Shawon Jackson

One day, Sam Tsui will be famous. It’s a wonder why he...

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 13:41:30 -0500

One day, Sam Tsui will be famous. It’s a wonder why he isn’t already!

This, my friends, is true talent.

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 13:12:00 -0500

This, my friends, is true talent.

A Washing Machine with no Dryer, More Gringos, and Crazy Dogs (7/5/12)

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 11:41:00 -0500

I washed clothes for the first time today. No, it’s not a monumental event, but it’s special to me because of how we (Oscar and I) did it. There are two options: wash them by hand in la pila (the sink) or put them in a washing machine. That choice was easy. Like Oscar, I prefer to use the washing machine. Everyone else in the house likes to wash their clothes by hand. Perhaps it gets all the germs out. But I just couldn’t bring myself to rub my clothes with a brush in the same area where people brush their teeth, wash their hands, and wash dishes.

The washing machine isn’t a standard one. It’s outside. And I don’t think you can actually change the temperature of the water. To start the machine, Oscar had to connect one of the tubes in the back to the sink to get the water running. Then he just chose the setting with the most time so that my clothes could wash as long as possible. After my clothes finished washing, we then had to hang up everything - outside. Here’s the new part. Oscar had to show me the “proper” technique of hanging my clothes up; it’s not as simple as I thought it would be. There’s a small tree that we use to hold one of the clotheslines up. It’s there to make sure that the dogs don’t bother the clothes while they dry. What happens if it rains? You wash and dry again. Luckily, that didn’t happen this time.

On a separate note, I find it hilarious how los Catratchos (the Hondurans) sing American songs with little to no conception of what the lyrics mean. While I was showering, I heard Oscar singing:

“Sticks and stones might break my bones, but chains and whips excite me!”

“Do you know what that means?” I asked when I got out of the shower.

“No,” he said with a grin, now extremely curious to figure it out.

“Well…” I said, hesitant to corrupt his innocent perception of the song.

Admittedly, it was hard to translate that part of Rihanna’s song to Spanish, but I didn’t need to finish for Oscar to figure out what I was trying to say.

Suddenly, he exclaimed, “Oh my gosh!” (in English), covered his mouth, and had a look of guilt on his face after realizing what he was singing. But even so, he kept on singing the song anyway…priceless.

After an entertaining morning, I headed to the OYE office. The work pace started to pick up a bit today. Chris (the other intern) and I skyped with our boss Michael. I have to translate an e-mail for Michael today. While difficult, I actually appreciate doing that because it teaches me so many useful words and phrases. Today was especially exciting because more Gringos came too! The new intern’s name is Jenlain (Jen); she’s from George Washington University. She came along with her friend Morgan, who’s working with another organization in Honduras. Both of them had been to OYE before for their Alternative Winter Break trip. I’d love to come back here again too!

In the evening, I hung out with Oscar’s best friend Mera, his sister Marcela, and their other friend named Ruidys. Interestingly, Marcela began talking about how she can find out if a guy is a virgin by looking at his neck. “What?” I thought. That makes no sense at all. Without a doubt, that was the highlight of the conversation. What took a close second, though, was this super weird dialect of Spanish that Oscar and his sister showed me. It’s so cool, yet so weird at the same time. The name escapes me, but in short, he adds a “p,” “f,” or some other sound in between syllables to make words.

“Say hello,” I said.

“Hofolafa,” Oscar responded.

“How are you?”

“Cofomofo efastafas?”

That’s ridiculous – as if Spanish alone weren’t complicated enough! It’s useful for them when they (Oscar and Marcela) don’t want anyone to understand what they’re saying; it’s not a common dialect. Oscar learned how to speak it from his Aunt, and Marcela just understands it. Sneaky Honduran kids….

Throughout the conversation, I couldn’t help but look at the huge dog that Mera had in front of her house. Like most of the other “pets”, it’s used only for protection. As such, it’s vicious – very vicious – to strangers. Thank goodness it was locked up. Stray dogs aren’t as crazy, but I’m still not adjusted to them. There are so many of them. So many. And on top of that, they look really weird. Maybe next week I’ll be able to walk past one without fidgeting. Maybe.

Random word of the day: Chancho – This means pig. Oscar jokingly called his best friend this when we were hanging out – so mean, right? Afterwards, I taught him how to say “pig” in English. It’s so, so funny hearing him say it with his Latino accent. This must be how my Spanish sounds to them – funny. That explains why they always laugh after almost everything I say.

A 4th of July in Latin America (7/4/12)

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 10:41:00 -0500

Today’s 4^th of July wasn’t filled with the traditional BBQ and fireworks. In fact, I nearly forgot about the holiday while I’m away in Honduras. While most Hondureños know about the holiday, it isn’t celebrated here of course. Still, despite the lack of festivities I’m used to, I’d say today was a good day.

For breakfast, I tried to eat a sandwich (a hotdog bun with some meat on the inside) with butter on top. My host sister Marcela specifically asked me if I wanted it, and even though I’m not a fan of butter, I figured I’d try it anyway. Wrong choice. Quickly, I learned that I shouldn’t be shy about telling my host family when I don’t like something. They’re extremely understanding about it too. For today, though, Marcela and Oscar just watched and laughed as I scraped the butter off to the side. They say I’m weird for not liking butter, cheese, or milk. I suppose I am.

Work has been pretty slow. For now, I just have a lot of office work to do, and I have a ton of time to do it. While here, I’ve begun to realize that the work environment – at least at OYE – is completely different than in the United States. We can take two-hour lunch breaks (and that’s normal); project deadlines are flexible…very flexible; meetings are very informal, as well as the attire; and people actually talk and laugh in person, as opposed to sending each other e-mails when they’re right next to each other (I’m certainly guilty of this). It’s a rather nice change. At times, I wish we were more efficient and productive given my Type A personality, but so long as things get done in the end, it’s alright, I guess.

Likewise, I’m gaining a greater sense of what it’s like to work for an NGO. Put shortly, it’s (at least with this experience) a group of passionate people with limited resources, ready to make a change. We work in an old building. I have no idea what it could’ve been in the past. I don’t have my own “personal cubicle,” and occasionally, the power may go out. Still, everyone remains genuinely optimistic about their work. What’s most inspiring is that that optimism isn’t forced either. It’s just there; it stems from the love they have for youth in Honduras and their desire to impact positive change. I wish all organizations and companies could be like this.

One of the other things I love about OYE: I get time to hang out with just about anyone who stops by the office – random visitors, OYE scholars, and little kids! Today, it was Samuel (above). He’s adorable. Only about six years old, we went outside and played tag – he caught me! Afterwards, he showed me his favorite song, “Espérame, Jesús.” It was inspiring for me to see such a young child tell me his favorite song was a Christian one; it made me happy.

Random word of the day: Gancho – It means shorthand. One of Oscar’s best friends, Wilmer, is studying to be a bilingual secretary, and there’s this super weird shorthand method he has to learn (above). I’ve never seen anything like this; it’s stranger than a doctor’s handwriting!

First Day at OYE! (7/3/12)

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 16:15:00 -0500

The workweek for OYE is Tuesday through Saturday, so today was my first day of work. I was super excited to start. OYE is an NGO that strives to help Honduran youth excel academically. To do so, they provide academic scholarships (monthly checks) to low-income, high-achieving students (between 12 and 26). In return, those students work on a project with the organization, ranging from publishing a magazine to producing radio shows. If interested, definitely check out their website here. It’s a great organization with a great deal of potential to make a positive change in Honduras.

That morning, Oscar went with me to work, to make sure that I got there safely and teach me a bit more about how the transportation system works. Since we got to el Centro early, he showed me around the city some more. Sadly, though, my camera broke. I can still take pictures, but I can’t zoom too far. Perhaps I took one too many pictures and wore my camera out….

Anyway, by 9 a.m., we headed to the office and waited for Marisol (the OYE director) to come open the door. Michael (my boss) was out of town for the week, but he’d e-mailed me my projects ahead of time. First one: translate a pamphlet for an upcoming health seminar that would be taking place on Saturday for the OYE scholars (students who receive the academic scholarships and do projects). I’d only translated one document from English to Spanish before, but thankfully I had WordReference by my side; she’s an angel. Since the topic of the seminar is about health, there were so many words I didn’t know. It’s all a learning process, though.

My next two projects entailed doing an analysis of the online presence of OYE and going over a list of potential funders. The former was really interesting, as I was able to look at OYE’s Facebook, Twitter, and website, and then give my opinion about it. However, the second project was much more tedious, but arguably more important. There are so many potential funders, and so many minute details must be noted about their application processes, deadlines, etc. Certainly, this isn’t a one-day project; I’m sure it’ll keep me occupied for the coming weeks. Chris (another intern from Princeton) was in today too. It was nice to get a chance to talk to another Gringo for a while.

After work, I got lost. To top it off, I couldn’t pronounce the name of the street I live on properly. To be sure, there were plenty of taxis that I could’ve taken, but according to Oscar, they’re much more expensive than the colectivos. And from watching Law and Order: SVU and CSI, I’ve grown not to trust most taxis anyway….I’m paranoid, I know. In due time, after roaming the city for half an hour, I found the location for the colectivos and headed home. Oscar told me that he was extremely worried, but ultimately, we all laughed about it. It turns out the colectivos are right in front of the OYE office. Epic fail, Shawon.

Later that night, Oscar took me to one of his friend’s house. Everyone is really sweet and respectful toward their guests; I love it. The mother of the home offered us chips and juice, and we had a great conversation. We mainly talked about the difficulty in learning a foreign language, and according to them, if you struggle with a language, such as Spanish, you say, “Machuco Español.” Technically, machucar means “to crush,” but in this context it means “to struggle.” We made a ton of jokes during our conversation too. And I was certainly glad to end the day with laughter.

Random word of the day: Picar – to bite (but only for bug bites). Oscar makes fun of the fact I use Off! every single day. It’s quite necessary, in my opinion, if you want to survive here!

First Full Day in El Progreso, Yoro (7/2/12)

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 17:57:00 -0500

Today began quite differently than any typical morning I’d have at school. Instead of waking up to the sound of any alarm and rushing to do homework, I woke up to the sound of roosters at 6 a.m. – at least you can depend on them to (usually) wake you up on time, I suppose.

For breakfast, I tried frijoles (which are beans), along with eggs and tortillas. I’ve quickly found that tortillas are extremely common here. When talking to Oscar and Marcela (my host brother and sister), I learned that the type of food I like (which is, admittedly, “junk food”) is called comida chatarra. I’ll have to work on eating healthier in the future, though, because here, that seems to be my only option.

Before breakfast, though, Oscar asked if I wanted to wash my hands and took me outside. Confused, I just stood there. “What do I do?” I asked. He laughed. He took the small, blue bowl, dipped it into a huge tub of water that is surrounded by concrete (shown below) and poured it on his hands. “Oh,” I thought, as I repeated his motions. What’s interesting to me is that that same sink is used to wash clothes, wash your hands, brush your teeth, and wash dishes. It can’t be hygienic, but it’s how we live.

By this point, I was still in the mode of culture shock, and it only grew when I went to take a shower. Yes, I knew that I might have to shower out of buckets, but I’d assume that I’d have a personal bucket and would just need to turn on the sink, fill up the bucket with water, and wash up. Simple, right? But that’s not how it works. I saw something that resembled a shower head, but more accurately it was just a silver pipe on the inside of the wall. Again, I asked Oscar what to do because I was beyond clueless. I didn’t understand how to turn the water on.

“The water only comes twice a day,” his sister explained.

“What?” I politely asked, making sure that I understood her Spanish correctly.

“The water comes twice a day,” she repeated.

Each morning, I learned, someone – usually Marcela – has to turn on the water to fill up three buckets. That explains why she always gets up early, I suppose. Then, we use a smaller bowl to scoop out water to pour on ourselves when we shower. Later in the afternoon, the water turns on again. My first shower – and all that followed – was much colder than I expected. But then again, I’m not sure whey I would expect warm water. To my surprise, though, I felt refreshed. Certainly, it was an adjustment, but after a few times, I think I understand how it works.

Outside of learning how the water system works, I also learned that I can’t say “D” correctly in Spanish; I sound like a Gringo (what the natives call Americans). Interestingly, the “D” in Spanish is like a “th” in English, and my tongue simply is not used to doing that at all. I realized this flaw of mine when I was watching Dora the Explorer, and couldn’t say “Dora” properly. Nonetheless, I learned some sweet vocabulary from watching the show!

Afterwards, Oscar and I headed to el Centro, which is the main part of city. To get there, we took a colectivo, which is a cheap taxi that has a specific route each day. My goodness, they drive extremely fast. They swerve around other drivers; drive very closely to people riding their bikes; stop last minute; and honk constantly. Somehow, though, they avoid accidents. Incredible. During the drive, I noticed that not only are there stray dogs, but there are stray roosters and chickens too! All the little animals just go about their own way, though, and never bother us. Hopefully I didn’t just jinx myself.

I remember it being super hot today too. And apparently, it’s like that all year long. While in town, Oscar walked me around, and he showed me where the OYE office is. There, we ran into Michael Solis (my boss and Princeton Class of 2007). He’s super tall and super energetic. I’m looking forward to working with him. Later on that day, we tried going to a few banks to convert my money, but only to no avail. Instead, I had to exchange with a random guy on the street – it’s sketchy, I know, but I got all the money I was supposed too!

My niece, Angeles, and I got to play together today too. When she first met me, she wouldn’t look at me. But after pushing her around on a kiddie bike, she finally warmed up to me. I was extremely happy. She’s two, and she’s one of the most adorable children I’ve met. She kept trying to climb the gate (shown below), and she finally forced me to help her up.

I’ve grown to really, really like my host family. They’re making this experience the most rewarding that it could be.

Random word of the day: Moder – to bite. My host family has four dogs, one of which is really aggressive. They keep him, Carcun, locked up so he doesn’t bite me. The other three are fine, though!

Life in Honduras: Overall Impression and Day One (7/1/12)

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 15:23:00 -0500

It’s the murder capital of the world, they say. Random robberies. Killings. Frequent attacks. “It doesn’t happen everyday,” as one of my friends put it, “but it happens to everyone.” This is Honduras, a part of it at least. As the days neared for my departure, I was beyond paranoid. “How fast will I need to walk to avoid being approached?” I wondered. Will I be able to ask anyone for help if I get lost? And what’ll happen if I actually do get lost?

Ironically, though, by the time I landed, I felt ready. Sure, there was the safety concern, but aside from that, I didn’t feel as if anything would be a surprise when I got there. I went over the pre-departure packet, talked to people who’d been to Honduras, and constantly reread my boss’ e-mails about what to expect: I should be prepared for water to stop a few times every couple of weeks; I might have to wash up using a bucket; there’ll be a ton of insects and mosquitos, so bug spray is a must; I’ll need comfortable clothes because it’s extremely hot; I might not have internet access 24/7; and the list goes on. Got it. Comprendo. I’m ready.

But after just a thirty-minute drive from the airport, I was exposed to the “Honduran reality”: stray dogs, dirt roads, mud in front of houses where I’d expect grass. Poverty was beyond evident. And slowly, the Honduran reality began to settle in. By the time I arrived at my host family’s home in El Progreso, Yoro, I realized that I wasn’t actually as “ready” as I thought I was – at all.

Life in Honduras, after just two weeks, has been much more complex and eye-opening than I initially imagined. Everything is just different: the people, the food, the work environment, the social life. Not in a good or bad way, though…just different. Yet I appreciate these differences. In fact, it’s the striking differences between my culture and Honduran culture that make this eight-week journey: worthwhile.

Meaningful.

Life-changing.

And it all began on day one.

Day One (7/1/12): A Cancelled Flight and a Wonderful Host Family

“Go ahead and check over there, but I’m pretty sure your flight was just cancelled,” the flight attended said. Puzzled and slightly worried, I quickly headed over to the check-in area to figure out what happened. Indeed, the flight was cancelled. Great. Thankfully, I was able to get the last spot (literally) on another flight for early afternoon, and admittedly, I needed the extra time anyway to turn in my Spanish essay that was also due today. What I was concerned about most, though, was contacting my host brother about the time change. The flight attendant let me use their phone, but I felt incredibly bad calling him so early in the morning! He was super kind, though! And I was just glad that he could understand me!

The plane ride to Miami was a nice one. I never really know what to do on planes, so sleep usually turns out to be the best resort. The connecting flight to Honduras from Miami was much more interesting. For one, I (obviously) noticed a lot more Spanish. “This is it,” I thought; it’s time to start speaking Spanish already. But the flight attendants were bilingual, so I still had some time, thankfully. What really captured my attention, though, was a kind, elderly man that I set next to on the plane. I don’t remember his name, but I can’t forget our conversation. He told me about how his daughters live in the States, and I’d figured he just came back from visiting them. He was really curious about my internship, so we talked a bit about that, too, but what stood out the most was what he did toward the end of the flight. He pulled out a napkin and began writing on it. At first, I assumed it was a self-reminder note. Yet he turned to me, gave the napkin, and told me, “If you ever need anything while you’re in Honduras, or if anything happens, call me.” Unbelievable. Though he doesn’t know it, he was the first native Honduran that I ever met.

The landing in Honduras was quite distinct from other flights I’d been on, given the view. Instead of seeing a city filled with cars on the streets and tall buildings, I saw mountains, trees, and a lot of green. It was serene. Getting through customs was simple, but unfortunately, one of my suitcases got delayed and didn’t show up (I had to pick it up the next day). Now, it was time to meet my host brother and the director of the organization I’m working for, the Organization for Youth Empowerment (OYE).

They greeted me with a smile. The director’s name is Marisol Fuentes, and my host brother’s name is Oscar Osorio (he’s 18). I felt bad that they had to wait so long as I figured out what happened with my luggage, but they were extremely understanding. From there, we headed to Oscar’s house, where I’ll be living. The drive to his house was my first view of Honduras. While I was having a nice conversation with Marisol and Oscar, I couldn’t help but stare out of the window and look in awe at what was around me. While El Progreso, Yoro is the third biggest city in Honduras, I didn’t get any “city” impression during the drive. There are many, many fields. Cattle. Random people set up along the side of the road. Horses. Stray animals: fatigued dogs, for the most part. Dirt roads. This is a third-world country, I suppose.

As we neared Oscar’s house (above), I saw a lady standing on the porch – my host mother. She patiently waited as Oscar helped me bring my suitcase in the house. The first thing I noticed, I think, was that there wasn’t grass in front of their house; it’s a combination of concrete and dirt, I’d say. Unsurprisingly, my home is very small. It’s a one-story, with a living room and kitchen in one open space, along with three bedrooms and a bathroom. I met my host mother (Marta) my two sisters (Marcela, 16; and Jackie, 25), my brother-in-law (Angel), and my niece (Angeles). Understandably, everyone was rather quiet, as we were becoming accustomed to getting to know one another. My mother offered me dinner, and we (Oscar, Marcela, and my host mom) ate together. They all watched with anticipation to see if I’d enjoy the food, which I did. I thought it was sweet of them to care so much. We had tortillas, which here are circular pieces of breads, with rice and meat.

After dinner, Oscar helped me get situated in our room. Of all the people in my host family, I understand him more than anyone else. He frequently has to translate from Spanish to Spanish for me. Sounds weird, I know, but it works! We had a really good conversation, which somewhat surprised me because he seemed very shy when I first met him at the airport. I learned that the school year in Honduras goes from around February to December, meaning he’s still in school now. Also, they have staggered school days, meaning that one set of students go to school in the morning, a second group in the afternoon, and a third group in the evening. I never considered what that’d be like before, but it was interesting to hear about. We have a lot of the same music taste, too; Oscar’s overly obsessed with American music, specifically Lady Gaga and Adele. Personally, I find it hilarious to hear him sing the songs, though I’ll admit he says the words pretty well. For “Rolling in the Deep” (by Adele), however, he mistakenly made the “ick” sound instead of “eep” in “Deep.” I had to explain that the song has a totally different meaning if he says that, and we laughed about it in the end.

Later that night, I watched White Chicks in Spanish. Though I couldn’t understand every word, the movie was just as funny. I find it interesting how much American culture is portrayed through the media here. Shortly thereafter, I headed to bed, as I was extremely tired from a long day. And somehow, though in an unfamiliar environment, I fell right asleep; it was a nice, peaceful 9 hours of sleep too.

Random word of the day: Mamón – It’s a fruit, but it also means hickey. Oscar told me a funny story about how previous volunteers asked about this word!

In Spanish, even the simple words sound beautiful.

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 15:55:00 -0500

In Spanish, even the simple words sound beautiful.

A historical day in America: ObamaCare has been ruled...

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 15:02:00 -0500

A historical day in America: ObamaCare has been ruled Constitutional. Thank you, Supreme Court. :)

What if you found out - after being admitted to the school of...

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 00:25:00 -0500

What if you found out - after being admitted to the school of your dreams - that you didn’t have a social security number? What if you had no idea that your parents brought you to America when you were just 3 years old? What if you felt like an American your entire life, and then suddenly found out that - “legally” - you weren’t one? What if this were your reality; would you consider it just?

These are the sort of questions that this video makes us consider. It gives us a snapshot of the lives of real, undocumented students: students who are successful, passionate, hard working, and at the very core, American.

While born in a different country, many undocumented youth have lived here in America just as long as we have; they went to the same schools, grew up in the same environment, watched the same shows, ate the same food, and have the same hopes and dreams that we do. Let’s not forget that. These youth are still American. And now, they just ask to finally be recognized as such.

¡Hasta luego, España!

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 22:55:00 -0500

It didn’t really feel like the end until I got back home. Sure, the classes and final exams were over; we received our “diplomas;” we took our last set of pictures; and we walked around Toledo for one last time before heading to the airport. But, it didn’t really sink in that Spain was now a part of my past until I landed in the U.S. - when I saw Wendy’s, when everything wasn’t in Spanish, and when my mind thought that it was seven hours later than it actually was.

That’s when it truly set in. And while I was ready to take a break from academic life for a bit, I realized that - deep down - there are still a few things that I’ll miss from Spain.

First off, I’ll miss the weekly trips to Madrid. Wandering around the city gave me a chance to truly embrace the Spanish culture: see what the stores are like, try on Spanish clothes (some of which I couldn’t resist from buying!), eat Spanish food, and more. At times, there was definitely a culture shock. Once, for instance, I ordered steak and assumed it’d be cooked well-done. However, I quickly learned that that’s not how most Españoles like their meat. While there were certainly some striking differences between the Spanish and American culture, some things were nearly one in the same: the obsession with pop music, the economic crisis, and of course, the ever-so-famous Mickey Mouse!

Secondly, I’ll miss seeing a cathedral, castle, or both everywhere I look. Even more so than that, I’ll miss being able to go inside of all of them! It’s remarkable how those buildings have been maintained for so long. These gothic-like buildings, which were built upon cobbled stone roads, symbolically represent how much history Spain has - history that added a refreshing perspective to my experience, and made me value the Spanish culture even more.

Of course, I’ll miss all of the random dancing in Spain, too, whether it be in a “discoteca” (club), my room, or in the streets of Toledo. Likewise, I’ll miss dancing with Danielle (below), who always entertained me with her crazy dance skills; and I’ll definitely miss Aneesh (below) doing random Bhangra moves while we were hanging out, with nothing but a huge smile on his face. :)

Above all, I’ll miss the people. Within just a month, I’ve had conversations that have made me think critically about my actions, learn new things about myself, and bring me closer to people I’ve never really gotten to know before. Learning random yoga moves; dancing nonstop; debating about Facebook, friendships, and the Myers-Brigg Test for hours; making funny impersonations of classmates; being a part of “Team Seco” (Dry Team) with Josh and McKenzie; learning Salsa; and making up Spanglish words when needed - these are the type of moments I’ll miss the most.

In Spanish, “adiós” translates to “to God;” it’s a goodbye that - literally speaking - suggests that you’ll never see that thing, person, or place on earth again. As such, goodbye’s have this underlying tone of, “That’s it; now move on.” But after the four weeks I had in Spain, I don’t want to close this chapter of my life permanently. Instead, I look forward to when it’ll be reopened. I hope to see the beautiful, picturesque cathedrals and castles of Spain again. I hope to see the stray cats running through the streets of Toledo at least one more time. And I surely hope to maintain the friendships I made during these four weeks. Whether directly or not, I sense that Spain will undoubtedly reenter my life again. So instead of saying “adiós” to this incredible experience, I’ll say ”¡Hasta luego, España!”: until we meet again.

There's still hope

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 13:43:00 -0500

…And I believe that change is truly on its way.

U.S. to Stop Deporting Some Illegal Immigrants | June 15, 2012
WASHINGTON — Hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants who came to the United States as children will be able to obtain work permits and be safe from deportation under a new policy announced on Friday by the Obama administration.

The policy, effective immediately, will apply to people who are currently under 30 years old, who arrived in the country before they turned 16 and have lived in the United States for five years. They must also have no criminal record, and have earned a high school diploma, be in school or have served in the military.

These qualifications resemble in some ways those of the so-called Dream Act, a measure blocked by Congress in 2010 that was geared to establish a path toward citizenship for certain young illegal immigrants. The administration’s action on Friday, which stops deportations but does not offer citizenship or even permanent legal status, is being undertaken by executive order and does not require legislation.

[…]

“If we truly want to make this country a destination for talent and ingenuity from all over the world, we won’t deport hardworking, responsible young immigrants who have grown up here or received advanced degrees here. We’ll let them earn the chance to become American citizens so they can grow our economy and start new businesses right here instead of someplace else.” (President Barack Obama)

(Full story here)

To all those who are young illegal immigrants, and to those who know them, don’t lose hope; there are still people in this nation who understand you have a right to be here, and we will fight to make sure that your voice is never lost.

Less than 2 weeks left...

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 12:17:00 -0500

They say you truly know you’re enjoying something when time goes by quickly. Here in Spain, time is going my faster that I’d ever imagine.

And - sadly - in just 11 days, the end will be here.

For now, I’ll reflect on the happier things, though. This past weekend I went to an Amaral concert (who is one of the most popular artists in Spain). While I couldn’t understand any of her lyrics, doing interpretive dance during the concert made it all the more fun. :) Afterwards, my friends and I went to a fair, which was open until 4 or so a.m. (that’s ridiculous!). To my surprise, not only were there cotton candy and hot dog stands, but there were night clubs too! I guess the fairs aren’t just for children anymore….

On an unrelated note, last Thursday, I saw a beautiful procession for Corpus Christi. It’s a Catholic celebration here in Toledo, which is meant to honor the body of Christ. Ironically, the night before, the streets were filled with people dancing at a “Top 40” concert (me and my friends included). But despite having to wake up just a few hours after that party ended, the morning procession was still nice to see.

Lastly, this weekend, we’re headed to Segovia! Quite honestly, I have no idea where that is, but it’s still a new place where I can take more photos!

While the time has been flying by, the moments have only gotten better. The program may only be four weeks, but the experience and knowledge that I’ve gained from being abroad will carry on much longer than that. Still, it’s not over yet - so it’s time to “carpe diem,” and see just what these last 11 days will bring.

Epic choreography to Brandy’s “Put it Down” by...

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 13:13:00 -0500

Epic choreography to Brandy’s “Put it Down” by Julie Nkodo (Princeton ‘12) - enjoy!

Success is measured by the number of people you inspire. By that...

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 15:05:00 -0500

Success is measured by the number of people you inspire. By that belief, my high school principal, Dr. Eric McLaren, is undoubtedly one of the most successful people I know.

For a few years now, he has been fighting ALS, a neurological disease. But, through it all, he’s carried himself with grace, wisdom, and courage. I distinctly remember him telling us (IMSA students) that he would literally “work until he no longer physically could.” And you know what - he kept that promise.

Produced and edited by the lovely Julianne Crawford (IMSA ‘12), this video tells Dr. McLaren one of the most simple, yet meaningful phrases of all: thank you. Within seconds, this video brought me to tears. Julianne (and IMSA Student Council), thank you so much for making this.

May God bless the IMSA community, the McLaren family, and Dr. McLaren himself - even during this difficult time, you still serve as a source of inspiration for us all.

I love little kids. :)

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 11:12:00 -0500

Smiles really are contagious - for me at least. Yesterday, I went back to Divina Pastora, a grade school here in Toledo, and the little kids made me so happy! Since some students were preparing for a huge celebration in Toledo (which actually took place today!), I didn’t get to teach English, but I still got to go around and hang out with 1st graders!

Best moment: Watching one of the girls randomly go to the front of the class, tell her teacher she wanted to sing an “English” song, and then proceed to sing “This is Me” by Demi Lovato. Absolutely adorable. I miss innocent, childhood moments such as that. Little kids instill in me the hope that, at the end of the day, there’s still pure joy in this world. :)

¡Madrid!

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 12:28:00 -0500

“Nos vemos mañana,” said my professor to us as he left. And there we were - a group of confused college students ready to take on Madrid by ourselves for the night.

Crazy, right?

Indeed it was. But, we didn’t go straight to the fiestas. After studying “El Greco” and “Velázquez”, my Spanish class first went to the Museo del Prado (an art museum). It’s impressive how artists make their paintings so meaningful. If you think you know what a painting means, I learned, look again. There’s even a reason behind what shade of green an artist choses.

Then, after checking into our hostel (which, thankfully, wasn’t as sketchy as it could’ve been), we changed, explored the city, and met up with our friends. Following any sense of direction we had, we then went to “Kapital”: the biggest club in Madrid.

I always thought the clubs you saw on TV were overrated, until we got to the inside of this one. Flashing lights; a stage and balcony with dancers; and six stories, each with their own individually themed music: epic. Latino music, hip-hop, and R&B drew me to the second and third floor; and when I wanted to get a cool breeze and see the moon, I went to the roofless top floor. I’d never seen anything like this in my entire life.

After hours of dancing, we headed back to the hostel and quickly fell asleep. The fun times didn’t end then, though! The next morning, on Saturday, we headed to “El Palacio Real”. The immense amount of gold, countless number of paintings, intricate statues, and more made this palace nothing short of stunning. No wondering it took over 20 years to build it.

After touring this phenomenal building, we got a tour of the city and then had some free time to hang out in Madrid. Their H&M was awesome; I couldn’t resist from buying something! Looking back, this weekend was definitely a great one. Let’s see if the next two can match it!

The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan (Yale '12)

Sat, 02 Jun 2012 17:04:00 -0500

The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan (Yale '12):

This heartwarming article is inspiring. Rest in peace to Marina - whose words left a legacy not just on the class of 2012, but our entire world.

Spain is incredible. I’ve loved every moment, and I...

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 07:14:00 -0500

La Primera Catedral de España

Morgan Taylor and I at a Toledo school

My room!

Spain is incredible. I’ve loved every moment, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of this month brings. During my time here, I definitely want to record all of the great memories, so that they can truly be “unforgettable.” After about a week, here is what I have so far:

Mi Primero Vuelto de Ojo Rojo (First Red-Eye Flight): My flight left Newark, NJ at 8:30 p.m. (well, that’s when we should have left), and we got to Madrid, Spain at about 10:15 a.m. (which is 4:15 a.m. in NJ!) Never have I taken a red-eye flight before, but thankfully, I slept the whole time. The sleep, coupled with the excitement that I had, made the first day (Saturday) not too bad. Now, the true adventures could really begin.

Fundación Jose Ortega y Gasset: This my new “home” for the next few weeks! The picture of my room is above - it’s actually pretty nice! Every day, people come by to clean our rooms, which is really sweet of them! Downstairs, we have breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and the food has been really good. Aside from a bit too much cheese (perhaps I should just force myself to like it again someday…), I’ve loved all the food! One interesting thing to note: dinner stars really late here! We eat lunch around 2 p.m., and then dinner isn’t until 8:30 p.m.!

Discotecas: Dinner isn’t the only thing that starts late. “Discoteca” translates to “club” in English, and “las fiestas” don’t start until 2 a.m.! The first night, a group of us went out, but we went out a bit too early (we learned for next time, though!). Nonetheless, we had some fun - we got to see a cool guy playing a violin to a lot of American songs (which, by the way, are really common in “las discotecas”). Last night, we went to “una discoteca differente.” At first, it was pretty boring, but - of course - by 2 a.m., things were really fun! They even played some Spanish music, and we were able to practice Salsa (which we learned from some Puerto Rican law school students who are also here in Toledo).

La Ciudad de Toledo: It’s beautiful. I can’t stop myself from taking a picture of literally everything - street signs, swings on the playground, candid shots of friends. They’ll be posted on Facebook soon enough! We got a tour of the city this past Sunday, and what I’ve really grown to like about this city is its history. Yesterday, Toledo celebrated a day called, “La Castilla-Mancha;” it’s something unique to Toledo. Curious about what the day means, my friends and I explored the city during the day! Though we didn’t find out what it means, we did find this really sweet place where the river is! Of course, tons of pictures were taken, but we didn’t stay too long because it was really hot and there were a ton of bugs, and (I suppose most importantly) we had to get back for class!

La Divina Pastora: Each week, Morgan Taylor (in the photo above) and I teach English at “un colegio” (which, ironically, doesn’t mean college). A few days ago, we went to just watch a class, to get a feel for what it’s like, and I’ve already fell in love with the kids! We were in a 6th grade class, and the students were so adorable! When introducing myself, I told them that I wanted to be a politician, and the first thing “mi amigo nuevo” Diego said with a big smile was, “¿Como Obama?” I couldn’t help but laugh. :) We then spent about 20 minutes chatting with a few students, learning about their school system, cultures, and personalities. It was great.

Intercambio: Francisco lives in Toledo and is learning English, so we meet up and practice English and Español. He’s really nice, and showed me around the city too! We had a pretty good conversation, and I’ll be meeting up again with him on Sunday!

Clase: While I’m here, I’m taking a Spanish course on Spanish culture and art. Sr. Alberto (mi profesor) is great, and I love his English accent! Learning about art is pretty cool too (I have another professor for that portion). So far, we’ve covered “El Greco” y “Velázquez” - and our teacher is very passionate about her interpretations of the paintings! We’re actually getting ready to go “el Museo de Prado” today (we have class in an art museum each Friday) - so excited to see these paintings up close!

Between sitting in the plaza and losing track of time to wandering around the city, Spain has been everything I’d imagined and more. I’m so glad that I got to come on this trip - and thankfully, it’s only the beginning.

Advice for a College Freshman

Mon, 28 May 2012 16:49:00 -0500

Just 8 months, 10 exams, and a countless number of papers ago, I anxiously prepared to embark on this journey called “freshman year.” Suddenly, it’s over. As quickly as the year passed, though, there are still many lessons that I’ve learned, not only about life at Princeton but college in general. Now, I’d like to share these lessons with incoming college freshmen. Of course, this is just my insight on college life, but nonetheless, I hope that it’s still useful.

First, prepare for quite the humbling transition from being a high school senior to being a college freshmen. In just a matter a months, you’ll go from being the president and executive board member of every club to a clueless student wandering around activities fair. What can be even more intimidating is the fact that just about every single person you’ll meet has a “hidden gift,” as I’d like to call it. Never would I have imagined, for example, that my roommate was the world champion for doing the Rubik’s Cube blindfolded in 2008, or that my history professor was the founder of a national organization that helps teach kids algebra. It’s almost seems surreal.

At first, you might feel…useless, to the point where you feel that you can only sit back and watch everyone else take control. Don’t. You, too, have one of those “hidden gifts,” and it’s precisely why your college chose you. Particularly as a freshman, you provide a brand new perspective to everything you do, so don’t shy away from sharing your opinion and taking action. While the college experience certainly should be a humbling one, also allow it to be a time that instills confidence within you. Use the talented people around you to remind yourself that achieving greatness is undoubtedly possible, and let that be your motivation to settle for nothing less than excellence.

When striving for excellence, though, make sure you know what it means. Excellence is not to just achieving a 4.0 and getting into the best graduate school. To be excellent, you need to find your passion, cultivate it, and pursue it in a meaningful way. It’s easy (and quite tempting) for you to just take classes that will help your GPA and look good on your transcript, but in the end, that won’t help you at all as a person.

Instead, learn for the sake of learning. It’s so nice to take classes that you genuinely want to take. It makes learning the material (and studying) much easier! From debating Teach for America to discussing the true problems with education, I loved almost every second of my freshman seminar. And I realized that’s exactly what learning should be: loving what you do. Ultimately, the classes that you love should lead to your major. Sure, you may not enjoy every course that your major requires (Microeconomics and I certainly weren’t best friends…). But, ultimately, let your passion guide your academic path; it makes the learning experience worth it.

As wonderful as your learning experience should be, what should be equally fulfilling is what you do outside of the classroom. For me, being a part of student government has taught me so much about leadership that no class could teach me - the importance of approaching problems with curiosity and “meeting people where they are.” Because of my extracurricular activities, I definitely feel like I’ve grown as a person, and I encourage you to take full advantage of any and all experiences available to you in college. Sign up for every e-mail list at activities fair (you can always remove yourself later); attend random club meetings; and go to all the conferences that you can, especially if they’re free! Freshman year is the time when you can try just about anything - so do it.

Don’t take that last statement too literally, though. Freshman year, arguably more so than any other year, is when you’ll have the most temptations. Within just a few days, you’ll see a ton of underaged drinking, for example, and at first, it may seem like the only way to have fun. Rest assured that that’s not the case, though. Certainly, college is about new experiences and trying things you’ve never done before, but that doesn’t mean conforming to the status quo. Have fun in your own way. Some nights it might be dancing for hours upon hours until you realize that you have to wake up early the next morning. Other nights, it may be going to see a movie with some friends. And quite honestly, some of your best nights may be just staying in your dorm and talking with my some of your closest friends until 4 a.m. No matter how you decide to have fun, just do two things: be safe, and take lots of pictures! You’ll want to reminisce on the memories in the future.

In the midst of all your classes, clubs, and socializing, though, things will admittedly become quite stressful. But, you’re not alone. The stress, anxiety, worries, excessive studying, and packed schedules are all part of the common experience called college. As you undergo this experience, forge meaningful relationships. Find people that you can relate to, trust, and laugh with. However, don’t rush these friendships. It’s quite alright if you don’t know who all of your close friends are by the end of your freshman year. It takes time. When you realize who they are, though, there will be no question in your mind about it. Those are the people you’ll want to keep in your life: forever.

Lastly, no matter how many close friends you have, always be open to random conversations that challenge your beliefs. College is the time that all of your opinions will be solidified or changed. If not, you’re doing something wrong, or better yet, you’re not doing enough. The only way to truly internalize your beliefs is to learn how to defend them. Ask questions: learn what other cultures are like, how life is in a foreign country, and why some people believe in God and not others. Sure, it’s a scary thought to think that some of your beliefs and values after 17 or 18 years might change, but there’s no need to fear; it’s a part of growing up.

Freshman year marks the beginning of four years of your life that, quite frankly, you’ll never have again. Be grateful for the experience, and smile every day. Send a letter, e-mail, or card to those who helped get you to college. Watch funny videos when you’re stressed. Play your favorite song on repeat when you study for midterms and finals. Get a Mac (it’s pretty awesome). Sleep. And most importantly, eat all the free food you can get! Before you know it, after a countless number of exams and papers, you, too, will be wondering where the year went. But hopefully, you’ll love every moment, and have no regrets. Good luck!