A healthy dose of diversity and absurdity

There’s something really endearing and weird that really cracks me up when I see pictures of unsuspecting animals wearing clothing. Snakes with hats. Baby goats with sweaters. Mice with glasses. I clearly spend too much time during lectures perusing Google Images for my own amusement. The sheer absurdity of the pictures keeps me coming back.

Growing up, we often denounce people and things that are different than us, even if it isn’t intentional. Those who differ from the given “norm” are often considered outcasts, or at the very least, strange. And although we are also taught to value diversity, whether it is with respect to culture and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sexuality, differences in personality, or even with things as miniscule as clothing choice, we are never told how. Accepting and appreciating differences in others is something we develop over time, and there is no better setting for this than college.

USC is attractive to many students for a variety of different reasons; some enjoy the idea of a large international population, the promising of a diversified and thorough academic curriculum, the wide range of clubs and organizations, or perhaps the intense school spirit and strong Greek life. My large East Coast high school sent five of us to USC this year, and together, we represent the Dornsife College of Arts and Sciences, the Marshall School of Business and the School of Cinematic Arts. Though most of us weren’t particularly close in high school, the experience of traveling 3,000 miles away for college has brought us all together. The differences we might have seen in each other during our high school years are void and irrelevant. And despite the variety of our interests and personalities, we see one another as a part of the same collective community that had been somewhat lacking.

Upon coming to college in the fall, the huge notion of diversity that had been emphasized in every tour and pamphlet was not apparent to me. It took me over a semester to realize the only thing stopping me from meeting people from different backgrounds and communities was myself: I had subconsciously associated myself with and befriended people who were both similar to me and largely from the East Coast, even from the same state. I involved myself with similar activities I did back home. The only things that had changed in my life were the academics.

In high school, we are often very self-conscious about how others think about and perceive us. It can be hard to initially move past that mentality. But now that I’ve settled into college, I want to do something absurd, even if it’s only crazy to me. Maybe this is my freshman naiveté kicking in, or maybe it’s the beginning of a post-high school rebellion.

I haven’t thought of anything in particular that I want to do, but perhaps it’s better that way. Open-mindedness and spontaneity are virtues I should learn to embrace. Until then, let me know if you have any weird things I should Google search.

Megan Chun is a freshman majoring in environmental studies and political science. Her column, “A Day in the Life,” runs on Fridays every other week.