Diversity is about more than skin tone color
Editor,
In my time at USU, I have heard various opinions about diversity on campus. “Diversity” has been used so often and so incorrectly that it has lost its meaning and has become a buzzword. It doesn’t describe the various skin tones of people populating this campus; all it means is difference.
I’ve noticed that some of the criticisms to be open minded and not stereotypical come from people who are, in fact, closed minded to some ideas. For example, in Wednesday’s edition of the Statesman, Michelle Nielsen said “I think a lot of the people here in Logan are closed minded. People here tend to have stereotypes without any basis.” She went on to say “My boyfriend’s daughter has cats and I hate them. A cat is completely stupid. They get hair all over.”
Having a diverse campus means that people are different, from their thoughts and experiences to their culture. It means that there might be some people that don’t like people that aren’t like them, and others that are all inclusionary. Neither is better or worse, in my opinion, they’re just different. Because people come from one particular area, it doesn’t mean that everyone is the similar. The inverse is also true.
Having a diverse campus means having a rich and varied school of thought. I have really enjoyed some of the discussions that I have shared with some people whom I thought previously to have nothing in common with. Personally, I have felt that diversity of thought, and what people are on the inside are a bit more important that diversity of skin tone. But I could be wrong.
Chad Rawlinson