RICHARD NAVA
Staff Writer
Standing out in a university setting is not always easy. Sophomore Nicholas Gallion, however, has chosen to meet that challenge by learning to be content.
He avoids getting caught up in too many new trends and fads in pop culture are constantly changing, and keeping up with the times can often be a challenge.
With everyone trying to be unique (like everyone else), identity can often be lost in the shuffle. Gallion, who likes to be called “Nick,” is managing to pave his way through college life by simply being himself.
Gallion enjoys hiking, surfing and anything outdoors. The SLA of Fifield also finds refuge in playing his guitar and fellowshipping with others. Gallion, uninterested in the latest gadgets or crazes, Gallion said he is happy to just be.
What is your major and why?
My major is International Studies with an emphasis in international communication. I think it’s important to have a broad perspective of society and culture before you go out in the world. I didn’t really want a specific major because I still don’t know what I want to do.
What are your long-term career plans?
I want to do something where I can work with people and get past language barriers. I’m kind of just waiting to see what happens.
Where did you go for Project Serve? What was your experience like?
I went to a village in Romania. I had never traveled internationally where I needed a passport.
We left in the morning and brought donations that Customs wouldn’t let us bring in. We just had like blankets and clothes and stuff, but they got upset because you need certain documentation to bring stuff into the country and we didn’t have it. Eventually, they let us go.
A van picked us up from the airport and some people helped us. It was kind of awkward because they expected tips and we didn’t have any Euros.
The country was beautiful. The people were beautiful. The organization we went with helped people who were in a bad place in their lives — orphans, the homeless and even those who needed legal help. We kind of just hung out with the people there. We didn’t speak Romanian, and they didn’t speak English. So we just chilled with them.
We ate a lot of soup and a lot of bread. While I was there, I learned a lot about the Romanian culture and even a little of the language. They took us to Transylvania, but we didn’t get to see Dracula or anything. We got to spend a lot of time playing with the kids, and we had a lot of fun doing it.
Would you ever do another program like this again?
Yeah. The people I worked with were just regular people, but the ones in charge seemed to be so dedicated. They basically live with the people they’re helping. It’s hard, but it’s a part of their lives. It makes them different from other people in a good way.
Life in Romania wasn’t necessarily simpler, but it wasn’t caught up in all the pop culture that American life is. People are happy to just to exist.
Speaking of helping others and changing lives, who is your hero?
Honestly, my parents are my heroes. They are the people I know the best. They have their flaws like everyone else, but they love me and I love them. I have learned the most from them and gained the most from them. My family means the world to me. (Is that what you wanted to hear?)
What do you want to accomplish above all else before you die?
Live. I just want to live before I die. I guess above all I really want to raise a child, whether it be my own or somebody else’s. Maybe not even raise a child, but I want to be someone’s mentor. I want to be important to someone, and watch someone grow from very young to very old. I want to make an impact so that I can go on through them.
03-30-2006
