Ask almost any student and they'll explain.

Hubbard Hall is where the most black students live. Chicano and Latino students live in Akers Hall, and McDonel Hall is filled with international students.

West Circle complex and Holden Hall are mostly white students.

Most students never see proof of these stereotypes but base them on rumors and personal observations. Data from the Department of Residence Life shows most students' thoughts are not too far from the truth. There are divisions in the diversity of halls around campus.

As of this semester, Hubbard Hall, the most diverse dorm on campus, is comprised of about half white students and half ethnic minority students which, by university records, consist of black, Chicano and Latino, Asian, American Indian and international students. The hall houses the highest percentage of black students at 38 percent, which translates into 351 students.

Landon Hall in West Circle complex, however, is 91 percent white. Akers Hall houses the most Chicano and Latino students; they make up 8.2 percent of the dorm's population. McDonel and Owen Graduate halls vie for the most international students — both house about 165 — but international students make up a larger percentage in Owen Graduate Hall.

People see segregation, even without the numbers, said Mary Cartier, a student leader of the group Multi-Racial Unity Living Experience for East Complex. MRULE was created to promote communication between people of different backgrounds living closely within the residence halls. Cartier is white.

"They might not want to point it out, but it's very real," she said. "In a state that's growing up segregated, our campus reflects that."

On Thursday, MRULE plans to distribute online surveys to residents in East and South complexes looking at why students chose to live where they do and how comfortable students feel interacting with students of different races, said MRULE Director Jeanne Gazel.

"We know from research that it doesn't happen without some kind of intervention; people don't do that unless it's in their immediate environment," Gazel said. "We at the administrative level have to see how we can conquer these barriers that keep people from having genuine, meaningful relationships across traditional racial ethnic lines."

How it happens

The demographics of MSU's dorms are not the result of just one factor, but a complex combination of placements by the university, students' requests, residence hall programs and movement at the end of each semester.

University officials do not deliberately house minority students in particular residence halls, University Housing Director Angela Brown said.

"When assigning students, we do not have their ethnicity," Brown said. "We don't know who we are assigning. We don't look at names or addresses."

Students' requests for a specific dorm are matched with their preferences for smoking or nonsmoking dorms or quiet floors. The department's computer will randomly match the student with available openings based on the preferences.

"It's more of self-segregation because the students are deciding where they want to live," she said. "And we do our best to honor their requests."

Brown said students might also be placed in a specific residence hall if they are a part of an in-house support program such as the College Assistance Migrant Program, or CAMP, which helps incoming migrant and seasonal farmworker students transition into college life. The program is based out of Akers Hall.

"Students are required to live in particular halls based on support programs or academic programs," Brown said. "But minority students are not required to live in particular residence halls."

Choosing not to enroll or participate in a residential academic program can lead to grouping as well.

Historically, many minority students choose not to live in halls with residential academic programs, such as James Madison College in Case Hall or Lyman Briggs School in Holmes Hall, Brown said. Students who do not want to be part of these programs are typically placed where there's available space, she said.

No preference freshman Jean Yang said she chose to live in Akers Hall for academic reasons. She is exploring the premedical track at MSU and said Akers Hall has a high population of premedical students.

"I went online before I came here to find a place with a lot of people who had the same major as me," Yang said. "I don't remember my first choice, but Akers was my second."

Former high school friends told hospitality business freshman Jason Smith to request Wonders Hall because of its location and the diversity there. Instead, he was placed in Emmons Hall.

"Brody was my last choice," he said.

But Smith said he is no longer interested in living in Wonders Hall.

"The rooms are bigger here (in Emmons Hall) and I like to be around people of my color," he said.

Smith said being around other black students makes him feel comfortable because they can relate to the same issues.

"I'm not saying white people or anyone else are bad," he said. "It's more of an understanding issue. I can easily bond with someone of my race."

People also move out of dorms during the year to be near those they feel more comfortable around.

After living in Akers Hall for two years, special education junior Elena Strom decided to move out and find a different environment. Between the fall and spring semester, about 150 students left Akers Hall, according to Residence Life.

"I felt pulled," she said. "I was the only partially white person in the room. And I didn't feel Mexican enough to hang out with my other three roommates."

Strom is biracial — white and Mexican American.

Strom said her roommates would speak in Spanish to each other which left her "on the outside."

"But that was mostly inside my head," she said. "It was nothing they did intentionally to make me feel that way."

Strom said she never felt completely out of place in Akers, but now that she's living in Landon, she feels more comfortable.

She has, however, noticed a lack of racial interaction in West Circle complex.

"The population here is majority white, as opposed to Akers and Hubbard," she said.

Consequences

The grouping of racial groups on campus has far-reaching effects — both positive and negative.

"If black and Hispanic students are naturally saying, 'I want to live in Hubbard or Akers because I can be myself and share my college experience with people who are like me,' then I don't see a problem," said Paul Goldblatt, director of the Department of Residence Life. "We don't see a problem when white students get together to socialize or for events."

This was the case for microbiology sophomore Vanessa Newton, who moved from Akers Hall to Hubbard Hall. Newton is black.

"I'm more comfortable being around black people, because I'm not used to being away from home," Newton said. "My friends are here; we have the same classes and we study together."

Akers Hall was nothing like Hubbard, Newton said.

"There were too many white people to me," she said. "And all the activities on our floor were geared toward what they like, such as Ultimate Frisbee."

The racial ethnic aide in the hall did put on activities for minority students, Newton said, but eventually she moved out anyway.

Moving to feel more comfortable isn't bad, Goldblatt said. But it could become a problem if minority students feel they are pressured into living in certain residence halls — that specific halls are the only places they are welcome, Goldblatt said.

"We are all for students choosing where they want to live for the right reasons," he said. "But when students feel they have no choice because of their race, that's a problem."

Making a change would mean the university would have to remove and re-place students in particular dorms by race quotas. Goldblatt said there has been past discussions about evenly dispersing minority students throughout campus, but the idea is not being pursued.

"I'd be surprised if we decide to do something like that," he said. "MSU is a big supporter of people's rights, freedom of choice and the decisions students make."

He said implementing a quota system "goes against those ideas."

Goldblatt said there are differing opinions about spreading minority students across campus.

"Some administrators say 'break them up' and another would say 'no,'" he said. "You can't predict who's going to be on one end of the issue."

But since some students and faculty members are questioning if students from diverse backgrounds are interacting, the department will pay close attention to where students choose to live next year and the reasons behind their choices, Goldblatt said.

The goal of the Office of Racial Ethnic Student Affairs is to expose students to many different cultures while at MSU, said Louie Lainez, the office's interim coordinator.

"(This) helps them once they leave by giving them a broader view," he said.

Racial ethnic student aides are located in residence halls across campus to help students of all races find academic, social and cultural resources, such as campus groups.

Ideally, students will benefit from the diversity of the residence halls, Lainez said.

"The university is giving them an opportunity to expand outside their comfort zone," he said.

When students self-segregate, they are not exposed to other races and cultures, which could contribute to racism, said Latanya Simpson, president of the Black Student Alliance.

Some racially derogatory incidents that have occurred on campus are signs of a larger problem, she said.

"These are isolated incidents, but I think there is great ignorance about cultures on campus," Simpson said. "If you are in front of me talking about your culture, and I could care less, that's ignorance."

Dorms also have reputations because of the population.

Simpson said she's heard comments from students who've said they fear going to Hubbard Hall because of the high population of black students who live there.

Branching out

Communication sophomore Jamal Spencer transferred to MSU and said he requested to live in Hubbard Hall because he had heard about the high number of black students.

However, Spencer was placed in Landon Hall and is the only black male on his floor.

"But it's a lot better than what I expected," he said. "The people on the floor are very friendly."

Since then, Spencer's view of Hubbard Hall has changed.

"I'm glad I didn't live there with all the incidents that have happened," he said. "I came in looking for a comfort level and a lot of people that look like me live in Hubbard."

Spencer said people, including himself, are unsure of how they'll react to people who come from diverse backgrounds. However, the racial division is hurting social progress, he said.

"We should be in a multi-ethnic environment so that we can get to know other people and their cultures better," he said.

Students who are American Indian are forced to blend with other races in the dorms because their own group is so small.

As a freshman, sometimes it was difficult to find someone who understood, said Holly Newland, a member of the executive board of the North American Indigenous Student Organization, or NAISO.

"The overall percentage is low — losing one student is literally losing a percent," the journalism senior said.

American Indian students are present in almost every dorm in small numbers, and they look to NAISO for a sense of heritage even while they are surrounded by other students, Newland said.

Glen Lee, an international student from Singapore, knew most international students choose to live in McDonel Hall because of the programs held there. He originally requested the dorm.

When the communication junior was placed in Hubbard Hall, he said he was glad for the experience.

"Being an international student, it'd be easy to only stay around international students," Lee said. "I try to meet with locals here rather than mixing with my own race, otherwise I might as well stay in my own country."

Lee said he thinks the university should do more to push diversity in the residence halls.

"I'm not in my 'comfort zone' a lot but I don't have a problem with it," Lee said. "My girlfriend is from the U.S. and putting myself out of my comfort zone was one of the reasons I met her."