The Joy of Research (with slight sarcasm)

Well, the month of endless research has begun for me. The Independent Study Project (ISP) is the staple of any SIT program, allowing students to follow a topic of interest and produce a lengthy paper about that topic. As I have said so many times before on this blog, I am researching physician-activists in the anti-apartheid movement. From previous posts, you may have been able to discern my enthusiasm for such a topic…yet instead of me embarking upon the world with a magnifying glass, I am siting in the SIT house writing this blog.

There is nothing wrong with that, of course, except….this is not what I envisioned my South African Research journey to be. It is getting off to a very rocky start, and things are not within my control. I think me blogged about the protests going on at the University of KwaZulu Natal campuses. If not…well...here it is: Students are protesting because of an issue with financial aid. I am not exactly sure why because I have gotten so many conflicting explanations. The protests, however, have turned disruptive, even violent. Police are now out in full force to make sure order is maintained….even if that means firing rubber bullets.

There are two ways in which to look at this situation (I am trying to maintain level-headedness by looking at all sides of the situation…but that is a task of the utmost difficulty) I could (and do) see this as a MAJOR inconvenience. These protests are preventing me from meeting with my ISP advisor to set up a research plans. Furthermore, I just found out that my interview at the medical school (scheduled for tomorrow) will have to be postponed due to disruptive behaviour and threats. At the moment, I am currently stalled, with no place to go. Moreover, this interview is critical because it will, undoubtedly, lead to more interviewees.

On the other hand, I could sympathize with my collegiate peers. Although I am not entirely sure of the motivation behind these protests, I am sure it is not done with frivolous intent. There is a back story which is motivating the activism of these students, which I respect and admire. I would be hard-pressed to find such readiness to put the active in activist in American university students.

And thus is the grand irony of my research project thus far. As I am trying to research the activism of the past, it is blocked by the activism of the present generation (it’s quite interesting how it is working out this way). I am sure that many though that the demonstrations of anti-apartheid liberators were also an “inconvenience.” Although these strikes are a barrier to my research, I must look at them in contest. I must also acknowledge that barriers happen all of the time in research. If this is something that I will be doing for the rest of my life, I should probably get used to it.

Anyway, I guess I should be using my time more appropriately and find something do relating to my project.

I shall keep you updated.

- Ezelle