“Why is SoJo meaningful to you?”
As a past JF, friend of many friends who were in SoJo, and close connections with some of the SoJo professors, SoJo was more than just a course theme as it brought many students (especially marginalized students) together to talk about their experiences regarding DEI and even take part in some activism (the COVID quarantine petition). The SoJo professors are passionate about what they teach and play a large role in being a support system for many students of color.
The SoJo Res college has been so meaningful to me because it tackles to provide knowledge and further critical thinking on a vast amount of different types of inequalities and injustices we face in different aspects of our lives and reflects upon our history and past as to how these inequalities developed overtime and the continuous processes and steps to overcoming them and to become a more inclusive and diverse space while being open to these differences as well as being able to accommodate to the injustices towards these improve on making a more equitable place for all of us. Taking away this vital Res College on this campus, especially with the divides and inequalities we continue to face on this campus alone, will be a huge step back to the efforts we continue to make to not only make this campus a safer and more comfortable place for anyone of any gender, race, or background, but for how we contribute to the world around us and taking away this Res college will also hinder and take away the knowledge we learn within it to which we can share to others that can make a bigger difference. Taking away the SoJo Res college is perturbing and it continues to show the true colors of this campus compared to what it shows to the public eye. It makes me so sad.
The Social Justice college remains a beacon of meaning in an otherwise utterly apathetic campus, which receives daily news of this country’s sins — school shootings, police brutality, erosion of democracy, overseas wars — with an equanimity and nonchalance I find sickening. The Social Justice College creates a home for those who care about the world outside of Bucknell’s campus; this, as the administration hopefully recognizes, is among the rarest of traits at Bucknell. To do away with this residential college is to condemn the university to a lifetime of uncaring, slothful, indolence. Maybe that’s what the administration wants. But it’s not what this student body and this community deserves.
This is an essential part of the res colleges and one of the few academic spaces that allows for safe and meaningful discourse with people from different backgrounds
As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, social justice is very important to myself, other LGBTQ+ community members on campus, and other marginalized groups. It encourages us to be proud and open about who we are, and encourages others to treat us both with respect and as equals.
Sojo was my refuge in this predominate white institution. As a person of color, a first generation student, I was absolutely terrified when I first arrived to Bucknell. As someone coming from an entirely different coast, everything about Bucknell and Lewisburg was so different and unfamiliar, that it was a struggle to get through the days. Sojo gave a space to share our voices and ultimately to learn more about our place in the world and how, as students, especially ones of color, can change the world. In essence, it was a place I could actually breathe in, without fearing that my upbringing would influence how I am seen.
The residential colleges at Bucknell have acted as spaces for students with similar interests to meet each other and come together over these shared passions. The SoJo res college, in particular, has been an extremely positive and vital part of many Bucknell students’ experiences. While I myself was not in the SoJo res college my first year, I had the opportunity to do multiple guest presentations for a SoJo course, the Art of Protest, during my Junior and Senior years. Throughout the time that I got to spend in this class, I made significant, intellectual, and inspiring connections with the students. Presenting to the students, they were incredibly engaged, interacting with my presentation and asking meaningful questions – it was clear to me that they chose this course for a reason, and that it was something that they did not simply take for credit, but were passionate about. I had an amazing and rewarding experience presenting in this course, and learned a lot during my short time with the class, and since doing so I have heartily recommended it as a course worth taking. This course, and the many other inspiring, diverse, and challenging courses offered by SoJo, are an invaluable part of the Bucknell liberal arts education, as they offer an opportunity to examine many important and relevant issues relating to social justice through a wide range of lenses (Art of Protest, for example, allows students to understand how art, throughout history, and especially in the contemporary, has been intrinsically tied to social justice — a fact that many traditional art history courses do not emphasize).
As mentioned before, I was not in SoJo myself. However, I know many students and have friends who have been in or have been a JF for this res college and have spoken very highly of it for a number of crucial reasons, such as it being a) a place for individuals with a passion for activism and social justice to come together to promote positive social change on the campus, b) a safe space for marginalized students, c) the only residential college focused on emphasizing diversity, equity, and inclusion, and educating students about systemic racism, and d) a leadership and work opportunity for JFs. There is absolutely no reason that this residential college should be taken away – to take away the Social Justice res college, Bucknell is silencing the voices of many students who rely on such opportunities in order to feel safe and seen on this campus, as well as suppressing the voices of students who are passionate about activism and change. I am deeply saddened, upset, and frustrated to hear about the decision to eliminate the Social Justice residential college, and I only hope that this decision is reconsidered as SoJo is a resource that only benefits the school and all of its students.
After traveling across the country to come to school as a Posse scholar, SoJo was one of the only spaces on campus where I felt like a Posse scholar. It was a space where I could be a leader surrounded by leaders. It was a space where I felt safe to be myself (a queer mixed Asian student). Unlike in some of my other courses, SoJo challenged me intellectually because the students who sought out SoJo are diverse change-makers. Like, they literally make the school run. We do the labor and the work to make Bucknell a better place. I’ve made some of my greatest friends in SoJo – my rocks who keep me tethered to Bucknell even when so much of the campus culture is telling me that I do not belong. What I have learned in that specific space will stick with me for life. It is not just a shame that Bucknell is canceling the program. I am grieving because of it.
My first interaction with SoJo was my freshman year, on zoom, with Professor Deepak Iyer with the foundation seminar focused on Climate Justice. Having this space, especially on a virtual platform connected me to people who cared about others, social change, activism and overall cultivating solutions for a better world for everyone to live in. Not only was I connected with likeminded people in comparison to myself and my passions, but I also felt welcomed ( on a virtual platform) before I ever arrived on campus for the first time my sophomore year. Through SoJo, I found my passion and my voice that has led me to my decision of double majoring in Critical Black Studies and Environmental studies. If it wasn’t for SoJo, I wouldn’t have been as comfortable, as outspoken, and as equipped to combat problems I see today pertaining to any type of injustice , little or Big. Without SoJo I wouldn’t be able to critically examine tough problems/ debates/ decisions ( through a social Justice lens) that may seem difficult to understand at first glance. I am extremely disgusted with the decision of abolishing such a powerful and empowering curriculum that has done so much good for many students who are overlooked and under heard on Bucknell’s Campus. I am even more appalled by how the decision was made without consultation of those who have constantly contributed to cultivating such a safe space as this for many semesters. How does it feel to Abolish Social Justice? What side of history are you choosing Bucknell? What’s next ?
The Social Justice Residential College was the sole reason I felt safe, comfortable, and respected during my first-year in college.
The Social Justice residential college is incredibly meaningful to me because it taught me to open my eyes to the thousands of perspectives that exist as well as embracing the stories of others. I grew up in an extremely non-diverse area, and never got the chance for the experiences that were graciously given to me through this residential college. In my SF’s foundation seminar (“Whose Story is History?” taught by Meenakshi Ponnuswami) I got a chance to learn about historical events and controversies through a lens that I couldn’t at an all white public school. The fact that the university is cutting this residential college under the pretext of “poor enrollment” is absurd, and reflects that absolute opposite message that President Bravman emailed the entire university about a few days ago.
DEI is more than just a label that Bucknell can have to get brownie points, SoJo uplifts the foundations of DEI and educates students on important systemic issues and histories that is so often left out of Bucknell’s curriculum, making it all the more important to expose students to social justice early on in their college career.
Although I wasn’t in the SoJo res college, the res college program means so much to me (I’m an Arts Res alum.) Having a safe space for marginalized students in a predominantly white student body is integral to a student’s intellectual and personal growth.
It makes sure everyone on our campus feels like they have a place and a group they can turn to. The balancing of playing fields for all humans starts with like minds sifting through injustices and calling for action to get what they deserve.
The social justice residential college is an imperative space that the University has an obligation to maintain. Bucknell has repeatedly committed to diversity and inclusion; however, they continue to fail at supporting its students and staff. Preserve safe spaces for marginalized communities in this predominantly white institution!!!! Stop the performative emails and do something to actually keep your students safe.
I didn’t take SoJo personally but I do think that res college class is important. Learning a social justice is a must for everyone so that they can empathize with minorities. I heard that class is also a safe space for marginalized and vulnerable people so I don’t want Bucknell to cancel that class.
I was not a member of SoJo but I know people that were very grateful for their time with the res. college. Social justice is especially important in these ever-changing times and I don’t think students should be deprived of those academic discussions.
SoJo is responsible for forging four of my closest friendships and meeting/living among other like-minded, serious individuals with a passion for discussing potential solutions to create a more equitable campus climate and determine our own roles as activists at the communal and national levels. The social justice residential college was a formative experience of my first year that allowed me to exist in an ethnically, culturally, socio-economically diverse space at a predominantly-white, upper class institution. All of the residential colleges provide the opportunity for students to form tight-knit bonds with people who share similar interests. However, social justice values are not just interests; it’s a mindset and a way of life. And bonding over the intense commitment to change and empathy and equity yields inherently stronger bonds, especially when people’s livelihoods are at stake in most of the issues we discuss. Does Bucknell, as a predominantly white institution lacking diversity already, want to be responsible for stripping incoming students of the opportunity to form diverse, meaningful connections?
As an Arts Res Alum and former JF, SOJO was always one of the most vibrant and important res colleges in the program. They were empowering students from the very start and offering a much-needed sense of community to often marginalized students on campus who were passionate about activism. The decrease in activism at Bucknell over the last few years has been palpable, and largely in part due to Covid, but its obvious that Bucknell is Not interested in creating an active and socially engaged student body. This cut from the res program being first despite being one of the most popular programs historically says a lot.
Bucknell’s environment already makes it so difficult for students of color to fit in. Taking away SoJo would take away one of the few communities that has kept many students of color safe and comfortable. Although I was not part of the Res College during my freshman year, many of my friends were. It’s important to keep SoJo because it also acts as a community where incoming freshmen of color can feel a lot more at ease coming to a predominantly white institute. Coming to Bucknell was the first time I ever experienced entering a space that was predominantly white and my transition into college was increasingly more difficult because of the amount of ignorance that my peers displayed. It was the first time in my life that I began to experience microaggressions and racism directly, and the only people who helped me get through that were other peers of color.
I’m not a SoJo alum, but as a 2023 graduate who was active in BSG, Residential Education, the Global Res College, and a number of other student organizations, I’ve seen firsthand the impact that SoJo has had not only on the Res College community, but on the Bucknell community at large. Administration does not and has never provided adequate support for marginalized communities on campus – bias reporting procedures are laughable, and the most action I saw in 3 years on campus taken against blatant racism and homophobia ranged from a slap on the wrist to threats and punishment for speaking out against blatant violence. If communities of color are telling you that a Res College, staffed by faculty and students who are actively doing the work that admin fails to do, is a safe space, you listen. That is the bare minimum. If administration is unwilling to do the work to protect Bucknell students, consistently putting them in harm’s way in favor of an institution that perpetuates wealthy, racist heteropatriarchy, it is further unconscionable to rip away one of the only safe spaces and forms of protest on a campus where “free speech” only exists for board babies and frat guys. I’m tired of Bucknell telling their students to “stay in their lane”. Protect your students. That is your job.
I wasn’t personally in SoJo however I recognize its importance on campus and want to help fight to get it back. Additionally, when I was an OA, my hall was part of the SoJo res college and I saw firsthand how it affected my first years for the better and acted as a safe space for many.
I am now a rising junior at Bucknell, and in my first year I was enrolled in Professor Mena’s Foundation Seminar as well as the Social Justice Residential College. The weekly common hour and my foundation seminar allowed me the opportunity to understand social justice issues on our campus and in the world. This gave me a much better understanding of Bucknell’s campus, including the sides of Bucknell that take a little more effort to uncover and understand. SOJO was a huge part of my first year experience and I am so thankful that I was afforded the opportunity to learn with my peers. I went to a small, non-diverse high school, so it was extremely important to me that I engage in diverse experiences and take advantage of the learning opportunities at my disposal. It is very important at a school like Bucknell for students to understand the reasons for activism and the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion. I gained so much invaluable knowledge from my SOJO experience, and it would be a shame for future first years to not have this chance to expand their points of view.
For the safe space and community it’s provided marginalized groups and POC. I was not in SoJo myself but many of my friends were and often spoke highly on the experience they had and the people they met. Without it, it would not be the same as SoJo provided the first year students an opportunity to be around like minded individuals with a similar intention a space to come together. I am a 2022 alum and this is truly disheartening to see especially in the wake of affirmative action being overturned. If this has any relations to that, it is a poor indication on the University’s care towards supporting marginalized groups or POC on campus.
from the subject matter of it’s classes to the community it’s halls foster, sojo is consistently one of the most supportive, inclusive, and intellectually challenging spaces on campus for first year students (arguably the one and only especially for first years). as someone who was both a sojo student and jf, i find it very hard to believe that sojo courses were so underenrolled that this measure is at all warranted. from the spoken-word publicity amongst incoming posse students alone, there is a demonstrated need for this space. meenakshi ponnuswami deserves better. bill flack, deepak iyer, roger rothman, chase gregory. these are the finest educators bucknell has, and stripping them of their ability to mold and shape vulnerable first years (especially those whose identities are threatened more today than they were in 2019— the trans community and bipoc students) is criminal.
During my senior year of high school I was able to get involved in advocacy and learning about the injustices that are impacting the word and myself. I wanted to continue my journey at Bucknell so I signed up for SOJO res college, so that I can continue to learn about social justice and activism and be with like-minded people who understand the American system is not fair and it’s important to talk about it.
Being a part of SOJO became a safe place for me, as a Black student, at a PWI. I made my closest friends through SOJO, who understood white privilege and were willing to speak up about it no matter where they or they were on campus. I was with people that validated my experience at Bucknell and saw the campus for what it is, the good and bad. It was a space where I knew my opinion was heard and understood. It was also one of the few places on campus where I was not the only person of color. It was honestly a safe place where I could be who I am and speak up about the toxic culture at Bucknell.
Taking my SOJO course Whose Story is History, it gave me another perspective on things that are considered normal, but actually have a long history which is not always accurately presented in history books. The class were able to talk about difficult topics and discuss with each other from different perspectives. I also learned how to take different actions against injustices. As well as discuss social injustices to other people to educate others about the realities of the impact of injustices.
Overall SOJO helped me decide that I want my career to involve advocacy and to talk about the harder topics that no one wants to talk about. In SOJO I have met some of the best people at Bucknell as it is a genuine space for our voices to be confidently heard.
The campus deserves to have a safe space that can cultivate change: it’s important that a PWI has spaces such as this.
I believe that SoJo is extremely valuable to the Bucknell community. It is a safe space where students can discuss pressing societal issues and share unique perspectives in a constructive manner. In SoJo I met some of my closest friends and was even inspired to become an SHECP intern over the summer. Therefore, I was very confused and upset to hear that Bucknell is cancelling the Res College.
At a PWI such as Bucknell there need to be opportunities for students to educate themselves about the experiences of marginalized groups. As a white male, I find it very important to understand my own privilege and best position myself to help those in need. Getting rid of SoJo conflicts with the goal of fostering a more inclusive environment.
I was so happy when I got placed in SoJo my freshman year. Being a part of this Res College gave me a daily space with likeminded peers that did not come from the wealthy white background Bucknell is know for. Coming into SoJo, I did not realize how vital of a safe space it was to POC students, and learning that along the way filled me with so much pride that I was a part of it. One of my biggest concerns coming to Bucknell was the lack of racial diversity and financial wealth within the student body. Having SoJo not only showed me that there were people on campus like me, but it placed me in a hall with students I trusted and befriended. I do not think my freshman experience would have been as wonderful as it was without having my fellow SoJo peers around me every day. It showed me that there were students and faculty on campus that wanted to make active change for the better. I loved my foundation seminar and engaging with all the professors within the Res College. Professors Deepak and Meenakshi have been especially important to my college career, as well as a joy to have as professors, and would not have gotten close to them without SoJo.
This is a space for students to talk about real systemic issues taking place in their lives and in the world !! By removing this residential college, you are silencing the voices of students on campus and proving that Bucknell does not care about diversity, equity, and inclusion as much as they claim.
It’s important now, more than ever to teach our generation about social injustices and how to use our voices against oppression. We need to rise up and fight for equity together, and this residential college does just that.
Social Justice is integral for knowledge and societal progress. Without SOJO, a specific space dedicated not only to furthering knowledge and fighting causes that matter, minority students and those dedicated to allyship no longer have a space on campus to meet, congregate, and feel comfortable on campus. It is important that we nourish spaces that give people a chance to be themselves and meet others with backgrounds like them, and SOJO is one of those places that should be nourished.
I grew up in an area that was not very diverse and had no good way of learning of other people’s experiences. SoJo gave me that opportunity to learn what struggles other people go through in their daily lives that come from things that I take for granted. I can honestly say that SoJo led me to become a much better person with a broader outlook on our world. SoJo allows everyone involved to learn from each other and pursue a better world for everyone.
The Social Justice Residential College at Bucknell has not only given me a safe space to learn and live alongside those who like me, care about important issues and want to work to make the world around them a better place, but also has given me the opportunity to learn first hand about the issues that my peers face everyday. I do not consider myself to be a marginalized student. I have every privilege in the world when it comes to my education and background. Getting the opportunity to be a part of a group that feels comfortable speaking about challenges that they have faced and the challenges that they continue to face here at Bucknell has been eye-opening and has made me better suited to speak about these issues myself. Out of everyone that I have met at Bucknell, those in the Social Justice Res College are some of the smartest, most well-spoken, and committed students I know. The choice to cancel this residential college while keeping others with arguably less important objectives is a slap in the face to minority students who use the Social Justice Res College as a place to showcase their academic abilities and to be able to say what they’re thinking without fear of judgement. Additionally, to make this choice in the midst of the recent Supreme Court decision is not only appalling and embarrassing, but also contradicts any claim that Bucknell has made that they care about their minority students and want to do what they can to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. To Bucknell, this is simply the wrong choice. Do better.
It is such a horrible decision to end a program so meaningful to the campus community, especially following the supreme court’s ruling on affirmative action and diversity in colleges.
During my time at Bucknell, it allowed for a space where students were safely able to express their social concerns in regards to the misrepresentation and racial bias that Bucknell has as an institution. It was a space where we could discuss topics that were not being discussed anywhere else. WE NEED IT BACK!
Although I was never in Sojo, it was the values that the res college held is what was important to me, especially being in a PWI!
I’m an incoming freshman, and the SoJo residential college was one of the main reasons why I even accepted to enroll here. To me it was a representation of a genuine commitment bucknell had to fostering inclusion and equity.
Some of my closest friends and organizing partners were from sojo!
Although I am not a SOJO alumni, I have many friends who have been directly impacted by SOJO in the past as it provided a safe place for their passions and work with social justice. I was in the Environmental res college, and so I know how impactful the res college program is due to the community it creates amongst students and their academic work. Removing SOJO is removing a space for social justice to be cultivated along with cutting spaces for marginalized communities!
Because as a marginalized person at a predominantly white campus, I feel it is important to emphasize voices who aim to push social justice, especially in the curriculum of a supposedly “liberal arts” university.
It was the only place on campus that made my freshman year at Bucknell enjoyable, welcoming, and safe. Without SoJo, I would not have stayed. The only friends I have ever made on campus, and who have continued to be my closest friends and the best community, were in SoJo. And, coming into Bucknell as a freshman, it was so exciting and reassuring seeing that courses surrounding social justice dialogue and intellectually diverse conversations were offered and encouraged. The professors included, created an intellectually stimulating and safe community where diversity in thought was encouraged and provoked. It saddens me that future incoming freshman will be deprived of this community, especially those who are POC, because there is no other spaces on campus that could reassure an incoming student of their safety and security on campus as a POC attending a PWI. I’m disappointed.
My res college experience was undeniably one of the best decisions in my college career and shaped who I am today. The first year of college is so pivotal, and although I wasn’t a part of SoJo in particular, I had and have many friends who were/are. It’s Bucknell’s duty to continue to fight for safe spaces and generate meaningful seminars, events, and other conversations about social justice— and SoJo is a crucial part of creating that.
As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I was looking forward to having a safe space on campus where I could thrive and make changes with fellow Bucknellians. As an incoming first year, I have heard so many amazing stories about how SoJo has changed lives and how Bucknellians who have been apart of it have felt empowered and have made new connections. Us Bucknellians in marginalized groups have gone years or our whole entire lives feeling left out, marginalized, less than, and worthless in many situations. SoJo has been and was going to be a place where we could feel EMPOWERED, LOVED, and WORTHY. For Bucknell to take this away makes us feel less than. It makes us feel left out. All Bucknellians deserve to feel empowered, loved, and worthy.
I don’t have any direct ties to SoJo at all, but it’s clear that its presence on this campus is crucial if Bucknell actually wants to work toward its ideal of a diverse and inclusive campus culture. This disappointing decision will only serve to further alienate current and future students from underrepresented and underserved communities, probably seriously harming any sense of belonging to Bucknell they had previously. I’m sure that SoJo has helped many people form genuine bonds with other students and faculty members, and that kind of invaluable support should never be taken away from any student.
The first piece of advice my upper posse gave me while transitioning into my first year at Bucknell was to join the social justice residential college. They knew that as posse scholars, many of us were students of color that would need a space that could bring us together and provide meaningful, engaging conversations about social issues with others who were passionate. I met and got closer to some of my best friends through this residential college. I had a roommate who made me feel comfortable. And I had an amazing professor, Jasmine Mena, that helped facilitate my growing passion for learning. I got into contact with so many other amazing professor through this, including Meenakshi and Chase Gregory. SoJo is a place for student advocacy and community to flourish, taking this away will only silence the voices of students who are rendered invisible on campus. If Bucknell is truly committed to “diversity & inclusion,” it must actively address the needs and concerns of students, faculty, and staff– many of whom are Black, Brown, and marginalized people putting unpaid and emotional labor into cultivating identity-affirming spaces.
SoJo is a community that has served as a safe space for BIPOC students at Bucknell. I met some of the most wonderful, intelligent and caring people freshman year living on the SoJo hall.
SoJo was one of the very few avenues available on Bucknell’s campus where I felt like I could be my true, whole, and authentic self. Without this Res College, I would not have been able find the support needed to simply survive on a campus like Bucknell. SoJo and the community it holds is something that is truly so special and it is truly disheartening that future class years won’t have such an opportunity. Being in foundation seminars with a genuine diversity of thought, where many POC & marginalized students were able to feel as though their voices were heard and supported, truly held some of my most formative memories of college.
As a queer person, especially a TRANS/ENBY PERSON, having a safe space is not only important, but a matter of social survival. Bucknell has a responsibility to offer courses that illuminate the history and the ongoing struggles or marginalized identities. At a time when justice is so critical in our country, i cannot believe that they would take away a single course, let alone an entire res college, that would make Bucknell students more worldly, compassionate, and politically active individuals.
Its where i met most of my friends. It was a community for me when Bucknell as a whole failed to protect me as a Black student. The people i met in sojo 6 years ago, i still talk to.
SoJo provides a safe space for minorities on campus as it also educates on social justice. Right now is such an important, necessary time to have this program.
SoJo is meaningful to me because part of my decision to come to Bucknell was knowing that I have access to a place where my identity has been understood.
It is one of the only explicit spaces for students to discuss social justice issues and the world at large.
Sojo provided me with a space of likeminded individuals where we worked to cultivate tangible change at Bucknell as well in the community around us. The professors, whose expertise lies in varying fields, provided real world experience, alternate opinions and viewpoints, and empowered students to be change makers. I am beyond disappointed in Bucknell’s decision to eliminate SoJo, yet not entirely surprised. Bucknell claims to be supportive of diversity, equity and inclusion, yet they fail time and time again to back up this claim. Removing SoJo is doing your students a large disservice in creating well rounded Bucknellians. It only makes sense that Bravman as well as the rest of Bucknell is afraid of the impact that SoJo faculty and students are capable of. During my time in SoJo, we examined climate crisis, issues such as the Fran’s house attack, the lack of livable wages offered to custodial and cafeteria staff, and much more. These intelligent, powerful, and resourceful students and faculty will not be held back by Bucknells dark age perspectives on social change and justice. SoJo will not leave without a fight.
Bucknell’s politics have always been insidious in nature, explicitly creating a college experience centered around white, wealthy, and indifferent students. The reality is that the politics of Bucknell are part of a greater society that benefits from making marginalized identities and livelihoods simultaneously a spectacle and negligible. The commitment to employ these policies is a direct catalyst to the removal of the Social Justice Residential College (SOJO). Bucknell’s justification for the removal of the college is based on poor enrollment, though several other colleges within the residential college program have historically had a small population, though
their existence has never been decimated. It’s not lost on me that the decision to remove SoJo was not discussed with the dedicated faculty that facilitate first year seminars, nor the prospective junior fellows who interviewed and prepared for the upcoming school year, but rather erased without consideration or care. All the while Bucknell espouses the importance of DEI and critical thought. The timing of the decision is cold and calculated, with the recent
Supreme Court rulings that undoubtedly impact incoming and current student’s development, sense of self, and proximity to social justice. To remove a space to discuss and parse through how such current events affect students is negligent at best. While the removal of the college is unjust for all students alike, but especially the marginalized students that occupy SoJo as both first years and junior fellows.
I’m writing this letter on behalf of the marginalized students, just like myself, who found community and belonging in the Social Justice Residential College; on behalf of students, just as myself, who are grateful for the college’s implicit exposure to Bucknell’s true campus climate. With an early revelation to what an undergraduate experience at Bucknell is, the marginalized students that frequently populate this college are able to lay foundations for meaningful
relationships and obtain knowledge of resources imperative to their survival on campus. SoJo’s removal displaces home for marginalized students, taking away one of the very few spaces on campus that welcome their lived experiences and input.
As a two time junior fellow for the Social Justice Residential College, removing this specific college puts the survival of upper class marginalized students at a high risk. Residential education and the residential college program have long benefitted from the labor of Black and Brown students and students with a lack of financial resources. Despite the hours of training and the significant responsibility incurred, many of these students rely on employment with the
residential college for cheaper living accommodations. This is not to say prospective junior fellows (JF) do not care about the actual work as a JF, as the JFs for SoJo are among some of the most brilliant minds to grace that campus. But considering Bucknell’s consistent financial increase, forced dining plans, and student’s personal financial circumstances, paying for a room
up to $5,000 is simply not a possibility. By removing the residential college, Bucknell has effectively removed job and housing security for upper class students.
Lastly, the Social Justice Residential College is one of the few places on campus where critical thought, discomfort, and revelation is encouraged and celebrated, especially among attentive and compassionate senior fellows. My fondest moments in my time as a resident and junior fellow for SoJo are ironically connected to the discomfort, confusion, and clarity that I
experienced throughout the school year, learning further about the necessity of social justice and liberation in my life and the lives of others. To be a student in SoJo is one of the most brave things to embark on, choosing to engage in critique and realization of the world as they know it. While this is not necessarily a universal experience, it is undeniable how thought provoking and
extensive the content put together by the senior, and junior fellows alike, is. Bucknell’s student legacy is heavily populated by students who began in the Social Justice Residential College, many students who have gone on to lead critical change on campus, and will continue to do so once they graduate. To remove the residential college is quite frankly a denial of education and
access for future leaders to hone in on their skills and meaningful experiences.
I hope to see the Social Justice Residential College reinstated, and furthermore, have benefits increased for the junior fellows that commit hours and hours to residential education. I would like to note that I believe the erasure of the Social Residential College will be short lived. As long as Bucknell exists as Bucknell, students, who are often marginalized and have intimacy with social
justice, will demand a space for their lived experiences, interests, and curiosities to be explored. I hope they succeed in their efforts.
It’s means a lot to the people I love and support.
I’ve always been deeply involved in social justice. I’m gay in a country that criminalises homosexuality, I belong to an ethnic minority, and now I have to navigate what it means to be black within America while acknowledging the fact that I do not truly understand the black experience of African Americans within this country. Beyond that, I’ve had to witness and experience oppression firsthand. Enduring both a coup and civil unrest in two separate countries all within the space of 4 years. I had to find a way to create family for myself as I attended a boarding school and chose to surround myself with people whose identities intersected with my own as a way of finding home within a foreign country. Why do I share this? The Social Justice Res College was my top choice. I wanted to be surrounded by likeminded change-makers- those who are driven to create an equitable present and learn from the experiences of others. My deep passion for environmental and climate activism was an added bonus as this was a foundation seminar also offered by the Res College. While I instead got placed in a hall where I was the only black, gay, international student, I am happy that other students were given the opportunity to navigate a space that was welcoming. One where you didn’t have to explain my identities because it was a commonality. I’m glad that my peers had the chance to gain the experience of what it truly means to make a difference. Other students DESERVE that opportunity
I wasn’t in SoJo, but I was briefly involved in the activism around Bucknell’s lax and frankly negligent COVID 19 policies that originated from SoJo students. Bringing passionate students together and giving them the tools to drive change is what college education ought to be for, and my stint in this COVID policy activism revealed that SoJo was a place where exactly that could occur. The students were organized, intelligent, and determined to serve their community, even if it meant confronting institutional resistance.
Removing this space on campus is a blow to the university’s most involved students. Those from underserved communities, who tend to populate SoJo, comprise a significant portion of Bucknell’s student organizations’ leadership, employed positions, and research output. For a community so ingrained in Bucknell’s spaces of intellectual production and basic functionality to have to endure such consistent hostility (this decision only being the latest in a myriad of other offenses) only proves the knowledge gleaned through SoJo’s foundation seminars: the first casualties of economic efficiency are invariably the centers of support for underserved communities.
As a former member and JF, I found solace in sojo and exposure to individuals I likely would not have met otherwise at Bucknell.
The opportunity to speak with students weekly on social justice issues is not something bucknell provides outside of sojo and to remove it is to the detriment of the entire university.
Extremely disappointed that Bucknell has chosen to forego the benefits of the res college program by ending sojo, further marginalizing students and depriving them of experience outside of Greek life.
During my freshman year, I chose to join SoJo because I was interested in social justice, as well as doing my part in any way I could to spread awareness/ educate myself on many of the civil and social injustices that are going on in our world today. After I joined SoJo, I was not only welcomed by my classmates, but throughout the course of the year, we were able to create a safe space for every member of the Social Justice residential college as well. I felt my opinions were heard and as a group, we were actively trying to create solutions to day to day issues on campus and bigger issues facing our country today. Social Justice is important. Educating students on modern issues is important. Bring back the Social Justice Residential College.
It serves as a safe space for minorities on campus.
It’s an important part of campus life which provides unique and important perspectives on life. While I participated in SoTech, the phasing out of SoJo does not sit well with me in the slightest. Rising First Year students are being robbed of the opportunity and aspects of education that classes prior to them have had.
I was in SOJO during my freshman year and during covid year. SOJO allowed me to unite and meet with other students who had a similar passion to me as well as allow me to gain new perspectives I had never experienced before. During a particularly isolating time, I found a home in SOJO and I am eternally gratefully for the relationships and opportunities SOJO has provided me with. I felt that SOJO completely changed me as a person for the better and there are simply not enough words to describe my appreciation to the professors and JFs who made this program as amazing as it was. I cannot imagine my college experience without SOJO as it was a significant part of my education at Bucknell. Taking away SOJO is an extreme disservice to the institution as well as the incoming students who will greatly benefit from this program. I am greatly disappointed by this decision and feel as though this program has done wonderful things for the Bucknell community as well as provide a second home for students who need it.
My freshman year I remember being asked “Why SoJo” and I looked around the room to my peers and chuckled. To us it was obvious, SoJo was the best way for non-white students as well as low-income student who don’t completely fit into the affluent society Bucknell covets to find a home. And the simplest answer, we felt it was the easiest way to safeguard ourselves against racism and micro aggressions on a campus that is 80% white. SoJo allowed me to expand my understanding of people, their communities and why understanding the social conditions of a people are essential to understanding their reactions to the world. SoJo is an essential at a school like Bucknell without it we usher in more generations of kids who scurry off to pre-professional programs and don’t give a single thought to the communities around them, the ones they are a part of and the ones they affect.
SoJo is one of the only places in campus where the students can discuss the underlying issue in our society in an academic setting.
It provides a safe space for student of color and marginalized to feel comfortable to be themselves when the campus has very limited places for that.
While I was not a part of SoJo, I am a member of marginalised groups. I firmly believe that Bucknell, with consideration to its demographics, needs more people who will not stand for the stifling of diversity much as has been tradition over the course of Bucknell’s history. These ideas of activism and equality are spurred by the Social Justice RC, and it is paramount that such a space continues to bring positive change to Bucknell’s campus.
This is one of the only residential colleges that provides a sense of community and promotes discourse on the systematically oppressive systems that inhibit many minorities from several meaningful opportunities. By removing this residential college, Bucknell is forfeiting its commitment to diversity and inclusion.
It’s important for everyone to understand.
SoJo showed me that the school wanted to teach young scholars and support them in their beliefs. By removing SoJo along with the letter by the ministry I feel as if they are trying to stifle and differing views and attempts for equality.
Social Justice.
It’s a place where you can learn about activism even if before hand you didn’t have any experience with it.
give students a voice!
SoJo allowed me to build my initial connection with the people of color on campus. It gave us a space to be serious and discuss political issues but also allowed us to feel comfortable enough to support one another and even joke around at times. My experience at Bucknell wouldn’t be the same without SoJo.
SoJo allowed me to find others like me who care about creating a safe and equitable learning environment. It allowed me to quickly learn about Bucknell’s strengths and weaknesses as well as ways we can improve the institution. The skills I learned and the people I met in SoJo supported me as I organized and led protests on campus working to give everyone a voice. SoJo is an integral part of Bucknell and can be a powerful tool for improving our campus if you let it.
| SoJo allowed me to build my initial connection with the people of color on campus. It gave us a space to be serious and discuss political issues but also allowed us to feel comfortable enough to support one another and even joke around at times. My experience at Bucknell wouldn’t be the same without SoJo. |
| SoJo allowed me to find others like me who care about creating a safe and equitable learning environment. It allowed me to quickly learn about Bucknell’s strengths and weaknesses as well as ways we can improve the institution. The skills I learned and the people I met in SoJo supported me as I organized and led protests on campus working to give everyone a voice. SoJo is an integral part of Bucknell and can be a powerful tool for improving our campus if you let it. |
| Place for meaningful discussion, and change |
| The SoJo seminar stoked an activism and passion for change inside that led to my later professional success. I would hate that later Bucknell generations would be deprived of this. |
| Social justice is necessary on any campus but especially at Bucknell where students who come from marginalized backgrounds are treated as second class citizens and told by the university that the countless demeaning and dehumanizing incidents are going to build their character. Residential colleges are crucial to first year students finding their community and identity. At a time where Higher Education Institutions nationwide are systematically cutting their DEIA budget and axing DEIA curriculum, it is disturbing that Bucknell decided to cut the SoJo residential college. Places like SoJo are a safe haven for students. |