An SEL student assistant tells his pandemic story:
My name is Kolade Balogun, a senior student from London who unfortunately couldn’t go home during the pandemic. As a result, I spent most of my time in Knoxville and Clarksville. Whilst in Knoxville, I stayed with a friend who is a fantastic cook leaving me to take on the role of sous chef. Following a mixed bag of successes and failures, from a crock-pot disaster to refining my chopping skills; I decided to take charge and make a meal by myself one day. Using all the tips and tricks I picked up over the weeks, I made pasta with a tuna and tomato sauce which received nothing but good reviews.
My stay in Clarksville started as the NBA season came into full swing. With this came the return of heated basketball debates from: ‘Are the Nets now the favourites with the addition of Harden?’ to the forever asked ‘Is LeBron now the GOAT?’. Amongst all these arguments came a dismal free throw showing from my favourite player, Giannis Antetokounmpo, where he made a paltry 1/10 free-throws on the night. This led me to make the bold claim that no NBA player should make less than 6/10 free throws because ‘even I can do that’; a statement which was promptly put to the test. With the pressure on, facing chilling Tennessee winds and shooting into a basket in questionable condition, I managed to make a solid 7/10 free throws. A truly unforgettable moment of glory from someone who has only picked up a basketball a handful of times in his life.