By Edward Hewitt |Staff Writer|

Social division is something that is visible to many, but addressed by few on the CSUSB campus.

Think back to the first time you stepped on campus, how did you determine which individuals you would associate yourself with?

Gender, race, social class, field of study and personal interest can be things that are taken into consideration when determining which individuals to associate with on campus.

“It’s natural to gravitate towards people that we think we can relate too, appearance, gender and race can be a few things we look at before we approach an individual or group of individuals,” said Kameo Clyne, a CSUSB senior.

“In addition to that, I feel like predetermined notions about one group of people and lack of understanding also contributes to social division on campus,” Kameo added.

Most will view this as a natural way of making friends or networking, but few have recognized the subconscious social prison that been created amongst the student body.

Preconceived notions about certain genders, races and individuals can limit social growth for an individual as well as the campus community as a whole.

“Students, faculty, Greeks, non-Greeks, males and females all have certain ideas about each other that keep them from interacting with one another. It is like only a handful of people will step outside of their comfort zone to interact with people that they would not normally interact with on a regular basis,” said Osato Oshodin, a fourth-year student at CSUSB and member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc.

This type of thinking places many limitations on the college experience from a social stance; students miss out on opportunities to learn about others cultures and their beliefs.

Students also miss out on opportunities to become involved in campus activities due to the fact that they feel uncomfortable associating themselves with people that are not of their preference.

Although we all share the common goal of pursuing a higher education and ultimately obtaining a degree, we as students also have to socialize with each other daily in some type of way while we are on campus.

The college experience is normally viewed as a time of growth, learning and networking. Many of these opportunities are missed because of lack of education about others and preconceived notions stopping them from learning about them.

“We need more events on campus that are geared towards multi-cultured interaction rather than just focusing on a certain race, gender or groups of people that would help improve our interaction with one another on a social stand point,” said Clyne.

Social division has been a part of the campus culture and society for years but to fix the problem everyone has to recognize it first.

Once that has taken place and students realize the social prison that has been created, a plan of action can be implemented to break down the barriers that keep the community caged in.