Currently, I am a freshman at Christopher Newport University (CNU), which is located in Newport News, Virginia. Ranked #5 best public school in the South, CNU is definitely a young and up-coming university to watch. There are multitudinous positives of this university, including its flawless campus, facilities, and impressive science laboratories; however, CNU has a crucial deficiency in diversity. According to CNU’s 2015 Incoming Freshman Profile, the demographics of the class is: “73% white, 8% black, 3% Asian, 3% Hispanic, 4% multi-race, and 8% unknown/unreported.” As one can see, CNU severely lacks diversity.
But, which of those demographics am I classified as? I was pigeonholed into the “multi-race” category because I am 50% Armenian-Lebanese and 50% white (Irish, to be more specific). To clarify, I do not identify as a minority.
Thus far, this extreme lack of diversity has negatively affected my college experience. College is a time for someone to discover themselves and to gain knowledge in unlimited areas of study. Furthermore, college is a time to branch out and try new things, so one may find his or her passions in life. Moreover, college is a prime time to experience new cultures, languages, and alternative ways to approaching life. However, all of these have been tremendously hindered due to the absence of diversity.
People from the same background and culture often share the same views, or opinions, on politics, economics, and way of life. The student body at CNU is mostly white and from Virginia, and this causes students to think that there is only one correct way of thinking and living. Because of this, the majority of the students seem to be uniform in many aspects. For instance, the students here seem to dress and speak in similar ways, as well as having identical stances on paramount political issues. As a result, students here do not get a fresh, new aspect on life, causing them to neither grow nor mature as an individual.
In my opinion, a diverse student body nourishes growth. Having people from different socioeconomic backgrounds and countries introduces others to alternative ways of looking at life. People from different backgrounds have different ideas and opinions on almost anything ranging from politics to everyday life. I believe that a diverse student body fosters growth for people.
How does diversity exactly foster growth for an individual? I believe that if your school is diverse, then you will know how to work with and understand individuals from different backgrounds and countries. School is nothing like “the real world.” Everyone does not think nor act the same way; instead, people are very unique from one another. I think that if one goes to a university that has a diverse student body, then he or she will be equipped with certain thought processes that will make him or her a better citizen because he or she will know how to deal with cultural, language, social, and economical barriers.
How have I been affected by this deficiency in diversity? Like I discussed earlier, I believe that there is a sense of uniformity at this school. You’re either with the majority of the people or you’re an outsider, and there is no in-between. There have been numerous times when I have felt compelled to suppress my opinions and ideas because I did not want to be excommunicated from the majority of the students.
In addition, I have never felt like a minority until I became fully immersed into CNU (To clarify, I do not identify myself as a minority). Before I came to CNU, I have not felt the urge to hide my Armenian and Lebanese heritage, and I’ve been prideful in my culture. However, I feel as if I have to hide it at the university I attend because I will be perceived as “different” from the others. And this “different” is not the good type. I believe that if the majority of the people here knew I had Middle Eastern heritage, then they will say vulgar and stereotypical things to me.
This lack of diversity greatly saddens me. Throughout my life, I have been taught by my family and teachers to embrace my heritage and culture and that being different is a good thing. In general, I know that I will not get the multicultural views needed to be socially successful in life at CNU; however, I hope that there will be a movement to greatly increase the diversity of the student body here.
