Panelist Lena '08 traced the evolution of her Christian faith through her family's poverty and her adjustment to a wealthy suburban town inhabited by many "hate-filled, miserable people." The intolerant Christianity Lena observed in the town was in opposition to her own understanding of the religion, she said.
At Dartmouth, Lena developed her personal relationship with Jesus Christ, she said, although people at the College often associate Christianity with the intolerant form of the religion she experienced while in high school.
"The respect was definitely there in theory, but not in practice," she said. "There are little things that fall into casual conversation that let me know my faith isn't truly respected."
Her personal experiences, Lena said, have made her confident in her faith.
"The little jokes sting, and I wish people better understood what my faith really is," she said. "But my own personal relationship with Jesus Christ makes it so that I don't need for anyone else to believe the same things that I do to know why I believe them."
At the request of the panelists, The Dartmouth has refrained from using last names due to the personal nature and sensitivity of the topics discussed.
Panelist Jennifer '08, plagued by her perception of Latino stereotypes, said she fought to differentiate herself from other Hispanic students while in high school.
"Being Latino meant you were poor, meant you were uneducated -- all those negative things I didn't want to associate myself with," she said. "So I tried to be neutral."
With the help of her parents, who spoke to her about her heritage, Jennifer said she embraced her ethnic identity while at Dartmouth.
Following Jennifer's story, panelist Latria '08 detailed the trials she faces on campus as a "plus-sized person."
"I feel like people see me as fat first, black second, a woman third and then as a student," she said.
Audience members snapped in approval as Latria argued that many students fear talking openly about the problems they face.
"Everybody has their own problems, but we just don't articulate it," she said.
"Even when you get burned out and you can't deal with it anymore, you still feel like you're suffering silently, and I feel like it's time to break the silence," she added.
Latria said she worked through her problems by talking with friends and opening up to others.
"No one got on a white horse and saved me," she said. "It was having the courage to talk to people and start dialogue ... It's also taught me how to say I'm fat, I'm black, I'm beautiful, I'm crazy, but I'm also infinitely powerful, and I have the ability to create change. I wouldn't have said that before."
Panelist Patena '08 detailed her struggle to come out to her family as a lesbian, describing her mother's disapproval of her sexuality.
"She went through the most extreme circumstances she could think of for her to tell me that she wants to have grandchildren," Patena said.
Patena, a black student, said she appreciated the College's commitment to diversity, but noted the diverse ethnic backgrounds of black students at the College. She added that she hopes in the future there will be more students who are descendents of slaves, like herself.
"I am the descendant of enslaved blacks," she said. "We worked and built this country, and there are so few of us that can say this with pride."
Panelist Gemma '08 spoke about her decision to pursue a computer science major at Dartmouth, an academic discipline she described as male-dominated.
The men in her classes, she said, insulted her with isolating comments, including one male classmate who thought she was only passing a class "because of [her] boobs," she said.
"It does bother me that even after all of my courses, I still feel like I don't belong," she said.
Gemma added that she would never want to sacrifice all the knowledge she has gained about herself as the result of her experiences in the department.
Panelist Alexanna '08 spoke about the difficulties of losing her father, and read a letter she had written to him after she learned of his death.
Coming from an Alaskan village with a population of 33, she said she struggled with returning to Dartmouth.
Despite these difficulties, she said the support she received from faculty, deans, and other students was very helpful.
The seventh panelist, Lizzie '08, refused to comment to The Dartmouth.
