Dear ______,

You know who you are. You are the flavor in my life, the color amidst a world of white. You are the voices that speak up and challenge me, support me, and teach me about other dimensions of an often one-sided society.

College is sometimes seen as a great equalizer. We are all swamped with the same stress of exams, forced to live in the same cramped dorms, eat the same cafeteria food, and live in the same gated bubble. We are united by school colors and face paint at football games. We are convinced that we are one student body, living and breathing together, and in many ways we are…but we are also so much more than a single face, a single color, a single perspective. College is not an equalizer. It’s a window through which we see our great differences.

Difference does not have to mean separation. It doesn’t have to mean tension. Too often, when we listen to others give their perspective on our culture, we assume defensiveness because we see this difference as an attack. What happens, however, when we stop and listen?

I have been lucky enough to bond with friends across cultures and grow to understand all of our minute differences. I’ve had homemade Abuelita hot chocolate and pastries from a panadería with my Salvadoran and Mexican friends. I’ve participated in Holi with my Indian friends. I've learned to dance to K- and J-pop and drink real green tea with my Chinese friends. I’ve swam in Horseshoe Bay and celebrated Cupmatch with my Bermudian friend.

And while I’ve learned so much about you, you have also taught me so much about my own culture. We’ve had heated discussions over the election race and argued over cultural appropriation of Día de los Muertos costumes. You’ve told me what it’s like to live on a campus as a minority, and the ways it differs from my experience. You've described to me the systems of oppression that exist in America that are so ingrained in our daily lives that they are now subconscious. You’ve also taught me culture is so much more than race, and how truly amazing it is to learn about.

Wake, we are really more than just black and gold. We are so much more than Demon Deacons. We are an entire rainbow of races, cultures, ethnicities, and identities—and bonds across those divisions are truly special.

Thank you for what you have taught me, and for the better person I hope I've become.

-M