Coming to America
PDF Alex Gasick, Asst. Sports Editor
When Yiwei Zhou first arrived at Lewis University, it wasn’t exactly what he expected it to be.
“My previous knowledge about the United States was what I saw from the movies. High, tall, buildings and big cities,” Zhou said. “But it’s not like that here. ‘No offense to Lewis University,” Zhou said with a chuckle.
Zhou, a freshman Middle Blocker on the Flyers volleyball team and Aviation Administration major, hails from Nanjing, China, and came to the United States for the first time at the start of the school year.
He contacted head men’s volleyball coach Dan Friend by e-mail, expressing interest in coming to the United States to go to school and play volleyball. Friend, Zhou and Michael Fekete, the Director of International Student Services, worked for a few months through a process of all the necessary things to get Zhou at Lewis University.
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Zhou has made the transition look easy to observers, but acknowledges he had some difficulty when he first arrived.
“The first two weeks in the United States were really tough,” Zhou said. “Just thinking about that first two weeks is very hard for me. None of the people I talk with here speak Chinese, so being a non-native English speaker was pretty tough for me.”
Despite his initial fears, Zhou hasn’t had any problems with the language barriers in his college career so far. He credits his teachers for working with him to solve any problems he has in class. “Any time I have any confusions, they always want to help me figure that out,” Zhou said.
Assistant coach Andy Cole wouldn’t be surprised Zhou hasn’t had too many issues with the language barrier. “I think he speaks more proper English than anyone else on the team,” Cole said.
Friend would agree.
“He’s adapted extremely well and his English is pretty darn good,” Friend said.
Though Zhou hasn’t had any issues adjusting to the English language, the whole transition to the United States hasn’t been all smooth sailing.
“I don’t like the food here,” Zhou said rather bluntly.
When he has time on the weekends, Zhou likes to frequent Chinatown in Chicago, and said that even though the food there might not be on par with his homeland, it’s “not bad.” During the week, Zhou doesn’t have time to engage on any escapades to Chinatown, so he settles for one of the few American meals he has grown to like
“My favorite food here is bacon cheeseburger, with fries,” Zhou said with a smile.
Though the food may not always sit well with Zhou, he stills views Lewis as the right fit for him. Zhou believes being at an aviation school near airports such as Midway and O’Hare will help him accomplish his goals after graduation.
“There are a lot of Chinese airlines with offices around Chicago,” Zhou said. “My dream after graduation would be to work for a Chinese airline in their office, because I can speak two languages and I know how to communicate with passengers whether they are from the United States or China.”
Volleyball, a sport Zhou’s mother insisted he take up when he was 15 because of his height (Zhou is 6’9”), has also made the transition as an American student easier for Zhou.
“Before I came here I was a little nervous of how to get along with American teammates,” Zhou admitted. “But they are very helpful and all have a great sense of humor. I’m really enjoying playing volleyball with them.”
Friend has noticed Zhou has had no problem fitting in with the team.
“He fits in great with the guys, and the guys are very welcoming of him,” Friend said.
As Zhou has adapted to a new culture, he’s also adapted to a more advanced style of volleyball.
“I’m learning a lot of things on a day-to-day basis from everyday’s practice,” Zhou said. “I think I’m very lucky to learn a lot of advanced ideas about volleyball. The competition system is more advanced than in China.”
Friend has noticed a steady rate of improvement from Zhou.
“He is a very talented young man volleyball wise,” Friend said. “He’s not starting right now, but he’s going to start down the road. Right now we have two experienced guys at his position, but he’s only going to continue to improve and get better and better.”
Trips to Chinatown, supportive teammates, coaches and teachers have all helped Zhou adapt to living in the United States. However, there’s one more thing that Zhou couldn’t survive in the United States without. With his mother living in China and father living in Manchester, England, working in marketing for a Hong-Kong company, Skype has been a life savor for Zhou.
“Skype has really eliminated the gap and shortened the distance between my mom and dad,” Zhou said. “I can talk to them anytime I want because their phones are connected with Skype too, so it’s not a problem. I’d like to say thank you to Skype,” he pronounced.
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