Friday’s Social

            I was ecstatic to hear that there would be an International Student Social for the conversation partners to get together! I had been dying to meet my peers’ partners because I had been reading about them on my peers’ blogs and they simply sounded wonderful. This social sounded like the perfect way to meet and welcome the international students to TCU.

            I texted Hannah a few days before the social to make sure she was going, and I was thrilled to hear that she indeed was going and her friends were going also. She exclaimed how excited she was to see me! It had been way too long. I thought the same thing. We haven’t seen each other in two weeks because of our busy schedules and Fall Break.

            When Friday rolled around, some of my peers and I were sitting inside the rec center because we got there a few minutes early. All of the sudden, all of the international students came down the hall in a clump. I strained my neck to find Hannah. Her hand found my arm before I even saw her and she quickly embraced me. “Hello! I have missed you!” she cheered.

            Immediately, the pair of us began chatting and heading outside to find a seat in the shade and catch up. She reintroduced me to three of her friends and I introduced her to Sarah and Olivia. I also got to meet two international students from China who were so funny and full of energy.

            Most of the lunch social, Hannah and I discussed her “big English test” she was driving to Oklahoma to take on Saturday. I didn’t realize until almost the end of our conversation that this test that she had spent hours studying for was similar to the SAT and was required for all international students. She was taking this test to try to get a score of 5.5. A 5.5 would allow her to be accepted to the University of Tennessee. She explained that her best friend is transferring there and she wants to go with her. I asked how that would affect her brother whom she currently lives with. She laughed and said, “I would much rather live with my friend. My brother and I are not that close. We have very different…personalities.” Now it was my time to laugh.

            I was surprised to hear this news. Hannah had mentioned wanting to transfer to Texas A & M, but she said that her father would not let her. Now she is going all the way to Tennessee. The news made me sad. When my peers and I were in the car on our way to the water gardens, four out of the five of us admitted that our conversation partners were transferring or wanted to transfer. All of us were so surprised to hear such news. Why do they want to transfer? Is TCU not including enough? What is it about TCU? Can we do something to change this?

            Hannah continued to tell me all about her four-hour test. Suddenly she turned to me and said, “You know. I think I have, what is it called? Alzheimer’s!” This made me laugh out loud. She was joking, of course, but she continued to tell me how she had lost her passport and keeps losing her glasses.

            Before I realized it, it was time to go. Hannah walked me back to my dorm, hugged me, and walked off to the bus stop.