First Impressions: God, Change, and McCain
- 5
- Add a Comment
- No Related Post
This blog will bring you my thoughts and experiences about my first year of college, enjoy.
First Impressions
I started off at college not knowing anyone, everyone from my high school school went to the other major school in our area because it was closer. So I am at an entirely new place with new people and for the first time in years I felt completely alone and lost. I signed up for 13 hours of class, which is 5 classes. I have two classes on Monday and Wednesday, and 2 on Tuesday and 3 on Thursday. During the compass test I failed the math portion so I was forced to take Math 99 which is basically the more advanced algebra from high school.
On the second day of class I met my first friend on campus and proceeded with the new prospect of having to meet new people. Unlike in high school everyone here at the school has a clean slate and there are no preconceived notions about anyone, basically we all started over.
Despite this clean slate I still acted the same way I always do, a little shy to say the least. Still I was able to make a few friends, and oddly enough we have more then a few differences.
God, NObama, McCain
The one thing I noticed almost instantly with my school mates is that everyone is a God-fearing Republican who is afraid of change. Like with everyone else in this country the hot topic is politics and specifically John McCain and Barack Obama. Let me start off by sharing with you on where I stand; I am agnostic, a Democrat, and of course a Barack Obama supporter, so now its out in the open.
In the student area we have two TVs that on, both showing news, but one with CNN and Fox News; I watch the one with CNN. Everytime they show McCain the room stops and everyone is fixated on what the man is saying. In sharp contrast when Obama appears the jokes appear, as does the stupidness. I have heard people say that he is 87% Arab and that he is a American hating terrorist who has no chance at winning the presidency.
Of course the new people that I met were part of the McCain crowd. I asked them why no love for Barack Obama and the answers were shocking for me. They said Obama was anti-Christian and that they learned from church, Fox News, and their parents that Barack was against the church and the American way of life. They said the man is wrong and that he would destroy and country and make it “Muslim”, as if thats a insult.
Being the strong minded person that I am I had to admit my views on God, or there lack of. Of course they were shocked and could not understand the words that I was saying and they had no clue how someone could view the world as I do. But there is a happy ending to this because it all seems to be behind us and is a non-factor in our relationships.
Finishing these thoughts
So there you have it my first impressions and thoughts on my new school and friends. I am still learning new things from this place and I will periodically bring you new updates from my new found college life.
-The College Student
Next week: Clubs, Creative, Problem
5 Comments
alicmodder
October 17th, 2008
at 4:51pm
Don’t you love brainwashing? No offense intended, but it seems like a lot of folks at your school have been brainwashed.
And noone should use one news channel as an accurate source of information, especially not Fox News. One night, they made up this story that they’d found the WMDs in Iraq. I kid you not. Never heard about it again other than from what I’d heard later was that they were forced to retract it.
the oracle
October 18th, 2008
at 5:19am
Wow, you must really feel alone. I won’t asume that you are in the South, because we have seen recently that atavistic attitudes such as you expose are found all over this nation.
I do find it disturbing that there are people who state that their attitudes were formed, in part, by church attendance. Church is supposed to be a place where tolerance and earnest search for truth is located - doesn’t seem to apply to your experiences.
Still, you can find out why the people feel the way they do, and decide that you will adopt their ways of thinking, or know more clearly why you feel the way you do. My prayers are for the latter.
You should also know that there are Democrats who are Christian, try to practice the teachings set forth in the New Testament, and are completely dumbfounded by the idea that somehow the Republican party is in tune with Christian teachings - all outward signs of the past 8 years (and more) to the contrary.
Enjoy your time at school, it is an opening into the much wider view of the world that many you have encountered will never appreciate.
Oh, and do well in math! You’ll never be sorry!
Matt
October 18th, 2008
at 6:49am
Hey guys thanks for the comments!
@The Oracle: I am doing just fine. I have made friends with the same people and you will find in my next post that I have found some other people who think like I do.
And I am not doing so hot in math, thats the problem I will be talking about in my next post.
Zachary Magee
October 18th, 2008
at 6:26pm
I feel your pain matt. I’m also in my first semester of college and although my college is within 20 miles of my house, it’s still a lot of new faces and friends. I play baseball though and have found many friends with guys on the team and even beyond so i’m enjoying it.
I’m a die hard Christian and I love God with all my heart and it saddens me to hear that people are telling you they aren’t for obama because their church members told them that. Politics do not belong in church whatsoever in my opinion and they aren’t a part of my church whatsoever as a Southern Baptist. On the flip side if you watch Rev. Wright’s sermons all he ever talked about was politics and America instead of God and the Bible’s teachings.
I am not voting for obama but it’s not because my church said so or my parents. I have my own mind and have followed closely to the campaigns of both members and based on what I’ve seen my personal belief is McCain is the better choice IN MY OPINION.
Matt
October 18th, 2008
at 7:39pm
Thanks for the comment Zachary!
Yeah this college is 40 miles from home. I am glad that you are voting for McCain on your own thoughts and feelings. It sounds like you to are from the south and you know where I am coming from when it comes to the way people act and behave.
Like I said in my other comment this is my first thoughts on college and things have gotten better for me so check back next week for my next post where I talk about more positive things
-matt