Imagine — if you will — a place where black and white, liberal and conservative, capitalist and communist, atheist and theist, all get along and practice a theory of live and let live without any major violence or circumstance. No, you have not entered the twilight zone. You have entered Sacramento State.

The cultural and intellectual diversity of the student body is incredible, and even more incredible is how we make it work. Tolerance is a rare commodity in most places on Earth. However, at Sac State it seems to be in good supply. I am not talking about tolerance all the time, but tolerance most of the time.

There is no utopian society possible like the one Plato wrote about, because there will always be hate in the world. The closest thing to a utopian society in America is when the diversity of cultures and ideas we have, tolerate and cooperate, with each other. Students are learning this ability through diversity.Diversity is a controversial topic. Some believe the practice of admitting students using Affirmative Action is nothing but reverse discrimination against whites, while others say it is about fairness. I am not talking about diversity in the workplace. I believe Affirmative Action is an unfair policy when getting a job, but extremely beneficial when used in admitting students to college.

In addition to the diversity of theories and ideas, the diversity of cultural perspectives is just as important. America is a true melting pot, and Time magazine rated Sacramento as the most diverse city in 2002. For college students, developing tolerance for your neighbor can only come from learning something about them. Teachers and books do not let you experience diversity. Students learn about different cultures better from other students.

If there were any place in the world where diversity has shown to be possible, it is on this campus. I say cultural diversity works here because there has been only one crime regarding race in the last three years. The 2003 Jean Cleary Compliance Report lists the bomb threat to the Ethnic Studies department in 2001, when tensions flared after the State Hornet upset a certain ethnic group with their coverage of a brawl after a football game.

Students can complain through the Affirmative Action Office about discrimination, but those records are confidential.

The Sac State Office of Institutional Research asked 2,414 students registering for classes last fall about respect on campus. Over 93 percent answered, “Frequently” to “Almost always” to the question, “To what extent do you feel fellow students treat you with respect?”

Two weeks ago, I was particularly heartened when looking at all the kiosks in the quad where I saw the Muslim Student Association next door to the Sacramento Christian Fellowship. I spoke with the Secretary of the MSA, Shakira Bayanzay, and then Tim Smith, pastor of the Sacramento Christian Fellowship. They were both great people, we talked about how it was good to have different religions on campus and how tolerance was a great thing. In many parts of the world, this type of interaction is the cause of fighting and wars.This meeting was an insignificant event, but I saw it as proof of how great our campus is. Smith even pointed out other Christian groups I could talk with if I was looking to find Christ. I told him my girlfriend is Catholic and she already told me I am going to hell because I do not believe in the Virgin Mary, so I do not bother to look anymore.

I see diversity of cultures, and ideas, a wonderful thing for universities. I walk around the campus three to four days a week, and marvel at the beauty of the different cultures and religions.

Diversity provides an environment where tolerance can be nurtured, and it strengthens the character and increases the knowledge of students who come here to learn.