In this addition of Sundt's Scribes, Hal Sundt gives you an inside look into the busy schedule of volleyball standout Chinwe Okona and divulges her true passions in life. Trust us when we say she is busy, as Hal lives with her and he doesn't even see her.

Standing outside a little past 11:30 p.m. last Sunday evening I felt betrayed by the weather. The day had been warm and sunny, but by nightfall the sky was no longer blue, but black, and the air was no longer thick and warm, but chilly and thin. I didn't belong outside in the first place, though, because I was supposed to interview Chinwe Okona, a star volleyball player and one of my housemates, for this article. When I finally walked into my living room, I saw Okona sitting cross-legged on the couch in gray sweatpants and an orange t-shirt, watching “Mean Girls” on the T.V. and threatening to fall asleep at any moment.

By all accounts Okona is gorgeous. Her soft dreadlocks fall gently just above her shoulders and across a face that boasts a bright, beaming smile and kind, warm eyes. But tonight she has covered this otherwise beautiful face with a pair of big, brown-rimmed glasses with thick lenses; kind of like a secretary from a 1970s sitcom. Of course, on this night she is more concerned with winding down that dressing up, tired after a long day and anxious to get to bed so that she can start what is set to be another day filled with classes and labs and practice and meetings.

“I have three classes in the morning, from 9 until 12 (Neuropharmacology, Spanish Literature, and Cell Molecular Biology),” Okona groans from mild sleep deprivation. “I have a meeting with my coach at 12, then I have a Cell Molecular Biology lab at 1:30, then I have practice at 4:30. Then this Queer-Theologian named Irene Monroe is coming at 7:30 so I am going to go see her speak and then my organization, the Oberlin Queer Wellness Coalition, is bringing these two girls who call themselves 'Everyone is Gay' and they're speaking at 8:30.”

It has become a running joke between Okona and I that we see each other only once or twice in a week because she is always so busy. Her drive and eagerness to be involved on campus means that she is always running around to various academic and extracurricular commitments. Still, more often than not Okona is cheerful and energetic, in large part because she is involved in organizations that she is passionate about. When she starts talking about the Oberlin Queer Wellness Coalition, an organization she co-founded last Spring, her voice raises half an octave and she leans forward slightly, as if she has been suddenly reenergized.

“It is an organization that is working towards compiling resources as far as mental, spiritual, physical, sexual health for queer people on Oberlin's campus,” Okona explains.

Okona was motivated to create the organization as a means to help many students around campus who were in search of more information and help.

“It was really interesting to see that things like Safer Sex Week were not necessarily geared specifically toward queer people,” Okona explains. “Queer people didn't want to go to the gym because they didn't feel like it was a safe space for them. So we're just trying to motivate people to go outside of their comfort zone and show that there are multiple safe spaces and that queer people should be healthy.”

The OQWC, which just recently became chartered and now has an office in Wilder 206, is an organization that is on the rise, and Okona, along with co-founder Mandy Hogan '13, is preparing for an eventful school year.

“We're planning a health week in the spring,” Okona says. “We're actually planning a 5K with a company called 'Buttout Ohio' and they work for LGBTQ youth smoking cessation in the state of Ohio, which is really cool. I've never heard of an organization like that targeted towards LGBTQ youth and specific to Ohio. They're really great, we've already met with them.”

A Neuroscience major and Hispanic Studies minor, Okona wants to remain heavily connected with the community around her and continue to devote her time to helping others. She would eventually like to pursue a Master's Degree in Public Health and work in the field of public health after she is done with her schooling.

“I want to do something to change public health in this country or maybe do something with global health,” she says.

Her interests are mirrored in her role on the volleyball team as she feels a great deal of responsibility to help others, no matter what she is doing. As an outside hitter, Okona must be a jack of all trades, the most well-rounded player who is able to do a little bit of everything, or as she puts it, be “like a security player.” It is this responsibility that can wear on Okona. Because she is always doing something she has very little time to kick back and relax, but deep down I don't think she'd want it any other way.

I rarely see Chinwe Okona during the week, but if I need to ask her for a favor I know she will be there because she is willing to help others regardless of how full her schedule is. I just hope she leaves those brown-rimmed glasses behind next time.

Hal Sundt is a senior member of the Oberlin College men's basketball team and feature writer for goyeo.com.