I asked Connecticut College students and Coast Guard Academy cadets to sum up the social relationship between the two schools in one word. Some of the responses were, “awkward,” “strained,” “uncomfortable,” “misunderstood,” “negative” and “madness.” These responses point to a question I have been asking myself for two years: Why is the social relationship between Conn students and cadets so strained?
Currently, most interactions between cadets and Conn students occur on Saturday nights. In my conversations with students, particularly at Conn, many of them, especially underclass students, had never met or seen a cadet outside of the context of a Cro dance. Many cadets have had the same experience.
Only seeing each other on Saturdays has created stereotypes of both groups as creepy, immature or rude. Rarely do we see each other doing work or hanging out having coffee with friends. These stereotypes of cadets as creepy, Southern conservatives and Conn students as immature, liberal New England rich kids are highly inaccurate. Yet, because of the limited interaction between the two student bodies, these stereotypes have been allowed to spread and have contributed to the discord between the campuses.
This is not to say that friendships don’t exist between cadets and Conn students. In fact, students take classes at the other institution and participate in activities such as jazz band and diving. There is, however, a gap that exists between the student bodies in general. If you’re not sure what I mean, take a walk to the campus you don’t live on during the day. No one will be outwardly rude, but regardless of which campus you’ve stepped onto, you’ll probably get some variation of the “what the hell are you doing here?” look from a few people.
To the people giving this look, the visiting student is probably 1) going to class, 2) going to a meeting, 3) meeting a friend or significant other, 4) using the library, 5) taking a walk in the Arbo or by the water front or 6) trying to see what look I am talking about. They are going about their life just like you are. If you are still curious about why they are at your campus, go up to them and introduce yourself. Maybe ask them if they are taking a class. I promise they are not from across the universe, just from across the street.
Once upon a time the two schools shared almost every aspect of social life. They had dances together, Conn students were the cheerleaders for the Academy’s sports teams and clubs co-hosted events. Then, one day, the two schools became co-ed. I believe this change in the make-up of the student bodies was a catalyst that began the change in the social interactions between the two schools.
Conn now had its own men that Conn girls could cheer for and the Academy men had their own women who could do the same. Over time, the relationship deteriorated to what it is today, and we are left with two groups whose main interaction is posting rude comments about one another via Yik Yak.
When I began writing this article, I thought that at least some of the problems between students could be blamed on the lack of cooperation between the administrations. However, there are two problems with thinking that way. First, the administrations are trying to improve the relationship. President Bergeron and Rear Admiral Sandra Stosz, the Academy’s Superintendent, have a solid working relationship. Although issues may have existed in the past, the current administrations at both schools are making a concerted effort to improve communication and collaboration.
When I spoke to President Bergeron last Monday, she informed me of some of the concrete steps that have been taken to improve the institutional relationship. For example, there is now a newly formed working group that will work to improve academic collaboration. Though they have a long way to go, the administrations are working towards building a stronger relationship between the schools.
The second problem with attributing the social issues between cadets and Conn students to the institutions is that the administration is not in charge of our social lives – we are. Whatever issues exist were created by students, and it is ultimately up to the students on both sides of Route 32 to make a change.
Improving the relationship between the two schools is not a new conversation for many students. There has been little action taken, however, to make concrete changes. On the Conn side, student leaders – not only those on SGA, but also club leaders, Res Life staff and SAB members – have the ability to improve the situation by finding opportunities to invite cadets to participate in or attend events. Schedules may be difficult to coordinate at times, but even simply extending an invitation across the street demonstrates an important shift in attitude that can lead to a better relationship in the future.
One group that has been extremely successful in including cadets in their events is Relay for Life. Last year the Relay committee realized they needed help setting up and running the relay, so they reached out to the equivalent of OVCS at the Academy. 25 cadets volunteered, helping an extremely good cause and earning volunteer hours. Other clubs with volunteer components could do the same.
SABs could reach out to Academy faculty to inform them of events their students might be interested in.
Although there are a limited number of majors at the Academy, there is a pretty diverse course offering even if there may not be an entire department devoted to a specific subject. A list of faculty contact information and the classes they teach is easily accessible on the Academy’s website. The Office of Student Life could include events that are happening at the Academy and are open to Conn students in the weekly emails, or SGA could include the same thing in “On the Can” every few weeks.
By finding more opportunities for interaction outside of the classroom and away from Cro dances, Conn students and cadets can begin to establish a positive relationship with each other. •
