Written by Etinosa Agbonlahor
Hunter College is as diverse as the city in which it resides, and, like that city, it ranks as one of the most diverse of its kind in the country. Diversity is something that Hunter prides itself in, and it would have to be one of the College's biggest defining characteristics. Because of its diversity, there is a very welcoming and accepting air at Hunter; no one is likely to feel like an outsider, and students are free to be themselves. Walking down Hunter’s halls, you may share them with a woman wearing a khimar or a man wearing a do-rag. You may catch snippets of hurried conversations in Russian or Spanish. During Dean’s Hours (a block of time every Wednesday), you can participate in anything from the Bangladesh Student Association to the Salsa/Mambo Club. At bake sales, you can sample Middle Eastern cuisine in addition to Entenmann’s cookies. Generically speaking, you can find every “type” at Hunter, whether it be a jock, nerd, hipster, stoner, or prep.
Hunter’s students are not only diverse in color, but also in experience. The typical freshman is an anomaly. He can be a student fresh out of high school or a man with three children starting a new career. It is very rare to have a classroom full of students with similar backgrounds or of the same age, and that is something that makes Hunter a really incredible place. In one class, you can have a former child actress, a Soviet refugee, or a retired teacher. Not all of Hunter’s students have led fascinating lives, but the different life experience and education levels that students bring to the classroom make Hunter a truly diverse campus.