One of the best things about being a peer liaison for the Asian American Cultural Center is getting the privilege to mentor freshmen as they get to know Yale’s academic, social, and extracurricular circles. As upperclassmen, we peer liaisons have a pretty good grasp on how to navigate Yale. However, we also know how hard it is for some students to transition to Yale from all different backgrounds and walks of life. College is an entirely new, wonderful experience, but it can be tricky to navigate at first.
The peer liaisons and I decided to organize an event to start conversation about socioeconomic class at Yale. I think Yale really prides itself on being a campus that fosters debate, discussion, and conversation amongst its students. If there is an issue students feel passionately about, Yale has the resources to help make it happen.
All it took to get this event moving was an informal conversation with some of my other peer liaison friends who also felt passionately about providing a safe space to discuss socioeconomic class at Yale. Yale paid for the food, so we got to order from all of our favorite restaurants in New Haven. We ordered everything from Pad Thai to fried chicken and fresh tacos.
Freshmen really enjoyed the opportunity to talk freely about their transitions to Yale and how their various socioeconomic backgrounds may or may not have impacted their experiences. Everyone learned a lot about each other, and I think a lot of people realized that they’re not alone.
Our event helped me realize all over again how tolerant a place Yale is. It was a true testament to how Yale supports so many of its students’ endeavors. I am proud and grateful that my opinions matter at Yale, and this dinner and discussion really got the ball rolling for an important issue to every student at Yale.
