I do. I do have something to say.

'I don't really give people the possibility to ask questions during my lectures', the teacher said. So we can't ask questions during the lecture, what kind of nonsense is that? I totally disagreed and had already raised my hand a total of two times in the part of the lecture that had gone by, and I had indeed been ignored.

'But for this time I will give you the opportunity to ask three questions and if, and only if you think the question is important. ' So all the students in the lecture hall were allowed to ask a total of three questions... I immediately raised my hand. Yes, my question was important, at least to me.

'I don't know if other people have the same trouble to find the articles as I have, but where exactly can we find the articles that we have to read as preparation for the lectures ', I asked loud and clear.
The teacher obviously didn't think this was a very good question. He answered my question tough. Teachers are supposed to answer students when the students have questions, but I think they sometimes forget that.
The girl next to me turned to me and told me there was also another way, but I had already tried that way without any luck.  I had gotten an answer, so now I knew I would still have a little trouble finding the articles but at least I knew where to look and how to start.




The teacher continued his lecture.

I was really happy that this teacher, that didn't allow us to ask questions, did speak English really well. I did not have to translate his 'English' to English before I could make sense of it like I have to do with a lot of teachers at the university. A lot of teachers also tend to throw in some Dutch words when they forget how to say it in English which , as I can imagine, must be really annoying for the international students that don't understand Dutch. Poor international students.
I don't understand how a teacher can think that he can can give a lecture in English without being able to at least talk about the subject he's teaching in proper English.
Okay, I can be little critical when it comes to teachers. They're human too, I know. This teacher was doing a really good job, I have to give him credits for that, but I'm still not happy with him not allowing us to ask a many questions as we want, because I like to ask questions.

I was sitting in my very first lecture of this college year which is the subject 'Violence, trauma and reconciliation'. Since I raised my hand but didn't get the chance to ask another burning question I decided to put in on facebook instead.
The definition of trauma is wound.
The definition of cultural trauma is when members of a society feel that they have been subjected to an horrendous event that leaves indelible marks on their conscious and marks their memories forever and changes their future, at least that is what our teacher said.

My mind immediately went to slavery. Is slavery not a form of cultural trauma that has left his mark on so many people in the world that are still struggling with it in their minds nowadays even tough it has been banned in 1833. It made me think...





It was all very interesting and I was truly interested in all the information he gave us and I was shocked by a video we watched, while I was on facebook and looking quotes up on the internet and some articles about the information he was telling , because even tough it was interesting, it wasn't so interesting to keep me from multitasking. Doing only one thing at the same time tends to get a bit boring.

'

I was truly shocked seeing this documentary and I think I should share it for all those who haven't seen it . You should definitely see it for yourself.
It's a little bit scary nowadays, I guess it has always been but living in a globalizing world makes it even more dangerous, to give the power away to someone and to trust them to rule and protect your country and to make good decisions.
Is anyone in a higher position who has money really interested in doing good with the trust people put in them?
It must be hard to be a president, I can imagine the pressure, but to become a president by lying and cheating and to continue to lie and cheat to your people is a  big disgrace. Bad, bad Bush.

My stomach was making all kinds of noises at the end of the lecture and I wanted to get out as soon as possible to go home, to buy some food and to eat but a girl in front of me stood up and asked: 'Who was the girl who asked the questions about the articles?' I told her of course that that girl had been me. She said she understood the trouble I was going through, because she went through the same trouble last year (which means she was redoing the course and that worries me a bit...) and  offered to send me all the articles that she had saved on her laptop.  I knew, when I asked the question, actually when I thought of asking the question since yesterday, that someone would be able to help me out and this angel really did.

See, speaking up always gets you somewhere. I usually don't really stay quiet when I have something to say.
I refuse to be just a number, a student in between all the other students that will not get noticed. I have my things to say and I will ask questions when I have questions. The teachers know me. I make sure they do, even if it's because they think I'm annoying.

Any time you open your mouth to say something that is significant to you, you will always reach at least one person!