While there are no "right" ways to explore diversity we recommend a few thoughts. The foundation of all these thoughts is an open mind to different perspectives.
- During Orientation -- try to meet lots of students from varied backgrounds and be genuine in sharing yourself.
- Seek out a faculty/staff mentor, especially one who understands issues of diversity.
- Intentionally participate in the activities of OMD and the organizations Gospel Choir, Koinonia, Mu Kappa, Unidad Cristiana, and William Osborne Society.
- Search for film opportunities and or other metro Chicago activities (music, literature, art, etc.) to both experience and reflect on issues of diversity.
- Sign up for coursework that will foster an understanding of diversity. Examples :
- Sociology of Racial and Ethnic Relations
- Cross Cultural Psychology
- ID Asian Studies major
- Urban Studies Certificate
- African American Literature
- Do some intentional research about your own ethnicity.
- Do some evaluation of your own attitudes regarding people who are different from yourself. For example, try taking the Implicit Association Test at http://buster.cs.yale.edu/implicit/ and share your results with a friend from another ethnicity.
- Intentionally build relationships across gender and ethnic/cultural lines.
- Be open about differences.
- Don't single out one person as the "spokesperson" for their race (or gender).
- As upperclassmen, choose to mentor/encourage underclassmen especially with regards to cultural diversity.
- Get involved in the many opportunities for student leadership including being a Teachers Assistant (TA), and address issues of diversity within them.
This list is by no means complete, but it represents a few ways to enhance your understanding of your cultural background and allows you to get to know others. We also recommend that while at Wheaton College you:
- Travel in one of the Wheaton programs or with friends, to expand your horizons.
- Spend some time getting to know Chicago.
- Study in groups -- it helps the learning process immensely.
- Effectively develop and manage your personal budget, which may include finding work. Utilize Career Services in the search for work.
- Get to know departments on campus that are necessary for your academic success.
- Talk to older students before picking professors.
- Proofread each others' work.
- Invest in friends and networks: they are valuable beyond college.
- Use campus resources for future internship opportunities.