Devin Liskey, Senior, Industrial and Systems Engineering
Athens, OH 15 September 2011 –
Summer brings options to the engineering student. The biggest question is usually if you have a co-op of job lined up for the long break. If not, will you be staying in Athens? In an effort to ease the course load of my senior year, I stayed in Athens and took a few classes. A lot of others did the same thing hoping to graduate before the switch to semesters. I took two classes each session, two engineering course the first half and a business management and guitar class the second session. Needless to say, the first half of summer was much busier but I got to squeeze some fun into my college credits during the second half.
Outside of class, I bought a road bike and practiced Silat. I had signed a lease for a house out in The Plains (about a ten minute drive from the engineering building) and hoped to ride my bike to class most days to save gas money and make sure I got to move a little bit every day. After dinner each night I made a trek up the bike path to The Plains and sometimes Nelsonville. Three times a week I met with a Silat instructor.
Silat is the indigenous martial art of Indonesia. For one hour I was lucky enough to receive one-on-one instruction and then group instruction for another hour. Twice during the summer, one of the top instructors/practitioners in the style we practice visited and spent four hours a day working with us over a three day period. Now I continue to practice under the tutelage of the OUMMA club during the year.
During the Fourth of July weekend I had the opportunity to visit my girlfriend in Washington D.C. Below is a picture of me watching the parade on the big day. It was really interesting watching other cultures take part in celebrating their American citizenship expressed through traditional dances and clothes of their native countries.
