Image courtesy of Zion Martin-Hayes.
Major(s), minors, centers, pathways:
Dance and English double major, French minor, CISLA Scholar
What program are you enrolled in?
SATA: South Africa
What made you choose this program? How have you adjusted to life?
I wanted to go somewhere that wouldn’t be familiar, so that I could get out of my comfort zone and find independence in getting to know other cultures and individuals on my own. Once I got used to people driving on the opposite side of the road and I felt like I could cross the street without dying, then I knew I had finally adjusted.
Were there any clichés that were proven true or false?
Yes, definitely! The second or third week of being here, Marc Zimmer, the professor of this particular SATA program, asked how we were all doing because he had heard that the hardest adjustment period came at the 2 and a half week point. I remember laughing in my head and thinking that even though I got Covid-19 within the first week, it was still the best experience of my entire life. Then not even 2 days after his check-in, I freaked out. All of a sudden I felt exceedingly overwhelmed, and I finally understood what people meant by culture shock. Eventually, I was totally fine, but it was a tough week for me and many of my peers who arrived at the same time. At least, I could find comfort in knowing that the adjustment was hard for everyone during that period.
What is your housing situation? What is that like?
I live in an apartment complex on campus. It feels too much like adulting. I definitely do indeed have to cook my own meals which basically means oatmeal for breakfast, salad for lunch, and pasta for dinner. On repeat. Then on the other hand it’s not adulting at all because we need a fingerprint to get in the gate and to swipe a student card to get into the complex, and THEN we have a code to our door. Safety is obviously a huge priority, but if you want to have guests it is an absolute pain.
What is a typical day like? Is it similar to Conn at all?
This is a hard one, rarely do I wake up, go to class, eat, do homework, and go to bed. There is simply always something to do. I go surfing pretty much every week. There is always someone who wants to get brunch or coffee or lunch. I go out to the clubs/bars more often than I should, but here people go out unironically Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday/Friday/Saturday/Sunday (during the day). Work hard, play harder, I suppose. But definitely work hard! Very important!
How has the pandemic affected your program? Did it affect your choices when applying? The pandemic basically meant that I could not use the Gilman Scholarship to go to France, so I switched to South Africa, relatively last minute. But even the SATA program nearly did not happen at all as a result of Covid-19.
Are you involved in anything outside of classes?
I surf. A lot. Try to surf. Still a lot.
What is the best part of being abroad for you?
The scenery. South Africa, particularly the western cape, where I am, is the only place in the world that looks the way it does in terms of biodiversity. And it’s insane. I wake up to the sun rising from the mountains. The mountains meet the oceans. The ocean urges you into the city. The city lends itself to beautiful humans. And you watch the sunset go down with those beautiful humans. On repeat. The best part is that it feels like a dream.
What is the biggest challenge?
The biggest challenge is the difference in human interaction here than in the states. In particular, I have found the way that racism manifests in South Africa to be quite different from the states. It’s more fresh, and less black and white, in many ways. Trevor Noah describes Apartheid, the regime that governed South Africa until 1994, as “perfect racism…the most advanced system of racial oppression known to man.” 1994 was 28 years ago; just 7 years before 911, the age of my brother, 7 years younger than the youngest age a person can become president in the U.S. It was not that long ago, so naturally, tensions still feel high. Especially in specific areas. It is a challenge that I should be used to, but it is something different here, and I have to largely navigate it on my own.
What advice would you give to people preparing to go away?
You know the aspects of college that still feel like highschool? The cliques? The drama? Yeah, ignore that sh*t, in general but especially when abroad. We all know that none of it matters in theory, but when you are in another country it would be an absolute shame to succumb to all of that ish. Wherever you go is simply too pretty.
You can never do enough research to know a place more than you could know it in one week of being there. This is not to say don’t do your research, but try your best not to have expectations, and just be in the moment. Easier said than done, of course.
Recognize your positionality. You have a lot to offer as a human being to any interaction, but so does everyone else that you talk to.
Take it all in.
What do you think you would have liked to know that you know now? I think I would have actually liked to know less. I wish I came in with minimal information and an insatiable desire to be proven wrong. Unfortunately, I anticipated a little too much.
