One of the reasons I chose to attend AU was because of diversity. I felt like I had been sheltered during my formative years. My hometown of Rye Brook, N.Y., is 92 percent white, 17 percent higher than the national average, according to the Census Bureau.
The public high school I attended, which has an enrollment of about 400, is probably more than 95 percent white. I started to realize there was a lot more to the world than my suburban hometown in the middle of high school. I took this into account when I started looking at colleges, and AU instantly topped my list. I would be in a city, and the university prides itself on its diversity. Remember IDEAS from freshman orientation?
As my freshman year draws to a close, I feel I was misled. No, the university didn't lie to me. AU is definitely diverse. However, diversity seems to be more of a statistic here than a way to enhance someone's experience. Why is Leonard Hall the "international" residence hall? Why do we need to house students from different cultures in one place? International students are people, too, and they're here for the same reason Americans are.
Another observation is that international students, which include full time, Abroad at AU and Washington Semester students, tend to form cliques. That shouldn't be an intimidation to make friends with international students, but rather an invitation. I'm sure that these students want to make friends with Americans at a place called American University!
Walking around campus, I don't get the sense that there is much interaction between American students and international students. Only one of my friends regularly hangs out with international students, and he lived in Leonard Hall last semester. Yes, international students are "different," but these cultural differences are what make diversity so great.
That being said, it only seems that AU is headed in the wrong direction. As we reported this fall, President Neil Kerwin began the process to dismantle the Office of International Affairs less than a week after he became president. OIA and its leader, Dr. Robert Pastor, were responsible for the creation of the Abroad at AU program, and I'm sure would have created similar successful programs that partner with overseas institutions to further diversify our campus if Kerwin did not dissolve the office.
According to AU Abroad's Web site, 60 percent of AU students will have had a study abroad experience by the time they graduate. If there is that much interest in learning about cultures abroad, why isn't there similar interest right here on our campus in Washington? With about a quarter of our undergraduate student body choosing to major in the School of International Service, one of the largest such schools around, it's fair to say there is a substantial amount of interest in life beyond the 50 states (and the District of Columbia, of course) on our campus. While the statistics may show the keen interest AU students have in learning about other cultures in the classroom and through textbooks, this interest doesn't seem to fully translate to experiences outside the classroom.
While this is a total coincidence to the timing of this column, International Student and Scholar Services is hosting its International Festival through April 12. Events include a forum, international dancing and international food. I hope to go to these events to learn about all the diverse cultures that are represented on this campus.
Take advantage of the diversity this campus has to offer through these kinds of opportunities. Something as simple as having a conversation with an international student on your floor or in your class will be mutually beneficial. Diversity is much more than a statistic at AU. It's an opportunity.
Ethan Klapper is a freshman in the School of Communication and the assistant Web editor of The Eagle.
