CampusEnvironment

Campuslifeandexperiencevariesgreatlybetweenindividuals,particularly
amongstgenders.Ourtext,GenderedWorldsdiscussestheoverwhelmingamountof
womenwhofeltdiscriminatedagainstandunwelcomedattheirowncollegecampusby
otherstudentsandstaff.Whencomparedtomen,womenweretypicallydifferentiated
frommenfortheirintellectualabilities.Forthisessay,Iwentoutandinterviewedtwo
malesandtwofemalestogettheirperspectivesontheissuessurroundingcollegeclimate.
IwillrefertomyintervieweesasBennie#1,Bennie#2,Johnnie#1,andJohnnie#2.
MyfirstinterviewwaswithBennie#1.Whenaskedwhatherimpressionsofour
campusclimateislikeforfemalestudents,shestatedthatshefeltverycomfortableand
acceptedasawomanhere,andshedidnotfeeldiscriminatedagainstwhenitcametoher
gender.SheexpressedwithmehowshebelievestheCollegeofSaintBenedictholds
certainexpectationsforwomenthatsupporttheschoolsBenedictinevalues.Bennie#1,
feelsthattheseexpectationsandvaluesincludethetwelveBenedictinevalueswesee
postedallovercampus.Afewthatreallystandouttoherarecommunitylivingandthe
beliefthatwearecommittedtoformhealthyrelationshipswiththosearoundusandalso
thebeliefthatwemustrespecteachotherdespiteallourdifferences.WhenIaskedher
whatviewsofwomenarediscussedbystudentcultureshestatedthattheviewsare
typicallythatoftraditionalviews,butareevolving.Femalestudentsareviewedas
nurturing,patientandkind,butarealsoseenasindependentandstrong.Bennie#1
believeswomenplayabigroleoncampusandsetanexampleforoursocietyandfellow
benniesonhowtoact.Manywomenoncampusleadgroupsandorganizationsthathelp

influencethecampusclimateandculturehereatSaintBens.Whenaskedhowwomen
aretreatedoncampusbystaffandfellowmalestudents,Bennie#1feltoverallcontent
withthetreatmentoffemales.Sheexpressedthatformherexperiencesandobservations,
staffandmalestreatwomenwiththeoutmostrespectandequality.
Next,IinterviewedBennie#2.ShebelievesthatCSBSJUcreatesaunique
learningenvironmentforwomen,asbothschoolsareexpectedtohaveseparateidentities.
Howeversheexpressedthatcollegeingeneralstillholdsvariousstereotypesespeciallyin
alearningenvironment.Forexample,sheexplainedhowitisthenormformentobe
interestedinsciencesandbusiness,whilewomentendtobeineducationand
communications,causingaweirdreactionfromthecultureifpeoplechoosetodefythose
stereotypes.Bennie#2thenwentontoexplainhowshethinksmenhavehigher
expectationstobeinterestedincertainsubjectsthatresultinfinancialprofitforthe
future,whereaswomenhavelesspressuretodoso.St.Benshoweverisunique,asit
focusesontheopportunitiesforwomenspecificallyinthesenate,athletics,andother
singlegenderclubs.Bennie#2thensharedwithmethatshethinksourstudentcultureat
St.Bensisencouragingforwomentobreakvariousstereotypes,moresothanother
schools.Shebelievestheseparateschoolssometimesmaketheculturemoresensitiveto
thegenderinequalityinourworldtoday,encouragingwomentostepupandtakeon
leadershiproles.Bennie#2expressedthatwomensometimeshavetheupperhandinthe
classenvironment.Itseemsmoresociallyacceptableforwomentoparticipateandwork
hard,whileitsmorecommonforboystonotworkashardorparticipate,butstill
maintaingoodgrades.Teachers,withgoodreason,favorthehardestworkingstudents.

Womenaremoreapttoaskforhelpoutsideofclassandadmittheirconfusionon
subjects.Shewentontotalkabouthowthissometimesleadstoadeeperunderstanding
ofthesubjectsathand.Shethinksthatadmissionstakethisfactintoconsiderationinthe
acceptanceprocess.Itisdifficultbecausewomenapplicantstendtobemorequalified
andmoreinvolved,buttheycannotacceptsignificantlymorewomenthanmen,makingit
easiertobeacceptedasaman.
ItheninterviewedtwomalesfromSaintJohnsUniversity.Johnnie#1expressed
thatwomenhaveapositiveimpressionatourcampus.Hestatedthatwomenhaveafew
expectationsoncampus,whichincludebeingrespectfuloftheirbodiesandothers.He
saidthatwomenaresupportedatourschooltobeindependentandholdleadershiproles
oncampus.Johnnie#2believesthatwomenaretreatedfairlyandrespectfullybystaff
andfellowmalestudentsandespeciallyasaresultoftheJohnniesigmathaturgesmale
studentstobechivalrous.WhenaskedwhatassumptionsandexpectationsCSBSJU
communicatestomalesaboutwomenandhowtheyaretobetreated/viewed,Johnnie#1
expressedthatourschoolurgesmentoactasJohnnies.Thistermmeansthatmenare
expectedtotreatwomenwithrespectandchivalry.Hegaveexamplesofthislikehow
theJohnniesareexpectedtoalwaysholdthedooropenforBenniesandotherWomenon
campusandtheyarealsotaughttogivetheirseatuptoaBenniewhoisstandingonthe
bus.Hebelievesthatourcampusclimateissupportiveofbothgendersandthatbothare
treatedwithequalrespect.
Formylastinterview,IinterviewedJohnnie#2.Hethinksthecampusclimateis
prettyequalandthatgirlsaregiventhesameopportunityasmenintheclassroomand

aroundcampus.TheyarerespectedalothereandIthinkmostpeoplerealizetheyare
prettytalented.Hebelievesthattheexpectationsthatpeopleatourcollegehavefor
femalestudentsisthesameformeninmostaspectsandthattheyareexpectedtodowell
intheclassroomlikemen.Johnnie#2believesthattheonlyplacewherepeoplemay
expectlessfromwomenatschoolisinsportsbecauseguyshavealwaysbeenmore
dominantbutthatisoneareathatwillhopefullychangeinthefuture.Johnnie#2
expressedtheviewscommunicatedbythestudentcultureatCSBSJUareasgoodasthey
get.Hethinksourcollegeisauniqueplacewherewomenarereallyrespectedbymost
menandaretreatedequally.Hethinkstherolesthewomenplayatourschoolare
basicallythesameastheguys.Todowellinschool,havefunwithfriends,andenjoyan
experienceunlikeanyother.Hebelievesthatthewayfemalestudentsaretreatedat
CSBSJUisasgoodasitthewaytheyaretreatedbyboysisthebestIhaveseeninany
nearbycampus,mostboysreallyrespectthegirlswhichmanycampusescannotsay.He
alsothinksthefacultygivesthemanequalchanceintheclassroomandrealizesthemany
thingstheyarecapableof.HecouldntstressenoughhisbeliefthatCSBSJUisverybig
onmakingsurethatgirlsaretreatedequally.Theyreallyemphasizesexualharassment,
whichsadly,hasbecomemorecommononcollegecampuses.Theywantustohaveafun
environmentwhereallthegirlsaretreatedjustasgoodastheguysandhethinksthatthey
achievethat.2.IbelieveCSBSJUsclimateisoneofthebest.Thatisoneofthebig
reasonswhyhechosetocomehere.Obviouslyitisgoingtohaveminorsetbacksevery
nowandthenbuttohaveacampuswiththeamountofrespectandgenerositythat

CSBSJUhasishardtofindandhetrulybelievesthatwehaveitbetterthananyother
school.