Macalester College

Responses from the Student Interview

From a student  who identifies as Major: Environmental Studies – Pre-medical track
Minor: Biology
Student Self Identifies as: Southeast Asian Heterosexual Male

Summary

I play Club Volleyball and Club Tennis, I have a job at a non-profit, I’m a part of the Bonner Scholars program, and I have a lot of involvement in the Asian Pacific Islander American Coalition (APIAC).

Background

Gender Identity: Male
Race/Ethnicity: Southeast Asian
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual

High School Experience: Public school in Kansas with a graduating class of about 500 students. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: Yes
Major: Environmental Studies – Pre-medical track
Minor: Biology

Extracurricular Activities: I play Club Volleyball and Club Tennis, I have a job at a non-profit, I’m a part of the Bonner Scholars program, and I have a lot of involvement in the Asian Pacific Islander American Coalition (APIAC).
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience?
The APIAC has connected me to a lot of people with Asian racial ethnicity. Bonner has had a large impact on me because they were the first people I met on campus. That’s how I got my jobs, and it’s how my social network was built.

Academic Experience

Can you describe the weekly coursework for your major?
The 16-credit hour workload is a lot. I’m a social science major with the pre-med track so I do a lot of STEM. There are essays, long problem set assignments, and long-term assignments. I go over equations and learn formulas for tests.
Is there anything you feel your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
It’s an interesting department. It’s a lot of White women and Eurocentric in the curriculum. You get called on in class to speak about your ideas and expression. A lot of times I feel tokenized for it, and a lot of times I don’t want to speak. Overall, I think it’s a supportive department. It’s very community-based and we’re all like-minded.
Do you feel that people are open to multiple schools of thought in the classroom?
I think so. I want to say people are open and willing to listening to others as long as it’s not harmful or violent. People here are firm on what they believe in, but a lot of times I’ve been very influenced in a good way by my peers, and it has changed me for the better.
Why did you choose your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I picked my major because there weren’t many courses to take. Since I’m pre-med, I’m allowed to do any major I want, but I didn’t want to do a typical STEM major. I wanted to do something I was as interested in. Environmental studies has been a passion of mine for a while and I wanted to explore it more. I’m really happy with how it turned out. I’ve been exposed to so many different ideas and I’ve been challenged in the way I think. The courses and department have really prepared me to feel empowered when speaking about issues I care about.

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: Doty Hall in a single on an all-male floor
Sophomore: A cultural house with one roommate and 10 others
Junior & Senior: Off-campus
How was transitioning from your hometown to Macalester, MN?
I come from a city like Saint Paul, so the vibe and the people are similar. I feel at home. The biggest thing I had to adjust to was the transportation. I didn’t have public transit back home and had to drive everywhere.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
On campus, I feel really safe because I know what’s around me. As you go further off-campus, I feel less safe because it’s a new environment.

Social Opportunities

What kind of nightlife or weekend activities do you like to participate in at Macalester?
I’ll occasionally go out to parties off-campus. Sometimes I go to 18+ places [in Macalester-Groveland]. There are lots of clubs and the nightlife scene if vibrant if you go off-campus. I’m not a big nightlife person.
What’s an alternative to going to a party that you like for a night out?
Restaurants are always nice to go explore, or sometimes just hanging out with friends or doing homework.
How happy are you with the weekend activities or nightlife at your school? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I’m pretty happy with where I’m at. Parties are always there, but there’s no pressure to attend them. After a while, they get repetitive and boring. I realized that wasn’t my scene so I just do my own thing. I think students tend to go too crazy. If I could change anything, it would be that students would know their limits and be more aware of themselves in their surroundings.

Campus Culture

How did you meet your closest friends?
I met them through the Bonner Scholar program. A lot of my friends also come from APIAC because we share the same backgrounds and economic status. I’m still making friends in classes, which has been really nice.
How would you describe the overall social scene at Macalester?
It’s a fairly friendly campus, but not everyone is friends here. A lot of friendships are fleeting if you don’t maintain them. I think the social scene makes it easy to start a friendship, but it’s not so easy maintaining them. People are pretty sociable and easy to talk to.
To what extent do you feel people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
To some extent. You will see a group of Asian girls or Chinese students sticking together. There are lots of Black students that also tend to stick together as well. Since it’s a majority White school, they tend to magnetize themselves to each other. I’ve been lucky to have a good mix of diverse friends. There is some mingling, but there can be some improvement. [The undergraduate population is 3.4% Black, 58% White, 8% Asian, and 8% Hispanic.]
How do you like the size of Macalester? How has it influenced your social experience? [Macalester has about 2,200 students.]
I like the size. I applied knowing it’s what I wanted. Even though it can feel small, not everyone knows each other. There are always new people to meet. The small and intimate campus helps with building relationships with faculty and staff members which is a big part.
How would you describe the first-generation community on campus? How strong is it?
We’re not that tight as a community. There is a first-generation collective, but it’s not very prominent.
How would you describe the Asian community on campus? How strong is it?
There’s a big split between international and domestic students, which has been a challenge. From what I’ve seen and heard, and a lot of the discussions and issues we talk about are very surface level. There are deeper issues and problems we should actually discuss as a community that we don’t set aside time for.

Careers

What have you used the career office for? How helpful have they been?
They’re okay, but the people there aren’t as vibrant and are hard to connect with. Handshake is helpful in finding opportunities. I sent in my resume today for review, but other than that, I don’t really engage with it.
Have you learned any computer programs or computer languages through your coursework that will be helpful to you professionally?
I’ve learned Mathematica.

Financial Aid

Have you used financial aid? If so, how helpful and responsive are they?
I just email them, and they’re usually helpful and responsive. They’re nice when I’ve interacted with them. They’re accommodating and willing to see your situation. I made an appeal before the fall of my first year and they gave me more aid. [Macalester meets 100% of demonstrated financial need.]