By Lynnea Olivarez

It may seem that Northeastern’s student body is ethnically and culturally diverse. But who cares?

As a student from Thailand, Kylie Huang, a freshman chemistry major, said she wants to learn more about herself by immersing herself in the array of cultures that presently surround her, instead of only learning about her Chinese heritage.

With exposure to traditions and customs of other cultures, Huang said she can learn how to avoid “cultural conflict.”

“It is interesting to know how and what others are thinking, what angle others see with,” she said.

Huang said that only by being open to the possibility of listening to what others have to say can she understand their point of view. No matter how far away from home one is, “hold on to what you believe in,” Huang said.

Since many students are accustomed to the diversity on campus, few may notices if a Puerto Rican middler and a Dominican Republican sophomore meet for lunch. Few give a second thought if a Jewish freshman is shopping with her Muslim friends. Few find it extraordinary that students are teaching peers one, two or five other languages. And few are amazed if students from Poland, Thailand, Germany, South Korea and India (to name only a few) roam the campus alongside native Bostonians.

Through campus-sponsored activities, students are provided with many opportunities to investigate not only their personal culture and heritage, but also to explore cultures and heritages of classmates from around the globe. According to the “Freshman Profile” on Northeastern’s website, 1,475 freshmen students are actively involved in various campus organizations.

As one of the larger ethnic organizations at Northeastern, the Latin American Student Organization (LASO) welcomes students of Hispanic origin from 26 countries as well as anyone with an interest in learning about Latin culture.

Although welcoming students of many origins may seem like a challenge, the wide grins, countless hugs and delicious food at the organization’s first meeting in mid-September transformed the group of LASO veterans and newcomers into a family instantaneously.

Contrary to the misconception that LASO is only open to Latino students, the group does reach out to other students and ethnic organizations, including Northeastern University African Student Organization (NASO) and the Cape Verdean Student Association, in an effort to educate its members about different cultures, said LASO president Luz Mederos.

“LASO helped me branch out,” Mederos said. She said she feels being an active member of LASO has allowed her to work closely with other students, whom she otherwise might not have met, and become educated about other heritages.

“[Because] some students already come with a strong sense of their roots, they feel more at home [at the Latino/a Student Cultural Center (L.C.)],” said Sara Rivera, a 10-year employee of the Center.

Rivera said she has seen how the L.C., as well as LASO, has formed a “cultural base” for a number of members of the Northeastern community. The L.C. assists “regular people off the street,” by doing anything from helping them get a work-study job to taking classes at Northeastern, Rivera said.

Rivera’s job is much more than just promoting Hispanic culture, she said. She creates a “comfortable learning environment,” which includes helping students “reach out” to their community, she said.

Rivera said students she has nurtured and counseled during the years have often returned after graduation. Rivera said they tell her that when they sought nothing more than to improve their grades or even just to vent about life’s frustrations she and the L.C. instilled in them a yearning to go out and explore the world. Rivera said she has encouraged students to “explore outside of what they are normally used to.”

Similarly, the Birthright Israel trip, a free trip to Israel for Jewish students, sponsored by NU Hillel, has helped many “discover some part about themselves, about Israel and about Judaism,” said Nathan Ciccolo, the Birthright Israel trip coordinator.

“I fell in love with the country when I went in high school,” he said. “I want other young Jews to have the same experience