“This year has been like a rollercoaster ride that I just can’t get the fuck off.”
In February Natalie Pace arrived at Rhodes, eagerly anticipating the year ahead. Within the first term she had settled into a way of life involving a healthy social life, close friends, and a stable academic career. However, the balance she created would subsequently be disrupted by events which ensued. Flipping her fire red hair which is indicative of her feisty personality, Natalie settles down and relates the story of her first year at Rhodes.
Although Natalie settled easily into Rhodes in the first semester, towards the end of the second term her life started to disintegrate. The thought “I don’t know why I’m here” plagued her constantly. Natalie’s biggest problem this year – being away from her mom – was compounded when her mom moved overseas shortly before the June exams. This is when her depression set in, leading to destructive habits like cutting herself and chain smoking. Natalie is very forthcoming about her relationship with her sister, as well as her own difficulties. “Things really got bad when Steph [her sister] and I started fighting. That was the low point of last term.” Eventually her trying personal circumstances affected Natalie academically; she failed all her June exams.
Despite her best intentions, term three brought its share of hardships for Natalie. After the June exams, “finding out that I’d failed, and trying to convince my dad to let me come back to Rhodes”, she was faced with the task of “coming back and sorting it all out”. After consultations with the Dean of Humanities, Natalie was allowed to continue her degree. Natalie’s most recent ordeal involved her love life. “My long, love of my life boyfriend (of four months) broke up with me in the classic ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ shitty version. I didn’t expect it to last forever but I hoped it would last longer than four months.”
With exams four weeks away, Natalie is finally starting to straighten out her life. Her plan of action includes “a to do list, fun times in the afternoon – no constant napping, and keeping up to date with assignments”. She expects these exams to be better than the last. ‘I’m already planning a timetable, I will be writing seven or eight exams” she asserts confidently. “I have to pass everything else my dad will pull the plug” she adds. Natalie believes that the facilities available at Rhodes have helped her to overcome her trials. “The counseling centre has really helped, and so has my house warden”, Natalie admits, “and I count my friends as facilities of Rhodes!” Despite her diligent attitude, Natalie still makes time for fun. “I still need to find an outfit, but it will be nice to get dressed up”, she remarks of her hall ball on Saturday.
On Natalie’s wall hangs a yellow piece of paper emblazoned with the words: “What you feel is what you are and what you are is beautiful”. These lyrics from the song Slide are one of her favourite sayings. “They make me think about things”, Natalie says with regards to the words, “It makes me feel better about myself”. These words couldn’t be more appropriate. Behind the family drama, the rough first year, and even the fire red hair, that’s what Natalie Pace is: beautiful.
2 comments:
Dear Tic*Tac
“Rollercoaster ride” is such a suitable title for both the profile story and the structure of this narrative. Quite evidently Natalie Pace has had one long rollercoaster ride and as her opening comment states, it is clear that she is still strapped in tightly.
Natalie Pace started her first year with anticipation and excitement and like every student; she viewed herself as the heroine of this new adventure. Unfortunately she fell from hero to zero and became the princess in distress when, as Todorov so nicely puts it “the initial equilibrium was disrupted”. The disruptions took the form of family fights, failing exams and losing the love of her life. Luckily for Natalie Vladimir Propp has identified characters in any give narrative that help the hero along the journey and so sent helpers and dispatchers to her aid. They assisted Natalie by giving her advice and other such magical agents and now Natalie is once again the heroine of her story and just like with every narrative the bumpy roller coaster ride will come to an end. Natalie has learnt that hardships are inevitable but that structure is necessary to survive, just as a narrative needs a structure in order to exist.
Yours in heroic actions!
Raisa
http://www.confessionsofacrazyvouchpotato.blogspot.com
Dear Tic*Tac
I really enjoyed reading the profile on Natalie Pace. It was interesting and I love the title since it sums up for us what Natalie has been through all year here at Rhodes.
As it seems it all started of pretty well until personal issues came into the picture. Unfortunately these issues included family which is far more important than anything else. We see this as a fall and a disruption in the equilibruim that was created. This then brought about more problems including her hurting herself and he boyfriend giving her a nasty break up. When her emotional self was in distress and her focus was shifted, her exams took the knock. Thank God for the councelling centre and her close friends who assisted in restoring the new equilibrium. Natalie is a survivor in the sense that she is still at it, pushing on for the better.
The piece overall was a interesting read and I felt that the structuring of it all could have been done better. I would propose that you insert a picture next time, but well done!
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