DePaul University situated itself right in the middle of Chicago. As a born and bread Chicago resident, I know what this means in terms of fashion, attitude and socializing.
Here is a tale of my aunt, back when she was just a young thing frolicking around the city with her first secretary job. She had a six block walk from her apartment to the building where she worked. And of course did it in high heels every day. Some women wear comfortable shoes out and change them into the more fashionable heels once in the work place. Not my aunt. She was a trooper, cat-walking through the pain, all for the sake of looking good.
This idea of looking good I feel is a city symptom. I even fall prey to it, despite my love of sweat pants. When I go to class and have to be seen by other Chicago natives, I want to look good. This isn't just because I'm a girl, men do it too. A large percentage of DePaul will also fall victim to looking city chique. Because DePaul University is so centrally located, and walking out your door is walking into Chicago, its not odd to find many girls in heels and skirts despite the weather, and guys in expensive looking shoes and fashionable jackets.
That is not to say that the whole of DePaul is egocentric and posh, it just means that people tend to want to make themselves look nice. Since every night is a night out on the town, it seems only natural.
We do have a variety of students however, and you'll find them expressing themselves through many different styles. We are truly a diverse university, and that is obvious when you look around campus. This applies to more than just the fashion, and extends to academics and origins.
Students come to DePaul University from across the nation. I have met someone from nearly every state, and from different areas within each state. Although there is a decent amount of people from Illinois, most are not from Chicago. All of these people have made Chicago their home now, and have made great friends from far places in the process.
The draw for all of these out of state students is not just the city life (though it may be for some) but the academic programs. DePaul offers a wide range of courses that are not commonly offered at other universities. Both our music and theater programs are known across the nation and are highly selective due to their expertise, as well as our game design program which features several top designers as professors. Thats not to say that or more conventional programs aren't just as renowned, as the liberal arts, science, commerce and education departments often feature famous professors who have accomplished much before turning to teaching.
This wide range of major fields leads to a diverse population of students. I would say that each school has its own way of working and studying, though that might be considered stereotyping the field of study. Though from my experience it seems true. Not everyone sits at the library or in a computer lab with their faces smothered in books. You'll see people in cafe's and in our quad in study groups or on their own. No one is the same, and DePaul recognizes this not only on a surface level, but with deeper understanding, providing for these differences by means of study areas and tutors.
From its fashion to its academics, DePaul proves its diversity through its students. With so many opportunities to 'find yourself' in the city different fashions and interests are formed. And from our variety of majors, new careers and study habits are apparent. Not one student is the same, nor does DePaul try to make them conform to a preconceived notion of a 'good student'. To me, this is a true form of diversity, people coming from across the country to study and be accepted. Diversity, meet DePaul.