Carolyn Vilter

COL ’17
Age: 18
Hometown: Philadelphia, Penn.
Major: Undeclared

What do you hope Georgetown will help you accomplish?
I hope it will give me the skills I need to function competently in my future life, and that it will expose me to things, people and ideas that I didn’t know before. 

Do you think Georgetown is doing that?
I do. The cliche that college is what you make of it is very true, so I think it’s up to me to make sure that I get all of those things out of Georgetown. So I have work to do, but I definitely think I’ve encountered all of those things here. 

Where have you found those things? Through classes? The people you end up around? Through clubs? What has been most helpful in finding the things you’re looking for?
Probably the people, which I guess leads back to classes and clubs because that’s where you get exposed to the people. But I would say that just getting to know people here has been both the most interesting and helpful experience of mine here.

What’s your favorite class you’ve taken so far?
I’ve liked them all. Maybe Spanish? My first semester Spanish professor was my favorite professor so far: Doreen Metzner. She’s very interesting and she inspired me to consider travelling extensively or moving out of the United States to work, because that’s what she did for 30 years. It’s been really fascinating to hear her stories. 

Do you feel like you fit in at Georgetown? Do you feel like everyone can fit in at Georgetown?
I don’t know. I think I feel like I fit in at Georgetown, but that is a reflection of having found people I fit with, not necessarily me being in some way compatible with that, which is Georgetown in its entirety. So yes, so far so good for me, but I could see how people might be unable to find their place. 

Would you say that where you’re from is home or where you are now is home?
Taking that question literally, I’d say both, because I find myself referring to both as home, and it gets confusing. But I don’t know. I think it depends on how you define home, and in the sense that I like the place and I like the people, both are home.

If you could lead a protest on one thing what would it be?
Well I wanted to go to a Planned Parenthood protest today, but Econ. A protest on anything? Women’s rights and choice and the separation of state with respect to people’s personal values, with people bringing their own values and religion into the law, which then forces them upon other people, which I don’t think is fair. 

If you could be successful in anything what would it be? And how would you define success? 
Success is one of those things that shifts shape depending on where you find it or where you put it, but I think since I’m the one asked to define it, it would be understanding closeness with the world and others, and comfort. 

What’s the best thing about Georgetown?
I’m not sure I’m equipped to decide that, but I guess it’s the values and the goal: People taking care of each other and learning things. 

What could Georgetown do better?
We might as well do everything better, but if I had to pick something, I’d say inclusiveness. And I don’t know if I’ve been here long enough if it’s fair for me to stand around and say that, but I think it’s hard to be at an affiliated institution and to necessarily be tied to so many people who are also affiliated with what that is and make sure you really actually accept people who come into conflict with that or who aren’t that. We like to say we do, but I think we actually need to make sure we do.

Interview by Ben Germano