When I was at the Campus Activities Board (CAB) talent show Tuesday night of Homecoming week, something occurred to me that most people don’t think about.

At the end of the show, the emcee brought all of the contestants on to the stage for the announcing of the winners.

Once everyone was on stage, my visual was complete, and I may be the only one in the entire auditorium who noticed it. The entire right side of the stage was all white, and the left side of the stage was entirely black with the exception of one white person on the very far left.

My initial thought was that it was ironic how Western prides its self at being multicultural, but out of sheer habit we segregate ourselves on stage.

The CAB talent show isn’t the only place it happens.

The cafeteria, sports events, campus events, Griffon Edge, they are all places where someone could go to witness segregation.

First, I would like to say that I’m not racist.

I have friends that are from all different cultures and ethnicities, and I treat each one with the same respect and dignity that I would with someone of my own color.

When it comes to the color of one’s skin, I am color-blind.

It is important not to judge a person solely on his or her skin color; however, it is important to still respect and acknowledge one’s heritage and cultural background.

I believe that all people should be treated equally.

But it upsets me that even in the 21st century, we still separate ourselves from people of another color, whether it is black, white, tan, red, purple, green or blue.

It is so easy to only hang out with people of the same background, but it is challenging and often interesting to find a friend who has absolutely nothing in common with you, including the color of your skin.

I’m not speaking to all people.

There are some people who think similarly.

For example, the football team does a great job of intermingling ethnicity.

At football games, it is almost impossible to determine the color of a player’s skin because the team plays as a united group.

Color isn’t an issue; being a team is. But sometimes it isn’t always about race.

It’s a comfort thing. Most people stay within their comfort zone and hang out with the friends within that zone.

Think of the different organizations and communities on campus.

Within each organization, there may be several different cultures, but the people who occupy each organization stay grouped together.

All organizations are guilty of it, whether it’s athletics, Greeks, or small professional organizations. It is much easier to stay with friends who you know won’t reject you rather than take the risk of being let down.

In the meantime, however, you can miss out on a bunch of different friendships and experiences that could be potentially rewarding.

Western is largely multicultural and aside from race, is very diverse in personality and interest.

This is something to be very proud of, but, unfortunately, we don’t integrate like we should. I have a challenge for everyone.

I challenge you to find a person with a different ethnicity or interest who you don’t know very well.

Get to know that person and his or her different beliefs.

Find out what makes him or her similar to you, but also what makes this person different from you.

Go home with him or her for a weekend and see for yourself what this person’s life is truly like.

It will open your mind and broaden your horizons.

Education is so much more powerful than ignorance.

Educate yourself socially.