First year college students are ‘in the driver’s seat’

          Three years ago, Talia Schumacher, originally from Minneapolis, enrolled for her freshman year at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

          “My main concern was finding a Jewish community to be part of,” Schumacher told The Chronicle, “because being involved and networking within the Jewish community was and is very important to me.”

          She added that she initially felt apprehensive about UWM because she had heard there were “not that many Jewish students” compared to UW-Madison and other schools.

          Still, she made a point of attending the Hillel Milwaukee’s barbecue for returning and new students, meeting the staff and the student interns. “They made me feel really welcomed,” she said. “People cared about what I wanted to do.”

          And so during her three years at the school — she graduated this past May with a degree in social work — she was active at Hillel, working herself as a student intern as well as attending Shabbat dinners and holiday celebrations.

          Naturally, checking out the local Hillel Foundation chapter or Jewish Student Union is something Wisconsin’s two Hillel directors — Heidi Rattner at UW-Milwaukee and Greg Steinberger at Hillel Foundation University of Wisconsin in Madison — both advise new students to do.

          And in truth, these organizations offer much to help Jewish students make the adjustment to college or university life.

          But first, they told The Chronicle in recent telephone interviews, entering students need to ask themselves some questions about what they want out of their academic experience.

          “Going to college is an exciting moment and a vulnerable moment,” said Steinberger, and the initial experiences “can feel overwhelming.”

          “People spend a certain amount of thoughtfulness selecting a college,” said Steinberger. “I often suggest that they ask themselves what do they want for their personal religious, social and cultural development … and where does Jewish life fit into that.”

          Moreover, “students are in the driver’s seat” when it comes to deciding and going after what Jewish involvement they want to have, said Rattner.

          And students may have “to actively do things to find” their community, Jewish and otherwise, on campus, and should not become discouraged if the first two or three encounters seem disappointing, said Steinberger.

          “It takes a certain amount of courage to be sure you find what you are looking for,” said Steinberger. “Don’t let the first experience hold you back.”

          It often happens that at the first night, “people come back who haven’t seen their friends for a while, and they sometimes forget to say ‘Hi’ to newcomers,” said Steinberger. “You can feel like an outsider.”

          This feeling can be even more powerful at a private and religion-affiliated school like Marquette University, a Catholic institution, said Rattner. “Some of the Jewish students feel like they stand apart,” she said.

          But with some perseverance and willingness to seek assistance, students can find their way, Rattner and Steinberger said — and not just via Hillel.

          “I think it is important for new students to understand that every organization and every person provides an opportunity to become connected and to help them network,” said Rattner.

          And she urges students to become active in whatever campus organizations spark their interest. “Getting involved helps students learn new skills and figure out what they enjoy doing,” she said.

          “We’ve had students come in with one career goal, and after an internship at Hillel they realized that they really wanted to go into something else,” Rattner said. So she urges students to be “open to changing your mind, to trying new things” and to “give other people a chance to learn about you.”

          There are some other issues that may particularly concern Jewish students. For example, Steinberger advises students concerned about having to miss classes for religious observances to inform professors and teaching assistants about this early on, and not wait until the day before.

          “In our experience, faculty will understand and will not penalize students, but they will expect students to be responsible,” he said. However, he acknowledged that “sometimes people behave badly,” and that students having problems about religious observance and classes should speak to him.

          He also encouraged students to speak to him if they encounter any outright expressions of hostility toward Judaism or Israel in classes or elsewhere on campus.

          “Sometimes students can be so passionate” that they don’t handle the situation in the best way, Steinberger said. But “sometimes situations require a certain strategy to win” and university officials “expect a certain process” that is “not always student friendly,” he said. A Hillel director “can help navigate those waters” and “figure out how to fight the fight.”

          Rattner added that in addition to Hillel staff members, students can consult with supportive professors and especially with older students “who have been through it.”

          “Students shouldn’t feel alone expressing Judaism and their feelings about Israel,” she said. “Other students feel the same way.”

          Above all, said Rattner, “Students with a particular interest in something Jewish could come right in and tell us what they want to do.”