Bringing a Diverse Campus Together by Anyla

Bringing a Diverse Campus Together by Anyla - September 2023 Scholarship Essay

The University of North Texas is widely recognized for the diversity of its student body, faculty, and staff, as well as its status as one of the fastest growing universities in Texas. While this may be exactly what many may be looking for as they seek a university to call home, it’s also a dangerous combination that can be detrimental to the student body if not handled appropriately. To clarify, the issue is not the wonderful array of diverse people in a constantly growing number, but the groups they form based on religion, race, political ideals, and more, essentially creating a self-segregating student body. Additionally, even students who match the “requirements” for certain groups often feel intimidated or uninterested in socializing with a large group of students, especially those who are introverted or experiencing depression and/or anxiety from the drastic life changes that come with going to college. As I have traveled around campus over the past month, I have noted small but effective adjustments that I believe would help the student body to become more comfortable around each other, despite perceived social differences.
One of the first and most significant changes I would make to the school would be to designate areas for people in the dining halls who are currently eating alone but willing to make a friend. In the current situation, a dining hall may seat 200 people at 100 tables with 2 chairs each, but often only 100 will be able to find seating because students are afraid to bother each other by asking to sit with them. By designating these areas, students can know that they are not being a bother and seating can be better utilized in the dining halls. This would be a small change, requiring nothing but a sign, that could cultivate a student body that is comfortable in the diversity of the campus through casual mealtime conversations.
The second change I would make to UNT would be similar to the first, but in the libraries. UNT has a wonderful variety of libraries that are great for studying, and even spaces within for group studies, but the seating situation is often similar to that of the dining halls. To help resolve this problem, my plan would be to provide card holders, similar to those provided at restaurants to hold the order number card, and a piece of laminated paper that had “Study with Me!” printed on one side, and was blank on the other, allowing students to write their course name or number in dry-erase marker. When the student found a table, they would place the paper on the stand and put it in the center of their table, encouraging students who may be studying the same or a similar course to join them. This is another simple change that would foster comfortable diversity on the campus through similarities in academic pursuits rather than division due to social differences.
While UNT is an amazing campus as it is currently, there is always room for improvement. Even positive factors, such as the diverse background of the student body and rapid campus growth, have their downfalls, and sometimes a small adjustment can make a substantial difference.