1. Crazy American Guys - ???

What I mentioned in last week's paper (for people outside the 101 English Comp-World, the topic was "Why did you come to MC?") as a reason for my coming to MC was the "smallness" of this college. The last few days, I told people again and again that "In my home university, we have about 35,000 students!" and I still think that this is crucial. MC has got about 4,600 students (including undergraduate, graduate, and law school -good research, hah!), so it's only about an eighth of the size of my German university. Taking away the Christian basics of the college - what does it mean to be at such a "small" college? Is it different at all?

I think to answer this question, I will have to use a description of the experiences I make every day: in the mornings, all the way up to the Caf, millions (ok, maybe only thousands, but still!) of students are waving, smiling and shouting "Hey, how is it goin?" or "What's up, man?" (by the way: WHAT IS THE ANSWER TO SUCH A QUESTION???). Inside the Caf, after having accomplished the "which sandwich do I want and what's the names of all these ingredients?"-test, I meet Miss Daisy and she also asks me "How are you doin, babe?". When having lunch or dinner, I'll probably sit at a table with a couple of people I don't know. After I tell one of them my first name, maybe he or she will enthusiastically cry out "Wow, you are the German exchange student, aren't you? Miss Fokeladeh [a German professor, my advisor] told us about you. I really love Germany and I want to go there one day!" As I don't know how to react then, I just smile and be happy. And happy I am indeed!

You know, the combination of a) studying at a small college, b) in the U.S., and c) in the South (why the South? Fellow students told me that the North would be very different - I've never been there, I have no idea!) is a somewhat awesome experience! People definitely will be nice to you. They will ask you how you experienced your first days in the U.S., they will give you their cell phone number (my typical answer: "Sorry, but I still don't have a cell phone!") and offer you a ride anytime you might need it. They will ask you about your home country, about the food over there and and what's your major.
One of the best proofs that I really really enjoy it to live and study here is probably the constantly rising number of my friends in Facebook that are from MC - day by day!

To be honest, I was told a lot by people in Germany that Americans are nice at the beginning, but then, they will forget you soon. And I am really happy to be able to tell those people after having returned that my experience were quite different! That I really felt at home. That people would offer me any help that I could need. That people kept their promise when offering me a ride or something else.

For this reason: THANK YOU to all of you out there! Without you, maybe I would cry all day long.