MY “FIRST DAY” AT SCHOOL IN NDSU

Tired after working a night shift, I still managed to get to campus to begin my school-day which doubles as the first day of classes for the Fall Semester. But little did I know that Gate City Auditorium, a venue for my second lecture in the morning, got its new name just a couple of weeks ago. In fact I drove in front of it earlier this same day looking for a place to park. After parking at some 20-minute-walk away, I strolled back right in front of the said venue again but my dumb ass would simply not allow me to read the inscription that had been printed boldly in front of the structure: GATE CITY AUDITORIUM. 

 Well, I got to the venue of the first lecture of the day where I was reminded that classes in first days of semesters start at 4pm, so I decided to walk around campus to locate this Gate City Auditorium and that is where the drama began.

First, I spoke to a gentleman. He seemed to know but with a bit of uncertainty. Nevertheless, he gave me the directions using the popular African style; “go on this sidewalk to where those notice boards are, and then turn right…” He pointed while doing his own version of “GPS-Africa”, though his complexion would give him away as a Caucasian.

I walked to the spot as directed but instinct told me turning right would just send me back to where I began the search but wait! Two young ladies showed up! I could tell they were returning from some sports training. I stopped them and asked if they knew where Gate City Auditorium was. But it turned out that these were fresh students and I probably knew the campus better, having spent the past couple of semesters locking horns with some College Physics, Applied Calculus and what have you. They suggested I walk up to the notice board that showed the campus map and look it up. In principle, I agreed with the idea and I think I nodded to confirm the usefulness of their suggestion, but there is this little bit of me that was already saying, “it’s gonna take you longer, Julius…you better find someone else who can point to the place!”

Not only did I choose against looking up Gate City on the campus map, I also made a left turn, violating both directives I had been given -- the gentleman’s left turn as well as the ladies’ campus map search. I walked past some few more lecture halls and some Halls of Residents reading their names with keen interest: Sudro Hall, Ladd Hall, Seim Hall….

I later came by a young flashy lady. My bit to stop her and make my inquiry was based more on her flashy sunglasses and her unique modeling footsteps than on my present need to locate Gate City. After all, classes don’t start until late in the afternoon, I thought to myself.

“Hi Madam, did you know where Gate City Auditorium is at all?” I believe she understood me perfectly, regardless how awkward that would sound in the ears of my compatriot English Professors. She first took off her dark glasses – a thing that helped me to predict without fail she is a Chinese. I don’t possess the vocabulary to describe the layout of that smiley face she displayed but, shoot; she had no idea where Gate City was!

I kept walking up north of the campus. I knew I was heading to the northern limits of the campus but some sort of voice kept convincing me to walk up front until it was all done along that direction. By this time I had spent close to 30 minutes already, all in my unfailing will to locate Gate City. I must say I would have been awfully late if classes had started that early on the day. A couple of guys rode their bikes past me. I saw some young and energetic ladies and gentlemen working out. People drove past. It was quite a morning to be out there!

I finally crossed path with this dude… an athletic-looking dude who, in this early hours of the day, seemed to have been possessed by whatever it was he was listening from his I-pod.  This time I didn’t need to get close enough to him to identify him as an African. I simply knew!

“Hello, I’m trynna locate Gate City Auditorium,” I spat out those words with certain levels of blatancy. As a matter of fact, I knew he had no choice but to show me Gate City…that is, if he knew at all. “Oh, Gate City is right behind one of those high-rise buildings over there,” he replied. “Let’s go, I’ll show you,” he added.

This latest development would cause me to make a 180-degree turn, but this time in a company of “someone” who turned out to be my classmate back home in Ghana, West Africa! Yup, you read me right! At last, I had stumbled into “someone” who knew Gate City Auditorium, but also knew all there is to know about St. Augustine’s College, my alma mater.

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT PRINTED SOME LASTING IMPRESSION I’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU. STAY TUNED-IN!