Column: Through the black eye

By Gus Bode

I never thought a nice jab to the eye could have such an impact on someone’s life.

Having observed it many times in movies, local bars and boxing broadcast, I frowned at it but never expected to be in the receiving end of a lethal jab. This resulted in a darkened left eye.

For the first time ever, I received a facial injury during a sparring session at the gym and even though I hear references to Muhammad Ali of how the sport leads to permanent cerebral damage, it’s a short-term risk I choose to take and one that keeps me in shape.

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“Believe me, eyes around campus don’t look as bag-less as when the first week of class begins.”- Alex Ayala

On a cold Chicago evening my brother landed a jab to my left eye that had me looking like I had taken part in a dice game scuffle.

Coming from a boxer that’s been practicing along my side for ten years and a fellow marine, I can respect him for that.

But there’s no slashing the eye like Rocky, ointments or raw steak being applied here. I knew I had to get off the stool and face the consequences, returning to what is my last semester here at SIU.

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Even though at times you may feel like the Punxsutawney groundhog and decide to hide from the public, I don’t have a choice here; I have to come out be it rain or snow.

This semester means a rigorous and emotional time with my design thesis, my work at the DE, and my social life – which means my walks through the Strip can now be counted with the palm of my hands.

I give such importance to the eye situation because it’s foreshadowing my semester. Believe me, eyes around campus don’t look as bag-less as when the first week of class begins.

Even though many all-nighters and unhealthy practices await many of you outgoing seniors, just make an attempt to practice healthy sleeping habits.

Walking around with a black eye through the SIU community can be quite an experience. People stare at you and notice the detail, usually forgetting to greet. Actually, only about five people asked last week the most popular predictable question “How was your break?” I guess the eye summed it all up for them.

But in reality my break was one of the best on a personal level and couldn’t be summed up in the usual response: It was good.

I got to paint a mural on a grade school of children that spoke “Nahualt” in the mountainous region north of Puebla and witness the slaughtering of a pig for a birthday party. It’s those kinds of random experiences that motivate me to travel as often as possible.

Random experiences whether positive or negative, such as a black eye, help fuel my last semester at SIU, which I hope to finish strong.

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