feel as though at times it encourages separation when it is not necessary. It all depends on how "unsafe" someone believes Hampshire Campus is. I personally feel, though I have heard my opinion is invalid due to my identity, that Hampshire is a very safe campus.
I'd go on to ad that, during a housing lottery every individual is faced with the prospect of being in "unsafe" housing. Being with people you don't know is always scary. In the end, everyone wants the same thing.
Furthermore, I have noticed specifically that the Men of Color mod has been, in the past, full of individuals I would consider to be socially powerful, stable, and emotionally strong. A group of guys that everyone generally likes who I believe deserve the right to live together but not preference because of their identity.
In the end, I feel it's not about living with people who have a similar background as you. It's about living with people you know you can trust. Who you feel comfortable living with. And I believe that though shared identity-based experiences can add to that trust, it does not necessarily make someone a safe person to live with.
Where this can potentially become problematic is if an unsafe living condition comes around because a group of students band together merely because of their shared identity and the greater security in acquiring a living space. In a "bad" situation, these students could unintentionally end up living with an unsafe individual.
However, I've never heard of this happening because of what appears to be the reality of the situation to me: identity based housing is being used as a front for a group of friends to have an easier time living together. There have been "horror" stories of queer housing being half full of heteros, sub-free housing being full of substance users, etc. For the most part, these identity-based houses are full of a group of friends who want a leg up, from what it seems. Which makes me wonder, why do they get more of a chance? I want the exact same thing: a living situation with people I feel comfortable being myself around.
I would like to add that if this survey weren't anonymous I would not voice my opinion because I feel as though the community at Hampshire believes my views on this are invalid. So, I really appreciate that this survey is allowing me to safely speak my mind.
