Meet Angie

Why UT?

I love how BIG UT is. There are a greater variety of classes, a more diverse student body, a plethora of organizations, tons of resources, the list goes on… A lot of great programs are offered here that are only possible because of the sheer number of students and faculty. For example, I am currently part of the Freshman Research Initiative, a program where we are guided on the ins and outs of being a research scientist. It's quite an experience! For our last assignment, we had to write an original research proposal, something that many students don't even attempt until graduate school.

Beautiful in an Unconventional Way

The UT campus is beautiful in an unconventional way. To be honest, I didn't think much of it when I first came here. However, as I became better acquainted with my surroundings, I began to fall in love with the quirks that make UT special. My favorite days here are when I get to spend an afternoon in the sun at the Main Lawn (my pet name for the South Mall). If the Tower bells start to toll while I'm lounging on the grass, a swirl of pride in my school begins to accumulate in my heart. Although there are so many students here, sometimes it feels as though this school was meant just for me.

Passionate about What We’re Studying

Being a freshman and part of a First-Year Interest Group (FIG), I have had a much easier time getting into the swing of college. For those who don’t know, FIGs are groups of about 20 students who are all enrolled in three of the same classes, with the same teachers, at the same time.

Before classes had actually started, I was frantic about whether or not I’d be up to the challenge of my courses. And I worried that if I began to struggle, I wouldn’t know where I could go for help. However, the first time I met the other freshmen in my FIG, I relaxed, sensing that these people were much like myself. As I got to know them better, I realized that I could trust this group of students if I was unsure or uneasy about something. Likewise, I knew I would be more than willing to help anyone if they needed support.

What I like most about my FIG is that not only are we all science majors, but we’re passionate about what we’re studying. I look forward to meeting with them every week and getting to know them better as the year goes on.

Finding Similarities through Differences

Being a multicultural person, I am also multilingual. However, it is sometimes hard to find people to practice languages with, especially since I don’t live at home anymore. That is why I joined the Conversation and Culture Club (CCC). My intent was to practice both German and Arabic when I got there; however, I expected that only German speakers would show up. Much to my surprise, circumstances happened to fall the other way.

Out of this huge group, there were a few students who wanted to learn Arabic and no others who wanted to learn German. Our little cluster huddled together and began to exchange our personal reasons for wanting to learn Arabic. I said, because I am a Syrian and a Muslim, I want to know the language not only of my people but also of my religion. Another girl there also happened to be Muslim, but she was a convert, and thus almost completely unacquainted with Arabic. Naturally, she thought this club would be the best place to start learning. There was a guy in his last year at UT who was Iranian and spoke perfect Farsi, who now wanted to tackle this ancient language as well. Lastly, there was a soldier who had learned some Arabic in Iraq and was completing his Middle Eastern Studies major at UT.

After our introductions, we practiced our Arabic and before we knew it, the meeting was over. But as I walked back to my dorm, I began to contemplate the people who I had just met. We each had such distinct backgrounds and such different reasons for going to the CCC meeting that night, but because of it, we had each managed to touch (albeit briefly) each other’s lives. As the weeks go on, hopefully we will all remain with the CCC and improve our Arabic, but even if it doesn’t turn out so, I have already gained so much just from that first meeting. I am reminded of how even the most random assortment of people can have something in common and how through our differences we can still find similarities.

“Only in Austin…”

I love the music scene in Austin. The first concert I saw here was a French techno-pop band called Yelle. The venue was less than 15 minutes from campus and had an intimate setting: the band was physically a lot closer to the audience than at any concert I had been to in Houston. When they started to play, there was an eruption of energy and everyone just started feeling the music. Halfway through the show, one girl broke out onto the stage and started dancing like she was part of the act. Almost instantly, the entire first two rows went up after her, moving to the sounds as though they were just hanging out with some long-time friends. Best of all, Yelle just kept on playing like everything was completely normal. Seeing all of this happening before my eyes, I remember instantly thinking, "Only in Austin..." People here are so genuine and passionate! It’s amazing to be in a place where everyone can just let loose and enjoy themselves.

The Most Fun I’ve Had at the Movies

I love how UT offers so much to do on campus. It has been surprisingly easy to have a good time within a 15 minute walk from my dorm. In particular, I've been to the movie nights hosted on campus. One of the first movies I saw was an Italian foreign film called Johnny Stecchino (Johnny Toothpick). The movie was great, but even better was the atmosphere. It was played around eight in the evening in the basement of one of the Liberal Arts buildings. It was a fairly small group that showed up (mostly students in Italian classes, I surmised), which made for a cozier setting. You could tell that everyone in the audience was absorbed in the film, laughing and crying along with the actors as if they had been right in front of us! It was the most fun I’ve ever had at the movies.

Send Angie an e-mail at angie_hamouie@yahoo.com