It is summer break and you’re at the mall wearing a Quinnipiac t-shirt. Suddenly, you’re stopped by someone who can, surprisingly, pronounce the name of your beloved school. Immediately after you’ve identified yourself as a student there, you get accosted with the usual questions, “Isn’t everyone there rich? Isn’t it a party school? Doesn’t everyone there look the same?” Even if you try to defend yourself and your classmates, it’s too late. You’ve met another firm believer of the “Quinnipiac Stereotype.”
If you go to Quinnipiac, you know them. You may have even been included in some of them. There is some truth to what people hear. Students do love to party in New Haven and many have a wardrobe filled with Abercrombie and Fitch clothes but both Quinnipiac and the students who go here, have much more depth than shallow generalizations assume.
Despite the beautiful campus, challenging academics and amazing sports teams, it seems as though all people really know about QU is centered around a portion of the student body and how popular Northface jackets seem to be.
This sentiment is echoed in several places. QU’s listing on urbandictionary.com, describes all girls at Quinnipiac as “orange with fake blonde hair.” Visitor reactions have also solidified the unfair assumptions associated with Quinnipiac students.
“My boyfriend goes to the University of Hartford and he always comments that everyone here looks the same compared to the students at his school,” said Whitney Grekin, a junior Public Relations major.
Even QU’s location can be viewed as negative, based on comments from family and friends back home.
“Whenever I tell people back home I go to school in Connecticut they assume I hang around with all sorts of rich preppy kids,” said sophomore media production major Michaela Fralen, a Maryland native.
While not much can be done to change the reputation of the state of Connecticut, there is a way for students to battle the misinformation that surrounds Quinnipiac. ByStudents is a brand new college guidebook that is written based upon surveys taken by current students at the top 200 colleges in America.
“There isn’t nearly enough relevant, uncensored, accurate information available to high schools students in the college admissions process,” said Ester Bloom, an editor at ByStudents.
So far, over 20 students have taken the survey, located at www.bystudents.com/quinnipiac, providing valuable input to the creation of the book. The survey, which consists of a handful of open ended questions, was specifically created to capture candid opinions from college students.
With these surveys, ByStudents will publish a comprehensive college guide book that aims to tell potential students exactly what goes on at Quinnipiac, beyond the stereotypes and beyond what they hear on campus tours.
Labels can ruin the reputation of a college, the faculty who work there and the students who attend. Rumors about night-life, academic standards and rampant materialism cheapen the degree that students work hard to earn. The more students that participate at www.bystudents.com/quinnipac, the more accurate and descriptive the entry will be.
It’s up to you Quinnipiac; make a stand for your school.
