College. Oh, how the word filled me with trepidation. Don't get me wrong, I was exhilarated to start a new chapter in my life, but I could not help but feel overwhelmed. Living in a new city, meeting a bunch of new people, and attending a huge SEC school like Louisiana State University seemed quite intimidating.
Many of my friends who were already at LSU kept telling me to "rush" for a sorority. They said that it would definitely enhance my first-year experience and I would have so much fun. I had no idea what "rushing" meant or what a sorority was, so like any other curious college freshman, I asked questions...a TON of them. What is rushing? What is the recruitment process like? How much would being in a sorority cost? How time-consuming is it? With much deliberation and persistence from my friends, I decided to rush.
Coming from a family who had no Greek affiliations, I was pretty much clueless about EVERYTHING. When I opened up my Greek Tiger book to learn a bit more about Greek life, I was a little concerned. There weren't many Asians present in the Greek community. This was a big concern for me because being Asian is what makes me who I am. What if me being Asian was a disadvantage to my rush experience?
For weeks I frantically researched minorities who went through recruitment so that I could somehow make myself feel better about the situation. How successful were they in the process? What was their experience like? Did they feel any sort of racism during or after rushing? Though I did find some great stories on these topics, none felt relatable to me. I couldn't find many Asians who rushed in the SEC, and everyone knows, rushing in the South is completely different than rushing anywhere else.
Many of my friends reassured me that I would have a great chance ending up in any sorority, regardless of my race. Though I wanted to believe them, I couldn't help but have the thought lingering in the back of my mind.
During recruitment week, I was super nervous. I could feel a sense of anxiety and excitement walking down Greek row for the first time. To my surprise, I saw a few Asian girls who were rushing too. It relieved some of my doubts about the recruitment process. Seeing other girls like me who were also going through rush made me feel like I wasn't alone.
Attending all of the parties and seeing the different minority representations in each sorority helped ease my uncertainty throughout the week. By the end of it, I was more worried about what my hair looked like than if my race would be an issue. To my surprise, being Asian sparked a multitude of great conversations. It differentiated me from many of the girls rushing and helped me stand out. I didn't rush just as a "minority" or "Asian". I rushed as me. All of the houses accepted me for who I am and I did not feel a bit out-of-place.
Though the week was long and tiring, the end result was definitely worth it. The sorority I pledged makes me feel at home every day and I couldn't imagine myself being anywhere else. My sisters don't see me for what I look like or where I come from, but who I am as a person and I couldn't be more grateful.
Rushing as a minority in the SEC may seem intimidating, but it is truly an amazing experience unlike anything else. My rush experience consisted of walking 4 miles a day, bonding with all of the wonderful girls, and endless laughter. As cheesy as it sounds, rushing allowed me to find my home away from home. Rushing has been the best decision I have made this year and I can't wait to see what this year holds.
