The dictionary defines diversity as the condition of being different from one another or being composed of distinct or unlike elements or qualities (Webster’s). But what really is diversity? Does diversity mean speaking Spanish instead of English? Or being of Asian descent rather than American? Or how about just having a different major than someone else? Nationalities, politics, backgrounds, religions, languages, interests, and opinions are all examples of things that make up diversity. Everybody is diverse from one another in some way, which contributes to making every single person possess their own unique personality.

Looking at University Park, everyone shares at least one common interest: Penn State. Out of all the schools, each of us chose to come here, uniting us with one strong bond. Though we share that widespread interest, each student differs from the next in multiple ways. Many of us come from different backgrounds and styles of life. Most people would think it would be easy to find students with matching backgrounds. It would actually be nearly impossible to find two people with backgrounds that are exactly the same. Think of all the factors that go into making a background: family, friends, childhood experiences, morals, beliefs, and hardships. For example, your neighbor to the right may have been one of three children from a very traditional middle class family. On the other hand, your neighbor to the left may have been an only child with a stay at home dad and working mom. Some students were raised by only one parent or divorced parents, while others were raised by other relatives such as grandparents. Many are used to being spoiled and having everything handed to them. Contrastingly, many others know how to work hard for rewards. Some people had to endure many losses and struggle to overcome many challenges, while others seldom experienced such hardships. Simple factors like these contribute to a person’s background and affect their style of life.

Along with backgrounds comes religion and morals. Religion can be split up in many ways. There are the people who do not believe in religion at all, people who do not believe in religion but believe in a higher force like God, and people who believe in one of the many types of religion out there. Looking at the blogs, this is easily made apparent. In our class of only twenty-five students, many of these differing beliefs are voiced. For example, one person in the class believes in some type of afterlife but that religion is only a control factor to keep people in order (Blog Posted by SheElff). Another strongly believes that there is no God at all (Blog Posted by Setabominae). I have met many people that are Jewish and many people that are Catholic. There are numerous different ways to look at religion and many opportunities to investigate ideas other than your own.

Penn State is not only diverse in backgrounds and religion but also in nationality [ethnicity; this is what you are discussing here, not nationality]. Take a handful of students waiting at the bus stop, and you will find a sample of the U.S. population. The majority will be White Americans, while there will also be smaller amounts of African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans. University Park is made up of 79.83% White Americans and 20.17% minorities and international students (PSU Fact Book). These numbers may seem very off-balance with almost 80% of the school being one race, but in reality, America is made up of 75.60% White Americans and 24.40% minorities (Census Bureau). This proves that Penn State shares similar statistics concerning race with America as a whole, and therefore is ideally proportioned to the U.S. population.

Difference of opinion is an element that displays the diversity of ideas throughout campus. People's opinions are usually based on where they are from, personal morals, and even what their parents or people close to them believe. There is one particular difference of opinion that seems to be expressed non-stop on campus. It is nearly impossible to walk down Beaver Ave. on a weekend night without hearing it. I’m talking about the infamous chants, “E-A-G-L-E-S Eagles!” Vs. “Let’s go Steelers!” Considering there are two NFL teams from Pennsylvania and most of the students are from PA, the majority came to Penn State with a preference towards one team or the other. Football is more of a trivial disagreement at Penn State. P[, but p]olitics bring up a whole different kind of controversy. You will always find some strong conservatives and some strong liberals. Everyone has their own opinion on the war and President Bush, which has become apparent in our blogs. Some people agree with his views on social security and some disagree with how he handled the Hurricane Katrina disaster. As long as discussions about differences are kept anti-hostile and friendly, opinions are a huge part of diversity. Personal beliefs and opinions constitute who you are.

Though the dictionary’s definition for diversity defines it to some extent, it does not solely suffice in encompassing all of its aspects. Diversity is a simple way of saying that everyone has distinct qualities, separating them from other people or groups. It is the reason everyone has an individual personality with unique views. Whether it is concerning backgrounds, nationality, or opinions, diversity is made up of a broad spectrum of elements. It can cause conflicts or spark interests. Though each student at Penn State is very diverse from the next, everyone is bonded together through like traits or beliefs and intrigued by different ones [I'm not sure what you mean here].