こんにちはEigemannです。
(English below)
1993年の夏、Indiana Universityに編入した。21歳を超えていたため、21歳以上の学生が入居する寮に住むことになった。後で知ったことだが、キャンパスは形式上アルコール禁止だったため、飲酒可能な寮が別に設けられていた。寮はキャンパスの端にあり、授業を受ける建物までの距離は遠かった。しかし、年齢層が高めで大学院生も多く住んでいたため、新入生が多い寮と比べて非常に静かだった。寮の向かいにはコンビニとドラッグストアもあり、生活の利便性も悪くなかった。
キャンパスはとにかく広く、授業間の移動は自転車がないと間に合わないほどだった。また、ISUとは違い、キャンパスには起伏があり、夏場は建物間を行き来するだけで汗だくになることも多かった。キャンパス内には緑が多く、木々が生い茂っていて、その中に遊歩道が設けられたエリアもあった。リスやウサギ、スカンク、イタチなどの小動物が頻繁に見られ、次第に珍しくなくなった。
ジムと図書館の規模にも驚かされた。ジムには約20面のバスケットコートがあり、この学校はバスケットボールの名門校で、NCAAのトーナメントで何度も優勝していた。ジムにはベンチプレスなどのトレーニング設備が充実しており、巨大なプールもあった。スキューバダイビングの授業も受講し、これらすべての施設を学生は無料で利用できた。図書館も巨大すぎてすべてを見て回れなかったが、特に驚いたのは、古い新聞がマイクロフィルムで保存され、自由に閲覧できたことだ。1960〜70年代の全米の有名な新聞も閲覧可能で、日本の書籍も含め文献も豊富に揃っていた。
ここまで書いていて、Indiana Universityがあるブルーミントンが非常に住み心地がよく、美しい街のように感じられるかもしれない。しかし、インディアナ州であることに変わりはない。インディアナ州は古くから保守的な州で、ブルーミントンは学園都市のため比較的リベラルだったが、キャンパスの外に出ると、テレホートと同様か、それ以上に外部の人間、特に外国人に対して閉鎖的な面が見られることも多々あった。何しろ、森の中にある小さな田舎町だったからだ。
このことについては、卒業までに経験したさまざまな出来事を通じて、より強く実感するようになった。観光で訪れる分には風光明媚な土地だとは思うが、観光と実際に住むことでは、体感するものが大きく異なる。
(続く
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In the summer of 1993, I transferred to Indiana University. Since I was over 21, I was placed in a dormitory designated for students over that age. I later found out that while alcohol was technically prohibited on campus, there was a separate dorm where drinking was allowed. The dormitory was located on the outskirts of the campus, making the buildings where my classes were held quite far. However, because many of the residents were older and included graduate students, it was significantly quieter compared to the dorms filled with freshmen. Across from the dorm was a convenience store and a drugstore, so the living conditions were fairly convenient.
The campus was vast, and it was nearly impossible to make it between classes on time without a bicycle. Unlike ISU, the campus also had some hilly areas, and during the summer, just moving between buildings left me drenched in sweat. The campus was filled with greenery, with trees everywhere, and there were sections with walking paths through wooded areas. Squirrels, rabbits, skunks, and weasels were common sights, and eventually, they became hardly noticeable.
I was also amazed by the size of the gym and library. The gym had around 20 basketball courts, and since this school was renowned for its basketball program, with multiple NCAA tournament championships, that wasn’t surprising. There were also plenty of weightlifting facilities, including bench presses, and a huge swimming pool. I even took a scuba diving class, and all of these facilities were available to students free of charge. The library was so enormous that I never managed to explore all of it. What impressed me the most was that old newspapers were preserved on microfilm and were freely accessible. I could read famous newspapers from the 1960s and '70s from across the U.S., and there was an extensive collection of books, including ones from Japan.
Reflecting on this, one might think Bloomington, where Indiana University is located, was a very comfortable and beautiful place to live. However, it was still Indiana. The state had always been conservative, and although Bloomington was relatively liberal because it was a college town, stepping outside the campus revealed a more closed-minded atmosphere, similar to or perhaps even more so than Terre Haute, especially towards outsiders, particularly foreigners. After all, it was a small town nestled in the woods.
Over time, through various events that occurred before I graduated, I came to feel this more strongly. While the area may have been scenic and pleasant for tourists, living there provided a much different experience.
To be continued.
