Whether he’s servicing you at the Olin front desk, schooling you on the basketball court, or sweet-talking you at the frat house, Job Ogutu ’12 is a charmer through and through. He’s been schooled in Kenya, England, and America, and his wit often betrays his worldly wisdom. We dished on Job’s anti-pescetarianism, his fellow countryman Barack, and the differences between women on either side of the pond.
Argus: Job, you grew up in a town outside of Nairobi, Kenya. What’s with the accent?
Job Ogutu: I speak the way I speak. People say I have a British accent in my speech probably because I developed it when I was in the UK for two years. Going there and speaking English, my English got that tinge of the British accent in it. I sort of have that thick African accent in me, though.
A: Do you have the accent when you speak in Luo or Swahili?
JO: I speak Swahili like a Kenyan. My Luo is not as well refined as my Swahili, but I try to speak Luo like my mother does.
A: You are a Psi U brother. Why is Psi U better than Beta?
JO: It’s just way better. I reckon Psi U’s the best. It’s not a typical fraternity. Contrary to popular belief about fraternities, Psi U’s a place that respects everyone. There are only gentlemen in Psi U.
A: According to your Facebook profile, you are a lover of basketball. What’s the difference between basketball in Kenya versus America?
JO: American basketball has that touch of finesse in it. I love the way people play here, especially intramural basketball. In Kenya, we just play for fun; here, if you lose, it’s like you lost the major battle. As far as our varsity team, some advice: We live too much on the 3-point line. You gotta drive in there and get tough with them.
A: Your father is a chef who specializes in fish at a five-star hotel in Nairobi. Yet you are opposed to eating fish. Is this some Oedipal issue I’m not understanding?
JO: I never liked the taste of fish when I was young. When I was in Britain, James, a friend, had this weird philosophy about men and fish, ‘We don’t breed fish,’ they are just animals in the sea, swimming around, eating whatever plants are in the sea, and then the man comes with the nets and takes them to the hotel and fries them. I don’t think this is right. With pigs, cows, goats, and chickens, we breed them, so—vegetarians won’t like this—it’s okay to slaughter them and eat them. Fish ought to be left alone. I’m not against the people who eat fish, don’t get me wrong. My mother eats fish.
A: What do you think of President Obama, a fellow Luo?
JO: About Obama. Barack’s family’s homestead is down the road from mine. The Luos are really happy because they thought, ‘From us came the most powerful man in the world.’ As a Luo, I was proud of it, but I was more proud as someone coming to America. America’s come a long way, but there’s still a lot to be done. My boss in the library has a poster that shows that Rosa Parks sat, MLK walked, and Barrack ran, so that our children might fly. I found it very inspiring.
A: What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?
JO: Pledging. Enough said.
A: You’ve played the field in a couple Anglo-countries at this point. What’s the difference between the ladies in Britain and America?
JO: Girls in Britain versus America. That’s a no brainer. Girls in America—they’re more outgoing, easy to talk to, and they have lovely, curvaceous features. Because America’s a place where you can find all sorts of people—you can find all sorts of girls here, which is an edge over Britain. They’re gorgeous—most of them. A few of them just dress commendably. You see that, and you’re like, ‘Well ,that’s a lady.’ ”
For the record, Job Ogutu is available.