The Other Side of Rush

I'm entering the second full week of rush and it's been interesting to be on the other side of the rush process. Last year, I was the young freshman trying to balance schoolwork and other responsibilities with rushing, trying to impress the upperclassmen so they'd let me into their group. I tried to spruce myself up, dress well, be more outgoing than usual, you know, the usual things. But now I'm in and I have influence over which freshmen get in. I've noticed a couple of things.

I like people who stand out. This may seem obvious; no duh I don't notice the cookie cutters are the same as everyone else. It's more than that though, I want to hear about you, the things that you've done, the places that you've been, the books that you read, and the TV shows are guilty pleasures and the throwbacks from your childhood that you embarrassingly still watch. These are the quirky things that I like in a person, the ever important things that will make our conversations enjoyable and memorable enough to mention you to the other members. I want my rushees to be open and honest so I get to know you and like you.

It's harder for the LGBT community, especially freshmen. Trust me, I've been there and I had feelings of separation and misfit when the guys talked about hot girls, sports, or anything else that makes me so frustrated with heteronormative Duke. But now that I've been through that, I make sure that my conversations and demeanor around rushees are encouraging and inclusive. I, and I think other LGBTA upperclassmen, want to make the rushees feel comfortable because we know that it's hard and challenging. I give the out and possible LGBT rushees extra attention and help them meet the upperclassmen to make it easier for them.

Those are the things that I do on my side but I also require something of you. Please do not try to act like someone that you are not. I'm amazed at how shockingly easy it is to see through a façade. I can tell when rushees make up stories to seem more cool/popular/masculine than they actually are and it makes me lose respect for them. It's like a slap in the face when you front because what you really mean is that you don't trust me enough to be accepting and understanding. This doesn't apply to just LGBTA upperclassmen, I think anyone would be put off if you feel the compulsion to be fake.

I know that there is a conception that being LGBT will hurt your chances of getting in. Although I disagree with that, partially because I know that it isn't true for the groups that I'm familiar with and partially because I think that LGBT people are generally very interesting, the conception exists nonetheless. To unsure rushees who believe in that, ask yourself if you would be comfortable joining a group that isn't comfortable with you. Your decision essentially boils down to that.

Now I'm certainly not suggesting that you declare your sexuality aloud when you introduce yourself; I would rather first get to know who you are rather than your label. I'm also not suggesting that you do something that you're not comfortable doing but part of rush is exposing yourself and finding a real fit. Don't be afraid - to borrow a phrase from Common Ground - to lean into discomfort. I'll notice that and I'll appreciate it.