Student Activities

Fun On Campus !

With the various community events available on campus, theres always something good to look forward to. From making cute knickknacks, playing games, eating goodies, and watching Sunday night movies. If you like competition and are very knowledgable, trivia night is the place for you with snacks provided; my personal favorite, the nacho bar. The beginning of the semester, I attended an event held by RA's Lesley and Babe. We received information about alcohol and marijuana consumption and the dangers it comes with. The activity they had for us was to walk a straight line with drunk goggles, which was a challenge for most of us. When I tried, in my head before, I was determined to walk that blue taped straight line, however I failed. It explained a lot for the consequences of alcohol, if intoxicated and the bad sight drunk drivers have causing crashes. Additionally, I got to meet new people, especially freshmen whom I will spend the next four years with.

Social Justice Speaker Series

Our recent social justice guest speaker, Rose Jacobs Gibson had a lot to share about her achievements and experiences here in the San Mateo County, as a former mayor of East Palo Alto, and her dedication to social justice outside of being a politician.  It's easier to criticize, than to agree with someones opinion or argument; someone will always yuck your yum, but humans were born with different taste buds. Personally, I thought as a mayor, you'd have a better presentation with speaking and your talk given. As freshmen college students, it is important that politicians or any public figures have engagement with the youth. Whether students were tired or not, I found it difficult to follow Ms.Gibson. Although, she has put in some work to accomplish various things such as rent control in her city. I found that interesting how she was able to establish a control of rent for residents of EPA, being a lower income city, I wouldn't think landlords would pursue to raise rent. Living in North Central San Mateo, it's become a popular neighborhood, Caltrain station a walk away as well as downtown, and parks, for couples and families. With the business boom in the  Bay Area and Silicon Valley, rent rates are increasing in this neighborhood, making it hard for families who already call i home to remain there. Remind you that, the neighborhood demographically is mainly latino and black. Just on my street, the house next-door was for sale, approximately at $1.3 million, which effects the whole neighborhoods appraisal to be significant. Rent control is something that should take the attention of the local government to help keep families in their homes. Other than that achievement she has made in EPA, she was able to aid in San Mateo County's gun policies regarding the youth possession of arms and gun violence. What I found ironic was these policies being issued to  limit the youths access is as a teenager myself, I know of other teenagers with guns and how they come in possession with them. Additional requirements to own a gun, for instance a license, background checks, certain firearms, etc. does not stop the youth from obtaining weapons. If you think about it, teenagers I know in possession of guns do not own licensed guns. How can gun policies take effect to decrease possessions, if they aren't acquiring them lawfully. There's always access to black markets or dealers to attain weapons, just as easy as it is to buy drugs. However, Gibson did draw my interest and curiosity as a mayor or in general a politician in local government.

Personal is Political

The previous event I attended for our freshman seminars presentations of the work these classes have done and the progression they've made was something very powerful, as for my classmates in Poetry and Law. We were given the opportunity to share poems we've written for our class; expressing our compassion and rage of the social justice issues we address and study in our class with Professor Natashia Lopez Gomez. Our research conference was grouped with the Fundraising seminar, which they presented their fundraiser proposals associated with iLead. The presenters each offered a different type of fundraiser such as an auction, a recycled clothing fashion show, and one other I do not remember. Profits raised from the fundraisers would then go to iLead, which I believe is a S.T.E.M. school for children. If I were to take on this challenge of brainstorming a form of fundraising that wouldn't cost more than $200, I would have proposed a flag football game. As I've said before, one of the fundraisers was an auction; you need stuff to auction off, which means you need to buy stuff, and not just anything, but items worth value to interest auctioneers. Donations of signed autographs might be an option, but doesn't always happen. You'd have to spend money acquiring these items, although you may make the money back, the money you spent could have went to the actual money raised. With a simple football game, students can sign up, form teams and then play a game on a scheduled date. Revenue would come from admission, charging the audience to enter. A snack bar provided to purchase food, and a press box to guide the audience through the game. However, the presentations from our Law and Poetry class were extremely inspiring and heart felt. Each presenter touched on one or more of the social justice issues they've endured themselves, furthermore the struggles they've faced such as not having a roof over their head because of financial issues or losing their mother to a deportation center. What our class is, is a sacred space for speaking our minds, sharing experiences, and understanding our rights as Americans and how they are easily abused among certain demographic groups. Our class is very diverse, from African Americans, Polynesian, Latinos, Indian and Caucasian. This is the beauty Law and Poetry offers, a melting pot where we are all one. From my interpretation, the poems shared, I believe really impressed the audience and fellow students. I myself read my poem, which was out of my comfort zone, but with familiarity of my classmates and the support we all gave one another; it only strengthened us more.

Engagement Day

Interpreting Poetry and Law

The introductory of my freshman seminar Poetry and Law with Professor Natashia Lopez-Gomez was not what I had expected it to be. After discovering I was enrolled in this seminar, the idea I had in mind was a thick government textbook full of legal systems and rules or laws set, the Constitution posted on a wall somewhere in the classroom and a book of Edgar Allan Poe's poems. I was wrong but fascinated by what the course offered and the topics we'd engage in, as well as our community partner we'd be working with, the ACLU. Looking at current issues and the abuse of civil rights upon the people oppressed of their rights. Overall, our class would be seeking social justice for all. I was glad to see how diverse our seminar was as well as the various ethnicities in the class. Each of us had introduced ourselves and the reason of our choice for choosing this specific class. Being a history major, specifically interested in American history, I was very drawn to the course since it involved law. Writing isn't one of my strengths, but poetry is something I see as an authentic story or feeling that cannot be critiqued or marked of errors. Exploring this form of writing is something I believe would give me the ability to strengthen my skills. This engagement day really opened my mind and the opportunity for me to see and understand current and past accounts of discriminations and freedoms taken from Americans. 

Call to Altruistic Action

Behind Altruism 

In participation of Call to Action Day, an annual tradition here at Notre Dame De Namur University in giving back to the community; the activity I chose to engage in was perspectives on altruistic rescue from those who lives were saved, panel here on campus. In this engagement, Jim McGarry's Freshman Seminar students interviewed survivors of three different genocides, which are the Holocaust, Rwanda, and Bosnia. The session honored these survivors, and gave guests the opportunity to hear stories of their experiences and the altruistic acts of their rescuers. With lunch provided before the panel, at the tables guests were able to sit with the panelist and converse. I was unable to sit with any, but did enjoy my company meeting a Sister, whom exercised my desired profession in teaching. After the luncheon, one of the survivors had presented a luggage case that she had taken with her as she travelled to the UK from her home country, Poland. Additionally, she showed the group a book she'd made herself; in order for her to avoid any crying if she were to read it herself, a student r voluntarily read it aloud. Hearing this woman's hardship of splitting from her parents as a young girl to escape the adversary home after her education was no longer available to her because she was a Jew. The book included a newspaper article of her family, a photo of an original building back home that was destructed but rebuilt that her mother had given her to take along. Departing her loved ones, that goodbye would be the last time she'd see and speak to them. Then after, each speaker shared addressed their backgrounds, perspectives of altruism, and their "heroes" attitude of their positions. One thing these survivors had in common other than being liberated from a genocide; those whom were involved in their escape did not feel that should receive any form of gratitude or appreciation for their help. These acts of altruism for them were natural, as of a saying "bless you," after someone has sneezed or holding the door for an unknown person, there is nothing unnatural or unordinary of it. Wikipedia defines the term altruism as "the principle of concern for the welfare of others...a traditional virtue in many cultures and a core aspect of various religious traditions and secular worldviews." Connecting these inspirational deeds of assisting those endanger or harm of cruel tribulations to the hallmarks of our learning community, they fall into reaction with three and four; we educate for and act on behalf of justice and peace in the world and we commit ourselves to community service. These hallmarks set a objective for humankind to strive and live by, a mission to complete and seek harmony within our communities and abroad. I was glad to have the chance to hear the accounts of those who've seen the action taken by their altruistic rescuers.

Yay- I'm done!