Since its launch, The Cougar's Byte Diversity Series has locked itself on spotlighting continent regions as a whole for student representation. In order to accomplish both expansion of the series and integration of more concentrated areas to showcase, this installment shifts its focus to an area smaller in size than the any of the seven continents, but as diverse and culture-filled as the bar measures - the West Indies. The West Indies is a region comprised of more than 7,000 islands, islets, reefs, and cays, along the Caribbean Sea. History and cultivation of the West Indies has made it a region of an expansive and intricate identity. Whether the focus is on the region's inclusivity of religion, physical appearance, or traditions, the result remains the same - there is no uniform. This particular 'diversity at Kean' exploration features two students from the West Indies region, each different from the other, and yet both prime agents of the diversity that makes up Kean's rich, multifarious identity.

Nivash Rampersad, junior meteorology major, spent the first 17 years of his life in his homeland of Trinidad & Tobago, in the city capital of Port of Spain. Rampersad has visited his home five times in the past seven years, keeping what he loves not just in mind, but close to heart. True blue to his metrological focused self, Rampersad shares one his first and more profound memories of first coming to the States with sentiments on the weather. "I arrived in the United States on October 4, 2003, and that winter season was the first time in my life I saw snow. I remember getting so excited that I pulled my sister out of bed to take photos of me in the snow."

As expected, resituating does not come without some damper from disunion. Rampersad expressed his pining for not only the friends and large family back home, but also for the rapport building, buoyant nature of lifestyle in Trinidad. The fast-paced, work orientated flow of the States is no new characterization; in fact, some South American countries share the same disconnect because of the integration of siestas into the average day - a time when most businesses and operations cease for a window of time dedicated to relaxation and recuperation. Rampersad nostalgically recounts the ability to enjoy 'liming' more often than not. 'Liming' is the grammatical equivalent to 'hanging out' in Trinidad, tells Rampersad. To alleviate some of that home sickness, Rampersad still enjoys some of the same foods as well as celebrates the Trinidadian Hindi traditions, such as Diwali - also known as the festival of lights, this crucial, annual festivity promotes the virtues of light over darkness and good over evil through ceremonial lighting of oil filled small clay diyas.

Lucia Maxime, a non-traditional senior accounting major, spent her entire life in the West Indies up until fours ago when she left to attend school. Maxime was born in the parish of St. John in the country of Antigua. Similarly to Rampersad, Maixme keeps home always within reach and returns every summer to visit since her move. Maxime says that while she does not tend to practice any carried over traditions, the cuisine is essential to reminiscing. "I love it when I can enjoy some real island cooking here. It reminds me of home," says Maxime. It should come to no surprise that what the two West Indies natives also share is their love for the region's beaches. "We have 365 white sandy beaches," boasts Maxime; "so I always look forward to going to the beach whenever I'm home."

Maxime has taken to Kean University with drive and purpose since her arrival. As president of The Accounting Club, a funded group of Student Organization, Maxime is aiming to leave her leadership footprint in the university. Recently, Maxime was awarded a scholarship through the Kean Scholarship Foundation - one of the many competitive awards distributed for the 2010 - 11 academic year. Maxime's hard work has carried her Kean career with little falter. Maxime expresses, "I am very proud; I was able to adjust almost seamlessly."

Rampersad, in contrast, admits that adaptation was not as smooth, but not without reward. "Leaving everything that I knew and coming to this new land was very different, but I would not change that decision for anything. I came a long way and I plan to keep pushing further." Rampersad, like Maxime, also serves as an officer on a funded group executive board. As treasurer of the Student Chapter of the American Meteorological Society and National Weather Association, Rampersad sees his group as a microcosm representation of the university's diversity as a whole. "[In my group], I met not only people that was interested in the same thing I was, but people who had very different point-of-views," detailed Rampersad in respects to diversity. "I have to admit, this past year at Kean, I've learned what no teacher can ever teach me.