RICH, WHITE UNDERACHIEVERS (RWU)…FACT OR FICTION?

Jason Turcotte

Last semester a record number of 768 students earned Dean’s List honors and several athletic teams snatched conference championships; however, students at RWU remain victims of a rash of misconstrued perceptions and offensive nicknames which, overshadow their success. Many students are familiar with the term ‘Roger Dodger Daycare,’ but a more damaging title has emerged on campus with little or no investigation into its truth. Many students believe that the term, ‘Rich, White Underachievers,’ is an inaccurate representation of our study body and is a stereotype based merely on false impressions and perceptions.

“There are a small number who try to push the envelope with bad manners and taste. They have driven up the rents, make it difficult to park in my neighborhood and all the town gets for the trouble is a meager payment in lieu of taxes of some tuition for town employees,” said John Troiano, 53, of Bristol.

While some students and Bristol residents are critical of the student body, there seem to be an equitable amount that feels we are constantly misrepresented.

Larry Sickels, a junior marine bio major, said the nickname reflects only a minority of the student body. “There are many smart, hard-working students throughout the university,” said Bobby King, a sophomore History/Secondary Ed. major. Those sentiments are shared not only by students but by other Bristol residents as well. A 1991 graduate of RWU and Bristol resident, William Sheets said, “For the most part the students conduct themselves very well.”

Just how wealthy are the students who attend RWU? According to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, rich is defined as, “having abundant possessions and especially material wealth.” “Many students do play up to that image and like to flaunt their wealth, just take a look at some of the cars on campus,” said Jeff Dunn, a sophomore Marine Bio major. However, Dunn also notes that he has many friends who would not be able to attend RWU, if not for the generous financial aid packages they received. Very few can afford the tuition without some form of financial aid. “There are a lot of wealthy kids, this is an expensive school. I am not wealthy and have to take lots of loans and scholarships,” added King.

King is right, RWU is an expensive school and few would argue otherwise. The total yearly cost lingers at about $28,000, and along with nearly every other institution in the nation you can probably expect those figures to rise by the Fall 2002 semester. However, less than half of RWU applicants can afford to pay the full tuition. According to US News, 68% of students qualified for financial aid in the 2000-2001 academic year. US News also reports that 75% of the class of 2000 had to borrow money to attend RWU and graduated with an average total debt of $19,002. Also, our view book indicates that the average financial aid package of the 2001 freshmen class was $17,800 (includes scholarships, loans and grants), covering about two-thirds of tuition expenses. With a closer look into student demographics, few would argue that we are all rich, and the vast majority of the student body cannot afford the tuition without seeking financial assistance from the university.

Secondly, the issue of diversity, or lack their of must be examined further. “All students benefit from our cultural, ethnic and racial diversity,” proclaims the view book. Yet, many students have valid complaints about the diversity on campus. While the average students are Caucasian and natives of New England, there are others with a-typical origins.

While a few students like King feel that RWU offers some diversity, many students feel disappointed with the homogenous mix of inhabitants. Liz Lonardo, a junior Criminal Justice major, transferred to RWU at the start of the Fall 2001 semester. Lonardo noticed that her previous school (University of Rhode Island) was much more diverse than what she has experienced at RWU thus far.

According to US News, just 7% of RWU’s undergraduates, during the 2000-2001 academic year, were considered minority students. During the past few years that percentage has fluctuated slightly from 6-8%, proving that diversity is neither decreasing, nor improving. RWU also has a modest 2% international student population. However, this year has afforded the RWU experience to approximately 100 international students. Within this international population there are about 45 countries strongly represented including, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Greece, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, and Venezuela. Moreover, while RWU contains some diversity, it is not at a competitive level with other colleges or universities, and is not what students expect from an institution of higher learning.

“I was sometimes frustrated by the attitudes of some of the students. I didn’t find RWU to be a huge party school, but I didn’t find RWU to be a school with driven, motivated students either,” said Kara Dyer, who transferred out of RWU after her freshmen year in 2001. While Dyer recalled making some wonderful friends at RWU, she added, “I just thought college would be more of a challenge than what I found at RWU.”

An underachiever is, “a person and especially a student who fails to attain a predicted level of achievement or does not do as well as expected,” as defined by Merriam-Webster. However, one cannot determine the full potential of every RWU student.

Many feel as though academics for RWU students are of little importance and come second to having a good time. “Well, we usually hear only the negative-out drinking at the bars in Bristol at all hours. I don’t know many (students) personally, but that image is there,” said Leo Sullivan, 44, of Warren. This issue of academics is a complicated one, one that is debated and divided among many.

Dyer also mentioned, “Academically I found that my high school classes were more difficult than some of the courses I took at RWU. In fairness, that could have been due to my major. Most universities are strong in one or two majors and the others are average. If I had majored in Marine Bio or Architecture, I may have a different opinion.” Dyer raises an interesting point. Different programs yield varying academic reputations and expectations. For example, Gaelin Ristino, a sophomore English major finds most classes to be challenging. “I think the academics in this school are excellent,” said Maura Wolk, also and English major. Ristino, a transfer from the University of Findlay in Ohio, also adds that there will be a group of slackers at any university and in that respect RWU is no different. Like Wolk, who has two majors, 40% of students opt to challenge themselves with the pursuit of a double major. “There are many that are truly here for an education,” added Sickels.

What is the profile of a typical RWU ‘underachiever’? According to US News, 68% of the 2000-2001 freshmen class was ranked in the top 50% of their high school class. The average GPA of this class was a solid 3.1 and average SAT’s were a respectable 1068. However, with an 86% acceptance rate, not all enrolled students are capable of succeeding in a college environment. Proof of that exists in the class of 2000 four-year graduation rate, which US News reports as 53 percent. While 68% of incoming students ranked in the top half of their classes, it also means a dismal 32% finish at the bottom half of their classes. That opens another issue that compares the level of difficulty of various high schools, courses taken (AP, Honors), and private versus public school, which are all underlying factors that dictate where a student may finish in their high school rankings.

However, with a record number making the Dean’s List last semester, there is clearly an abundance of both strong and weak students, but who says achievement can’t be measured by other mediums? With programs such as Service Learning, Bridge to Success, and Alternative Spring Break, one can make the case that RWU students achieve in other arenas, socially and athletically.

This fall, men’s soccer won the CCC championship for the third consecutive year, while women’s cross-country team earned their second consecutive conference championship. The men’s cross-country team earned the honor this fall as well. Last spring the women’s softball team won their first conference championship, while obtaining an NCAA division III tournament berth. In addition, the wrestling team was ranked 18^th in the nation in team GPA for Division III last year. These are just a few examples of athletic achievements at RWU, not leaving out the dedicated students who rise before their 8am classes for the crew and sailing programs.

Surprisingly, many locals seem to perceive RWU students to be fairly respectable citizens and appear somewhat supportive of our university’s integration within the community. D.E. Clemens, owner of Clem’s Electric Co. states, “I believe the RWU students are great for the area. They liven up Bristol and bring in a lot of revenue to the area.” Evidently, we are not as wealthy as some may say, nor are we all unmotivated partiers, but many still would like to see increased diversity. In its entirety our dubbed name isn’t quite accurate. “Rich, yes, white, mostly, but underachievers, no,” said Linda Greene, a sophomore Marine Bio major. Many students share those divided thoughts, but very few will admit to completely agreeing with that stereotype and many deem it unjust.