College Life, Diversity in St. Cloud (Minneapolis: transfer to, school, university)

[newtoitalll]

I am looking for a different school to transfer to and St. Cloud Sate University has the program I want. I am originally from the Twin Cities and am used to various ethnic groups. I dont think I'd have a problem living in St. Cloud but there seems to be "bad press" concerning the city.
Is it just that, bad press, or are the racial tension issues actually to that point? I've read a few articles about tension between Somalians and Caucasians, but at this point I dont know what to believe; I'd prefer talking to someone or hearing from someone who lives there or goes to school there but I dont have any connections there.

Thanks in advance for you input.

[ozzie679]

It's just the press being the press. It's just like the swastikas that were fonund in a couple campus bathrooms. The story was all over the news. But just as everybody in town thought....it turned out to be some college kid playing a joke.

There are over 1000 international students at SCSU.

[knke0402]

Well I am probably the most suited person in this forum to answer this question...

I recently graduated from SCSU in May, and I lived there for four years during college...Ill give you my thoughts.

A) Even at the peak of the whole "swastika" bullshnit, it was pretty much nothing to students or the campus. Campus-wide, it was taken as a grain of salt, prety much "just another freshman being an idiot"...

B) It gets a bad name for being " a party school", but to be honest, it wasnt too much partying. I mean, yea, college aged kids drink, and frankly, when you go to school and do homework all week, its rewarding to get silly with your friends, loosens you up to mingle with the girls, whatever. Its college. if you have 4 years of your life to let loose, have a good time, and have a reason to be immature, its college. so live it up, because you only live once.

C) It is a school that takes pride in its culutre, and internationally appeal. It is a really diverse campus, which I thought was great. I came from a HS where we had 1 black kid in my graduating class, to a campus with over 1000 international students and a city with nearly 1000 Somalis.

D) The Somali tension isnt that big of a deal, its basically a bunch of townies getting upset at a new influx of immigrants, which they are unused to.

E) The college itself is nice. Nicer than most think. Brand new Husky Football Stadium, Brand new Parking ramp, new science building, many rennovations happeneing, new Work out center, new track in the fieldhouse, new changes coming to the Hockey Center...

F) I thought it was remarkable how it was a close knit school. THere are nearly 20,000 students there, but you would see familiar faces all the time- and make freinds from freshman year that still run up and give you high fives your senior year. its great.

G) Hockey games are the best part of this school. Its so fun, all the students get so excited for games.

H) the city of st cloud is doing great things. its becoming a regional hub and a growing suburb of minneapolis everyday. Its becoming a well known region of the uppermidwest.(Juno was supposivly in St. Cloud) Its a quick drive to Minneapolis - 50 minutes, but you feel away from the cities enough to actually relax and enjoy yourself.