A have finally attended all of my classes. My semester is a mix of some pretty easy courses and a little more demanding ones, but hopefully nothing hold me back from experiencing the continent!
Monday through Wednesday seemed pretty normal. I had my first paper due on Thursday. It was a pretty cool assignment. We were able to interview some informal vendors in a mall close by and hear all of their stories. The paper was just a write up, but I dreaded every minute of writing in it because I am in complete summer mode. The weather is at least 80 degrees everyday, so rather than feeling January, I think it is July. Not good for a student who just started her semester. I got through it though, so that was just one thing I was able to check off my to-do list.
My next item to complete was to attend a student meeting lead by the student government about some grievances the study body was having. From what it sounds like they are not happy with the possible closing of the on campus bar, 411, the cancelation on inter-varsity sports, which I think is like inter-murals, the cancellation of supplementary exams, tests students get to take if they failed a class before officially failing, and I believe they wanted their vice-chancellor to resign.
The student meeting (Courtesy of Elise Beckman)
I was very excited to see a student meeting and hear all they had to say, but unfortunately when it began they only spoke in Setswana. I am learning this language, but I am as far as I am 20 years old, so it did not get me far. I stayed listening and hoping that they would eventually speak in english, but they did not. After about an hour and half I decided it was better to just leave and go hang out by my dorm with some friends.
We were sitting and chatting when we heard yelling and chanting headed our way. Then hundreds of people came flooding through a gate! They were chanting and singing and holding what looked like branched from trees. It was amazing. I had never witnessed a protest and this one was just intense.
The protest (courtesy of Elise Beckman, I was looking from a closer point)
The next day, the entire campus was talking about the previous night's events. Then there was another meeting. The Vice-Chancellor, the man the students hold accountable for all the issues) was going to address the student body. He was not accepted very well and was booed and yelled at. He did not give any answers or solutions to the issues, but was ready to have meetings to talk about them. I was a little worried that the students would riot and get violent, but they didn't so all is good. I am interested in seeing what happens in this next week.
Finally, I went out for the first time and had so much fun! With some other international students I went to a house party in a near by village, Tlokweng. It was great to get out and hang out with some locals off campus. I tried a new kind of beer and got know some more people.
Now it is back to classes, but something to look forward to is this next weekend I will be traveling to Johannesburg, South Africa!
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