I had a great time last weekend at the closing dinner of Hoya Saxa weekend, an event offered to admitted first year students of color. The multiday activity is organized by the Center for Multicultural Equity and Access, as one of the efforts to recruit talented students to Georgetown.
Coming into the final dinner allowed me to observe how the seventy or so prospective Hoyas had already built bonds among themselves. They had shared the experience of bunking in dormitory rooms (often in sleeping bags), of getting a taste of Georgetown classes, of visiting some of the attractions of the nation’s capital, and of going to a variety of social events.
At each table there was a current student and a faculty/staff member. I sat at a table of six of the admittees. At our table, we talked about what they were interested in studying (a wide diversity from pre-med to philosophy), how they reacted to Washington (the West Coasters feeling a faster pace, maybe a hint of less friendliness), and how they were thinking through their decision before the May 1 deadline (some anxiety, some quiet thought, others proudly and happily noting they had committed to Georgetown).
I learned that the logistical challenges of getting scores of high school seniors from their hometown to Georgetown were daunting. Some of the students were rookie travelers; many at my table had never been to DC. Each of the students was housed at Georgetown, through the generosity of current students sharing their dormitory rooms. Recruiting the student hosts was its own task. There were group activities and buses to be coordinated; there were meals and social events to be planned. It was clear that the CMEA organizers had bonded with the group; they were the rock stars in the room.
I was proud to be part of a university with such giving staff. To my mind, they communicated perfectly the distinctive character of Georgetown.
There was a delicate balance required in communicating the attractive features of Georgetown without creating a “hard sell” that might fail to acknowledge the unique needs of each student. I was happy to hear several speakers, in different ways, communicate that, while they wanted the admittees to come to Georgetown, they also knew that it has to “feel” right to the person. Did it seem like the place where they could grow into the person they were capable of being? Did they feel comfortable or did they imagine they could become comfortable?
After an energetic game of Georgetown trivia, I left the dinner not really knowing how many of my table mates would eventually decide to come to Georgetown. But I got a glimpse of how valuable the weekend might be for the students. Seeing your potential classmates, who share some of your own traits, offers a great way to “try on” the university to see if it fits you. It would be interesting to talk to them after May 1, to get a sense of how they weighed their options and what role Hoya Saxa weekend played in their decision.
It is wonderful to hear what the Georgetown community is doing to attract minority students to come to our alma mater. I am also very happy and impressed by all that the school is doing for African-American students. However, as an AAP interviewer in California I am interviewing an increasing number of Hipanic/Latino/Latina and Asian American applicants and young people of mixed race. The Latino/Latina house is a good first step, but as a matter of priority Georgetown should hire at least two Latino/Latina studies professors and provide an environment in which students from such background can feel comfortable and explore their heritage. Also, Georgetown should examine the possibility of starting a Latino/Latina studies program. Ditto for Asian-American students and Asian-American studies.
While I was at the Friday reception, not the closing dinner, I was once again touched to see so many of this year’s First-Years (who had come to Hoya Saxa Weekend the year before) there to welcome potential incoming students.
I was also delighted, once again, that so many students in JDA {Justice and Diversity in Action Living and Learning Community] were gracious hosts. That means many Hoya Saxa Admittees spend their nights on campus within a community, and not just with a particularly gracious host.
Interesting comments As an Adolescent Psychiatrist I would usually advise any patients applying to college to go to the accepted students weekends because there they will be with the peers they actually will spend four years with as compared to masses of visitors and tour guides talking about how great the food is. The other best advice I heard at an acceptance weekend was when my daughter visited Georgetown. The speaker was Dr Tim Snyder then the Georgetown Dean of Science and currently the president of Loyola Marymount. He told the prospective students that even tho this felt like a huge decision, they probably had many good choice choices and. Needed to feel comfortable at their school. But he went on to say that the decision was not as crucial as they felt but rather what was key was what they did with the opportunities during their four years. That was the more critical issue. Good advice from a very smart and nice Hoya. It was sincere,wise and just practical advice. NOT a hard sell but advice from the beginning that our school is about formation. Just a couple of thoughts .