<p>away2school's thread below made me wonder what the level of diversity is like at Penn State and how students of a minority race or religion find the atmosphere. If any current students can respond that would be great. I am wondering whether people of different groups "mix" or simply stick to themselves.</p>
<p>Some discussion here–
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/penn-state-university-park/649892-diversity-up.html?highlight=diversity[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/penn-state-university-park/649892-diversity-up.html?highlight=diversity</a></p>
<p>thanks for the link…from reading through it seemed like people thought diversity wasn’t a strong point of the school, with many of the minority students having been recruited as athletes and sticking together…wonder if any current students would care to comment?</p>
<p>I’m guessing that many minority students who are looking for a public college feel more comfortable choosing Pitt or Temple than Penn State U. Park. Also, there are few minority residents in the areas around Penn State.</p>
<p>Diversity is what you make of it. My son is in his 2nd year at PSU. He is a white kid from a white bread town but has made friends who are hispanic and black. As a matter of fact I think his closest buddy is black. We visited lots of schools and some with high non-white populations. Face it, overall people tend to self segregate. Go anywhere and you will see kids hanging out with kids from similar backgrounds. My son tends to make friends easily so he has lots of friend from different backgrounds. The moral of the story is “Get out of your comfort zone”. If your question is PSU a racially tolerant culture, I think so from what my son tells me and what I read in the weekly Collegian. Good luck</p>
<p>Penn State, and some central, rural parts of Pennsylvania in general, definitely have diversity issues. Believe it or not, it is not unusual to see an occasional Confederate flag in these parts, despite being well north of the Mason Dixon line. Penn State in particular has been struggling with various racial incidents over the past decade. It is working on improving things, and has made progress, but it still has continued to struggle to attract underrepresented minorities.</p>
<p>If you just google around, you can find plenty of examples, for instance…
[Fans</a> play race card, spoil day at PSU - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review](<a href=“http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/columns/heyl/s_709246.html]Fans”>http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/columns/heyl/s_709246.html)
[Students</a> report incidents of racist graffiti in dorms - The Daily Collegian Online](<a href=“http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2009/01/21/students_report_incidents_of_r.aspx]Students”>http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2009/01/21/students_report_incidents_of_r.aspx)
[Tact</a> important on Halloween - The Daily Collegian Online](<a href=“http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2009/11/02/tact_important_on_halloween.aspx]Tact”>http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2009/11/02/tact_important_on_halloween.aspx)
[UPUA</a> Student Life and Diversity Chairman resigns after backlash - The Daily Collegian Online](<a href=“http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2010/04/15/upua_student_life_and_diversit.aspx]UPUA”>http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2010/04/15/upua_student_life_and_diversit.aspx)
[Black</a> Student Stabbed to Death -N* SMEARED IN HIS OWN BLOOD | Dr. Marc Lamont Hill](<a href=“http://www.marclamonthill.com/439-439]Black”>http://www.marclamonthill.com/439-439)
<a href=“http://www.personal.psu.edu/clubs/blackcaucusweb/Abbreviated_history_of_hate_at_penn_state.doc[/url]”>http://www.personal.psu.edu/clubs/blackcaucusweb/Abbreviated_history_of_hate_at_penn_state.doc</a>
[Back</a> to the Future: Campus Racism in the 21st Century](<a href=“http://www.black-collegian.com/news/special-reports/racism2001-1st.shtml]Back”>http://www.black-collegian.com/news/special-reports/racism2001-1st.shtml)
[Blackface</a> photo on Web riles Black Caucus at Penn State](<a href=“http://www.post-gazette.com/localnews/20031205psublacklocal6p6.asp]Blackface”>http://www.post-gazette.com/localnews/20031205psublacklocal6p6.asp)
[CNN.com</a> - Black Penn State students demand protection - May 1, 2001](<a href=“http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/05/01/penn.state.racism.02/]CNN.com”>http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/05/01/penn.state.racism.02/)
[Black</a> students find Penn State an uneasy fit](<a href=“http://www.post-gazette.com/regionstate/20010429psureg4.asp]Black”>http://www.post-gazette.com/regionstate/20010429psureg4.asp)
[Football:</a> Protest delays start of scrimmage](<a href=“http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/psu/20010422psuside7.asp]Football:”>http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/psu/20010422psuside7.asp)</p>
<p>Definitely visit, and make sure it is the right fit.</p>
<p>While I don’t disagree that Penn State has issues, there are ongoing efforts to address problems as they arise. [A</a> Framework to Foster Diversity at Penn State 2010-15](<a href=“http://www.equity.psu.edu/Framework/index.asp]A”>A Framework to Foster Diversity at Penn State: 2010-15 — Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity) Also, it should be pointed out that the student who was stabbed to death was killed by another African American student.</p>
<p>I live in State College and I doubt I see a Confederate flag in town once a year. The borough of State College is very liberal, as is often the case in college towns.</p>
<p>I realize that anecdotal evidence is essentially meaningless, but my freshman daughter’s “posse” consists of three asians, three whites, two of African descent, and two hispanics. Two of that group are internationals. I suspect that the honors kids may not be truly representational, however.</p>
<p>Interesting thoughts. My son - a freshman - says he does not feel that the campus is very diverse…BUT, he is comparing it to the schools he went to overseas. Compared to the school he went to in Texas for his last 2 years - it IS diverse. He has had fun with the strange looks he has gotten from the Arab students when he says “hi” or “thank you” in Arabic. ;)</p>
<p>And I’m having a hard time picturing a Confederate Flag in that area, and I’m speaking as a Southerner - with a husband from PA. I think it would definitely be a very out of the ordinary sighting.</p>
<p>I am a African American freshman at PSU Main. This campus isn’t diverse in terms of race. I have only met about 3 Spanish people and there is only 4% of Blacks that go to PSU. The majority of the students are White and Asian. It was very weird for me at first because it seems like some of the students make friends by race and the majority of the Spanish and Black students you will see are on the Athletic teams.</p>
<p>The school’s pretty much all white and asian. There are some black people every now and then and even less often a spanish person. I think I have… one friend here who’s black. And another one but he went to highschool with me and we came here together so I don’t really count him.</p>
<p>PSU is 78% white, 4% African American, 4% Hispanic, 4% International, and 5% “unknown”. Also, 34% are from out of state. I would imagine that there would be more racial diversity in Schreyers though. </p>
<p>However, I’m not quite sure how minority students find the atmosphere though. Two of my friends (who are Asian) go to Main and have never had any complaints.</p>