Freshmen everywhere
Loud, playful, irritating, and over-expressive are just some of the ways seniors at AUC’s new campus describe the nearly 1.000 freshmen who have come to AUC this fall semester.
Seniors, in line with age-old tradition, have always looked down on freshmen for different reasons; some of them justifiable and others based on mythology.
Trying to to discover the true origin of this divide bore no fruit, but, what is certain is that this trend is not unique to AUC alone. In the German University in Cairo (GUC), freshmen are allegedly not allowed to sit in the “U corner,” GUC’s version of AUC’s “Gucci corner.”
For freshmen wondering what the Gucci corner is, look for where the fashion enthusiasts hang out. Unlike their counterparts at GUC, AUC’s freshmen can join the “cool kids;” just don’t expect a welcome party, because seniors blame freshmen for a lot of their ills.
Several seniors were asked about the reasons behind the friction and tension that exists between them and freshmen The number one reason that kept popping up – freshman immaturity.
“They think AUC is an extension of high school, and they bring that mentality here, they are really loud, I think it’s more about the social experience for them,” said Mezm Abouzeid, a graduating senior and an aspiring architect.
But a more political reason could also be feeding into the friction: Freshmen are catching a bad wrap over the role they unwittingly played in the university’s financial policies and the controversial tuition hike.
The arrival of the 996 eager freshmen this semester, many argue, made it easier for the university to increase tuition fees by seven percent.
Truth be told, the freshmen were unaware of the increase because it was obviously their first time on campus. However, their swift compliance made others follow suit.
Some students felt uncomfortable protesting against tuition hikes, while their counterparts who have paid, began to register for classes with limited spaces.
Another popular reason seniors give for their disdain of freshmen is overcrowding. Many blame freshmen whenever they have to wait in long lines to get food, access the copy center ahead of an impending deadline, or get a seat on the bus. The University enrolled 1240 freshmen in the fall semester of 2011, about 224 more students than it did last semester.
However, when considering that only 847 seniors graduated last year, it is apparent that an additional 393 students need to graduate before equilibrium can be attained.
So can seniors justifiably blame freshmen for overcrowding? Not really. One can argue that it is in the nature of freshman to be admitted while seniors graduate. Think of it as input and output. The freshmen are coming in, but apparently not enough seniors are graduating on time.
But Adham Haddara, a journalism and theatre senior, says there is more than one reason for the perceived bitterness seniors have for their younger counterparts. “I think those of us who have been here longer are a bit territorial and the freshmen in response are being competitive. Unfortunately, it appears as though the majority is competing in a social rather than in an academic capacity.”
An AUC professor who chose to remain anonymous voiced a similar outlook.
For his part, Aly Mohktar, the director of the Office of Student Support, says: “AUC is not like other universities in Egypt. [As] an elite university, its social culture is kind of challenging to some of the students who are not used to liberal arts education, social and extra-curricular activities.”
Mokhtar added that through extra-curricular activities we can help bridge the barriers.
“You get the seniors who are usually leading the clubs in close contact with freshmen over something which is useful like trying to develop a project.”
