Feature essay for news related course.

Baton Rouge native, Colby Broussard, grew up like any other American girl, that is, until the age of 6. One night, her father came home with unexpected news. He sat the family down and carefully explained that he had taken a job with Global Industries, an oil company involved with … yes you've guessed it, international offshore oil rigs. Broussard quickly learned what her dad's job in the oil industry would mean for her: an opportunity that would send her on a path to world travels. The 6-year-old girl would spend the next 12 years of her life living abroad without true citizenship as an expatriate, or "expat." Broussard's voyage would make three separate continents her home.

Abu Dhabi, the capital and second largest city of the United Arab Emirates, was the first stop on her journey. Here, she spent a year learning how to cope with a major change of culture; however, this was only the beginning. Her father had another announcement to make. His contract would soon be up, and next on his agenda was a position located nearly 4,000 miles away. So, again, she packed up, said her goodbyes and set off for Singapore, Singapore, in Southeast Asia. Over the years, she continued to move to cities including: Bangkok, Thailand; Perth, Australia; and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The amount of time spent living in each of these places varied depending upon which specific job her father accepted. From each location, she took away a unique experience.

When her father was relocated to Singapore, Singapore, she learned it was a place with strict rules and harsh punishments. Around the same time Broussard was living there, an American boy got caught spray-painting a vehicle, and not long after, he served his sentence: flogging by cane. A few other laws stood out to her, such as the prohibition of picking flowers and chewing gum. Can you imagine going to a country where you can never chew gum! Broussard mostly remembers loving the beauty of the city, though. She said, "Living in Singapore was an exhilarating experience; spending Chinese New Year was a great way to interact with the culture and the country's people." This was the second of four Asian cities she would call home. After two years there, it was time to move again.

Yet again, she had to start her life over in a new place. What followed soon after was Bangkok, Thailand, the third of the Asian cities. Broussard became attached to this place. She spent three and a half years living in Thailand and attending the international school with other expats. She also became very fond of Asia in general. She said that out of all the places she was fortunate enough to encounter, which were quite a good amount, Asia was certainly her favorite. "The culture is unique, and the people are the easiest to get along with, mostly because they're always so happy," Broussard said. Just when she was enjoying this new life, her father had something to tell her again; however, this was slightly different from the last two times. They were going to move, but this time, it was because he was joining a different company called Subsea 7. This meant they were set to move back to the United States. New destination: Katy, Tex.

In Katy, she began to live a more normal life. She went to the public junior high and high schools, and met many people that were fascinated by her stories. "Being able to socialize with teenagers who had never even left the city limits was actually a pretty interesting experience in itself," she said. The time spent with these students reminded her of the complexities of the world. "During my time there, I learned to appreciate the material comforts that America provides, which made my awareness of poverty that much more substantial," Broussard said. She tries not to take the simple things in life for granted anymore.

When she was out of the country, she missed home, but she also said, "It goes both ways." She remembers specifically when she was in Malaysia, she longed for Pop-Tarts, but once she was back in America, she began to miss things from overseas as well. She said, "There was this one Malaysian dish called rotichani that is probably one of the best things I have ever eaten." She also came to realize that the price differences between foreign countries and America made a significant difference in her living habits. In places like Asia, "the prices were different from America's for everything, so it was almost like we were able to have a more extravagant lifestyle," she said. While in America, she began to settle down. She started out her sophomore year in a new high school hoping things would stay the way they were, finally. But then, you can probably guess what happened next. Broussard's dad got offered another job after four years in Katy. Next thing she knew, she was on a plane to Australia.

They decided they would live one year in Perth, Australia. But then, they chose to move to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, because her father's new position had offices in both locations. By the time it was all over, she had gone to three separate high schools. Almost everyone remembers the difficulties of fitting in during those awkward high school years. Now, imagine having to start over, not only in a different school, but also in a different country! Fortunately, she acquired friend-making skills during her travels, so she was able to adapt in a new school fairly quickly. She said that she met one of her best friends in Australia, and she still keeps in touch with her regularly. She also stays in contact with other friends she met abroad, and she even goes to visit them. Although moving around a great deal is challenging, she said, "It was easier to make friends with them because they were going through the same thing as me." She had moved seven times now. While in Kuala Lumpur, the last Asian city she lived in, Broussard graduated from the international high school. Yes, she would have to move again to a good college in the states, as her father directed. This was exciting for her because this time she got to decide where she wanted to attend school. Her college of choice: Louisiana State University. Now, she is back in her hometown, with a few of her old friends and even more new ones. She is now 18 and able to say she has come away with an understanding of the world and an appreciation of the people in it.

So what makes her different from most 18-year-old teenagers? She has lived in eight cities around the world before she even reached the age of 20; most people at any age cannot say the same. "I can see past the different accents, cultures, and clothing, and appreciate someone for the person they are and where they come from," she said. Much has happened since she was that 6-year-old girl waiting in the airport for a journey that would alter the course of her life. She said if she had the choice, she would not change any of it. "It was a life-changing experience and although some things were missed, I also got a whole lot out of it, especially an insight on other cultures and their people."

The water oak tree that is located next to Mike the Tiger's housing area now has had a longer life than most. There are seven main large branches on it that all stem from one giant, knotted trunk that stretch out and shade the top of Mike's den. The tree, nicknamed "Old Oaky," is being remembered as the oldest tree on Louisiana State University's campus today in a ceremony starting at 10 a.m. The oak is thought to be over 100 years old and stories surrounding it date back to the turn of the century. 

There are university records showing that it may have been LSU students who planted the tree along with around 50 others in the area that same spring. There have been many new buildings erected around the oak, but none of them were so close that the tree had to be destroyed, as was the case with most of the other older oaks.

According to Marcus Maxwell, a university historian, the tree has some significance in university history. He said, "The first troop of soldiers that gathered at the University to fight in World War I assembled under that tree right before they left by train to report to their army base. A crowd of people gathered, a band played and some politicians made speeches, making it a pretty festive occasion then."

Likewise, when the first of the University's reserve units was activated right after the beginning of World War II, they also gathered under the tree for a send-off. However, that was more of a dismal time.

One man Elmer Hinton, a retired bicycle repairman in Baton Rouge, was among the soldiers who started for WWI at the tree. He remembers the heat of that day and being thankful that the tree was there to shade him.

There was a tradition that got popular in the 1920s and 1930s that came about because of a legend involving the potential homecoming queens. The girl to walk beneath the lowest branch of the tree on the night of the full moon before the elections would win. The ritual in the 20s and 30s made it a requirement for all homecoming queen nominees to walk under the tree on the night before the election, but it died out during WWII.

The tree also has a dark past however. There is another legend that exists about a murder case in 1901. A man named Josiah Lindy was accused of killing the family of Mayor Tyree Jones – Jones's wife and two daughters – after the wife let him in the house and gave him something to eat, according to newspaper accounts. While he was in jail one night a heated mob broke into the jail and then hanged him for the alleged crime. The legend says that this man's death happened on one of the branches of Old Oaky. 

The oak has an interesting past but it also has a promising future. Flora Handle, a professor in the biology department says, "The tree is in remarkably good shape for a tree of its age." She talked about how most trees that old would have too many limbs and not enough foliage to support the whole system. If no natural disaster causes problems, "it should live another 50 or 75 years," she says.