University of Utah Top Questions

somewhat diverse campus,

I'm a lesbian, and I went to one meeting of the Queer Student Union (the main LGBT organization on campus). I felt out of place and... I don't know if "rejected" is the right word, but I felt that the other women in QSU were members of a group or a clique and I was definitely not a member of this clique. I suppose you could say that I didn't feel like I was welcome. A lot of people in QSU come from rich, liberal backgrounds, whereas my background was middle-class and conservative. I feel that they don't understand why some gay people have a hard time coming out, or why people would feel out of place at QSU. In short, they have a hard time understanding other people's experiences. I haven't been back to a meeting since, which is sad since it's kind of hard to meet other lesbians in Utah.

I would say that the U is a melting pot of people. The population is mostly white, americans, but there is enough of a variety that one would find a group to fit into. The socio-economic standing is a good mix as well. There are students and the U that are the first people in their families to attend college, and there is a long list of well-to-do families that have members attending the U. From my experience, there is a healthy portion of the U that comes from out-of-state. In fact, a Utah native was a bit of a minority in at least two of my classes. When it comes to clothes, the U has about every fashion available in some form or another, although I think its safe to say that wearing sandals and/or pajamas seems to be a popular trend.

Most groups are well-represented on campus. I think that the most out of place student would be a BYU student. Um...normal clothes? It ranges from sweats and pajamas to shirts and ties. It's a very relaxed yet academic-conducive atmosphere. One table has the Korean students, one has the Japanese students, one has the Chinese students, and the other is empty because they all got up and left. Utah. Mid to upper middle class. Most are politically active, yes. There are a ton of lefts, a ton of rights and a ton of centers. It really depends on what you are going into.

I think that people play up race and religion too much, its a pain in the ass if you ask me. Its because we are know as a conservatively white state which is fine with me. I am not a big fan of Socialism or liberals.

Theres a lot of diversity at the U, but I would say most Utah students are from Utah and are LDS. I myself am very politically active and aware of whats going on in the world; However most students aren't which is unfortunate.

There is a veriety f students on campus and they all interact with each other. Most Utah students are probably from in state, study abroad students, or students who come from out of state for the snow (in order of most to least).

I remember reading somewhere that the University of Utah was ranked as like the seventh most "gay-unfriendly" campus in the country, but I beg to differ. The LGBTQ community on campus is very close, yet small. But come on, I mean there are gay people everywhere, and I guess sure there probably are a lot of closeted gay people here in Salt Lake, but I've found Salt Lake to be very accepting of me. The percentage of gay people in Salt Lake is surprisingly very high! You might not guess that the mormon capitol of the world is also home to just as many flamers!

I see a big divergence in the student body, mostly between those from out of state and those from Utah. This could also, more or less, be equated with being Mormon or not. I think it's very good for these two groups to mix. Most Utah Mormons live in a bubble (I'm speaking from experience, here).

LGBTQ Groups on campus: I am an active member of the Queer Student Union at the U, which is an organization for LGBTQ students. They were wonderful in helping me get the courage to come out of the closet to the rest of my friends and eventually my family. It was also great to be able to make friends who were in a similar situation. Politically aware? I do not think that students are politically aware and active. Everybody on campus has an opinion on important issues, but when it comes down to it, they rarely have the basic facts, and even more infrequently, actually do something about the issue. In the rare instances when a student is both aware and active, it is usually from a radical right position condemning us all to Hell for being Atheists... or a PETA fanatic condemning us to Hell for wearing leather.