Studying in the Land of Enchantment

 

Let me start with the most important feature of student life: drinking. Or rather: drinking cheap alcohol. You cannot find an Underground-like club around here, but that does not stop the New Mexico State University (NMSU) students from having fun and getting wasted. The day I arrived I went to a house party. I have been going to house parties ever since. Basically, this kind of party is the main feature of NMSU social life because of the lack of clubs and because people here are more comfortable hanging out with their friends rather than with strangers in bars. The only problem is that Las Cruces is spread out over a high desert, which means you need a car to get anywhere (i.e. liquor store). But once you get your drinks, you're ready to rock.

As much as I would like to say that I traveled a lot around New Mexico, I must admit that I have not done so yet. I gambled and lost $30 in one of the casinos in Las Vegas, saw Grand Canyon and Arizona and a couple of smaller cities next to Las Cruces, but that is about it. Last weekend I was supposed to go to the capital, Santa Fe, but it did not work out. I have been planning that trip with some international students for quite a while, but unfortunately, a friend of mine, who was organizing the trip, got arrested the night before. What happened is that he bought alcohol for a friend who was underage, the cop saw him, and arrested both of them immediately. What is worse, the guy buying the alcohol had his birthday party that night. He celebrated in jail tied up to a radiator.

The police is an important factor in social life of every NMSU student because the police officers developed a habit to cruise around the neighborhoods and look for parties. Once they spot one, they come in and tell everyone to go home. About 60 percent of parties I visited were busted by cops. Police being strict about house parties and underage drinking is a positive thing, but on the other hand a lot of locals are complaining that the police is not so rigorous when it comes to crimes such as burglary and theft.

 

To put it simply, NMSU is working out for me. It is an adventure. I remember myself three months ago, when I did not want to come here and was shivering over the fact that I have to pack my life in two suitcases and leave my cozy AUBG existence. After 24 hours of flying through different time zones, I ended up alone (with my two over packed suitcases) at El Paso airport. Just when I thought that I was going to have to camp in one of the restrooms for the night, my savior Jenny showed up.

A member of the Student Ambassadors Club, responsible for helping international students adjust to the new environment, Jenny took me to the campus where I was checked in immediately even though it was past midnight. I got Internet and the basic stuff I needed for the room (sheets, towels, food, etc.). During the next couple of days, I got to meet other international students and wander around Las Cruces.

The first thing people ask me when they meet me is why I chose to come to New Mexico when almost nobody even knows that it exists, let alone that it is part of the United States and not Mexico. Since I have no clear idea why I came here, I usually tell them I like the desert. The first thing they ask me about Bulgaria, or Serbia, is typically: ‘Is it a part of Russia?' and then they say, ‘It must be really cold out there.' Eighty percent of the people I meet are really excited to stumble upon someone coming from a different part of the world, and the other 20 percent give me that "poor-you-I-hope-you-have-running-water-back-home" look that most of ‘Work And Travel' people are probably used to.

Journalism wise, I am learning how to develop black and white 35mm film for my ‘Intro to Photography' class, and I am also working at News22, a student-run TV station. I am proud to say that JMC at AUBG rocks, because the knowledge I acquired there sometimes puts me well ahead of my classmates here.

My day usually starts at 6 a.m. because I smartly decided that it is high time for me to learn Spanish, so I registered for the section given four times a week at 7:30 in the morning. Basically, I wake up with the chickens, like my grandmother would say (although there are no chickens around here). What consoles me is that the professor is a crazy Spaniard who tends to lose his temper during classes, so it can be quite amusing.

 

I must say I like the canteen here. First of all, there are tons of food, ranging from the typical American McDonald's style junk food (which I love), to Mexican cuisine. The canteen is twice as big as the one we have at AUBG, and the choice of designed-for-students-cheap food is at least five times what we have in the Main Building. Once you enter Taos (the NMSU canteen), the rule is ‘eat as much as you can,' and be sure to take a backpack with you so that you can sneak out some food for tomorrow's lunch. Yes, you are a cheap-ass if you do this, but after all, you are an international student so it is ok because Europeans are considered to be a little bit crazy anyway.

What I really like about this place is that it is very artistic. Last week a friend of mine that I met in my Swing dance course took me to see an open mic night at the student center. This was an event designed for artsy people to perform their music, poetry or standup comedy, and express their views on politics and life. That night reminded me of the New York avant-garde theatres, which I (unfortunately) only saw in the movies, where cool people come to hang out and enjoy each other's creativity.

The campus is huge - the area is probably as big as the space from Skaptopara to the Main Building. My favorite building is the Art Department, where one can see drawings, photographs and sculptures made by the students. The best time to explore it is late at night when you can sneak around without anyone watching over you. My second favorite is the Music Department building. They usually leave only one door open over the night, and if you are lucky enough to find it you can go in and play the piano in one of the piano rooms. Again, the best time to explore is past midnight.

Another thing I like about Las Cruces is its proximity to the Mexican border. As an International Student Exchange Program (ISEP) participant, one can get a permission to travel to Mexico without a visa, which is exactly what I am going to do during the Spring break, which starts in one week.

There are a lot of Mexican students around here, which makes the student body interesting together with the Native American cultural influences. I am looking forward to an upcoming Native American cultural fair in Albuquerque in April, which I am planning to attend.

Being an exchange student is like being a freshman again. I feel like I look at everything through a baby's eyes and I am excited because of everything I see. This is a life-changing experience, not only because of the cultural shock and the new people I meet, but also because I get into the position to start building social and academic life all over again. I am having a blast in New Mexico, I like everything about this state, and I would recommend it to anyone willing to experience something new.