by Jonathan O’Connor, Staff Writer
The Connector asked SCAD students about their impressions on diversity on campus and here’s what they had to say:
He Said:
Quincy Freeman, second-year photography student
“To me, diversity is about everyone coming together and getting to know one another. I try to be friendly and meet whoever I can. It is amazing how different we all are. I was born in Puerto Rico and I have family in Georgia, Maryland and Connecticut. I’ve lived all over, but I didn’t really know what to think when I first got to SCAD.
I thought that people would stick within their little cliques based on where they were from or what they were studying, but once I got to know people, I realized that it was easy to become friends with people no matter what their background was.
I joined Latin Americans club, LASA, to meet some more people on campus. It was pretty cool because I got to meet people from different countries. I knew that we were all going to be good friends. Diversity doesn’t mean a certain thing to me. It just means that we can be good friends no matter what. I think that SCAD definitely has that.
At my high school in Georgia there wasn’t a lot of diversity. There were a lot of Caucasian people, some Blacks and Asians, but it was nothing like here.
If there was anything to work on, I think that students need to work on being more social with one another. There are a lot of great people around and plenty of people to be friends with. When I came here as a freshman, Spring House had activities that helped us get to know each other better. It seems like SCAD focuses more on interacting with the community at large instead of focusing on these smaller communities. I feel like if SCAD, as a school, were as open and friendly as they were in Spring House that things would be great.”
She Said:
Maria Robles, fourth-year graphic design student:
“Diversity means difference, variety, options. Diversity is the opposite of monotony. It represents a spectrum of choice instead of just one boring standard.
I definitely appreciate the diversity available on SCAD Atlanta’s campus. Our smaller student body community affords us the opportunity to interact and engage with students from all years of study and all majors, especially in the Hub. The potential for collaboration is enormous and this can definitely influence our work.
As a graphic design major, I enjoy that most of my friends are not taking the same major because I benefit from the influence and inspiration of their perspectives. I get to see my work in a different way, far different than others who share my experience in the graphic design department. I think that’s amazing.
Our campus is also diverse culturally and ethnically. Coming from Peru, I thought everyone was going to be American, but I have many international friends as well. In Peru, there are many races but they all share a common home, experience and language. Coming to SCAD has helped me grow both professionally and personally.
I do think more can be done to promote diversity between various groups represented here. Many believe that international students only hang out with other international students. Others feel alone in their experiences as an international student. That was my primary motivation for joining LASA and becoming the president of our club. We all seem to be hidden or less communicative outside of class. Those who live outside of campus have an even harder time.”
