Many universities seek to increase diversity and cultural awareness among their student population. According to Penn State student Soufiane Hajalk, among one of these such universities pursuing these goals, Penn State utilizes education along with individual student interactions  in the hope of breaking stereotypes and increasing cultural acceptance.

Soufiane Hajalk is an African American male student at Penn State University Park. Soufiane has always lived in the United States; however, his parents immigrated to this country  from Morocco. Throughout his life, Soufiane has been  a proud practitioner of his culture and his Islamic religion, thus labeling him as a minority, both ethically, and religiously at Penn State. This status motivates him to work to enhance people’s cultural understandings and underlies his main reasons for agreeing to partake in this interview.

As I conducted Soufiane’s interview,  at first I was very nervous because race can be a sensitive topic for many people. Soufiane proved very understanding and helped me become less nervous about conducting  the interview, making the experience that much more pleasant. Also, the interview itself was more a discussion between two people about cultural difference. What I failed to first understand, when assigned the interview, was that the project was not focused on race, but about culture and individuals. What this interview came down to was who is Soufiane Hajalk as a person? Regardless of our differing racial backgrounds, Soufiane and I have much in common; however, race has played a different role in our lives.

Soufiane Hajalk and I are both Penn State students; however, race has played a different role in our experiences at Penn State. As Penn State students there are many opportunities available for us to pursue our hobbies. Both of us like to cook, swim, and spend time with friends. These hobbies are easily pursued at Penn State and even encouraged. Also, there are many clubs and resources available to students. Soufiane is a member of Penn State RIMS, which is a hip-hop dance group. I have an interest in joining different clubs and organizations offered at Penn State but have not gotten the chance since I am currently in the LEAP program. But, I do plan to join the daily collegian, once fall begins. Also, Soufiane has access to guidance counselors available at the Multicultural Resource Center (MRC). This resource center is just one of many resources offered to Penn State students of different ethnicities. These resources are geared to help students who are a minority to meet the challenges associated with getting a degree at a research institution, and connect with a similar ethnic community within the majority of caucasian students at PSU. These counselors also help students deal with prejudices that affect their mental sense of identity and their sense of belonging in the PSU community. Due to other’s preconceived notions and prejudices, Soufiane explained how people are often surprised to discover his educated and intelligent nature. In similarly, Soufiane and I experience similar clubs and opportunities at Penn State; however, we pursue different multicultural pursuits.

Throughout the interview Soufiane Hajalk claimed that race has not played a large role on his experience as a Penn State student; however, his claims his religious affiliation has impacted him.Soufiane is an African American male, but according to him, most people have mistaken him as Hispanic. Thereby, his race has little impact on his interactions with people because he doesn’t look like any specific race. On the other hand, he states that his practice of the Islamic religion does cause some tension. Soufiane consults The New York Times and Facebook for news related media, as do I. In today’s media, it’s hard to not come across a story of terrorism, especially after the events that unfolded in Europe. It is hard for me to imagine what it would feel like to watch people being killed in the media, then have others blame these deaths on my religion. Many Americans equivalate Islam with these terrorists; however, that is not true. These terrorist are extremist and in no way represent the religion as a whole or those who practice, such as Soufiane. It’s these stereotypes that have most negatively impacted Soufiane, as people have preconceived ideas about him and his religion. Yet, he still respectfully and tries listen to everyone’s ideas, even if these people have these stereotypes. Soufiane explained that he has entertained a Trump supporter for the 2016 election, who had many of these misconceptions. Soufiane impressed them with his open-mindedness and his comfortability discussing such topics. Soufiane’s intelligence and respect of other people’s opinions makes him very compelling in his ambition of spreading cultural awareness. I have never had to defend my religion, or disprove stereotypes; but, if I am ever faced with the need to do so, I hope I have the same mentality as Soufiane.  

Universities are becoming more and more diverse. People come from all over the world, with different backgrounds, races, and religious, but the most important thing to remember is we are all just people. It is these differences that make us unique, and a better community of Penn State students. Plus, you never know what you will learn by reaching out to those who are different from yourself. My experience reaching out to other people of diverse cultures has proven a beneficial experience, and I recommend you do the same.