Skip to main content
Omeka - Digital History at Ursinus

SPINT Housing: Cloake House

The Africana Studies House in the 2011_2013 ursinus College Catalogue.JPG

Ursinus College Course Catalogue from 2011-2013

Screen Shot 2019-11-01 at 3.19.05 PM.png

African American and Africana Studies Resources and Opportunities

The first image is the Ursinus College Course Catalogue from 2011-2013. This section specifically focuses on the residence halls here at Ursinus College. One of the houses offered is the American History & Africana Studies House. This house fell under the Special Interest House program (SPINT) which allowed upper-class students the opportunity to live with others who are committed to working towards a common goal or share the same interests. The second image is of the African American and Africana Studies Resources and Opportunities page. The Africana Studies House today, known as Cloake, is a residential alternative to students with interests in AAAS or have service roles in Sankofa Umoja Nia (SUN). Sun is devoted to educational engagement and community service among black students.

Facing segregation...March 24, 2011 The grizzly.jpg

Facing Segregation in the 21st Century Through Campus Programs

“Facing Segregation in the 21st Century Through Campus Programs” is a newspaper article written by Tom Nucatola published March 24, 2011, The Grizzly. In the article Nucatola expresses that SPINT Housing designed for specific racial and sexual groups and the W.R. Crigler Institute as inherently racist and self-segregating. This includes the American History and Africana Studies house, Cloake, created in 2010 which seeks to house students interested in American/ Africana studies. Although Nucatola recognizes that the house is open to all students, he fears these communities will seek protection in these spaces. He goes on to say, that the creation of said communities will intensify racial and sexual tensions and delay tolerance and understanding of such groups on campus. Instead, Nucatola criticizes the programs that these communities host which he sees as no substitute for real interactions with people different from you. This disapproval of SPINT Housing, especially Cloake, uncovers some of the negative feelings towards those interested in AAAS and reveals the stigma that only racial minorities are interested in such topics.

Joshua Walsh published “Response to article, ‘Segregation in the 21st Century’”, in the Grizzly on April 14, 2011.  Walsh begins by addressing the article “Segregation in the 21st Century” and how it argues that all the efforts made by Ursinus College to promote diversity on the campus were not good for the college. While someone else may have published a response, he believes that as a biracial student and Co-coordinator for SPINT housing he has a unique response to the article. His first argument is that SPINT housing is not a program designed just for creating diversity on the Ursinus campus. The themes created for each house are not created by Residence Life but are run by students. He continues by bringing up the author's attack on the Queer House which he believes to be insensitive considering that not even a year has passed since 18-year-old Rutgers students Tyler Clementi committed suicide. Walsh suggests that the argument of the original article that Queer House is detrimental to the campus is no factually supported, and to suggest that is problematic. The argument ignores the issues at hand that are affecting the gay community and how the house has created a safe space. He goes on to say that the argument about the Crigler Institution on whether it is separatist or necessary is more complicated. Statistics show that students of color have lower graduation rates, this shows that students of color face more barriers inside and outside the classroom. He ends the article stating that discussions opinion-based or not should be factual. Joshua Walsh lists the number of roles he plays on the Ursinus Campus as a member of the Grizzly, UC United, UC Rising, SUN, Riff Club, and an alternate RA. Based on the definition of segregation by the author of “Segregation in the 21st Century” he would also be considered “segregated”.