Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Major: Media and Society
Minor: Psychology
Student Self Identifies as: Caucasian Heterosexual Male
Summary
Hobart Radio Club – I hosted a weekly one-hour radio show. Intramural volleyball. I was a photography teaching assistant. Also, I was in a fraternity.
Background
Gender Identity: Male
Race/Ethnicity: Caucasian
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
High School Experience: Private high school in Baltimore, MD with a graduating class of about 100 students.
Major: Media and Society
Minor: Psychology
Extracurricular Activities: Hobart Radio Club – I hosted a weekly one-hour radio show. Intramural volleyball. I was a photography teaching assistant. Also, I was in a fraternity.
Academic Experience
Can you describe the weekly coursework for your major?
We watch lots of movies and write about a paper a week. You have to write reading reflections and be prepared for class by knowing the readings. Professors sometimes give pop quizzes if they felt like nobody was doing the reading. The big assignments are big final papers, and some classes require digital projects. Those can differ depending on the professor. One required you give two 30-minute presentations about the topic of the day over the semester. There is also lots of group work in M&S.
What was your favorite class you took for your major?
I have two: My senior seminar called Spectral Stardom, and a lower level class called Cultural Advertising. I ended up picking a lot of classes with a certain professor. It makes the whole class easier and better when you share interests with your professor.
What was your least favorite class you took for your major?
I didn’t take a class I didn’t like
What is a fun class you took outside of your major?
I took this Russian Literature class about vampires which was absurd. We’d watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer for homework. I also took Tibetan Mandala Painting with a visiting monk.
Why did you pick your major?
I’m interested in advertising, sales, and marketing and media in general. I think that things in the future are going to be very media oriented and it’s important to understand the motives behind its creation. It drives many parts of our society and how people perceive things, and it’s easily manipulated. A lot of people take what they see for face value, and I think it’s important to be aware of what’s going on.
Reasons to Attend
Student did not respond to this question.
Reasons Not to Attend
Student did not respond to this question.
Around Campus
Where have you lived on campus?
Freshman: Cheryl with a tough roommate. It was really bad.
Sophomore: Quad in Bartlett called Beta. I lived in a water closet, it was a really small bedroom. We had a good common room with a couch and a place to hang out, but the bedroom was ridiculously small.
Junior: Lived on campus in Odell’s Apartments. It’s in between a dorm and a house. It’s a small village of townhouses. I lived there with three guys in my frat. We had a blast. Everybody had their own room and we had a kitchen and a common room. We were able to do that because we had a really good lottery number. The people that live in Odell’s are a mix of juniors and less socially active seniors.
Senior: Off-Campus house with 4 other guys. Two of them were in my frat and the other two were in a different frat.
What was your favorite living situation?
Odell’s was my favorite because it was such a carefree environment.
Do you think you could walk to get necessities?
Yes, you can walk to get groceries but having a car is more convenient. I did do that freshman and sophomore year.
Social Opportunities
What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. I mostly go to off-campus houses. The party houses with names get passed down to people and everybody knows where they are. There are a few bars the older kids go to. Saturday & Thursday nights are either a house party or a bar night. Sunday is a bar night. Friday’s sometimes can be fun, but most of the time people are resting.
What are your favorite nights at Hobart?
My favorite nights are my frat events, like formals.
What’s the impact of Greek Life?
Frats are a big deal socially. If you’re in an organization, that’s either a team or a frat. It’s hard for guys to get into social events if you aren’t in one.
How happy are you with nightlife? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I’m pretty happy with it. I had a good time. I just wish there was some more dancing.
Campus Culture
How did you make your closest friends?
Pledged with my closest friends. The other group I met freshman year by living in the same building because Cheryl is smaller than other dorms.
How would you describe the social scene?
Frats, sports teams, and girls are cliquey. It’s very cliquey because social status and money are things that are flaunted by people at Hobart. Certain frats have certain statuses that reflect socioeconomic status. Clothing is also something that matters. Like, designer clothes and Canada Goose jackets are big. You see a lot of cookie cutter girls wearing the same thing. There is definitely a social hierarchy that is visible in the cafeteria. [Socioeconomically, 12% of students come from the top 1% and the median family income is about $161,000.]
Do people seem happy with Hobart by senior year?
The people I graduated with all liked their experience. I know there are people that did not have a good time at Hobart.
Do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
Yes, to race, no to sexual orientation. [People of different sexual orientations] don’t really come to frat parties.