Back in the Game

I'm happy to see my friends back from the break. I must say, despite the fact that I stayed on campus, the break went quite well for me. I actually had the whole time to watch TV [heroes], play games, feast, and rearrange my room. And I was able to speak with many of my friends from Nigeria and my family. I also enjoyed the trip to the mall in Lacrosse during which I ended up buying a lot, including my fat winter clothes and boots. Reports say this winter is going to be the coldest in years. It makes me a bit anxious; I'm hoping that it won't be too harsh.

Finally, in our Paideia section, we're doing something that isn't related to some hard-core theology or philosophy, as were my last two Paideia books. We're reading Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. Although I read the book back in High School, I'm so excited that we're studying this Nigerian text for Paideia at Luther. People are already asking me to pronounce the Ibo names in the book and explain some traditional terms. And the book is really interesting to read and much less difficult to understand than Luther's theological writings or Lewis and Blackburn's meta ethical books [though I kind of liked them]. So, I can't wait for my Paideia class on Monday to hear what my Professor has to say; I know it's going to be a very interesting class.

Concerning school work, it's still a bit difficult integrating back into all the activities associated with college life. Although I resolved during this break to maximize my weekends by doing all the homework I can do for the following week, it's still just tempting to stay back and watch some movies or push the homework until Sunday. That, then, would lead to a hideous cycle of sleepless nights and semi-conscious days [I've had many of those]. And that's exactly what I'm trying to avoid. In fact it's the last thing I want because schoolwork will only become more tedious. We have two heavily weighted Paideia papers due and the materials that are going to be covered in other classes will be a lot more difficult, considering the fact that we would now be getting into the core of the course with all preliminaries behind us.

It's less than one week to Halloween and the hall council is getting deep into preparations for the 'trick or treating' and Halloween party. We're going to have kids from Decorah knock on our room doors and ask for treats. Then, that Friday evening, we'll have a party. It all sounds like it's going to be fun. My roommate actually has this really scary mask. He even freaked me out with it when he got back from the break. Imagine if we scared the kids with the mask when they knocked on our door... That would be hilarious. But we're not allowed to do that because the hall council decided it would be a bit harsh on the kids [and mean too].

I guess that's all I have for now. By next week, we will be fully back into college life with so many events coming up and deadlines looming. I'm also very excited about the Presidential Election coming up in just a little over a week [I'm glad my candidate is leading]. Until then...

Peace!

At Last, some Respite...

I'm so glad it's finally fall break. It's really amazing how time flies; I can't believe the first half of the semester is actually gone. And I must say, the last 7 weeks have been ones of very significant learning and development in my life. But last week turned out to be my most hectic week at Luther. On Wednesday, I had my Physics and Math mid-semester exams and Paideia open unit quiz. I had to stay up late studying particularly for my physics exam, which from experience, isn't usually very easy. On Friday, I had my Paideia mid-semester exam and my Honors Discussion mid-semester reflection due. The Paideia exam was actually more difficult than I had anticipated; I think it went quite well, though. I had to stay busy until about 5:00pm that day finishing up my Honors reflection.

Nevertheless, the most important thing right now is that it's fall break! I can finally breathe! It's been a very hectic semester so far with plenty of homework to do, meetings to attend, a tight schedule, and a maximum of 6 hours of sleep per day. But yesterday, I actually slept for more than 10 hours. And this morning, I had a well-deserved feast, actually eating all I felt like eating [a luxury I'm not able to afford very often because I'm usually always in a hurry]. I spent the whole day relaxing, watching tv, hanging out with the other international students, and keeping schoolwork as far away from my mind as possible...

Despite my extreme gladness that I have this much-needed break, I can't seem to shake off the loneliness I feel from staying on campus with everyone back home. My hall is virtually empty and it feels very weird being in my room alone without all the noise from my roommate and friends. Mere walking around campus without people around you walking briskly to a class or flashing past you with bikes or skateboards feels strange.

Beyond all this, however, despite the fact that I've accepted the reality of not being able to return to Nigeria until after at least a year, I also can't shake off the nostalgia I feel toward going home and seeing my parents, siblings, and faithful canine. All the same, I'm glad I can use this opportunity to talk to them more frequently [and even make video calls if I can]. Right now, I'm keeping an upperclass friend, Sylvia, company at the KWLC Decorah (Luther Radio Station) studio. It's pretty cool; I'm having lots of fun influencing the music that goes on air. I'm also looking forward to the shopping trip to La Crosse, WI on Monday by the diversity center; I already have on my mind a long list of things to buy...

Until then, thanks again for reading my blog. I wish you a wonderful and relaxing fall break!

Cheers!

A Whole New World...

Welcome again to my blog! It's my first time in America and when I was coming here I didn't know what to expect. I've come to America and found that it's a whole new world. Everything (or almost everything) is different. I thought I had prepared my mind enough from the Hollywood movies I had watched, the internet, and books, but I've realized that America is totally different from what I had initially imagined.

It's finally getting deep into fall. The trees are changing color and shedding their leaves, and it's getting quite cold, especially at night. Very soon, we'll probably have to start using the heaters. And I'll have to go to Wal-Mart to get some warm clothes in preparation for winter. Back in Nigeria, the coldest it usually gets is 20 degrees centigrade, but I hear winter in Iowa feels colder than drenching yourself in cold water and locking yourself in a deep freezer! And that sounds really scary.

I think I'm doing quite well adjusting to American food [actually, I realize it's a combination of foods from different parts of the world]. Nonetheless, it's still a lot different from Nigerian food (which I miss a lot). During my first meals at Luther, I didn't know which food was which and so I would just pick the ones that looked good to me, and this determined the proportions in which I served my food. Then, I would return to my table and discover my assumptions were completely wrong - the items I took too little of were the ones I liked and the items I took a lot of were the ones that didn't taste good to me. And this happened over and over again. So, I had to make conscious efforts to know the specific kinds of food that I liked - by name and appearance - to avoid wasting food. Now, I think I'm much better than I started off. In fact, things I didn't like before now taste a lot better [as if I've discovered a new way to eat them different from the way I used to eat them before].

When I just got to Luther, it was a bit hard to communicate. Back in Nigeria, I always assumed that we Nigerians had a neutral accent and it would be easy for anyone to understand us because we stress every syllable. In fact, it seemed to me that it was people from other parts of the world that had accents. But it turns out nobody has an accent, and everybody has an accent. In my first days at Luther, I couldn't make a complete explanation without the person I'm talking to asking me to repeat myself, or even having a complete blank look on their face! And it was really frustrating. Now, I think it's a little better; people are finally beginning to understand me much more easily. Could it be that I'm beginning to talk 'American,' or my roommate and friends are just beginning to get used to my 'Nigerian accent?'

So far, I don't think it's been such a huge culture shock for me. I know I've found it difficult adjusting to the different weather, accent, food, greetings, and a lot more, in America; I've even had difficulties with jokes - someone says something to me that he feels is completely funny, and I seem not to get the joke, and someone just says something carelessly and I find myself laughing [and it makes me feel silly]! However, the good thing about it is that people at Luther are not out to make fun of cultural differences but embrace it and try to learn from it. They want to know how things are done in other parts of the world and clarify their initial views of other countries. And this makes me feel more proud of my culture and happy to contribute to the diversity at Luther College.

Peace,

-Opeoluwa

Hello, Jupiter!

You simply can't believe how fun-packed my weekend was! On Friday night, the physics department held this really cool astronomy observatory on the roof of Valders Building (where we have the physics laboratories). The whole place was dark, and about six telescopes were set up and focussed on the stars in the sky. In one of the telescopes was a star cluster in our galaxy. It was amazing. I was able to see a star about to have a supernova. Clustered around it was a mass of gas forming the shape of a doughnut. However, most interesting of all was the view of Jupiter. It seemed so real and close to me, almost as if I could touch it. It was big and yellow, and had some black bands across its center. I really had a wonderful time because it's experiences like this that keep one going through all the frustration of resolving complex tension forces in my physics class.

Speaking of classes, it's fascinating how much students contribute in class. In my Paideia class, for example, we actually spend a lot of time debating about the book. Everyone has an opportunity to say what he thinks, and the professor doesn't simply walk to the front of the class to give us 'lectures.' This helps a lot because it actually reinforces the ideas in your mind and makes you recognize various possible interpretations of the text. I've also realized that the professors are actually very happy when you ask questions about things you don't understand. If you have a paper or homework set due, or you are confused about a concept, there's absolutely no need to hesitate to ask your professor for help. He'll explain the concept until it's pellucid.

On Saturday morning, the Ylvi Hall Council carried out its first assignment - representing Ylvi for the homecoming parade. Instead of just walking through the parade like everyone else, we biked in a diamond formation [I was in front]. It was particularly interesting when we would leave the formation, go in circles and chuck candy at kids. We also had a really good cheer. Although it ended up being a bit tiring (with all the screaming and biking), the parade was quite interesting. Right after the parade, I went to the diversity center for a small 'dance party' with snacks, drinks and good Nigerian music [it actually made me feel nostalgic].

On Sunday, Blessing and I (the Nigerian students at Luther) were invited to attend a catholic church 15 minutes away from Decorah. The church runs a mission that assists orphans in Nigeria and so contacted the Luther Diversity Center to find out if they would be able to discuss with the Nigerian students. We gladly attended the church service and made ourselves available to talk to them about our country during the post-service tea. They asked us lots of questions ranging from the cultural values to the types of fish eaten in Nigeria! It felt very good sharing my culture with them and offering the help that I could offer to their noble cause.

Thinking about my life at Luther so far, I think I can confidently say it's the kind of college experience I've always desired. I've always dreamed of attending a school that would not only have a strong academic program but also increase my intellectual curiosity and expose me to the diversity of cultures, ethics, and views - learning that goes far beyond the classroom. I'm glad I chose Luther because, in just one month since I got here, I'm beginning to think deeply about complex issues of life that never even crossed my mind before. That, I believe, is a proof of the holistic educational program available here at Luther. Thanks for reading my blog...

Have a great day!

-Opeoluwa