Of the many interesting statistics my new school has communicated during orientation week - i.e. more female students than male students; more students from China than from any other nation - what has most intrigued me is that the London School of Economics is the most internationally diverse school in the world.
As the director of LSE, Sir Howard Davies, commented at the induction meeting, “Here we have old friends, like the Americans; new friends, like the Chinese; old enemies, like the French; and new enemies...like the French...”
The student body is represented by over 140 nations (more than the UN), most of which boast Societies (similar to school clubs) to their names -
If you are an advocate of Palestinian emancipation, you may join an already strong coalition of students following this tenor; if you tend toward the justification of the Israeli state, an association in agreement awaits your affiliation.
Marxism also has a face at LSE - its digitalized, student-generated propaganda shares the bulletin board with manifestos from the Libertarian Society.
And no matter how you think you will or will not be saved, studying at the LSE likely secures you friends-in-faith; moreover, if notions of deity and eternity, to you, hold no merit, feel free to engage in rich discussions about nothing with the Atheist and Humanist Society.
All in all, while the mere sight of this post is certain to infuse fear in my grandmothers that I am bound to return a liberal, I am happy for this unique opportunity, among my pleasant new colleagues, to vulnerably expose any “smidgens” of personal closed-mindedness.
