Gonzaga University
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Majors: Criminology and Sociology double major
Minor: Visual Art
Student Self Identifies as: Hispanic Bisexual Female
Summary
I’m an ambassador on campus, so I give tours. I’m also involved in the Ski and Snowboard Club, I take part in a lot of on-campus events, and I’m in the honors program.
Background
Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: Hispanic
Sexual Orientation: Bisexual
High School Experience: Private Catholic high school in Scottsdale, Arizona with a graduating class of about 200 students. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: No
Majors: Criminology and Sociology double major
Minor: Visual Art
Extracurricular Activities: I’m an ambassador on campus, so I give tours. I’m also involved in the Ski and Snowboard Club, I take part in a lot of on-campus events, and I’m in the honors program.
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience?
Being a campus ambassador has had a big impact. I love the school and that gives me the opportunity to talk about it all the time, which is great. The honors program does as well. It’s a co-curricular and ties into my academics, but it’s also a cohort of people who I’ve become friends with. There are only about 30 people in the honors program, so we all know each other really well. It’s gotten to the point where we have really interesting discussions inside and outside of class at a level I wouldn’t be able to have with other people. We also do a lot of community building and activities. We also o on retreats once a semester.
Do you do research? If so, how easy was it to get involved in the research?
I took a research methods class for my major and the professor asked if this is something I wanted to peruse, and I said yes. There’s also a Center for Undergraduate Research where you can start a research project.
Academic Experience
Reasons to Attend
1) If you’re looking for a place with all the resources and assistance, Gonzaga is the place for that.
2) If you like basketball, this is the place to be.
3) If you want all four weather seasons without anything serious, it’s a great place to be.
4) If you want an environment that’s going to challenge you to see different perspectives and learn more about the things you didn’t know before, Gonzaga is the place to be for that as well.
5) Gonzaga’s a place where you can meet lifelong friends and be able to have challenging and interesting conversations that will give you a new perspective on things.
Reasons Not to Attend
1) If you don’t’ like basketball and are not interested in it, that might be a barrier.
2) If you want a place with extensive Greek life and a lot of partying on the weekends, that is not Gonzaga.
Around Campus
Where have you lived on and around campus?
Freshman: Madonna Hall with one roommate
Sophomore: Dillon Hall with one roommate and two suitemates
How was transitioning from Scottsdale, AZ to Spokane, WA in terms of location?
I was really excited to move here. The Phoenix area where I’m from is really hot all the time. I grew up there and just didn’t like it, so I was excited to move to Spokane. The weather here is perfect. It gets cold and snows in the winter, but it’s not too cold for too long. The fall is beautiful. We get a few weeks of pretty fall leaves, and in the spring and summer there are people out on the quad playing Frisbee and hanging out in the sun.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
I’ve never felt unsafe on campus. I walk home from the library at 1 or 2 in the morning, and I always know campus security is around.
Social Opportunities
What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
I usually love going to the movies. I’ll go skiing, hiking, watch movies at home with friends. There’s a group called SpikeNites which holds events every Friday and Saturday. They do things like dances and pottery nights.
What are your favorite events or activities?
I do love tenting and going to basketball games. It’s the time when you feel closest to the Gonzaga community as a whole because you get to see everyone get excited about the same thing. You’re cheering with people you’ve never seen before and giving high fives to random strangers. It’s a lot of fun. The general culture here on campus is that everyone is nice to everyone. People will hold doors for people who are 30-feet away. If you make awkward eye contact with someone they’ll smile and say hello even if you don’t know them.
How would you describe the LGBTQ+ community on campus? How strong is it?
There are places to meet people. We have the Lincoln LGBTQ+ Resource Center and they have all sorts of events throughout the year. In terms of nightlife, when you turn 21 there are a few bars people will go to around campus.
How happy are you with the weekend options at Gonzaga? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I’m pretty happy with them. I know I can do what I want and have been to a few parties. I’ve since realized it’s not my scene, but I know the option is there. in terms of other things to do, if you don’t want to be sitting at home on a Friday night you won’t be.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends?
My best friend was my roommate last year. We found each other online. We didn’t know each other at all, but we got to school and she seemed like a nice person to live with. We don’t live together this year because she has a job on campus, so she gets to live alone. I still see her all the time. I’m Catholic, so I also met a couple of my other good friends going to student Mass. I also met people by just going to on-campus activities and running into new people.
How would you describe the overall social scene at Gonzaga?
It’s a super friendly place. I consider myself to be an introvert by nature, and it can be kind of hard to be an introvert here. I can’t get from point A to B on campus without seeing somebody I know. If I want to draw or play guitar or do whatever I like to do alone, I have to make sure I have the energy to go out and engage. It’s a super social, warm, and inviting place.
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
Gonzaga isn’t very racially diverse. I have quite a few friends who are people of color, but that wasn’t through any culture clubs. I just happened to meet other Latino people. You can separate it if you want to, but you don’t have to. Nobody is drawing those lines for you, so if you want to hang out with people who are the same race, ethnicity, and gender identity you’re more than welcome to and there are those opportunities. There are no exclusionary social settings on campus. [The undergraduate population is 70% White, 11% Hispanic, 1% Black, and 6% Asian.]
How would you describe the Latino community on campus? How strong is it?
We have a group on campus called La Raza Latina, and they put on events throughout the year. I’m not super engaged with that group because they tend to be people who’re either first-generation college students or are from Mexico, Central, or South-America who have stronger ties to their culture than I do. I look Whiter than a lot of LatinX people, so sometimes I feel like I don’t necessarily have a place in that group.
How do you like the size of Gonzaga in terms of undergraduate enrollment? How has it impacted your experience? [There are about 5,300 undergraduate students at Gonzaga.]
I love it and think it’s perfect. I recognize people walking to classes. Even if I don’t know their name, I’ll recognize them from seeing them around which makes it feel like a family. But, we’re not small enough where you know every person, which is great.
Careers
What have you used the career office for? How helpful have they been?
They’ve been really helpful. I’ve used them to create and edit my resume and cover letter when applying for summer internships.
Have you learned any computer programs or computer languages that will be helpful professionally?
I’m learning SPSS statistics software.
What has your school done to prepare you for the real world?
The academics here have done a good job of helping me understand my field, why it works, how it’s important, what people typically don’t know about it, and what they should know about it. In that sense, it’s opened my eyes to the possible career opportunities I have. It’s given me more hands-on experience learning about these types of problems.