By: Brianna Wallen
Editor-in-Chief
After wondering who was in the portrait on the third floor of the Adanti Student Center, I had the opportunity to meet him last week.
Neil Thomas Proto, a 1967 graduate of the university, met with three members of the Southern News editorial team on Thursday, Oct. 29, to discuss campus life, student concerns and the experiences of young adults navigating campus and the world they will be inheriting.
Proto met with myself, Editor-in-Chief Brianna Wallen, News Editor Valentina Toro and Features Editor Mackenzie Byerlee for a conversation about what is happening on campus, the challenges students face and the issues that matter to the university community.
A first-generation college student, Proto grew up in New Haven’s Fair Haven neighborhood.
He has credited the university with providing a foundation for his success while helping strengthen the values he developed growing up.
During his time at the university, Proto studied history and political science and served as Student Government Association president. Proto said he was one of the few college of arts and science students at the time.
Proto recalled how then university President Hilton C. Buley called on him to bring together students from Connecticut’s state colleges to advocate for their institutions.
At the time, state colleges were often viewed as inferior to other universities. Buley wanted students to unite and make their voices heard, Proto said.
After graduating from the university, Proto attended George Washington University for graduate school, where he became involved in advocacy. I learned that he was a resident adviser and hall director there as well.
As someone who is an RA, it was cool to hear that we shared similar experiences in our role despite the generational difference.
Proto also shared how he organized students to support John F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign.
After learning there was no organized group of young people campaigning for Kennedy, Proto took the initiative to reach out to his peers in Connecticut from Washington, D.C.
He rallied a group of students from the university to campaign for Kennedy, demonstrating his early interest in civic engagement and political involvement.
Throughout his career, Proto has remained connected to the university and the Greater New Haven community.
His support of the university has helped fund initiatives ranging from scholarships for aspiring lawyers to programs encouraging civic engagement and preserving New Haven’s political history.
I appreciated the opportunity to sit down with him, hear about his experiences and learn more about the university beyond what I see as a student.
I learned so many things from him, including that the paper used to be called The Soconnion.
For the Southern News editors, the meeting offered an opportunity to share their perspectives as students and discuss the concerns of balancing academics, responsibilities and plans for the future.
As student journalists, Toro, Byerlee and I work to cover the issues affecting the university community and provide a platform for student perspectives.
Proto emphasized the importance of students sharing their insights and the need for journalism as a whole.
Using our voices and speaking about topics that we care about is what keeps everyone educated and aware of what is occurring around them. This is especially important when it comes to our local community.
The conversation allowed us to bring those experiences directly to an alumnus whose own time at the university helped shape his career.
The meeting served as a reminder of the connection between past and present students and the importance of continuing conversations about the university’s direction and the experiences of the people who make up the campus community.
