All kinds of people—not just different races, but different religions, backgrounds, nationalities, sexual orientations, and political inclinations—live and study at UF quite peacefully. There are students from every state in the union, and more than 100 countries are represented—groups, observances, and events are held to celebrate every last one. Islam On Campus holds prayer sessions, Alpha Kappa Alpha brings black women together in the bonds of sisterhood, and don’t forget about the Hare Krishnas on campus, who provide unlimited lunch every day for only $4.
This does not mean, of course, that people don’t rally for even greater diversity, and regardless of the fact that Florida has abolished affirmative action in state universities, it seems like things are getting more diverse all of the time. It’s true that the majority of UF students are white kids from Florida, but that’s not the only (or most interesting) way to look at it; it’s more fun, and maybe more relevant, to recognize that every student is going to bring something different to the table (speaking of which, there are a lot of tables to sit at; you make a big school small by getting to know people and becoming involved with a variety of little groups). At any rate, a UF student might be black, brown, red, yellow, or white, but the important thing is that everyone bleeds orange and blue, baby.
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Diversity at University of Florida
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The Melting Pot of Students
Not only is UF rich in it's diversity, but the students are open to ANYTHING. I was a white member of the Black Student Union who was never discriminated against. I attended Krishna lunch and dinners at the Bhakti house on a regular basis. My friends took classes on different languages and religions and we all bonded with the International Students in Weaver Hall and got henna tattoos from a tent set up outside the Reitz Colonnade during Islamic Awareness Month. If you're Jewish, you can attend services and Challah for Hunger benefits at Hillel or Chabad. If you're Christian, there's every church denomination in Gainesville to satisfy your needs. There are Hindu temples and Buddhist meditation events. Even walking through Turlington, you're bound to hear a sermon from local religious leaders or help build a sukkah for the rabbi.
May 28, 2012
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Diversity at University of Florida
jvosa
Architecture '15
4.6
A
Evenly Diverse School
There are three main ethnic groups in numbers. I have mainly noticed a majority of Caucasians mostly of Floridian residence, which probably make up over half the student body. There is also a noticeable Hindu and Far east nationality, I believe that these ethnic groups combined make up about 30% of the student body.
May 27, 2012
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Diversity at University of Florida
User rating for University of Florida - Diversity is
4.6 out of 5
based on 87 user reviews.
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