From the Outside looking In

By Kevin Mugo
Staff Writer

Rima Chaudhuri is an international student from Calcutta, India.
“I wanted to strike a balance between my passion for technology and my ambitions in the corporate world, so I chose to major in Information Systems and minor in Finance,” said Chaudhuri.
Chaudhuri is impressed by the tolerance and the informal nature of the country.
“Coming from a country where the social structure is rigidly defined, I was struck by the commitment of the American people to value, talent, enthusiasm and ambition over and above societal affiliation. In India, there are numerous factors jostling to shape your life. Young people often find themselves quickly shuttled from the blissful security of their parents’ homes to the tremendous pressure of making homes for their new families. The individual has little time for self discovery and less for self fulfillment,” said Chaudhuri.
Chaudhuri is disturbed by the materialism that has become prevalent in the American life-style.
“Although individualism is not inherently evil, the extent to which it is practiced in the U.S. is unhealthy. The superficiality that inevitably results from materialism undermines the integrity of the culture,” said Chaudhuri.
She believes that there are few countries in the world as diverse as India.
“There are currently over 1 billion people, with 17 official languages, and 108 dialects; Indians from the Northern regions have fairer skin than those from the South. And yet despite all the ethnic and physical dissimilarities, the people have managed to overlook their differences and come together as one nation. This has been to me both a source of pride and inspiration over the years,” said Chaudhuri.
Chaudhuri dismisses the misconception that Calcutta is a city devastated by poverty and ravaged by disease.
“Calcutta is a very old and antiquated city, with many fine examples of British architecture. It is very vibrant, and the people are very amicable. It may display less extravagance than a city such as Bombay, but the notion that it is overwhelmed by poverty is ridiculous,” said Chaudhuri.
A senator in the SGA, Chaudhuri has had the opportunity to witness the great advances made by Georgia College & State University.
“The commitment of the faculty to teaching, the high level of financial aid, and activities such as the Venture Out program, are just some of the many reasons why GC&SU is such a socially stimulating, and yet academically challenging, university. What I would like to see, though is more faculty and a greater diversity in the degree programs offered,” said Chaudhuri.
International students, such as Rima Chaudhuri, can be our teachers, reminding us of our society’s achievements and inspiring us to ascend to even greater heights.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Apr 19 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