Student Ambassadors
Case Western Reserve University students
visit Fisk University
Students from Case Western Reserve University serve as ambassadors of the Case-Fisk partnership with visits to Fisk University.
When they gathered together at Case to talk about their experiences at Fisk during a recent fall break, they were all in agreement: Their experiences there rated a nine or nine and a half on a ten-point scale.
During their three-day trip, they talked bout the possibilities for exchanges between the two institutions with students, faculty, and administrators in the Nashville-based university and attended classes and community events.
What follows are excerpts from essays they wrote about the time they spent there:
"I went to Fisk University expecting an activity-packed weekend with a host to guide me throughout the campus and lead me into the social atmosphere of the campus. I was mistaken. When we got there, there weren't any official hosts, and the weekend wasn't as jam-packed as we were led to believe, but none of that matters. There was no need for a host. The campus hosted us. The student body hosted us. The pride of the campus, the pride of the students, and the intelligence and respect that fills the campus fed us to a host of students all volunteering their time to ensure our trip was worthwhile."
Case student Nsikakabasi W. Obotetukudo
"Overall, my Fisk experience was wonderful. I do not believe that Case could have found a better institution to partner with. The students and faculty are excited to be there, which allows others to be equally excited about visiting and attending. I was impressed by the amount of student involvement on campus. During our visit, we did not meet any students who were not a part of some on-campus organization. One of the events that we attended was the Mr. Fisk pageant. Although the students knew that Ernest, one of the students who visited Case for the [vice presidential] debate, was going to win, the room was still so crowded that people had to stand. The students also take pride in Fisk University, what it stands for, and its founding principles."
Case student Jasmine Chandler
"My experience at Fisk University was very pleasant. I found that although the South is different in terms of foods and attitude, they seem very proud and willing to share their cultural differences. Particularly the students at Fisk were very accommodating in answering all of our questions about campus life, class sizes, and the surrounding area even taking us around the area of Nashville, showing us a quick tour, even though it was the weekend before their mid-terms. Many of the students on campus were friendly, and many students were interested in the reasons why Case decided to bring us down to the south."
Case student Jessica Arteaga
"While attending Dr. Reavis Mitchell's lecture last Friday, he mentioned an idea that rang true to me. To paraphrase, he said that what is important about Fisk University is its people. After attending Fisk over Fall Break as a student ambassador, I could not agree more.
"I believe that a university is nothing without its students, and Fisk University proved that to me. I found the people very friendly. While I was not necessarily expecting them to be unfriendly, I found their level of kindness and affability extremely touching. Students would see us on campus, and they would smile and graciously say to us, "Hi, y'all-how y'all doing?" Their graciousness certainly added to the Fisk experience, and allowed us to settle in even more quickly. One of the students offered to take us on a tour of downtown Nashville, and she succeeded in hitting the high points of the town. She literally did so-she drove us to a hill where we could see all of Nashville sprawled out before our eyesight. It was a glorious sight to see. What was more splendid was the fact that she took the time to do that for us-and I am grateful for that.
"Another aspect of Fisk University that impressed me was not only the people, but also their culture. Please allow me to explain. During the outdoor Family Fun Fair, or the production of "Living Fat," or the selection ceremony of "Mr. Fisk," the vibrancy of the Fisk family stood out to me. This also impressed me, because I saw the university and its students coming together to celebrate as a family-a family that took us in, welcomed us, and entertained us to the best of their efforts. During these aforementioned events, I saw people socializing, singing, dancing-reveling in the culture they shared at Fisk. They were proud of themselves, their achievements, their history, and they were more than happy to show that to us."
Case undergraduate Chris Kolibaba