The Ducks

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Hello everyone,

It saddens me that we have not reconnected in little over a month. I have loads to fill you guys in with.  First of all I got selected by the Vice President of the University to direct the postgraduate studies at my University under his supervision.  Also the university granted me a beautiful house so I have been busy moving my stuff.   The freshmen or the freshies, which I like to call them by, have finally started classes.  I am their academic adviser so I am hearing exciting stories from each and everyone of them. They have so much to share. 

I like to commit this blog to my first year dental students, also known as the ducks or the freshies.  I remember when I first started college, I really did not know what to expect in my first day of school.  I remember I was assigned an old sister, where she was to guide me and be there for me whenever I had a concern about a school related matter.  As for Kurdistan, the story is a bit twisted.  The students not only expect the unexpected, they are also bullied by duck sounds that everyone makes at the first instance they are seen. 

As their academic adviser, I am responsible to register all the freshies  and get them acquainted with the classrooms and the scheduling of classes.  As I was registering with 20 freshies in my office, I hear cries coming from outside.  There, I saw two ducks with pink bow ties thrown into my office.  I stepped on my office desk (freaking out) and here I see the ducks walking back and forth.  What its going on here? A surprise for the freshies! They are ducks hence we got them two ducks with two beautiful bow ties.

I was told the ducks usually represent the freshies in their first few weeks of college.  The duck simply follow what comes to mind so do the freshies, says a student.  Then what is up with the pink bow tie?, I asked.  Well the pink bow tie is to represent that they are just fresh and not knowing what to expect so they want to look at their best. 

The ducks were purchased two weeks before the freshies started the first day of the academic year.  A student narrated how a group of 2nd and 3rd stage dental students went about purchasing the two ducks.  We selected two ducks not for how much they weighed but for the highest pitch they could possibly make, said one of them.  The ducks upon purchase were placed in a taxi cab and the taxi driver was asked that he is to head to the dorm building.  The ducks were well taken care of for two week until the big day where they were put on pink and red bow tie to bully the freshies in the campus.
The two ducks having a walk in the campus 

The freshies are now two weeks in to taking classes. I ran into my 3rd year dental students and happened to remember the ducks.  I asked what has happened to them? We have turned them to a delicious dinner, said two of them.  I rolled my eye and I walked away. I am learning so much as I continue living here in Kurdistan.  


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