Student, resident talk stereotypes
Despite stereotypes, students and residents may give to each other, Eastern and the Charleston community seem to be content with one another.
Karen Ethridge said she has lived in Charleston for 38 years, and believes students and residents have a mutual relationship.
“I feel like, overall, Charleston has a very positive outlook on the college students,” she said.
She said people can be wrongly judged when they are stereotyped.
Ethridge said some stereotypes she has heard about college students are that they like to party and they are self-centered.
On the other hand, Ethridge said students also judge Charleston residents.
“They probably think that the residents of Charleston are too demanding when it comes to policies,” she said.
Ethridge said people stereotype others because they have not taken time to get to know a person or a group.
Ethridge said stereotypes between Eastern students and Charleston residents can be stopped through community and college projects, which will bring the two groups together.
She said she believes this will cause students and residents to get to know each other better.
Ethridge said Charleston is fortunate to have Eastern because the school offers culture and diversity in the population.
“Therefore let us widen our horizons when it comes to stereotyping people or accepting them,” Ethridge said.
Desiree Durbin, a senior special education major, said she does not think about the stereotypes that are given to residents or students because of the overall positive relationship.
But Durbin said many college students are stereotyped as immature or drunk.
“Some kids try to live up to it. Some people think that ‘Oh, I’m going to go to college to drink,'” she said.
Durbin also mentioned this stereotype is not accurate.
“Half the kids that I hang out with don’t even drink,” she said. “I don’t even drink that much.”
Durbin said she believes stereotypes come from what people observe around them, especially when it comes to students and partying.
“They see some people doing it, and it just kind of manifests itself,” she said.
However, Durbin said she does not believe stereotyping can be stopped.
She said people develop stereotypes through stages of aging, such as high school stereotypes.
“It’s just something that’s embedded in your head,” she said.
Alesha Bailey can be reached at 581-7942 or at ambailey2@eiu.edu.
