Opinion
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
4 — Friday, January 24, 2020
Alanna Berger
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VARNA KODOTH | COLUMN
Finding a sense of belonging on campus
W
ith a child on the way,
my mother and father
made their way to the
United States from
a
hole-in-the-wall
town in South India
to begin a new life
in a melting pot of
endless opportunities
—
but
without
family
or
friends.
This is a familiar
story to children of
immigrants.
Roger
Cohen phrases this
unique
experience
best in his New York Times
Opinion piece “The Quest to
Belong.” “New opportunity is
only one side of the immigrant
story, its bright star,” says Cohen.
“The other side, its black sun, is
displacement and loss.”
This isn’t just the reality of an
immigrant, it’s the reality for all
of us. Finding a sense of belonging
is a fundamental component of
human nature. Our identities
are often divided into what an
outsider can see and how we view
ourselves. A sense of identity and
belonging is not a characteristic
or trait we can visibly see, but
is rather innate and specific to
the individual. This sense of
belonging is often an indicator
of the student’s ability to engage
within
a
community,
and
ultimately, of their success.
How
often
do
you
ask
yourself, “do I feel like I belong
at the University of Michigan?”
The following research study,
“College
Students’
Sense
of
Belonging:
A
National
Perspective,” recognizes the lack
of existing data and information
surrounding our understanding
of the concept of “belonging.” The
report says, “In college, feeling
a sense of belonging may lead
students to engage more deeply
with their studies, leading to
persistence and success.” A sense
of belonging serves as a source
of
motivation.
The
students
who reported higher feelings
of
belonging
also
reported
improved
mental health. The
study concludes that
underrepresented
racial-ethnic minorities
and
first-generation
college students report
the
lowest
sense
of
belonging.
The
primary
author
of
this research report,
Maithreyi
Gopalan
— an assistant professor of
education at the Pennsylvania
State University — suggests that,
“We know from other studies
that student advising, institutions,
faculty, advisers — all of them have
to make an effort to reach out to
students who feel like they don’t
belong and provide attention as
well as services to ensure that all
students can integrate on campus.”
Gopalan explains that faculty
representation and mentorship
can significantly mitigate feelings
of alienation.
With that in mind, it’s important
we take it upon ourselves to
identify
methods
by
which
University staff and faculty can
better support underrepresented
racial-ethnic minorities and first-
generation students with their
college
experiences.
Likewise,
it’s crucial for students whose
identities aren’t underrepresented
to act as allies.
It is essential to seek out
mentors within the ranks of
upperclassmen, GSIs or faculty
who share similar identities to
your own, and to actively engage
in social science courses that
relate to your core identity.
This
is
essential
to
ensure
that
all
students,
whether
they
are
a
first-generation
college student, identify with a
marginalized
community,
are
a child of immigrants or have
another campus identity, find a
community they belong to within
the University.
The University offers a wide
variety of courses and programs
for the purpose of fostering a sense
of belonging among first-year
students. For example, The Center
for the Education of Women
(CEW+)
offers
professional,
academic and financial support
to all students, in particular
women
and
underserved
students. CEW+ offers counseling
services, funding for initiatives
on campus and hosts many
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
events as well as professional
development workshops. Another
great example of a community-
building resource is the Spectrum
Center, which provides support
to LGBTQ+ students, staff and
faculty through workshops and
programs. In partnership with
the Spectrum Center, there are
social and support groups such
as Out in Science, Technology,
Engineering and Math (OSTEM).
This
student
and
national
organization operates at both the
undergraduate and graduate level
to provide peer support networks
and resources for students to
navigate their identities in
professional STEM settings.
The University is home to
a diverse array of students
holding a multitude of social
identities. It’s often easy to
feel lost amid the thousands of
student organizations, programs,
majors
and
opportunities
available. This means there is
a larger community at your
disposal. Take advantage of
it. At the end of the day, we
are all just students trying to
find a place we belong at the
University.
Varna Kodoth can be reached at
vkodoth@umich.edu.
SHAD JEFFREY II | COLUMN
Ann Arbor’s changing skyline
T
he city of Ann Arbor,
much like the student
body of the University
of
Michigan,
is
eclectic
in
composition.
The
University’s
Central Campus preserves an
architectural style from the better
part of the last two centuries, and
the areas surrounding campus
are extremely diverse in style.
The parts of Ann Arbor directly
surrounding the U-M Central
Campus, commonly referred to
as “downtown Ann Arbor,” have
continued to attract businesses to
their historic storefronts around
areas like North Main Street,
East Liberty Street and South
University Avenue.
The
preservation
of
architecture and the upkeep of
historic buildings are inherent
to the identity of Ann Arbor.
The
ability
to
physically
interact with the history of a
city and to observe the period-
specific style with which a
city’s
buildings
were
built
are culturally vital to the city
itself. The historic downtown
storefronts and homes are a key
part of Ann Arbor’s image, but
the construction of over a dozen
high rise apartment buildings in
downtown Ann Arbor over the
last sixteen years has clashed
with the goal of preserving
the look of small and historic
downtown Ann Arbor.
However, these old buildings
are home to modern people,
and the economic development
in Ann Arbor has inherently
driven the city skyward. This
can be seen as a threat to the
cultural history of Ann Arbor,
as this economic development
may change the city forever.
But to reject development is to
reject modernity. Many small
cities in the Midwest aren’t in a
position to be critical of it, since
they aren’t experiencing much
economic growth. Ann Arbor
is certainly privileged as it can
afford to be concerned with rapid
urbanization as opposed to mere
survival. Ann Arbor is changing as
the needs and demands of people
change, and it seems unwise to
interfere with positive progress
toward a more modern city.
Appreciating history is natural,
but the eclectic style of Ann Arbor
came to be eclectic because
of change, and the changes
demanded by our current society
are for modern, urban life in
downtown Ann Arbor. To truly
believe in the importance of
having an eclectic downtown
Ann Arbor you must understand
the
constant
change
and
development that has occurred
and will occur in attribution to its
aesthetic.
Ann Arbor has consistently
been ranked as one of the best
college towns in America, and
its continuity in keeping up with
the demands of its residents and
students will continue to fuel
economic and real estate related
development within the city.
Adding more beds downtown
inherently increases foot traffic
and the amount of money being
put into the downtown economy.
More people and more money
downtown are positive growth
factors.
The scale and power of the
increased demand for housing
downtown
shouldn’t
be
underestimated, as nearly 4,800
new beds from apartment and
condo developments have been
added downtown since 2004.
U-M has added 1,080 beds of
on-campus housing in the last
decade near downtown, and
there are some 1,800 more beds
currently
under
construction
or
being
planned
city-wide.
This demand for housing is the
transformation of Ann Arbor
from town to city, as the mass
urbanization (and subsequent
centralization)
will
continue
to fuel economic growth and
development.
The city of Ann Arbor has
depended on the tax dollars
brought on by new construction
in recent years as a significant
component in the city’s budget,
which adds an interesting element
to the story. The question that
has derived from this situation
is whether or not this growth is
sustainable for the city financially,
as the city is exposed to risk if
property values decrease or if
demand for housing downtown
declines.
Additionally,
those
feeling upset about the fading
sense of historic Ann Arbor may
feel betrayed by the city’s decision
to allow unrestricted growth
and development in exchange for
property tax revenue.
Ann Arbor has been able to
provide outstanding public goods
like its public education system,
city parks and vibrant downtown
area at a very high price tag.
It seems the cost of running a
growing city is the willingness
to accept modernity and embrace
change. Old walls may have to
fall, but the market continues
to
demand
development
downtown, and the city of
Ann Arbor is dependent on
the property tax revenue from
these
new
developments.
Sacrificing part of the charm of
Ann Arbor has been necessary
in maintaining the quality
of life within the city. It is a
scenario at the intersection
of ethics and finance, but to
be truly modern and urban is
to promote development and
change in all endeavors.
Shad Jeffrey II can be reached at
shadj@umich.edu.
ARJUN LAMA | COLUMN
Learning to be open to new experiences
T
he college experience
is
something
to
be
cherished
forever,
or
so we’re told. Our parents talk
about college as the peaks of their
lives, filled with opportunities
they’ll never have access to
again. In some ways they make
it seem like life goes downhill
after college, almost like adults
become zombies inundated on
repetitive lifestyles. With that in
mind, I embarked on a four-year
quest to make memories. After
three years I find myself looking
back on what was, admittedly, a
wild ride. I made new friends,
tried new things and lived what
could only be described as a
hectic, chaotic but ultimately
fun lifestyle.
So why is it that upon
reflection I have this underlying
worry that I missed out, or
didn’t live it to the fullest? I feel
regret that I didn’t reach out
to more people and completely
break out of my mold, or step
out of my comfort zone in the
pursuit of trying new things —
maybe joining clubs I normally
wouldn’t have in the event I
might gain a new hobby or
interest. I think these types of
feelings are normal, and some
of their roots may lie in how
our lives are constructed by the
older generation and societal
norms.
By graduation I will be
21 years old. According to a
2019 study, the average life
expectancy for someone with
a college is at least 79, meaning
I am presumably not even
halfway through my life. Yet
I am being told by society,
including
pop
culture
and
media, that what happens now
seals my fate for the rest of my
life. The cultural perception
that this decade is the most
important of our lives may be
true, but is definitely overstated.
The fear I have expressed
regarding college may be framed
differently than the average
student. I find that I am less
worried about the present as
a means to properly prepare
for the future and more about
not enjoying it for what it is
worth. If I had to guess, I would
think the thoughts that mainly
preoccupy the everyday student
are schoolwork and advancing
their academic future, enabling
them to have a career to support
their future lifestyle. But these
two
perspectives
aren’t
as
dissimilar as they would appear
and both stem from a basic
mindset. Our time is short and
we have to make it count. To a lot
of college students, if we don’t
do so our future is in jeopardy.
After all, isn’t the point of
college to provide a stepping
stone between avenues of our
lives and ensure a smooth
transition?
One of my best friends came
to college not knowing what
he wanted for his future. He
enjoyed biology — specifically
anatomy and physiology —
and thus assumed a pre-med
track was best for him, only
to find after two years of
taking the prerequisites, that
he was not interested in them.
Now he had to battle the idea
that he had wasted two years
of college. After pondering
for nearly a full semester
about what he would do, he
remembered a hidden passion
for ceramics he had in high
school. Channeling a love
for creating and designing,
he is now in the Taubman
College of Architecture and
Urban
Planning,
and
will
spend an extra semester to
graduate. His concern was one
often voiced by students, the
dreaded future mid-life crisis.
Instead of focusing our future
on what we love now, we try
and guess at what we’ll still
love then.
College
is
definitely
preparatory in nature, but
it isn’t so much about what
you do or what you learn.
Rather it is about developing
an appreciation for learning
and seeing new things. I
realize now that the memories
themselves
aren’t
what’s
important when I look back
on my college experience,
but
what
those
memories
taught
me
about
life.
In
my friend’s case, it doesn’t
matter that the University
of
Michigan
unveiled
his
love for architecture. What
matters is that it showed him
his interests were subject to
change, and there is always
an avenue to pursue them. The
world is big, and there’s so much
there to explore and discover.
College does an excellent job
of conveying this. If one can
incorporate this lesson into
the rest of their life, it provides
far more value than a diploma,
because no matter what happens
one can sleep easily knowing
there is more to explore and a
sea of opportunity ahead.
Arjun Lama can be reached at
arjunl@umich.edu.
MADELYN VERVAECKE | CONTACT CARTOONIST AT MIVERVAE@UMICH.EDU
It isn’t so much
about what you do
or what you learn.
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But to reject
development is to
reject modernity.
VARNA
KODOTH
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