American Indian. Asian. Hispanic. Caucasian. Pacific Island. African American.
Sinclair Community College has students of many ethnicities, religions and cultures. Some of Sinclair’s students are nonresident aliens, and others are applying for their citizenship. So what do people at Sinclair have to say about diversity?
Khalfan Abdulrahman, a Nursing student from Kenya, thinks that people at Sinclair need to be more aware of the variety of cultures around them.
“I think Sinclair is not as diverse (as universities are), but it can be,” he said. “There are (international) students here, but it’s not a big number.”
Of Sinclair’s 25,345 students enrolled this fall, only 144 students—0.02 percent—are classified as nonresident aliens or foreign students, according to Sinclair’s Office of Research, Analytics and Reporting. However, this number is not an exact count of students from other countries, according to the department’s manager Karl Konsdorf.
Abdullah Johnson, advisor for the Muslim Student Alliance, believes that students should be open-minded to understanding the lifestyles of others around them. Michael McBride, a member of the Native American Cultural Club, believes that racism is still a problem in America. Both men said they have experienced discrimination because of their culture.
Diversity is a part of life for many students at Sinclair. Because of this the Clarion will report on student experiences regarding immigration, racism and religion in the weeks to come.