By Ayana Bessard, Staff Writer

Published Aug. 27, 2014

There are two types of people on campus: introverts and extroverts. 

And the easiest way to tell which one you are is to consider a typical situation that you find yourself in every single day. 

So, when walking into a classroom do you immediately look for someone you know, or go ahead and sit by a person you’ve never met before?

Chances are, you quickly look for someone you know, and if you don’t see anyone you find an isolated seat towards the back.

This almost standard reaction begs the question as to why students seem to be so scared to talk to new individuals.

And even if we are bold enough to initiate a conversation with a complete stranger, it’s odd that the person seems to be the same race or gender as ourselves.

This natural tendency is both worrisome and eye opening, because it plays into the stereotypes and biases so commonly associated with our society.

With that being said, I believe it’s important to look at our own campus’ diversity, which is so highly touted by school administrators. 

After glancing at our university’s statistics on the History page of our school website, it’s hard to argue that the diversity on campus is anything short of impressive.

Any site visitor gets the message nice and early by being told, “UNCG is the most diverse of the UNC system’s historically white campuses.”

The reasons this could be intriguing for prospective students is twofold. 

First, if you’re someone from a small town, the idea of attending a large and diverse university may present a unique opportunity to experience other cultures that may have not been evident while growing up.

Second, if you’re a minority or from a very diverse area, it’s comforting to know that you will never feel out of place or like an outsider on campus.

Personally, I’m thrilled to be a part of a diverse campus, because it encompasses a wide variety of viewpoints, ideologies, and approaches to life that can open the minds of students; in fact, it epitomizes the university’s goal of intellectually developing its students.

On the other hand, this diversity has yet to be extended to every facet of college life. 

For instance, many students on campus feel as if there are very few events and activities that promote the integration of different ethnic groups. 

This is especially evident with respect to networking.

In college and beyond it sometimes doesn’t matter what exact knowledge you posses, but who you know. 

Thus, the lack of diversity in some of our clubs and Greek Life organizations is uninspiring, because it prevents networking on a more integrated level.

And although these clubs may be convenient to join, there are others who feel as if the campus can do a better job of promoting integration and diversity in their clubs instead of tightening the circle to exclude those who wouldn’t typically join.

Fortunately, we have the resources on campus to directly address these concerns.

For example, the Office of Multicultural Affairs can act as a great avenue for those of us focused on branching out and becoming more culturally aware. 

Hopefully, this message will be received loud and clear by both administration and students on campus.

And, eventually, our university’s impressive diversity statistics will be a mere shadow of the the harmony that will be created by students, faculty and staff for generaations to come.