New in Class

Today I attended my first class as a real student for the first time in…a long time. If I was in a freshman class in the US I would stick out. I dress different than teens and my gray hair gives me away in any culture. But add to the average differences that I’m white, very white and I stick out! There’s no getting around that awkward conspicuous feeling. I honestly normally never feel like I stick out, at least very rarely.

The room is a buzz with excited first-years. They know one another from the full week of orientation down at the Athi River campus that took place last week while I was in my office on the Valley Road (town) campus. When I arrived the classroom already had well over a dozen chattering students and more were filing in. By 7 minutes after the hour our lecturer arrived. Things came to a haul as far as the verbal excitement. He carried on for an hour and a half before mentioning a break. But in the end he just kept going for a little over 2 hours straight.

I came in feeling so out of place. But the class is about communication and culture. Quite suddenly sticking out seemed it might be an asset, at least to the lecturer. We shall see - at least I survived.