international students 27 always come and try to converse with me and make me feel part of the team. I know all of them now, and we all play the game with a passion.” Coach Greg Harris played a big part in helping Rotich fit in with his teammates. Rotich said that the player-coach relationship was a lot different for him in the U.S. than it was in Uganda. At home, the coach-team relationship was mainly on the field. Harris helped build the team by inviting them over to his house to relax and have fun outside of practice. Rotich said he always wanted to go to a Christian school in the U.S. A Harding alumnus and friend of his father recommended Harding to him. “I wanted a good Christian education in the U.S., and Harding seemed to be the place,” Rotich said. Not only did he have to make adjustments on the soccer field, but he also found there were a lot of social and educational differences. He experienced many of the same difficulties most African students faced. The hardest part was socializing because the English accent was very different from their African accent. “[Most African students] don’t normally feel confident enough to interact freely, so it was only natural that I experienced the same problems,” Rotich said. “The education system here was somewhat different and hi-tech, which I wasn’t used to, but I adapted quickly.” Rotich also discovered that he had more free time because his classes did not seem to be as hard as at home. In Uganda, he said he had many sleepless nights studying for his classes, but his schedule at Harding was a little more relaxed. Through all of the adjustments and changes from Uganda to the U.S., Rotich adapted well. “Harding has been a home away from home for me because I have made so many good friends who always try to help me when I need it, and the professors and everyone else I meet on campus are just so friendly,” Rotich said. “I therefore interact freely with everyone, and I have adjusted quite well in this kind of environment.” Bethany Loftis Teammates and sophomores Haniel Gara and Lola Pardo high-five during tennis practice Sept. 10. Both tennis players came to Harding as international students from Zimbabwe and France. Noah Darnell Junior Gibron Velazquez befriends a few local school children in El Icacal, El Salvador, Aug. 5. A group of Spanish speaking students went to El Salvador to educate children from different communities on ways they could help the environment, based on Christian values. Courtesy of Lupita Ramirez Tiana Li, a graduate student, demonstrates kung fu Sept. 13 while celebrating the Chinese Moon Festival. International students from China used the celebration as an opportunity to share Chinese culture with Harding students. Noah Darnell Sophomore Moses Rotich shields a Drury defender from the ball on Sept. 7. Though it took some time, Rotich worked hard to gain the skills needed to properly communicate with his teammates. Noah Darnell
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