University of New HampshireDiversity Summary

Written by Kate Dube

Kate Dube

Hometown

Manchester, NH

Major

Chemistry

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UNH administration has long been assigned the difficult task of trying to bring diversity to a small campus in the middle of New England. Generally, New Hampshire is not a state that appeals to diverse students. This may never change because many minority students will have to travel great distances to come here, and will, consequently, be far from their own cultures. On the other hand, most of the multicultural students here are actually long-time New Hampshire residents.

For minority students who do come to UNH, the campus tries very hard to make the transition an easy one. There are many student-run organizations, such as OMSA, that help students keep in touch with their culture and meet new people with similar backgrounds. The multicultural themed dorm is one option, but some students feel that these dorms have a tendency to separate minority students, rather than integrate them into the general student population. While it’s true that UNH may never become a poster school for diversity, students and student administration should continue the attempt to diversify the campus by all means.