Students might have thought they knew the general racial makeup of dorms on MSU's campus.

And as it turns out, they were right.

There's been a lot of talk recently about segregation in MSU's residence halls.

Most students will tell you Hubbard Hall is where the most black students live, Chicano and Latino students live in Akers Hall and McDonel Hall has the most international students.

It's true.

But is there something wrong with that?

There are many factors that play into the demographics of MSU's dorms. Although minority students are not intentionally placed in specific residence halls, many request particular dorms because they feel more comfortable surrounded by people who might share a common background or culture.

Living arrangements should be enjoyable. And students should have the choice of who they do or do not want to live with. This way students can spend at least their first year of the college experience with people they get along with and who share similar interests.

In a perfect world, skin color wouldn't fit into this equation.

But we all know this isn't a perfect world. Even in large, diverse cities, segregation — to some degree — is very common.

And many students find a mutual bond and certain level of comfort with people who share the same race.

So should people be forced to step out of these "comfort zones?"

Dispersing minority students throughout campus is unfair and would take away the freedom of choice everyone should possess.

Despite living arrangements, when it comes right down to it, fighting racism and segregation must start on a personal level.

Although everyone — members of both minorities and the majority — should make a conscious decision to meet and learn about people from different backgrounds and cultures, it is easier, but dangerous, for white people to isolate themselves.

A member of a minority is forced to interact with the majority on a daily basis.

Even if a black student chose to live in Hubbard Hall, join a traditionally black fraternity and be a member of the Black Student Alliance, they would still regularly have to interact with white people in a many situations simply because white is the predominate race at MSU.

A white person, on the other hand, could theoretically, as a part of the majority, live his or her entire life segregated from any diversity without too much effort.

This type of segregation is what fuels stereotypes. Not having, or choosing to ignore, the opportunity of learning about someone of another race could lead to a person accepting unfair pre-existing prejudices as true.

Creating a dialogue between people of different races is key in acceptance. Most people, of most races, will answer questions about themselves and their races if presented in a way that is not demeaning or rude.

But being afraid to ask questions and worrying about being politically correct can get in the way of an honest and open conversation.

There have been talks of adding diversity sessions as a part of the Academic Orientation Program, or AOP, for incoming students at MSU. And although it's a great idea to explain the university's policies concerning diversity to new students, AOP, as it is currently structured, might not be the best time to do it.

So much information is thrown at students during the two-day AOP sessions. Discussions about diversity are so important and the emphasis might get lost in the midst of students learning about MSU's campus and student life.

Maybe a better approach would be gathering students in smaller groups of different races sometime during the school year to discuss diversity and race relations around campus.

For students who have never been exposed to any different cultures or races, this type of forum could open their eyes and increase their awareness of racial issues at MSU.

Race is only one of many traits that can distinguish a person as a minority.

There have been 22 incidents of bias and discrimination since August recorded by the Department of Residence Life. The incidents range from the shouting of racial slurs during physical confrontations to the writing of slurs based on sexual orientation on walls and memo boards.

This is unacceptable.

Students must learn to be tolerant, in the very least, of people who are different from them. And this doesn't just include people of different races: It means people with different religions, sexual orientations, genders, disabilities and a number of other characteristics that make them different.

Not only is acceptance essential in cohabiting within a diverse community, students who have been isolated from any type of human variety growing up might even be surprised to learn something or disprove a stereotype by speaking with their minority peers.

America is commonly referred to as a "melting pot" where the ingredients in the pot — people of different cultures and religions — are combined so as to lose their discrete identities and produce a final product of uniformed consistency and flavor.

But a better model might be the cultural concept of America as a "salad bowl," in which all the different cultures are combined, but keep their own distinct qualities.

Without a diverse range of ingredients, a salad is just lettuce — and that makes for a pretty boring meal.

All MSU students, whether members of a minority or the majority, should embrace their own cultures and find their own identities, but also be accepting of those who are different around them.

Being open to, and aware of, the diversity around campus can only make for a better, more understanding student body.