I come from a high school of maybe 1,500 students and my town, Scotch Plains, has a population of 22,000 people. Rutgers has three times as many students, so my first week as a new freshman has been quite overwhelming, to say the least.
However, in this short span of time, I have discovered that there are a lot of great aspects of Rutgers: the Livingston Dining Hall (as a coffee addict, the espresso machine alone captured my heart), the 400+ clubs and organizations, the varied classes and programs available, and of course the school spirit (RU Rah, Rah!). However, one aspect in particular keeps impressing me as I continue to discover all that Rutgers has to offer: the diversity of the Scarlet Knights.
I have been exposed to so many different cultures in the short time I have lived on campus. It started the very first day–no, the very first hour after move-in.
During my first RA meeting, I was introduced to at least ten international students who will live on my very floor all year! Since then, I’ve met many students from countries such as China, South Korea, Spain, and India, many of whom I have classes with.
In fact, I have already felt the effect of this diversity.
In Introduction to Gender, Race, and Sexuality, one of my favorite classes of this semester, my peers are like a rainbow of many different races and cultures. Our class is exposed to the different perspectives from students who come from different places. While I am Puerto Rican, I was born and raised in America; I am used to American values and culture, but for once, I get the perspectives from different countries. These insights are invaluable in our classroom, especially when discussing such sensitive topics and issues that deal with gender, race, and sexuality.
I already feel like I understand cultures that deviate from the American norm, and I have only had but one conversation with these international students. Think of how well-rounded and informed I can be by the end of the semester!
There are many clubs and organizations that cater to different cultures and ethnicities.
In the Back-to-School Block Party, I connected with my people through the Rutgers Union Estudiantil Puertorriquena and the people who are not technically my people, but who I wish were my people and treated me like they were my people such as the Rutgers Association of Philippine Students.
In the end, as fellow Scarlet Knights, we all are each other’s people. While mostly everyone at Rutgers is a stranger to me, the diversity and general acceptance of individuals from all over the world showed me that everyone has a place at Rutgers. Along with the Livingston Dining Hall espresso machine, and that is pretty cool.