Virginia Commonwealth University is an incredible school that so much of my home community attended. I grew up with this school mentioned constantly by my teachers, friends, and family. Some of my favorite teachers in grade school were VCU alumni, so it was always a top contender for me. When I committed to this school during winter of last year, the people I surrounded myself with had a lot to say.
I received your typical “congratulations Carson!” and “can’t wait to see all you do!” on my mom’s Facebook. Messages like these made me so happy and confident in my decision at that point. The teachers who wrote my recommendation letters were ecstatic when I told them the news. My history teacher at the time was so happy I was attending his alma mater, and so was my chorus teacher from middle school. They were showering me with advice about living in Richmond, the best spots on campus, and what has changed since they were there.
My family also had many nice things to say and share. My mom was the most proud. She said that I’m following in her footsteps.
This is where the exclusively supportive things people had to say ended. That’s not to say people stopped congratulating me, but this is where the particularly annoying questions started.
Questions like, “Are you going to have pepper spray?” or “Is your mom worried?” were, honestly, discouraging. I know Richmond has higher crime rates than college towns like Farmville or Blacksburg, but do these people think students are just running around beating people up and getting kidnapped? Maybe they should ask me what I plan to study or who my roommate is. VCU may be entwined with Richmond, but there’s still a specific area dedicated to the school and safety measures you would see at any other university.
The worst one I hear is the one that inspired me to share my thoughts in this article. I’m so often asked about the homeless population nearby. Older family members of mine will come up to me and ask how school is going, then switch gears entirely with things like “Have people bothered you for money recently?” I have to tell them it’s just not something I think about because it rarely happens. It also isn’t the center of my education or attention when I’m on campus.
The tone people have when they ask me about the homeless community in Richmond is more often than not, judgemental. I observe people assuming the worst about homeless people in Richmond, and I wonder why everyone doesn’t remember the golden rule we were taught in elementary school. Why not put yourselves in their shoes, why not ask how their day is going, and why on earth ask me that question within 30 seconds of seeing me? What I’ve learned from these conversations is to tell the truth. I tell them how kind everyone is here, or how much fun I’m having living in the city. VCU has a big opening to be flooded with negativity from outside sources, but I just try to enjoy every day here and the time I spend with my new friends.