It is only one week before I finish my first semester at Lafayette College. My time at Lafayette so far has been filled with great moments that helped me adjust to college social life and academic life at Lafayette. I have faced challenges, hard decisions and happy moments. I have been able to learn and experience different cultures such as the Diwali Celebration, Thanksgiving and various brown bags related to culture. Cultural diversity is becoming a given for Lafayette students.

Diwali celebration was a big celebration on campus for Indians. Diwali is the celebration of lights and the light overcoming the darkness. This is celebrated in other countries as well under different names. A big dinner and dances were prepared and I was honored to take part in one of the dances. When the day for the festival came, I was so nervous and also eager to perform for my friends and classmates. I had fun dancing to the Indian songs that my family and I have loved for a long time through watching many Indian movies that my dad brought home from Kigali. It was a family tradition and performing in Diwali made me not only miss home terribly but also feel a stronger connection to my family.

During the Lafayette-Lehigh Rivalry week, my basketball women’s club played again Lehigh Basketball club. My team beat Lehigh very badly, sorry to my OAD sisters, Sheila and Denyse. This small victory was followed by the bigger one of Lafayette beating Lehigh in Yankee Stadium on Nov 22nd. The school spirit of the student body that week exceeded my expectations and I learnt what it means to really belong to a place and ready to offer your support despite the cold winds that hit people in Yankee Stadium during the game.

I left campus for Thanksgiving break to spend the holiday with my former physics teacher and basketball coach’s family in Philadelphia. The dinner was a big one with all the family present, kids running around and people hugging, talking, cooking and preparing the dinner table. I really loves and enjoyed this part of the American culture. As more icing to the cake, I got to meet my two high school friends who are studying at University of Pennsylvania and West Virginia University. I spent the four days getting over the stress of the past two months and powering up for the exam week starting December 9th.