Diversity is not skin deep. But often times, when we encounter the word, this doesn't seem to hold true. Google the word and you will find that a majority of the images focus on skin color. According to Merriam-Webster's diversity is “the quality or state of having many different forms, types, ideas, etc." (merriam-webster.com). So why is it usually limited to the context of race & ethnicity?
Nothing from the color of your skin to the texture of your hair has an impact on where you were born, what language you speak or how you think. Although, in some cases, it does determine who we interact with. True diversity is a mixture of different mindsets, different cultures, and different ideas. And it's for this reason that I believe we are a more diverse school, a more diverse Greek community, and even a more diverse country than what we give ourselves credit for.
It has been my experience, in my own fraternity, that there are people from all across United States and in some cases, from across the world. And although we each attend Purdue University, and are in the same house, we're not all like-minded individuals. During rush, I noticed early on that even though the fraternity was not necessarily diverse in race, it was diverse in other ways. We all know people in our own houses that are studying different things, have traveled to different places and came from different backgrounds. If done correctly, this mixture of people can be turned into a very powerful asset in the context of Greek life. It's the houses that have mastered this art of building diverse pledge classes that are successful.
It has also been my experience that people assume certain things about you simply because of the color of your skin. It sure feels like that when I'm asked why I didn't choose to join a black fraternity. After all, it's no more likely that two people with darker complexions have any more in common than two people with lighter ones (or vice versa). There are many reasons to join a fraternity but the color of your skin should not be one. Joining for this reason alone, in many cases, will lead to an unsuccessful experience in Greek life. And in light of recent events that took place with the Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter at Oklahoma University, it appears that they did not have very much diversity in any sense of the word.
