Students of UH Hilo share thoughts on community

Q1: Do you feel that UH Hilo has a strong sense of community?

Jackson Curtis Meyer: At UH Hilo, everyone treats each other well, and there is definitely an aloha spirit, but I'm not so sure there is much community… People don't go past, [say] ‘hey what's up' and get to know people.

Amanda Morrison: No. I think that there is unity within different groups or certain clubs, even in the classroom there can be more community than throughout the entire campus, because people still have issue with connecting to everybody equally.

Daniel Konkler: I feel there is a pretty strong sense of community, yes. There are a bunch of events going on and it gets spread quickly. Everybody is super nice and super chill, at least on campus. In the dorm that I was in, not necessarily…everyone just kind of stuck to themselves, the CC's didn't seem like they were out to get everybody together or anything like that.

Gerard Kruisheer: I think there is a polarized community on our campus. There are a lot of new students that come from the mainland and they don't know many people so they are really independent. When I first came here I was much more social, [but after living] here longer, I kind of made my nest and stayed in it.

Ruby Tapuai: I do. The campus is great, the students are great. We have a big ethnic group. Especially international night when all the clubs come together and do their performances.

Terrence Bryant: Yes, I do…There are different communities I think. It's sort of cliquey, but it's like big cliques…it's more like certain people tend to hang out with certain people. It might be [negative] but you can't force people to hang out with anyone… so people just naturally hang out with who they want to.

Heidi Ohly: I do. I definitely sense community through the different clubs and stuff that I've gone to.

Q2: Do you sense more community when you attend campus events? Why or why not?

Meyer: [Yes], especially when you go to events like last week's Ho'olaulea. Not only [were] there students, but bands that travel and are making a name for themselves came to the school and attracted people of all different ages…people that weren't even associated with the school [came].

Morrison: I don't know what the numbers are for students who go to sports events or campus events, I'm pretty sure they're low. People don't take the opportunity (because there are opportunities) to attend things on campus where they can mix and mingle and meet new people.

Bryant: Events are really fun usually, although I've noticed that later on in the semester no one goes to them, but in the beginning of the semester it's a really good place to meet people.

Q3: What are some of your ideas about how the UH Hilo community could be strengthened?

Meyer: Better marketing… [using] Facebook pages, emails that are actually legit, not like "oh we're putting new pavement on." If there is an event coming up, don't tell us the day before, tell us two weeks in advance where it is, how to get there, what's going to be offered there.

Morrison: I would work on the "defend Hawaii", and ‘being local'… that prejudice has a lot to do with the fact that students who are not from here have a harder time making friends with other students who are outside of the group of other mainland kids. Hilo has one of the most diverse student bodies in the country… even if that's so, I don't think that all of those groups are cohesive.

Konkler: If there was a better cafeteria and if the food wasn't so expensive it's stupid. If I did go back to the dorms, more from the CC's - more activities.

Kruisheer: You know how in the library, you can't really study together, and coffee is an integral part of studying? If students could have coffee and study together, and that was more accepted in the school community…

Jamaica Agustin: The professors. I have some really good professors, and some really bland professors… they do have evaluations, but it seems like some professors don't take that into consideration in the sense where they're not changing the way they teach. It has a big effect.

Bryant: I think that they should make it more open to people. The events are always closed off. Like the dances are all students, so it's not really community. We need fraternities; frats would be fun.

Ohly: Maybe more dorm activities? I know [the people] in my room, but I don't really know anybody else.