Temple University has historically been known for its high ethnic diversity amongst the student body. This year that stands true more than ever before.
As a college campus planted right in Northern Philadelphia, it has been a goal for them to be as inclusive as possible as students travel from all over the country, globe, and surrounding areas to attend the university. This year, at the 2022 convocation, President Dr. Jason Wingard announced that 51% of the approximately 5,000 students in the 2026 class at Temple identify as people of color. This number is up from the 45% it was last year and is the highest that it has been ever before. Statistically, this fact means that in the freshman class, Caucasian students are now considered the majority-minority. This term is heavily debated because of the implication that one is always on a pedestal, but when broken down to the basics, it simply just means that although white people do hold the majority in terms of numbers, they also make up less than 50%.
This may not seem like a big deal to some, but the fact of the matter is that in a country where historically and statistically minority groups are given fewer opportunities than people who are not a part from them, this number is a big step in the right direction for schools like Temple. Although, a simple statistic is not the only way that diversity is shown around campus.
During the various welcome week occasions that took place throughout the first two weeks of school, there were a variety of events catered explicitly to those minority groups that make up so much of the student and Philadelphia population.
Temple Fest, which began on August 19th at the university bell tower, featured DJs and dance-offs with music popular in predominantly black areas in Philadelphia, New Jersey, and New York. Shoutouts to Nigerians, Dominicans, Africans, and so many others were made during the later hours of the show, and truly everyone was given their moment to shine and celebrate. This is not something that can be seen at every college campus in the country.
There are numerous amounts of activities coming up that celebrate all kinds of cultures such as the opening event for Hispanic Heritage Month hosted by CHAT which will be held on September 15th as well as Diversity Dialogues which will take place on September 26th.
For more information on upcoming events at Temple, look to the University calendar of events on the official school page. Make sure to look into specific events before the date they take place as many you must register for.