A Small Town Socialite

It is easy to overlook this tiny little Italian girl, but it is impossible to miss her laugh. Lara Contu’s habit of frequently throwing her head back and letting out a loud, infectious laugh and her bubbly personality makes her irresistibly approachable and very popular.
Lara leans back on the bed, immediately at home, and twirls a thick strand of shiny brown hair around her finger as she talks. Her voice is animated and she chuckles every so often as she talks about her experiences at Rhodes.
The smallness of Grahamstown and Rhodes University is what led her here to study a BSc degree. Lara laughs as she explains that she is studying a BSc because she enjoys biology and says, “My brain is more direct, I’m not very creative. Not creative enough for a BA.”
But if she wasn’t studying a BSc, Lara would definitely be studying a BSocSci degree because she is fascinated by people.
For this Johannesburg socialite, the intimacy of Grahamstown is what appeals to her and her eyes widen as she says in a big voice: “I love it here, are you mad, it’s so cool! Even though there are only three places to go!” It is no surprise then that with this enthusiasm, Lara has made a large number of friends in the short time that she has been here. She says that although she knows just as many people in Jo’burg as she does in Grahamstown, she is more likely to have a conversation with people she meets while out in Grahamstown than in Jo’burg. This has meant that Lara has had memorable and happy first year experience.
Lara says that as a Rhodes student she feels that she is part of something, and it is this something that makes her friends back at home jealous. They do not understand the bond between fellow Rhodents.
Although Lara hasn’t suffered too much from homesickness, she does miss her family a lot and wishes that home could be closer to Rhodes.
Living in res means that Lara is never lonely, and she thinks it is “cool” to live with her friends in Hobson House residence.
One of Lara’s Hobson friends, Caeri Dunnell, adores Lara and says fondly: “Lara often comes into my room and plonks herself on my bed and talks to me for ages, until I have to kick her out!” This companionship isn’t the only reason why Caeri values Lara’s friendship so much as she says that if it wasn’t for Lara she would never do her laundry! “She always makes sure we do our laundry and we have fun doing it together!”Caeri also mentions Lara’s honest nature and how she can be direct with people in a nice way and her ability to mingle with as many people as possible where ever she goes.
Lara leans further back into the pillow as she talks about the night she fell asleep in front of a group of friends and started snoring! This story leads her to let out another loud laugh and she covers her mouth in embarrassment as she explains that awkward situations like this is one of the things that makes her laugh. “Geesh,” she says, “actually just about anything makes me laugh!”