC. It is time that the University listens to them.
I can't speak for all
I can't speak for all transfers (esp not for the ones who got stuck in Hasbrouck), but as a Fall 2006 transfer, I had a great experience living in Becker House on West Campus, and now in Keeton House. The West Campus system reserves sections of the buildings for transfer students, which helps foster mini-communities throughout the four houses. As a current staff member at Keeton House I can attest to the fact that the House Professor and the rest of the staff are very cognizant of the concerns of transfer students, and try to create an atmosphere of inclusiveness. I would argue that living in a West Campus house can be more beneficial for transfer students by promoting integration into the wider Cornell community.
Here here!
Agree with the above poster.