Michol Zahoran
September 23, 2005
Diversity at Penn State University

According the dictionary, diversity is “a point or respect in which things differ” (Diversity). Because Penn State believes that diversity -- especially concerning cultures, race, and ethnicity -- is a compelling part of education, the university encourages such diversity in its student body as well as in its curriculum. Is Penn State as diverse as it claims and is diversity a compelling part of an education? Also, is a diverse atmosphere a healthy atmosphere?

University Park, the main campus of Penn State, educates over 41,000 students. African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, International and Caucasian are the ethnicities that create the student body at University Park. By far, the Caucasian student population, which comprises 80% of the student body, is greater than the combined numbers of all other student ethnicities on campus (Althouse). Thus, Penn State’s student body closely reflects the racial and ethnic composition of our nation as a whole. Penn State University certainly meets the dictionary’s definition of diversity. However, I believe Penn State is diverse in more ways than the ethnic background of its students. At Penn State every student is different from one another. Students have hair color that ranges from blonde to red to green. Students have different techniques for studying and different styles of clothing. At Penn State students are Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, and atheist. And, o [O]f course, there are some students who are Eagles’ fans and some students who are Steelers’ fans. All of these elements create the diversity present at Penn State.

Penn State also encourages diversity within its curriculum. The university offers a multitude of degrees and classes that allows and encourages students to follow their personal interests and appeals to each student’s unique personality. The dictionary defines diversity as “a point or respect in which things differ,” and Penn State more than meets such criteria by providing each student with myriad opportunities to pursue individual goals and aspirations by means of an expansive choice of classes, programs, and extracurricular activities.

Penn State University also believes that diversity is a compelling part of a student’s education. President Spanier has said, “The Supreme Court has acknowledged that racial diversity is a compelling educational purpose . . . . The Supreme Court rulings in the Michigan cases reaffirm Penn State’s approach to inclusiveness” (Framework). Penn State agrees with the Supreme Court that diversity enriches education at a university. The university’s and Supreme Court’s strong belief in the importance of diversity on campus as well as in the classroom is sound and laudable. At college, education is more than just learning textbook material. It is also learning from life experiences. For education to be a worthy endeavor, it must be applicable outside of the classroom. More so than ever, we are living and working in a multicultural nation. With the advent of the Internet, the world is literally at our fingertips. At a diverse campus such as Penn State, students are introduced to many different cultures. Penn State students are able to experience different religions, traditions, and customs. A Christian friend of mine attends a Jewish religious ceremony weekly with her friends. By doing this, she has learned to accept other people’s beliefs and incorporate them into her life. Also, with a largely diverse campus like Penn State, students are able to find people [with] whom they share common interests with and are able[,] then[,] to form lasting and vital friendships. The university is a part of, not apart from, the real world [nice!].

Although it appears that a diverse campus seems to have a positive influence on the students, it can also create conflicts. Some people remain ignorant of and even adverse to different cultures, customs, and opinions. This ignorance often leads to conflicts, both physical and verbal. I have heard racial slurs yelled across campus, and I have seen two men physically fighting over different opinions about football teams. Witnessing such conflicts or being a victim of them may cause a student[s] to feel unsafe and may disable his [their; this is the more appropriate way to talk about general people] ability to learn. For a student[s] to receive a good education, he [they] must be able to feel secure in his [their] surroundings. A university that is trying to promote diversity cannot always control the actions of its students. Yet, Penn State is attempting to. There is a “Zero Tolerance for Hate” support network on campus that prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type. By enforcing this and supporting victims of discrimination and harassment, the “Zero Tolerance for Hate” support network helps Penn State attempt to assure a healthy and safe learning environment for students, while still allowing diversity to thrive.

I believe that at Penn State diversity is more then just a word or platitude. At Penn State diversity is a reality, a concerted effort to evolve the campus into a multicultural, harmonious community. By being able to intertwine a multitude of different ethnicities, religions and races, Penn State has been able to successfully combine diversity and education without creating barriers between students. Diversity is part of the one unified student body at Penn State.


[Very nice! Don't worry about the "his"/"their" stuff, we will talk about that in class. Otherwise, this is fantastic. The writing is lucid, the insists are profound. Keep up the good work!]














WORKS CITIED
“Diversity.” Dictionary.com. 18 Sept. 2005
<http://www.dictionary.reference∞. com/>.
“A Framework to Foster Diversity at Penn State.” 18 Sept. 2005 <http://www.equity.psu.edu/Framework/index.html>∞.