dF-10 #lblNTERVIEW OF BLACK STUDENTS ENROLLED AT WASHINGTON & LEE 1. Have you decided upon a college major? Ifyes, what? History. 2. (Ifthe answer to question 1 is no, skip #7.) What is your grade point average (GP A) in your major field? Yes, 1.8, I think. 3. What type ofdegree are you working toward at Washington and Lee? BAX 4. What is the occupation or profession you want to enter upon finishing your education? The Law. 5. Do you plan on working toward an advanced degree at some time after finishing your undergraduate program? yes X 6. While growing up, did you attend or were you personally active in church? Yes I No Ifyes, please give the denomination, and the type ofchurch activities in which you participated. Occasionally. Baptist, just mainly church services, Sunday mornings. How would you characterize your church involvement in Lexington? I am very involved in the church; I attend college groups. I also teach Sunday School at Trinity United Methodist Church. Down on Main Street.Not just Sunday. I also teach Bible studies on different days during the week. A major involvement for your right now. 7. How would you compare your level ofparticipation in extra-curricular activities in high school and at Washington and Lee? In high school, I wasn't very active, maybe 2 or 3 activities the whole time. At Washington and Lee, I haven't done that many; just maybe around 4 or 5. International Club, MSA, also I'm on the Student Recruitment Committee, and I'm also in the Pre-Law Society, and helping out with Big Brothers/Big Sisters. The one that's on campus. 8. How did you learn about Washington and Lee University? W &L literature X, I went to a college fair and picked up an application and brochure. 9. To what extent were you assisted during the admissions process by an alumnus of Washington and Lee? I actually had my interview with an alumnus in Roanoke. And did that person keep in touch with you after the interview? No, that was about the extent of it. 10. Didyou visit the campus before you matriculated as a student? I came up here to see what my room would look like and that was about it. After you had already decided to come here. Yes. Ifyes, under what circumstances? Visited during a Prospective Student WeekendYes. Please describe your reactions to this campus visit. I liked it; I liked the campus. I also got a chance to come as a senior for a weekend. What was that like? I really liked it; I liked the people that I met and the classes that I had already decided on. What sort ofevents were there that weekend? I know there were some sporting events we could attend; the Jubalees sang in the Pit, and I think there was an orchestra at the Lenfest. Were there lots ofstudents --was it a minority student weekend? No, it was just an general __ ___ scholars weekend. The next weekend they had after that. Did you get a chance to speak with some ofthe minority students when you were that weekend? Yes. What was that like? It was fun. I liked all the people that I met. 10a. Was W&L your ... First choice Second choice It was probably my second choice. Third choice Less than third choice Tell us about your first choice. Well, my first choice was UV A, but it was so big and when I came here, I really liked the class size and that you got to know your professors, and that the campus was small so you got to know everyone around you, and so I thought rather than go to a school with probably large classes. Did you get that impression during your prospective weekend? Yes. 1Ob. About how many other colleges did you apply to? ... No other One Two Three FourX Five Six or more 1Oc. How many other colleges accepted you? None One Two Three FourX Five Six 11. What made you decide to attend Washington and Lee? Well, I liked the small atmosphere that it had; it was very friendly I thought when I came here. And my mom really wanted me to go here since it was pretty close to home. And it has a good academic reputation. I know a lot of lawyers do come from here. So, before you ever came here, you knew that you'd like to go towards law? Yeah. Anything else? Well, I liked the people that I met here too. 12. Once you decided to enroll at W &L, what was the reaction offriends and relatives? Oh, they thought is was great; I mean a lot of people just thought it was great that I was going off to college. Some friends knew where Washington and Lee was and about Washington and Lee, so they thought that was neat. Were there negative images about W&L that made you think seriously about not coming? No, not really. Did anyone discuss any negative things with you during your prospective weekend? Well, I hung around a lot with the minority students and they didn't mention anything really __ __, but nothing ________ Okay, and it wasn't heavy enough to make you wonder ifyou really ought to come her or not? No. 13. Once you were enrolled, did you find the University to be as you had expected? Yeah, what I was expecting for Washington and Lee. It was pretty much what happened, but what I was expecting from college life wasn't exactly what happened. So, Washington and Lee wasn't that different, but college life was different? Yeah. Tell me about that. Well, like in high school I was -I did work and I went home or I went to my job and I was very involved with just doing family stuff. I didn't do a lot of stuff outside of my family, so once I came here I had the opportunity to go out and do some things there. It was very different. And making friends and knowing that they're different. There's something about college life-it's a lot more than just going to school and that was something I had never thought about before. So, you 've already described how that differed for you; was the academic life different too? Yeah, it was a lot more demanding. 14. Please describe what you consider to be your greatest challenge at Washington and Lee. How have you dealt with it? Probably my grades, trying raise my GP A. The best way I've tried to deal with that is byu changing my study habits. I'm trying to study more. Have you used any particular techniques in doing that? No, just trying to change the way I deal everything; like reading, but reading more to comprehend, not just to get it read. 15. How has your academic performance at Washington and Lee compared with your performance in high school? 0 h, very different. It's dropped. Um-hmm. The numbers are a lot lower. Oh, yeah. How do you feel about your own personal investment -your performance in terms ofhow you feel about your own accomplishments, aside from the grades you 're getting? Oh, I think I've learned a lot. I've really definitely enjoyed it. I've very glad I came here instead of UVA. So, academically, you feel like you've learned a lot? Yes, imensely. 16. What academic resources have you used at Washington and Lee? Undergraduate library x Science library Computer facilities. x Writing Center. Tutors in the disciplines. x, math my freshman year. Study groups. Public lectures on academic subjects. x Language lab. x Visiting professors in their offices.x Study skills courses Do you have suggestions for the development ofthese or other facilities? No, not really. Anything you wish that you had to support you that you can think op No. 17. What factors contribute or contributed to your selection ofa major course ofstudy? I've kind of always wanted to major in history and that's what I thought I'd do, but then my mom thought it was be better if I majored in politics. I started out in that and then in my sophomore year, I really didn't like it so I switched to history. And I wasn't really interested in European or anything like that, but I like American history and kind of concentrate in Latin America. So, you've based it mostly on _______ Yeah. 18. Have you changed majors since you have been enrolled at Washington and Lee? Ifyes, please describe that change. Yes, I changed from Politics to History. But that was pretty early on, wasn't it? Yeah. You hadn't really declared Politics yet? Yeah. 19. Ifyou saw a person or group ofpersons lying, stealing or cheating would you report it as an honor violation? Please elaborate. Yes, I'd feel obligated just because our honor system works. I'd feel like I'd done something wrong if I didn't report it. So, I'd definitely report it. 20. Do you find Washington and Lee professors easy or difficult to approach? Please describe in what way they are easy or difficult. I think it varies from professor to professor. Some professors, I don't know, they're very personable -types in class, so you feel more comfortable going and talking with them. Some other professors I think can be kind of intimidating -or, I don't know, some professors you have just an instant dislike for and not want to go talk with them. Sort ofa personality thing? Yeah. Have you been able to establish close working relationships with a member or with members ofthe W&Lfaculty? Ummm, yes. Like one professor, I babysit-well, I know-I work with his wife in work study, and so I babysit for them and so I know them pretty well. And also Professor Parker. I know him really well. 21. What has been your experience at W &L with regard to social life? Um. I've done the fraternity scene, so I'm over the fraternity scene. I've gone to a lot of things in Lenfest that I really enjoy. I haven't really done any sporting events. What do yo mean when you say you've done the fraternity scene and now you 're over it? Well just gone out and .. it's fun for a while, but it gets very monotonous .. What about it gets monotonous? Just that it's -most of em are band parties, and you go to one band party you've pretty much gone to them all. And some bands are better than others, so now as far as band parties are concerned, ifl think the band's good then I make it a point to go to that. Now I just mostly hang out at the fraternity where I have friends. If they ever have a party I just go there. Do you ever go and hang out with a friend at a fraternity house other than party times? Yeah, yeah I know the house mother at a fraternity, so I go visit her sometimes. And I know the majority of the guys at that fraternity, so I can always go over and hang out with them. How important to you is alcohol at a social event or social engagement? Oh, it's not important at all. [ chuckling] Definitely do without it. How important to you are drugs at a social event? Not at all. Don't touch em. Do you see a lot ofit, or any ofit. Have you had to make choices about it? No I've never personally had to make a choice, but I know when it's around. But, yeah, I've never had to make choices about it -whether or not... Doesn 't intrude on your experience .. No. 22. What experiences, ifany, have you had with Greek organizations on campus? How would you evaluate or describe any experiences you may have had? I've been to fraternity parties. I did go to one fraternity function, formal function, my sophomore year. That's about it. There's always these typical fraternities you don't go to if you're a minority student. I have gone to one, and it was fun, but it was when I was a freshman. So, I didn't see it as a really big deal, but I'd never have any desire to go back. Why's that? I don't know, just because it's different people, not people that I'm compatable with, type, just relly people I really don't care to get to know. And why is that? I don't know. They just. I know one or two from this particular fraternity, and they're actually nice guys and we've had conversations, but the rest of them, I just -I have no desire whatsoever to get to know them or attend any of their parties ... Is there any particular reason though, that would help people understand what you mean? I do know of people in the fraternity, and I don't like their personalities,,, and then it has a lot to do with the fact that there are people that are known not to like minority students at their parties. So that's a matter ofreputation? Yeah Had you had any direct experiences about that? No, well not direct. It's just kind of-I remember as a freshman going out and just kind of noticing you're dancing and then you'd look around and there's this whole wide space around you -or like the guys aren't as apt to come up and dance with you as they are your friends. You mean your friends you happen to be with who aren't minorities? Right. Earlier in this comment you said something about how there are typical fraternities which are known that you don't go to them ifyou 're a minority student. Can you tell me more about that? Well, like I guess it was an upper class minority student who told me this, you just kind of hear about it -like SAE, KA, maybe Phi Delt. Then there are also fraternities that I just don't go to, like Phi Delt and Beta and Phi Kap. Because oftheir reputation? Yeah, they have pretty bad reputations. They 're wild? Yeah. But the first couple you mentioned had more to do with their treatment ofminorities? Yeah. Did you get the sense that the reputation was based on specific experiences people had had? I'm not sure, it could be just an overall sense. It could be specific. 23. Evaluate your experiences with regards to athletic teams/athletic facilities/and physical education classes. I don't have any experience with athletic teams here. I really like the athletic facilities, the tennis courts and also the pool. With all the PE classes, I've really enjoyed them. Swimming and weight training. I'm doing badminton. 24. How would you characterize your opportunities for "dating" while enrolled at Washington and Lee? I don't think I have any opportunities for dating. And why is that? I don't know. I don't think any of the white guys would ever date me. That's who the majority of my friends tend to be. I don't really know any ofthe minority students that well. I feel like I have no opportunities for dating at all. 25. Have you ever considered transferring from Washington and Lee to another college/ university? No. Perhaps it's the way I was raised, to keep trying, not to quit type deal. I've never really considered it, even though academically I'm not doing well at all. 26. Have you had a paidjob on campus (including work-study)? Yes Ifso, has this influenced your level ofsatisfaction at W &L? I think so, because I've really enjoyed the people that I work with. I work in the Financial Aid office. They're all such great people. 27. Would you be willing to recruit other students for Washington and Lee either as a student yourselfor as part ofan alumni program? Please elaborate. Yeah, I think W &L has a lot to offer. I even think it has a lot to offer minority students. Yeah, I would be willing to recruit. Didn't you say you were on a student recruitment committee already? What do you do with that? I give tours weekly and during Prospective Weekends I serve as a day host for students who come. I might take them to lunch or show them where their classes are and get a chance to hang out with them for a while and just chat. Does that happen a couple oftimes per year for you? Prospective weekends happen two times during the winter term. I toured last spring and this fall, and now I currently have one day a week tour. Now we ask some background information: 28. In what geographical location did you grow up: I spent the majority of my time in Columbus, Georgia. In what type ofarea or community did you spend most ofyour growing up years? Urban 29. Describe the type ofhigh school you attended. Urban. I started in 9th grade. I went to an urban high school which was predominantly black. Then from sophomore to senior year I went to a rural high school which was predominantly white. Please give the kin relationship(s) between you andfamily members in your home when you were growing up. Just my mom, my brother and my sister. 31. What was the highest level ofeducation achieved by your parents, guardians, or others with whom you lived when you were growing up? My dad I think got his GED. My mom has finished 2 years of college. What are the occupations or professions ofyour parents or guardians? My dad was in the Army until I was in the third grade. I'm not really sure what he's done after that. Is that when your family split up? Yeah. My mom has held a lot of different jobs. Worked in a convenience store. She's been a secretary. Various jobs. 32. As compared to other W &L students, how would you characterize your overall social class position (based on parents' education and family income)? Probably very low, middle class -maybe. How do you think this has affected your experience? Going to school with people who drive Mercedes, BMW's, brand new cars -cars that cost over $20,000. It hasn't really affected me. I think the majority of my friends come from pretty wealthy families. It makes it clear what you can and can't have. You can't always do everything that your friends are doing. So there's a lot ofcontrast. It's turned out that you've had a lot ofwell-to-do friends anyhow. 33. In general how do you think about yourself first at Washington and Lee -­as a member ofa particular racial/ethnic/national/gender group, or as a student? I think ofmyself as a student first. Then comes race, then gender. Please explain. 34. How homogeneous do you believe black students are on this campus? In answering please consider racial identification, political perspective, and/or social class position. I don't really think the black students are homogeneous at all. I think they definitely stand out on campus. It seems like the black students come and they congregate together. Sometimes seems to be unwilling to make friends with the other white students. I've had friends of all races. I had no problems coming here. I live on an all-white hall. I had no problems making friends with white students. You live now on an all-white hall? My freshman year I did. And then there was only 4 or 5 black students in my class year anyway. I ended up with a lot of white friends. So it's your sense that although sometimes they seem to hang together, there are really a wide range ofdifferences among the black students? Yeah, I guess they're different, social class, that type of thing. I think you get black students from poorer neighborhoods and you get also black students whose families have money, whose parents are professionals. Probably the social class is varied. What about political perspective? I don't really know about that. 35. How similar or different do you believe blacks and whites are on this campus? Consider the same categories that are mentioned in number 34 above and add any other factors that you deem important. I think they're very different. Politically, the majority of the student body is Republican. They're probably different. You 're assuming that the blacks are mostly Democrats? Probably not mostly Democrats, but I'm sure that maybe at least a third ofthem are Democrats. I also think it's def. a social class thing. The majority of them are pretty different. You mean you think that the white kids are ofa different social class from the blacks? I'm thinking more of the financial perspective. Economically, I would say that maybe 10% of the black students on campus have that same economic/social class. I don't really see the black students and white students mixing a lot on campus. I think that's probably because of both wanting to stay within their own groups. Like I said before, I think the black students come here and they congregate. They tend to be very unwilling to make friends with the white students on campus, being involved with different activities, even attempting to go to fraternity parties or anything like that. I think they feel they're just not wanted there. Have you talked to them about that? No, it's just things that I've observed. Maybe not participating in a conversation, but listening to a conversations that people have had around you. I've just gotten the sense that they don't want to be involved with all the other students here on campus. 36.Do you believe the size ofthe black student enrollment at Washington and Lee is adequate or inadequate? I think it's increased since I came here, considering the number of black students that are in my class. I don't know if it's an adequate size, though. I wouldn't really say it's adequate. Do you want to explain? It almost seems like I know who every upperclass black student is. I don't really feel like there's a whole lot of upperclass black students on campus considering that we are 1600 students. Upperclass in the sense ofseniors andjuniors? Yeah. We 're not talking social class. So I don't feel that being 1600 students that we definitely don't have enough black students on campus. Do you believe the number ofblack professors is adequate or inadequate? No, I think we have one maybe in the Politics Dept. I don't think that's adequate at all. I know that when I came to Prospective Weekend I met a black history professor, so I guess we have two, History and Politics. Two out ofthe number of faculty that we have, we don't have anyone in the History dept. or Science or Math or foreign languages. What would you like to see and how would that make a difference in terms ofstudents and professors? Like I don't know how to make it better, but it's very apparent that there aren't a lot of black students. As far as the number of women professors that I've had, also very lacking. I think I've had 3 women professors out of all the classes I've taken. Why would you want to see more? I guess it's because it allows you to identify more with the professor and relate more. So it would support you better? Yeah, I think so. Do you believe the number ofblack administrators is adequate or inadequate? Explain. No, I'm trying to think ifl know any black administrators. I know of Dean McCloud. I think her husband works here somewhere, I'm not really sure. She's the only black administrator I know of. One out of the number of administrators we have, I don't think is adequate at all. 37. Should the university offer activities designed to bring new black students together? I don't really see it necessary, just because MSA works very well with the black students on campus. As far as the black students getting to know each other, it's really no problem. MSAjumps in and helps freshmen get to know each other right away? Yeah, they have meetings and opportunities for you to get to know each other. Has the Chavis House played a role in your life at W &L? Please describe. Mainly I've gone there for MSA meetings. So it hasn't really played a real hefty role in my life. Has the Minority Student Association played a role in your life at W &L? Please describe. It's given me an opportunity to get to know the other black students on campus. I didn't really attend a lot my freshman year, but my sophomore year I got to know the upperclass, like the juniors and seniors who were in MSA. I served as secretary my junior year. My sophomore I also had the opportunity to go to the Black Leadership Conference. So that was a good thingfor you, MSA? Are you still involved in it this year? I'm out now. I don't really have time. 38. Do you believe that it is important that courses in the humanities/social sciences include recognition or study ofworks by persons ofcolor? Yes, I do, because it gives minority students a chance to read something by someone of their color or someone of another minority group and see what they think about how they interpret it. Also it gives white students a chance to read something by a group other than their race. They have interpreted something completely different then. Ifyou think works by persons ofcolor should be included do you think the recognition was adequate, inadequate, or excessive? Please explain. I can't really tell, because I don't know what the race has been of the books I've read in class. Just my African-American lit class that I took. That's the only one, and I thoroughly enjoyed those in class. 39. How would you characterize the climate in the classroom for you [as a black student}? I look around and go "Oh, I'm the only black student -again -taking this particular class." I don't really know. I don't feel like I'm competing with the other students in the class just because I've never been really competitive as far as academics are concerned .. I just go to classes, pay attention, do my lecture notes. I don't really try to communicate with people in class unless I know them already. For me spring term I was in a class, and I think I was the only senior in that class. It was a bunch of freshmen and sophomores, maybe one or two juniors. They were all white. I was the only black student. I had no desire to want to get to know them, but the way the class was set up, it was a conversational class, we were put into groups with each other. I ended up interacting with the students in class and actually had a really good time, which was kind of a surprise. So you've said that you 're almost always the only black student in the classroom. How did that influence the climate, the feeling ofthe classroom for you? It doesn't really. It's interesting to sit in on some classes, especially classes that deal with slavery and things like that. I always wonder ifl wasn't in the class what exactly the professor would say about a particular topic. With me being in the class, maybe they're ... some of what they would say. Did you get a sense that was happening or were you just wondering? Occasionally I'll get a sense that it happens but the majority of the time I just wonder if they think about it before they say it. Any problems in the classroom that had to do with you being a black student that you can remember? I don't think so. I know other students who have said that they've encountered racism on this campus, but I haven't directly. I don't know ifmaybe I ignore it. You haven't consciously experienced any problems in the classroom? No. 40. What is the role ofthe Office ofMinority Student Affairs? I don't really know. Is that what Dean McCloud is in charge of? I know she helps out. She's the faculty advisor for MSA. She helps with funding for ifwe have speakers and stuff like that. I know she meets with students at midterm iftheir grades aren't doing really well, she'll offer services for tutoring. But that's all I really know about. How can the role ofthis Office be improved? IfI had come here maybe a week earlier and had seminars about what the class load was going to be like, how demanding the work load was going to be. I almost think that may have made a difference in how I started to approach classwork. When you came, did the minority students come early and have meetings together? I think we may have done that this year. Someone said that they had come early. You 're saying that might have been helpful ifyou had gotten to do that. Preparation for study load, how to study, etc. Any other suggestions for that office? It sounds like your major interaction with it was your freshman year. Did you keep in touch or was is useful to you in other ways? No, not really. The only dealings I've had with Dean McCloud have been through MSA during that one meeting when I met with her freshman year and then just through international clubs. 41. From whom do you receive the greatest emotional support on campus? Do not use name(s), but please describe the person(s) in terms ofrace, ethnicity, nationality, gender, and position (i.e. fellow student, faculty member, administrator, staffmember). Ifappropriate, include more than one individual and describe the type ofsituations in which the person provides emotional support (i.e. personal, family, religious, etc.) The best two people are my roommates. One is white and one is mixed. They provide the greatest emotional support. Also I do have a couple of guy friends. One that graduated already, one who is also a senior. They both are white. How does it come up that you get your emotional support from them? What kind ofsituations? Just if I want to talk about something in particular. I'm not a very emotional person. I don't like to talk about myself all that much. When I do those two would be the people I would chat with. With each of them it might be something individual. Like with my one roommate who's white, I think we're both from similar economic backgrounds. She has both parents and everything like that. We really related sophomore year. We became really good friends then. There are some things I feel I can share with her. With my other roommate, I think we're a lot alike in some ways. We both grew up in divorce situations. I feel that connection with her. Also probably my college group leader. What's a college group leader? She holds the college groups and she does Bible study. Oh, through the church. Is this an adult person? Yes. So she's a person you would go to for conversations? Yeah. Like in the get to know stage. What does that mean? Just dealing with certain things. You 're getting to know yourse!p Yeah. She's been helping me with that. What percentage ofyour friends are black, what white, and what international? The majority ofmy friends from high school are white. I had more international friends freshman and sophomore year. Junior year I was more involved in the International Club. Black friends, I don't keep in touch with any of the black students. My sophomore I got to know some junior and senior black student girls. We actually did things together. When we were talking with your experiences with Greek organizations, it just occurred to me, aren't you a member ofa new women's organization on campus? No. There was group ofwomen ­ Are you talking about the kind of sorority? No. 42. Have you experienced any discriminatory behavior on campus directed against yourself? No. I guess that could be turning a blind eye and not really -I tend not to pay attention to things on campus. It could be just that I never noticed it, that it happened and I just don't notice that it happens. Leaving aside behavior, do you sense racial tensions on campus beyond what exists in the larger society? Ifso, how do you think such tensions could be eased within W &L? I don't know ifthere's necessarily tensions, like high tensions, things that are tangible. I think the race issue is very prevalent on campus. It's very apparent just because ofthe low numbers of minority students that we have, whether they be international students or black students or anything like that. It's something that's very noticeable -everyone notices that. Notices that there aren't many? Yeah. I've never seen any kind of behavior that was directly race related. In regards to noticing every day that there aren't many folks ofcolor, how do you think that that problem could be addressed? I don't know if it can besides increasing numbers. It just seems like minority students seem to be dots in the masses on campus. Does that create some sense oftension, do you think? I think it can create tension. The black students tend to feel maybe not very welcome with certain things. Having listened to other black students, not feeling that they've been welcome at fraternity parties or anything like that. Not even being willing to try and go. Me, my freshman year, I got to know a lot ofpeople on campus, especially guys and so once they joined fraternities, I'd go to those fraternities with my other friends and see them. I hung out at various different fraternities. I never had any kind ofproblems. 43. Aside from the Honor System do you believe that the student Executive Committee, the Student Conduct Committee or other University judicial committees treat black and white students equally fairly? I assume so. I've never really had any contact there or known of any incidents. 44. Do you believe that the honor system is applied in an even-handed way to black and white students? I think so. I don't have any knowledge. I hope so. 45. How would you evaluate student publications (i.e. the Ring-tum Phi, the Trident, etc.), the student radio and television stations with regards to opportunities for black students to participate. I don't really know to what extent students have wanted to write. I remember a guy that was in my class -he wrote for the Trident. I know a senior last year who wrote for the Ring-tum Phi. I know the Ring-tum Phi -my sophomore year I helped the president ofMSA, we did a Black History Month supplement for the newspaper. The Ring-tum Phi had no problems with writing it, using the computers, having it come out in their newspaper. As far as the radio, I think there are pretty many opportunities. All you really have to do to get a radio show is show up and request the show. Me and one of my roommates have had a show before. Television station -I don't really know anything about that. The Journalism students who graduated my junior year did the news and stuff like that. Seems like a pretty opportunity to work on. How would you evaluate them with regard to their treatment ofnews about black students? I don't know that I've ever really heard about news of black students. Has there been anything that you felt should be covered that wasn't? I don't know. I would say that ifthere was someone to work on a supplement for Black History Month, just letting the students on campus know -Martin Luther King's birthday, you know, what events are available for Black History Month. I know MSA tries to hold a series of events for Black History Month in February. I think Michelle Richardson might have done some things for Black History Month last year. Just making people aware of activities that are going on. 46. Do you feel that black students at Washington and Lee today have problems that are basically different from, or basically similar to those ofwhites? Please describe in what way you feel they are different or similar. I think they have problems that are different from the white students. I think the majority of white students don't have to worry about finances, where I think a lot of black students do have to worry about that type of thing. Also something I've noticed is that black students are definitely recruited to campus through different programs like Project Excellence and other programs. W &L attracts a lot of the black students very heavily because of the financial aid package they're willing to give them. That's definitely a motivating factor for a lot of black students who do come here where that's not necessarily true for some of the white students. I think also that the white students have a better time of assimilating with the general population, whereas the black students feel different, trying to fit in without standing out in a crowd. The white students just kind of slide right in there. So social adjustment is easier for the white students? Oh, yeah. A lot of the black students come from predominantly black high schools. They come here and are thrown into a majority white school. That's hard. So economically quite different and a different social experience and background. Anything else? Maybe even possibly the clubs. You have interview for almost everything you do, committees and stuff. A lot ofthese clubs are packed with the president, them and their friends or pretty much people they know type thing. They may feel that it's harder to get on committees. Like some committees I've really wanted to do, but I've always felt like it's been more of a "who do you know" type thing. Ifyou know such and such really well, then you're more likely to get on that committee. You may know them and they know who you are, you know each other's names and say hi on campus, but that's been the extent of your contact. You've tried for some things? Yeah, and not really gotten them. *47. Sex Female *48. Age? 21 *49. Year in college? Senior *50. Cumulative grade point average [as of Fall 1996]? 1.968 *51. How do you identify yourself in terms of nationality? American 52. How do you identify yourself in terms ofrace? African-American 53. Are there additional comments you wish to make about any aspects of Washington and Lee? I don't think so. No, not really.