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Now Arriving
First-year students introduce themselves
November/December 2008
Photographs ©Mark Ostow
Interviews by Alejandra O'Leary ’04
I
never thought I wanted to go to a “city school”—my small private school had a
100-acre campus. But I think it’s great because we have a campus here but we
also have a city. Some time in the next four years, I really want to go abroad.
I’ve never traveled outside of the country before, but here they give you so
many opportunities to just do it.
Brittany
Bowman '12
Yale
College
West
Grove, PA
I am
the youngest professional opera singer in Egypt and have been a soloist at the
Cairo Opera House since I was 18. I made quite a big decision in moving here
and becoming a student again. Yale is of course always a symbol of great education
and a future brilliant career! The beginning of the semester started smoothly.
Now, I am reciting this semester’s operatic scenes from memory!
Gala
El Hadidi
MusM,
School of Music
Cairo,
Egypt
After
working for almost five years with the Afghan national environmental protection
agency, I have come to know that development cannot be achieved at the cost of
environmental degradation. Following completion of my studies, I plan to go
back to join the pool of those Afghans committed to rebuilding war-ravaged
Afghanistan.
Zahid
Hamdard
MEM,
School of Forestry & Environmental Studies
Jalalabad,
Afghanistan
The
classes are very different from my undergraduate experience; after my first
class I was like, “What was that? I didn’t learn anything.” I’m starting to
realize that learning—facts, etc.—isn’t the point necessarily. The seminars are
more about changing and challenging the way you think, pushing you to tackle
concepts on a higher analytical plane.
Khalil
Johnson Jr.
PhD,
African American and American studies
Douglassville,
GA
I’m
from Brooklyn. I’m wearing a cowboy hat because I was volunteering at the Yale
farm. I’m mostly still getting adjusted and just doing my homework these days.
I met amazing people at Bulldog Days, which is why I decided to come to Yale.
Emanuel
Marshack '12
Yale
College
Brooklyn,
New York
My
mother’s from Morocco, and three years ago I spent time living in the slums of
Casablanca. I saw that there was very little comparison with the way we live
here, and the things we complain about. I’m especially interested in
agriculture, because every economy—especially in the third world—has to have
sustainable agriculture.
Omar
Mumallah '12
Yale
College
Tulsa,
Oklahoma
I
was surprised how many kids are like, “Oh my god it’s my first day without
supervision, ever!” That’s not my experience. It’s different being a New York
City kid. You’re just used to getting around by yourself. I love the people
here. I’ve known Lizzie for three weeks and I already feel like she’s my
sister.
Hannah
Zeavin Musser '12 (at left)
Yale
College
New
York, New York
It
was very spur of the moment to come to Yale—a very big gamble—but it was worth
it. Everyone here is enthusiastic and positive, and very aware of the fact that
they’re very lucky to be here. Hannah and I met the third day. She’s fabulously
talented. Her poetry’s being published next month. She’s like my clone from
Lizzie
Donger '12 (at right)
Yale
College
London,
England
I
think culture shock may not be a strong enough term for my first month. I have
felt completely out of my body, and I am just now starting to settle in to a
rhythm. After being in the field for the last 12 years, the transition to being
a student again has been a total shock to the system.
Jennifer
Harrison Newman
MFA,
theater management, School of Drama
Berkeley,
CA
I’m
originally from China. Yale is one of my dream schools. I’m studying behavioral
neuroscience. China and the U.S. seem totally different in many ways. But as I
come closer to this country, I feel we are not so different. When people know
each other better, they may begin to like each other more than they expect.
Junli
Ping
PhD,
psychology
Xinjiang,
China
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