ON THEIR way to class many incoming first-year students might be surprised by the multitude of nationalities represented by the University's changing population. For some, it's a break from what they were used to in high school -- homogeneous sets of Heathers, Tiffanys and Jennifers. For others the not so black and white student body is a comfort zone where they can blend in and not feel singled out.
Students from high schools where the ratios are similar to the University might find their acclimation to college a simple feat, while others might face the challenge of adapting to new roommates, new cultures and a newfound home. In every document the University places in your hands, the institution will tell you that these challenges are where you'll grow most, but what happens when your comfort zone is never challenged and you do not stumble upon the experience that the brochure has depicted? What happens when the people and experiences that you have come so accustomed to never grow or change?
The University should be a place where one is educated outside of the classroom, and any tour of Grounds would demonstrate that the social circles here are lively and interactive -- but how many of us have taken a closer look at who is talking to whom? The evolving multicultural spectrum that one might find during a brisk walk to class isn't always the case when it comes down to the real communities we have within our institution. We all notice that this isn't the kind of school where intellectualism dominates over socialism or where cliques are formed solely around academic pursuits. But with a look around, we can notice that this is the kind of school where Asians hang out with Asians and where every black student shouldn't be expected to be handed an invite to a white fraternity party. Don't let the talk of diversity and equality fool you -- the University isn't yet an ideal example of race unity, and the only way that this will ever change is if students themselves rectify it.
In your first week all one has to do is stumble upon Coup de Villes, a Rugby Road frat party or a pool party in the newly built Sterling Apartments, and see that the University of Virginia is not as integrated as it appears in the prospectus. Although all kinds of students walk the halls, pay tuition and attend football games, first-year students will come to find that activities such as sitting at the breakfast table and socializing after hours aren't met with the same kind of intra-racial interaction.
While some students may claim that intermingling of the races is the hallmark of our changing times, other students would rather not venture outside of their familiar territories, preferring to hang out with people who look, think and act just like they do. With different parts of student body living and socializing separately, how can we ever expect to call ourselves a beacon for diversity?
Although in academics at the University, students must work alongside one another regardless of their racial background, the social atmosphere comes without any premise that states black, white, Latino and Asian have to ever cross paths outside of the classroom. As a matter of fact, the historical prism by which we view this world has educated many students to think that segregation is alive and well -- and is very much present here on Grounds. Though the terminology of segregation is outdated and severely flawed, remnants of its historical presence still provoke us to believe that what was still is and that walking in separate circles is the only way that we will all get along, as well as get ahead.
Incoming students need to recognize that the future of diversity of the University is in their hands. The administration can only do so much in terms of scheduling courses that address issues of diverse topics. Students, on the other hand, have the onus of responsibility to make diversity a living, breathing reality at the University. We all must venture out of our comfort zones at one time or another and experience the experience that men have felt while sitting in the History of Dress or women have felt while being scrutinized at a Jefferson Literary and Debating Society meeting. Soon enough it won't only be white kids riding the Orange Bus past Rugby Road or only black and Hispanic kids attending step shows and after parties. As we change the face of the student body, we have to also change our limitations, and perhaps in the end our experiences will reflect a look that is better suited for us.
(Kazz Alexander Pinkard can be reached at kpinkard@cavalierdaily.com.)
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