Viewpoint

What is the college experience without diversity?
By Amanda Shropshire '07

I did not come to Saint Mary's thinking that I needed to change it, but with hopes that Saint Mary's would change me. I had heard so much about how college can mold a person into the final product of themselves. Having been to Saint Mary's for the fine arts camp one summer, I kept in mind the diverse group of people and the experiences we shared when I applied to colleges my senior year. As I looked forward to the experience of getting to know people from all walks of life and taking in their stories and experiences, I packed my bags and came to Saint Mary's College.

When I arrived, something was missing, but I couldn't figure out what it was. I had friends, went out, and had fun, but there were many times when I felt what I now describe as being disconnected from many of the women here. I became introverted–which is completely the opposite of my personality–and increasingly unhappy. I became involved in activites that pulled me over to Notre Dame. But I wanted to be happy at Saint Mary's.

I didn't realize it at the time, but being in an environment where almost no one shared my
experiences or many of my interests, left me feeling uncomfortable in my own skin. So I
attempted to put my interests aside and acquire those of the people around me. Instead of changing myself, I accepted my differences and decided to learn more about others. I realized that while I could not relate to many of the women at Saint Mary's on the level of ethnicity or origin, I could relate to them on other levels. Still, I knew that others in my position had gone through the same things, and I felt the need to make a change.

Then came the opportunity to run for president of the Student Diversity Board, and in an
instant I took it. Since taking the position, I have learned many things that have allowed me to
grow as a person. The goal of acquiring more diversity at Saint Mary's cannot be looked upon as a problem the College must deal with, but rather a necessity that everyone should strive for. Without diversity, the college experience is incomplete. Learning from people who are different from me has been essential for my personal growth. I have also learned that many people see diversity only in the way of ethnic or racial diversity, but it isn't that simple. That is the reason that the Student Diversity Board's mission is to increase education about and awareness of diversity through it's many forms: ethnic, socio-economic, abilities, race, religion, and sexual orientation.

Being different from many of the people here at Saint Mary's on some of those levels, I have learned that everyone should value increasing diversity, not just on campus but in their personal lives. I realized that being different is what made me uncomfortable, so instead of focusing on the differences between myself and others, I have formed relationships based on the commonalities I have with all types of people. Through this, anyone can learn from the diversity that is within each person. Hopefully this year, the Student Diversity Board can facilitate these first steps within the student body.