Hofstra... Pride?

Photo Courtesy of Hofstra University

Let’s hear it for the Hofstra Pride! However, there seems to be a lack of “pride.” I am a current sophomore transfer student here at Hofstra, and I’ve noticed that some things aren’t quite as advertised. Hofstra is promoted as a school of community, with tons of ways to get involved on campus. When the semester began, I took it upon myself to reach out to clubs and get involved. I sent out a dozen emails at minimum, yet we are months into the semester and I’ve not received a single response.

Hofstra asks prospective applicants to rank the activities on campus that they would like to be a part of. The application asks students to “indicate the number of activities in which you are interested and list in order of preference.” Numerous clubs are listed on the application, including several which happened to be on the list of clubs I reached out to. 

I am unsure if all of the clubs listed are still in existence, but Hofstra advertising their “diverse” 220 clubs seems to be a bit of a false advertisement. If the clubs that are displayed on the application don’t exist, then they should be removed from the list.

 Campus life is a significant factor when deciding what school to commit to for the next four years. Picking colleges is a nerve-wracking process for many, and I feel strongly that this false narrative that has continued to be portrayed is wrong. Additionally, Hofstra’s tuition is, at minimum, $53,310 a year without a scholarship or financial aid. Many families have to adjust their finances to send their children to school. 

Alternatively, some students pay for school on their own, which can lead to years of loan payments. Because students pay such a large sum of money to attend Hofstra, there should be more ways than just academics to immerse ourselves in “the college experience.”  

There is, however, one genre of campus organization that seems to be up and running. Hofstra’s Greek life is impressive, but should this be the only sustainable way to get involved on campus? Greek life is great, but is it for everyone? No. For students who don’t want to be in Greek life, how do they get involved?

Hofstra held one club fair during Welcome Week, and we made it all the way into the second week of November without another one. When I found out that a second fair was being held, I was thrilled. Had I wished it was held closer to the beginning of the semester? Yes. However, as a student eager to join a club, I was excited to attend. 

The intention behind the club fair was clear, but there was an overall lack of excitement among the students tabling the clubs. They weren’t excited or passionate about what they were advertising, and not many students attended the fair as a whole. Seeing the low turnout made me wonder if the event wasn’t advertised well – if at all – or if students are aloof to Hofstra’s clubs.

Those of you who have experienced a weekend at Hofstra can attest to the fact that it’s vacant. For on-campus residents the offerings for activities are slim to none. As a commuting student, I would personally travel back to campus for events, but what about the students who live on campus? How do they socialize on the weekend? The deficit in the community is alarming, despite our campus having tons to offer. 

There is so much space for community-building events to take place, without requiring any additional funds. Many schools have football teams, and students get involved by tailgating and rooting their team on from the stands. Hofstra doesn’t have a football team, but we, as Hofstra students, should still be able to rally together to show our “pride.”

Let’s change the narrative here at Hofstra. There’s always room for growth, and I think that Hofstra’s students and faculty have the capacity to actually make Hofstra a school built of community.