By Aseel Barghuthi

So, it's hard. Being at university and all. So much to do, only 24 hours in the day.

It's hard for me to pursue all the activities I was involved in at high school. And I don't just mean basketball. Being merely a number makes it harder to prove yourself, harder to ensure that you'll stand out and be able to make a difference.

"Making a difference"... The most important three words in my life. It's important to want to be significant, and to not just want to blend in. To understand what I mean, check out my column titled "Herd Mentality."

One of the most important things I've come to realize is that to be successful, you have to have a passion for everything it is you do. Doing something off-handedly, and with little concentration does not get you anywhere in life. The passions I have, and the passions I pursue, are the passions that helped me attain acceptance into the university of my dreams.

Allow me to explain. All my life I've been a big fan of acting, basketballing, and traveling, but I never for a moment thought my passion for each would allow me to indulge in every single one. People consistently encouraged me to give up one thing or another, but I refused to listen.

The one phrase I heard the most over the past four years of high school was: "How do you cope?"

Aside from a sheepish grin and very often a simple shrug, I've never really been able to come up with an answer. All I've known is that loving each and every thing I took part in helped it all fall into place.

From being an active contributor on the Varsity basketball team, to writing the sports column for the school bulletin, I've enjoyed each and every minute of it. Each and every activity I have participated in, those past four years, had 110 percent of my undivided effort. While madly racing from games to meetings, or from performances to games, it never for one moment occurred to me to give up on one thing or the other.

So, being now here, at a university where I am merely a number, merely an international student, provides a new challenge. It is now up to me to prove myself for all I am worth. It's up to me to ensure that each and every activity I took part in will reflect here at Duke. Especially basketball.

Who knows? Maybe participation in intramurals basketball, club basketball, and just mere hoop-shooting will eventually lead me to playing Division I for the women Blue Devils. But the only way I will be able to do that is to maintain my passions -- for everything. For life, and for basketball.

After all... to be a skilled baller... you've gotta be a passionate one.

Until next time....

#68, Aseel

Aseel Barghuthi is a graduate of the Amman Baccalaureate School in Amman, Jordan, and a freshman at Duke University. She played high school ball in Amman and Athens, Ga. To contact Aseel with any comments or suggestions, e-mail her at aseel@index.com.jo.