In late September, University of Southern California student, Rini Sampath, was walking by a frat house on campus when, she says, a member leaned out of the window, threw a drink at her, and screamed, “you Indian piece of shit!”

In her Facebook post about the incident, Sampath, 21, writes that once the brothers realized who she was — she's the president of the student body — they apologized. But it was too late. "I’m still in a state of shock," she wrote on Facebook. "There’s an indescribable hollowness in me, but I’m going public with this because this can’t continue."

Sampath, who moved to the U.S. from India with her family when she was six, says the incident isn't isolated. In the same Facebook post, she writes, "This was the same fraternity that kicked out a peer of mine from their tailgate after calling him a 'fag.' That’s sickening."

Her comment is getting noticed: since that single Facebook post, she's ignited a debate about racism on campuses and in the U.S. — with stories about the incident running in papers fromThe Los Angeles Times toThe Washington Post.

We caught up with the college senior to hear how it's been and what's next for her. Our conversation was lightly edited for length.

Hi, thanks for chatting. How did you feel after the incident?

"Last Saturday’s incident sent me into a state of shock. What made me more upset, was knowing this happens to my peers on our campus at USC, every single day."

What do you do after something like that happens?

"A lot of students are targeted in this way, and oftentimes, they wonder if it is serious enough to report or if they should just move on. But, the little things — the microaggressions — add up over time. And, there comes a point in your life, where you cannot stay silent in the face of intolerance. This incident was that breaking point for me."

Were you surprised? Is this consistent with your experience at USC, or does it feel like an exception?

"When I ran for the position of student body president with my vice president, Jordan Fowler, we were targets of numerous sexist and racist comments. We won the election with a landslide victory because our student body looked past our gender and race, and saw us for our capabilities — and they trusted us with their vote. This gave me great confidence in USC, but electing two women of color to this position does not indicate an end to issues of diversity and inclusion."

"Since I came out with my story, many students have come to me with their own accounts. Some have told me about how they were outed by their professor during class, taunted by their peers with slurs at social gatherings, and more. Institutions of higher education should foster culturally competent individuals. There’s something innately wrong with the system if this type of behavior is still prevalent."