Saudamini Singh Bagai (Saudi)

Class: 2008
From: India
Academic interests: There are so many things to do and such little time! I have a vague idea of a major, probably International Studies with an emphasis in economics and a minor in French.

What do you think about the Core?

When I first heard about the Core, it sounded like something from a horror movie. But once you actually understand it, it's not so bad. The Core consists of a number of classes that every student at the University of Chicago must take in order to graduate. It forms an essential part of the liberal arts curriculum of the school. In my opinion a thorough Liberal Arts education is a very important asset for everyone. It encourages one to be analytical and critical and promotes a questioning mind, indispensable in today's world. It is also true that the writing and reading skills that the Core curriculum cultivates are crucial for all other areas of study. The Core is flexible enough to allow students to choose classes that cater to their particular sphere of interest. Personally, I really like my Core classes, and as cliched as this may sound, they are the building blocks of my analytical abilities

Describe some of the "great conversations" you have had here:

During Orientation week, my house had gone to Millennium Park to give the freshmen an opportunity to 'bond'. We ended up playing a game of, what one of my housemates called, "run out to the middle and capture the ball". In a nutshell, the house was divided into two teams, each team member was given a number, a moderator would call out a number and the persons from the teams who had been given that number would rush to the middle and try to pick up a ball before the other one did. What ensued was one of the best games I have ever played. The moderator started yelling out complex calculus problems, the team members would have to solve them and the answer that they got would be the number called. Only at the University of Chicago could a game of "run out to the middle and capture the ball" turn into a math tutorial session!

What extracurricular activities are you involved in?

I am involved in many different extracurricular activities. Model United Nations, South Asian Society, the Inter House Council and the International Student Committee. I have to admit it is the MUN that takes up most of my time. For most international students, one of the hardest things to do is survive the culture shock and to come to terms with the homesickness. The only way I could do this was to get involved in as many things as I could. The U of C gives you a myriad of opportunities to excel and develop. Joining multiple student organizations was the best opportunity for me to develop my hidden talents and also to overcome an overwhelming sense on homesickness. I was always occupied, either with homework or with one of my extracurricular activities, I didn't even have the time to eat proper sit-down meals, let alone miss home. I experience almost no culture shock, taking part in many different activities puts you in direct contact with other American as well as international students, and I found that the people at the U of C are extremely friendly and helpful. They helped me deal with any culture shock that I might have had. Extracurricular activities are a great way to meet new people and create friendships.

"If I had to be describe my friends here..."

It would be hard. My friends here form a support system for me. They have stood by me through thick and thin. Phone bills, boyfriends, shopping, bad grades, I know I am never alone, for there is always someone with a ready shoulder for me to cry on. It is my friends who have come to define the 'Chicago experience' for me. My friends here are almost like a second family to me.

Do you venture out into the city? Where/why/how/how often?

I go downtown almost every weekend. Since the dining halls don't serve meals Saturday nights, I usually go downtown or to one of the ethnic neighborhoods for dinner on Saturdays. Unless I am particularly bogged down by work and then I order in. Invariably I have to go downtown almost every weekend, if it's not for food, it's for shopping. Wicker Park has become a staple for me; I love hanging out at the thrift stores trying on hats and boas! It is fairly easy to reach downtown from the university. The red line is a great way to get to the main shopping districts of Chicago. There is also a bus that takes you directly downtown, I like taking the bus better than the red line. Because the bus goes along lakeshore drive, so I get to see the lake every time I go downtown. The other neighborhoods are easily accessible by the train.

Favorite neighborhoods?

Chicago, as a city, is an immensely lively place. So many different countries and peoples are represented in its neighborhoods. Even though Devon Street (the Indian area of Chicago) makes me forget that I am away from home, my favorite neighborhood would have to be Greek Town. A friend of mine from the dorm used to be a smoker but she is also a vegetarian and she was always telling us about the benefits of vegetarianism. So in order to make her quit smoking, a few of us from the dorm decided to give up something we loved (for most of us it was meat, but this one guy decided that if she were to not smoke for four years he would vote democrat at the next presidential election, this guy is a staunch conservative republican!) if she would quit smoking. I decided to turn vegetarian, but I am allowed to eat the occasional Gyro (because I love them so much...!). So Greek town has become a sort of savior for me. Unintentionally I find myself down there almost every weekend. The atmosphere is exhilarating, to lose oneself in another culture has got to be the best feeling in the world, and the amazing food helps!

Favorite things to do?

When it is warm (ha!) and sunny (ha ha!) sitting out in the Quad under my special tree, watching the light of the sun filter through the leaves onto my T.S. Eliot.

Any additional thoughts?

You know you are at a party at the U of C when you hear three different conversations about the rising oil prices, the third law of Newtonian Physics and the ideological differences between Marx and Adam Smith...only the people talking are half-drunk but still making valid points!

International Student Profiles

Saudamini Singh Bagai (Saudi)