A Mosaic of Diversity
Meagan Culkin | Staff Writer
Issue date: 9/10/09 Section: Op/Ed
President Jimmy Carter was once quoted saying, "We become not a melting pot, but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams." UNCW has been actively seeking to increase its diversity, or "mosaic," over the past few years, with this year being no exception.
11.06 percent of the student population at UNCW is considered diverse, but what does that really mean? African-Americans, American Indians, Alaskans, Asians, and Non-Resident Aliens are all considered diverse student populations on campus. Out of the 12,949 students currently enrolled at the university, 11.06 percent only amounts to a little over 1,400 non-Caucasian students.
I mean, 11.06 percent diversity on campus is great, but why don't we have more? As one of the top public universities in the state, I would expect there to be more of a draw for people from around the world to come here. In the first issue of The Seahawk this year, we talked about having students represented from 36 states and 22 different countries, but how many of those students were of different ethnicities?
Some people attribute UNCW's diversity, or lack thereof, to the fact that we are a campus by the beach. Many also assume that Caucasians are the primary group that is drawn to a beach location. Quite frankly, I think that's ridiculous. Not only that a decision about your future college would be based on geographic location, but that a school's academic standing rarely seems to be the first thing brought up to high school seniors when they are deciding on where to go to school.
I mean, think about it. The better part of our junior and senior year's in high school were monopolized by various college fairs with schools that promoted their football teams, campus involvement, and college life-- oh yeah, and academics. Let's face it, the last thing an average high school teenager wants to hear about is how much more schoolwork they will have to do. But don't we, at UNCW, pride ourselves on being above average? Perhaps if we placed a greater emphasis on how academically prestigious our university is to high schoolers, we would attract a more diverse population to our college campus.
Although we do not have an enormous amount of ethnic diversity, there does seem to be a great deal of cultural awareness and acceptance on our campus. Groups such as PRIDE, the Upperman Center, Amnesty International, and the Women's Studies and Resource Center are all organizations that embrace diversity here on campus. Whether it is a service community, resource center, or just a place where you feel at home, UNCW tries very hard to offer that amenity for you.
Regardless of how many ethnic students there are represented on campus, it is important for everyone to keep an open mind and remember that the color of our skin is not the sole factor of diversity-- every student here at UNCW is distinctly unique in their own way. We must remember that these differences are not meant to hold us back but to help us flourish, both as individuals and campuswide, and ultimately become "a beautiful mosaic" of teal and gold.
11.06 percent of the student population at UNCW is considered diverse, but what does that really mean? African-Americans, American Indians, Alaskans, Asians, and Non-Resident Aliens are all considered diverse student populations on campus. Out of the 12,949 students currently enrolled at the university, 11.06 percent only amounts to a little over 1,400 non-Caucasian students.
I mean, 11.06 percent diversity on campus is great, but why don't we have more? As one of the top public universities in the state, I would expect there to be more of a draw for people from around the world to come here. In the first issue of The Seahawk this year, we talked about having students represented from 36 states and 22 different countries, but how many of those students were of different ethnicities?
Some people attribute UNCW's diversity, or lack thereof, to the fact that we are a campus by the beach. Many also assume that Caucasians are the primary group that is drawn to a beach location. Quite frankly, I think that's ridiculous. Not only that a decision about your future college would be based on geographic location, but that a school's academic standing rarely seems to be the first thing brought up to high school seniors when they are deciding on where to go to school.
I mean, think about it. The better part of our junior and senior year's in high school were monopolized by various college fairs with schools that promoted their football teams, campus involvement, and college life-- oh yeah, and academics. Let's face it, the last thing an average high school teenager wants to hear about is how much more schoolwork they will have to do. But don't we, at UNCW, pride ourselves on being above average? Perhaps if we placed a greater emphasis on how academically prestigious our university is to high schoolers, we would attract a more diverse population to our college campus.
Although we do not have an enormous amount of ethnic diversity, there does seem to be a great deal of cultural awareness and acceptance on our campus. Groups such as PRIDE, the Upperman Center, Amnesty International, and the Women's Studies and Resource Center are all organizations that embrace diversity here on campus. Whether it is a service community, resource center, or just a place where you feel at home, UNCW tries very hard to offer that amenity for you.
Regardless of how many ethnic students there are represented on campus, it is important for everyone to keep an open mind and remember that the color of our skin is not the sole factor of diversity-- every student here at UNCW is distinctly unique in their own way. We must remember that these differences are not meant to hold us back but to help us flourish, both as individuals and campuswide, and ultimately become "a beautiful mosaic" of teal and gold.
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