Some say Rowan has many stereotypes floating around campus. While some of these may be true, they definitely do not represent the entire student body. According to the numbers, Rowan houses mostly white men and women, and you can click here if you’d like to check out the campus statistics. Where are the minorities? While this may be simply a fact, I personally do see a lot of diversity when I walk through campus.
Like many, I garnered my first impressions of the school when I was applying to colleges and especially when orientation came around. Everyone looked the same to me. I decided to explore what Rowan had to offer and started talking to the different people I met on campus.
So what is it about diversity that grabs people’s attention? Why is diversity a topic that University housing strives so much to address on campus? “Is the Rowan campus diverse in your opinion?” was a question that came to mind when I consulted with some friends who also attend Rowan.
Most of them replied that the campus was diverse and that they loved that aspect of Rowan. However, not all responses were as positive; I also got responses from people who said it wasn’t a diverse campus and that they wished it were more diverse.
Lauren Sawall, a Music Education major at Rowan and a Resident Assistant, said, “As a staff we are diverse but in terms of opinions about diversity, training was about what diversity is but not about how to deal with it.”
“Res life tries their hardest to accommodate anyone regardless of age, race, ethnicity, and gender,” said Julissa Mesa, a Journalism major and an on-campus resident at Rowan.
“Res life is the only core office, such as bursar and financial aid that provides better customer service during the summer,” Mesa added.
Graphic Design/Fine Arts major and RA Erin Ewasko said, “I think the office of res life does a great job keeping the staff diverse and being compassionate and understanding towards those from different backgrounds.”
The simple task of accepting people for who they are is all it takes. We don’t realize the effect that the way we act has on people until we actually sit down and examine the choices we make in life.
It’s not a black and white world that we live in today. Racial identity is an important concept to understand, because we cannot walk around assuming things about people’s personalities based on the color of their skin.
Everyone is diverse in their own way. All of us come from different backgrounds and have different stories. We are all unique individuals.
I can now retract any previous misconceptions I had regarding diversity at Rowan, because it is certainly prevalent on campus. Do not be afraid to ask someone about a different culture or belief system, it never hurts to be interested in and open to unique backgrounds. If you’re really curious, join a club and you can learn even more. Getting involved will open your eyes and enable you to better understand the diverse culture of the Rowan community. Embrace the diversity we have. Embrace the Rowan spirit.