On October 26th, I went to Mason Hall with the rest of LC 20. We witnessed a panel discussion that was considered a mandatory Academic Enrichment Workshop. When I came in, there were four empty chairs on stage; none were occupied. I sat calmly, cracking a few jokes with a couple of friends from LC 20 as I awaited the arrival of Charles N. Li. When he entered, he seemed older than I expected, but then I realized that he was born in 1940, which meant that he is approximately 70 years of age. He definitely does not look as old as he is. He is in pretty good shape compared to most 70 year old men.
Before Mr. Li was given the opportunity to talk about his identity and his experience in college, we heard from others including Professor Stan Altman of the School of Public Affairs, Tashi Chodron, Katrin Hansing, as well as bruce Payne. Each spokesperson introduced themselves and spoke about their college experiences and their processes that they underwent in their lives to be where there currently are. It was interesting because I learned from other people’s perspectives and we can all agree that college is the beginning of our free and independent lives. I’m curious as to see what my college career beholds for me and I am eager to take on any challenges and experiences that may await me.
To finish off the event, there was a really short Question & Answer Session with the author of the Bitter Sea, Charles N. Li. He answered any questions that some freshmen had. I found most of the questions to be silly; some regarded his age as well as the purpose of the book which he wrote in the beginning of the book. Some questions were fairly intellectual as they pertained to Mr. Li’s life. It was a good experience to see him; well from a distance. It seemed unreal because after all he wrote in the book, I would never think to see him in person.
-Robi Baazashvili
