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November 21, 2006
Found in the Crowd
with Dare Olatoye, Senior
He arrived wearing a blazer and button up shirt, exuding the confidence and charisma of someone who knew where they were going in life. With a firm handshake, we introduced ourselves and began an interview with Dare Olatoye, a man from Nigeria who works hard and makes the most of his educational opportunities while learning a lot about other people, and himself.
Hannah Kuether/Oracle: Do most people call you Dare?
DO: Yeah. Sometimes I get Dare [pronouned dair], but it’s [pronounced dah-ray] Dare. Actually, I’m from Nigeria, born and raised.
O: When did you move here?
DO: I moved here in 1999. I’m pretty used to the American culture and way of life, you know?
O: Why did you move here from Nigeria?
DO: Studies, basically. Nigeria has a good educational system, but opportunities are not given to everybody. You really have to have connections. Here, it’s mighty tough sometimes, but if you put your work into it, if you put a lot of effort into it, you can do it.
O: How hard was it to learn English?
DO: Actually, English is our first language in Nigeria.
O: Really? I am so ignorant, I’m so sorry!
DO: No, it’s okay. It’s a little bit different because we speak more British English, so our spellings are a little different, but it’s pretty much the same thing. I was watching Elmo as a kid.
O: Funny! What are you majoring in?
DO: Biochemistry.
O: Oh, wow!
DO: Yeah, it’s a lot of classes, and all the labs and everything. It’s a ton of work. This semester I’m taking the hardest class of my career: physical chemistry.
O: What do you want to do after you graduate?
DO: I’ll just go to medical school. I’d like to go to school on the East Coast.
O: What do you do outside of classes?
DO: I am vice-president of the African Student Association, Student Congress org rep, and I’m on the Coalition for Social Change Committee.
O: I don't think I've ever heard of that committee.
DO: We're a little bit, what's the word, underground? You'll be seeing more of us the next couple of weeks. Yeah, those combined with classes and work...
O: Where do you work?
DO: Regent’s Hospital. What I do is transport things, and I’m also a surgical specialist. I prep carts for surgery and get them ready.
O: So, you’re right in there working?
DO: Yeah, and if they need me up in the OR I help them out.
O: Exciting!
DO: Yeah, you get to see different people every day. One thing about the hospital is that you make sure your lives are what you have, do you know what I mean? People on campus complain, “Oh my laptop broke,” or something-pfft-be quiet! There are people who can’t walk anymore, there are people who are basically done for. What would they do? It really makes me appreciate life better.
Posted by dwright at November 21, 2006 07:35 PM
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