As a student in high school, I had visions of college being a whirlwind of new experiences, new people, new cultures, new everything.
The first week of school, I was invited to a party at a fraternity.
I brought along a few friends from high school. I didn't know exactly what to expect, I had never been to a fraternity party at this point and hadn't grown up around Greek Life.
We stepped through the crowd that was spilling into the street; green lights flashed through the crowds; fog dripped off the stage as the band played through cover songs. One of my friends went up to the nearest guy with a cigarette to ask for a light, and the guy responded, without missing a beat, "Hey, you're black! Can I talk black to you?"
We didn't stay at the party long.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the first time at Auburn I witnessed this kind of behavior.
The sense of horror hasn't faded each time I see people grit their teeth and smile through questions: Oh, you're an Indian? Like the dot Indian or the feathers Indian? You don't talk like a black perso - you're practically white! Hey, you're Hispanic. That means I can call you Dora, right?
Now, I'm not saying I think everyone at Auburn is racist, or that Auburn isn't welcome to minorities.
That's ridiculous, and there are hundreds of clubs on campus that provide for an array of diversity.
But I do think there's a glimmer of ignorance that reflects poorly upon Auburn as a whole.
Stereotyping, even when done unintentionally, is offensive. From my travels abroad I've been upset by the frequent assumptions that Americans are fat, greedy, stupid and uncaring about problems outside of our country.
I can't imagine facing these stereotypes every day in my own country, in my own town.
Speech does not denote ethnicity. Speaking a particular niche of English doesn't make a person white. Having tan skin and an ability to speak Spanish doesn't make a person Mexican, and there are plenty of countries other than Mexico that speak Spanish.
Curiosity about differences from ones own is to be expected and is okay, but there are less offensive ways to be inquisitive.
There are so many opportunities to get involved and learn about those differences, which I feel are wasted by the general student population.
Auburn has a wonderful study abroad program; the Indian Student Association hosts events for Diwali and features a Bollywood night; the Black Student Union has Jazz and Poetry nights.
Last spring, there was a Spanish film festival put on by the foreign languages department and the art museum. The list of associations and events are endless: American Indian Association, Asian Association, Egyptian Student Association, Auburn Association of Latino Students, Chinese Student and Scholars Organization, Indonesian Student Association, the list goes on.
College lasts approximately four years. It's one of the easiest times to make friends and connections from all over the world. It's one of the rare times when fun and learning coexist. Take advantage of it.
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