From the outside looking in

By Kevin Mugo
Staff Writer

Iheanyi Maduka is an international student from Nigeria.
“I enrolled in the college in the fall semester of 2000 and have been a full time student for four semesters now,” said Maduka. “I am majoring in computer science and Economics.”
Maduka’s unique name has a special meaning behind it.
“Among the Ibo, one of the many ethnic groups in Nigeria, Iheanyi means ‘God is all-powerful’ and Maduka means ‘a person is greater than wealth.”
Maduka has encountered some misconceptions about Nigeria and Africa in general.
“Many of the students I have met, both international and American, picture Africa as being a haven for AIDS, war and civil strife. It is quite true that there are areas of civil unrest, and places where AIDS has devastated society, however, the generalization that the entire continent of Africa is in chaos, is totally false,” said Maduka.
Advantages and disadvantages of being an international student are felt by Maduka.
“I think that being an international student ensures that one stands out from the crowd, which is a good thing. I feel particularly unique being the only student from Nigeria,” said Maduka about advantages of being an international student.
Along with the advantages come disadvantages of being an international student.
“In many of the classes that I have taken, the American students tended to be at an advantage because they were familiar with a lot of the material that was covered in class. Also, some international students have had a problem adjusting to the language,” said Maduka.
Maduka states that American students would find a land of beauty with national parks and beautiful beaches if they visited Nigeria. However, they would also see the religious intolerance.
“Undoubtedly, the religious intolerance in the Northern part of the country, where religious fanatics have imposed the Sharia Law, their religious code of conduct, on everyone living within the state. This is causing a lot of social and economic problems,” said Maduka.
American life is appealing to Maduka because of the opportunities that exist.
“If anyone really wants to be a success and works towards that goal, he or she will make it,” said Maduka
Maduka states that there is one thing that he is concerned with about America.
“I would have to say the lack of “racial mixing” Despite the fact that segregation has been outlawed, people don’t mix as freely as they should. In Georgia College, as well as many universities across the country, many of the sororities and fraternities are either all white or all black,” said Maduka. “People should be able to socialize with, whoever they want to and feel comfortable doing it.”
Maduka states that he hopes to one day be able to live in a world where citizenship does not matter.
“I came to this country to get a good education, so that I can become a responsible citizen of the world. I want to be able to help all those in need, irrespective of race and nationality. I would like to live in a world where citizenship does not matter; a world where we accept people for who they are, not where they come from,” said Maduka.
International students, such as Iheanyi Maduka, offer a unique perspective on a broad range of issues and bring a wealth of cultural diversity to the campus. So the next time you see one of them, stop and say hello.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Mar 8 2002. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry