Change. I can assure you that it is the most over used word of the year. Change. So much has changed. The Carriage House got a make over, we have two Zip Cars now and there are some fancy new chairs on the quad. But what has changed most of all is the makeup of our undergraduate population. Our university is now co-educational. This has been the hot topic of many for many publications on campus and in peer-to-peer conversations.
During the first few days of the new semester, I even found myself longing for what once was. I had a “You don’t know what you had till its gone” type of moment. But at the same time I was excited for what was to come. I looked forward to meeting the young men and women who would not only be educated on their selected disciplines but also gain a new found knowledge about gender equity and sensitivities regarding all aspects of identity. I was excited for the change because of the opportunity if offered to further the mission of our women’s college even as a co-ed institution.
I’m sure many other returning students felt the same way, missing the past while eager of the future. However, that side of the story is not often heard. These individuals find themselves straddling the fence. “Am I pro women’s college?” “Am I pro-co-ed?” “How should I feel about the men on campus?” In addition to sorting out their own opinions they also lend an ear to a friends allowing them to vent about how Chatham is not Chatham anymore.
I agree. Chatham isn’t Chatham anymore. The Chatham I knew was a welcoming place. No matter your gender, race, sexual presence or other identifiers we accepted you into our home leading you through the Chatham experience. This year is different. There’s a gap between the returning classes and the first-year class.
There’s been a lot of talk about this so-called gap, especially and how we may bridge that gap.
To answer this question I thought back to the exact moment to when Chatham became my home. I would have to say it was Holiday Ball. By the end of the semester I had a solid set of friends, a good number of acquaintances, and I was confident enough to shake my thang on the dance floor. I can surely say that as I graduated from one tradition to the next I slowly uncovered what made Chatham so unique. It wasn’t that we lived in mansions or the chicken tenders. It was the people. Nowhere else have I ever felt so connected. It was through these traditions that I felt less as visitor and more as a sister to the other Chatham ladies.
I saw this in the First-Year class as they participated in their first BOTC. They didn’t know what to expect but they made their mark coming in second place over all. As the light came up during their song contest performance and chanting of SISTER CLASS and 2019 came from the audience. At that moment everyone was connected, wishing a great performance for their Chatham sisters and brothers.
While the traditions do a great job getting the community all together in one place, to achieve a truly united campus starts with us. The Chatham experience isn’t derived from making non-alcoholic cocktails or the amount of stuffing in our Thanksgiving meal but from the relationships formed with each other. We support each other wearing our purple with pride. Our university has morphed but the essence of Chatham is still the same. We’re a huge family and like most families we fight some times and have disagreements but our main dilemma should be deciding on a costume for Halloween dinner.