By Irinna Schwenke
BYU hails a student population that spans the globe. With 1,706 international students attending the university, cultures from almost every continent are represented on campus.
The large number of international students on campus doesn''t even include multicultural students from within the United States.
But even with so many different cultures running rampant on campus, out of more than 30,000 students, the numbers are still relatively small and some students question the racial diversity of BYU.
For James Senior, 25, a junior from San Jose, Calif., majoring in sociology, making the move from California to Utah was like going from night to day.
'I came from a rough neighborhood, I''m a minority, and I felt like everybody else came from nice neighborhoods and white families,' Senior said. 'I just didn''t think I could handle it.'
Senior said he was not sure if he''d fit in at BYU, but was reassured in knowing that most students at the university shared the common ground of being members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
'It''s a common denominator that keeps you in your comfort zone,' he said.
Some students said the bonds of religion and education make it easier to find friends among people who are so racially diverse.
'We''re all students, and we''re all trying to accomplish the same thing,' said Vaioleti Purcell, 20, a senior majoring in psychology from West Valley, Salt Lake County.
But for international students from exotic destinations like Pakistan and India, who don''t necessarily share the same religion as a majority of BYU''s students, 'accomplishing the same thing' is coupled with the twist of keeping their culture, while still attempting to fit into a society so different from their own.
Supriya Pathak, 19, a sophomore from Gujrat, Awmedabad, India, majoring in information systems, said she came to BYU because it''s cheaper than other schools in India and because it upholds a lot of the same standards stressed in her religion of Hindu.
'I plan to have job experience and to get my masters. That will take a long time,' Pathak said. 'I plan to go back to India to raise a family.'
But in a city where most students are predominantly Latter-day Saints, the question creeps in, 'Do international students really fit in?'
'It was hard when I first came. I didn''t imagine it was this strict,' said Jawad Taj, 23, from Abbottabad, Pakistan, majoring in information systems. 'However, I''ve become more interested in my religion. Religion has become an interesting subject for me.'
Most ethnic students said they didn''t think diversity at BYU was very much of an issue, because sharing cultural information with people has been a great instrument in bridging the gap between people.
Being involved in programs like culture-based clubs and performing groups on campus, many have found their niche of friends, while still expanding their cultural outreach to students and members of the community.
'I''ve been in a couple clubs and performing groups on campus that have helped me find out more about myself,' said Lani Dame, 20, a print journalism major from Indianapolis, Ind. 'Sometimes people don''t understand what''s different, but if you educate each other about your different backgrounds, everything usually works out OK.'