Adjusting to Life at Purdue

Coming to my completely new home at Purdue, I have had to make quite a few changes to my lifestyle that have been quite interesting to get used. Many students may have trouble adjusting to their new life, because of all the differences they are experiencing in this new place, but as in every situation there is the bad and the good side. The dining court food has been no problem to adjust to though. The food is quite delicious and I enjoy quite a bit. I have many friends at other colleges who have had to resort to Ramen quite soon after their arrival on campus, but not me there is such a wide variety of food. With all that food eaten comes another adjustment, a large amount of walking. I normally do not have to walk nearly as far as I do know, but I do not mind it all. The campus is so beautiful and I am so excited to see all the leaves change color in the fall. I love riding my bike through campus also. I cannot imagine living on any other campus. I have only been here a few weeks but I absolutely love it here. It is also so different to not have class for a full day. You have breaks to do whatever you want, you can go wherever you want, and eat whatever you want whenever you want with whoever you would like. Freedom is excessively abundant now that I am in college. There is only one major thing that will take some getting used to and that is not having my own bathroom to get ready in everyday.

It's me! :)

So I have to tell something about myself. Well, I'm Roshni Kasturi. A 17-year old from Indore, the heart of India. I'm a freshman here and I'm still a bit homesick. I love meeting new people, talking to them and becoming friends with them. I also love singing, dancing, reading fictions and romantic novels, having fun and talking ( if that isn't so obvious till now). Music is my passion, and I might do a minor in it, in my second year maybe.

I want to try ice hockey, snow-boarding, sky-diving and all life-risking tasks. I have played volleyball in my high school and know a bit of every sport (most of them). I've never experienced snow and I'm glad that my first experience of snow isn't that far away. I love food, basically Indian and Italian food. I love this class, since I love writing and everything related to English ( except the grammar classes ). And I'm hoping that my first college year will be a great experience. :)

Diversity and culture at Purdue

Culture and diversity at Purdue

It's been a week since I have landed into the quiet city of Lafayette, and I feel elated : Elated to be here, to be friends with so many new and different people. I thought I'd just be friends with the people of my country, or maybe my religion. But what I experienced in 7 days is going to last forever.

I came here on 19th of August, and was very worried. I had no idea where to go or what to do, so I went straight to my room and started unpacking. My roommate, whom I knew since 2 months online, had still not arrived. While I was thinking all of it, around 5 girls came in my room and introduced themselves to me. They were my neighbours there, and the first people I became friends with. None of them belonged to my country, but loved it when I said I belong to India. Happy faces were what I saw. That made me understood something that I couldn't have understood in my home country. Diversity and love for diversity.

I see new faces everyday. Purdue calls for a very great diversity, which at times is the best thing here. No racial discrimination but a new and vivid love for each other. I see some freshmen, just like me, who keep roaming around with a map in their hands trying to figure their way out. And I see some seniors stopping them and guiding them to the right direction. That is diversity. That is love.

I'm more than happy to be here, in such a distinct culture. It defines me now, and makes me a better person. It makes me a part of two nations all at once.

Culture at Purdue - Week 1

Culture is unique in every sense of the word and definition, whether is the writing of Hess or Lucena or your own definition. Purdue without a doubt has its own culture. There are so many clubs, and there “are all sorts of intersecting and nested cultures”. All of these cultures can be representative of the different clubs and organizations at Purdue University.This weekend I went through a very distinct culture by rushing to enter the Greek community. By no measure is Greek life a symbol of all of Purdue. Instead, the Greek system is a great portion of Purdue society and very representative of a culture at Purdue.

Greek life is by far a distinct culture by the definition of not only Hess, but also Lucena. Greek life has rules, habits, normal routines, and everything you will find in a typical cultural setting. As stated by Hess, “culture includes not only the intangible beliefs of a people but also the domain of social action: rituals, work, trade, political institutions, family and kinship, and so on” , which all components of the Greek system. Greek organizations have rituals they have for choosing new members and inducting them. They use “work” within the organization to keep it running smoothly. Panhellenic council is the governing body of the Greek system. Within sororities, girls bond and are willing to trade their possessions and as they bond they form a deeper and stronger kinship. To some who are not in the Greek system, it can seem like a very overwhelming part of being a student at Purdue, because it a group that seems to be different from them. As Lucena states, “Dominant images create expectations about how individuals in that location are supposed to act and behave”. “Dominant images” can cause some to have misunderstood and discriminatory views towards Greek life. The truth is the students are just the same as everyone else and should be treated with the same respect you would treat another culture. Purdue is a cultural institution that provides and allows students to do and be whoever they wish. (engr 103)

Purdue Culture

I would definitely say Purdue University has its own culture! I make this statement based on the different definitions of "culture" given in the reading. As stated in the "Lucena 2005" article, Gary Downy defines culture as:

"Individuals living and working in a particular spatial and temporal location are challenged by dominant images "

The student body at Purdue is only here temporarily. Many of us leave after graduation, some leave earlier, and others stay a while longer. During our time at Purdue we live here. We also work together in many different classes, teams, organizations, and groups. There are many dominant images at Purdue, also known as our professors and TAs. they challenge us daily with homework and class projects. So according to Downy's definition of "culture," there is a separate culture at Purdue.

The culture at Purdue is one of thousands of students here for the purpose of receiving a nationally recognized degree. We all have similar working habits, ethics, and interests. We are friendly and nice people. We are a culture of Boilermakers.

Here's a sample Post!

Bla bla bla... I'm going to label this post with "Jayne" because I want it to be counted toward my English 106i course credit. I can add other labels if I want, but I have to have at least the course label in order to receive credit.