Campus Conversations

Thanksgiving dinner with a Professor!

November 27, 2012

Blogger: Daisy Zhang

 

Hi! It's Daisy (梦溪) again! It has been a few weeks since my last blog post. I know the early decision deadline is approaching, so I wish you good luck!

The last few days were Thanksgiving break at Oxy and the campus was super quiet. On Facebook everyone was posting about his or her family reunion. Coming from Beijing, China, it was unlikely that I could go back home during this rather short break. Yet it is not impossible: a Japanese first-year flew back home to Tokyo!

My Philosophy 210 Professor, Saul Traiger, invited the three international students, Keith Chen (from The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology), Yichen Zhang (from Nanjing University, China) and me, to celebrate this traditional American holiday with his family.

Not only did we have a chance to see a complete turkey for the first time and learn more about the academia of Philosophy, we also got to know Professor Traiger on a more personal level, which was truly amazing. We met Dr. Traiger's parents and listened to their stories of traveling to China before the year we were born, and their ten year experience of living in Japan. We played with Dr. Traigers' childrens' cats, and even listened to Dr. Traiger's high school chorus recordings!

Thanksgiving dinner aside, finals are 20 days away. That means I am almost 1/8 done with my college life! Got to start studying harder, reviewing, and planning for winter break! 

In other news, I have just declared myself a Physics major, which means that I can stay in the Physics common whenever I want. It is a great place to meet other Physics majors and study together. Another great thing about being a Physics major is that Physics majors don't have to pay for the textbooks for 200 and 300 level Physics courses.

I am planning on learning how to dive during the winter break in the States, and then heading back to Beijing on Christmas Eve. I am going to act as the Student Ambassador for Oxy at my high school: the High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China (RDFZ, 人大附中). Hopefully there will be another RDFZ-er attending Oxy next year. 

I wish you good luck on college applications!