November 23, 2004 The Lion's Eye Eve on Campus Page 7 From Eritrea to Delco: By JULIA HAGAN Lion’s Eye staff writer JAH1003@psu.edu When you began an interview, you don’t expect the questions, "What is your name?" and "How old are you?" to elicit the most complicated responses. But Meron Habte explains that although many teachers pronounce his name incorrectly, like the female name Karen, it is actually pro- nounced May-ROHN Hob-Tay. You detect an interesting accent in Meron's pronunciation of his uncom- mon name, which leads to questions on his country of origin. Habte was born in the East African nation of Eritrea. When he was 6 years old, Meron's parents fled their war-torn native land (Eritrea was at war with Ethiopia for its independence) in search of a better life and more stable future for their children in the United States. His family settled in Philadelphia and began its adjustment to American culture. Habte attended Philadelphia private schools, gradu- ating in 2003 from West Catholic High School. During his high school years, he enjoyed writing and playing football and it was then that he start- ed considering a career in journalism. "I had been really interested in photography,” he said, “but school pushed me towards writing." Habte planned to attend Villanova University after graduation, but after comparing tuition costs, Penn State emerged as the choice. "My sister goes to the University Park campus," he said. "But that's not the reason I chose Penn State." He appreciates the smaller Delaware County campus of Penn State where there are fewer distrac- tions and students are able to study. He resides with his mother and Name is same, age isn’t younger brother and sister in Philadelphia but does not mind the commute to school via SEPTA. Although always on the lookout for interesting job offers, Habte will be concentrating on his 18-credit course load this semester. In addition to news writing, he is taking art, histo- ry, Asian philosophy and English 182. "They're all tolerable," he said and added that he especially enjoys the courses with an international flavor. The sophomore journalism major described his dream job as something similar to a position with the admired publication National Geographic. "Tl always used to read it when I was little," he said. "The pictures just used to grab me." Since moving to Pennsylvania, he has not traveled outside the eastern United States, but is eager to do so. Habte does not remember much from his early years in Africa but would like to someday return to Eritrea where many members of his extended family still live. "It's not as dangerous now," he sald, noting the country's large tourism business. Also on the top of his list of destinations is the Amazon rain forest in South America. As for the question of his age, Habte's response was, "I'm 20... on paper." On paper? Following the Orthodox Ethiopian calendar that his family has used, Habte explained that he’d still be 19. His family is also familiar with sever- al different languages including Arabic and Amari. The combination of cultures doesn’t seem to bother Habte though. Whether it's a choice of what language to speak or what music to listen to, he doesn’t prefer just one. “I'm just interested in variety," he said. First rule of fashion: Comfort counts for nothing By JANICE KUEHN Special to the Lion’s Eye Recently, during an expedition to a mall the approximate size of Rhode Island, one of my adult daughters persuaded me to buy a jacket/blazer type thing. This set off a concatenation of shop- ping that I like to think of as "The Wardrobe Domino Effect." Since I did not have anything in my closet remotely compatible with this garment, I was doomed to additional purchases. Having flunked "Fashion 101" many years ago, I had to rely on my female offspring for help. They, frankly, are "in charge of me," and they enjoy nothing more than taking me shopping and treat- ing me like an aging, somewhat imperfect Barbie Doll. In order to complement the other pieces of my ensemble, I was forced to buy a pair of high heels that were clearly designed by a sadist. Admittedly, I was acquiescing to "Fashion Rule 457:" If the shoes fit and they are cute, you must buy them, no matter what. A few weeks later I gathered the courage to wear my new duds to class, as I had a presenta- tion to make. With a mixture of resignation and dread I drove to campus, no small feat, as my new high heels were a real impediment to highway safety. The distance from the Route 352 parking lot to the Classroom building had never seemed so great; it increased in an exact algebraic progres- sion to my podiatric discomfort. As I struggled up the stairs to the second floor, I made a mental note: If the fire alarm goes off, abandon footwear, run to nearest exit. All too soon I was standing in the front of the classroom. My feet were sending painful messages to my brain, but they were being returned "Addressee Unknown." It was then that I noticed something weird: I could not seem to make eye contact with any of the females in the room. They were all focusing on the 30 square inches of floor inhabited by my shoes. After class, while limping to the Lion's Pit, I was constantly being stopped by other women exclaiming rapturously over my footwear. Halfway through my cheeseburger, I was serious- ly considering holding an impromptu auction for my new high heels, as they were attracting the attention of virtually every woman in the place. "Hmm," I thought, "maybe there is something to this whole fashion thing!" The next time I'm shopping for shoes, I'll remem- ber the rules: ignore comfort, price and practicali- ty. Just buy the cute ones.
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