The Scariest Parents of All

 I hadn't even stepped foot in the Georgetown University Conference center and was assaulted by the worst type of parent: a helicopter parent! These super controlling and overbearing parents diligently watch over their children's every move. They know where the child is at all times, who they are hanging out with, what their grades are and to top off the horribleness of it all, how their college application is going. I wrote the following at 10AM at Georgetown University

***

I became a member of the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS(with the intention of boosting my college resume *rolls eyes*)) and they have "member-only" events which seem like good ideas on the e-mail but as I am finding out, they really aren't. My dad basically dropped me off in the front of Georgetown Hospital and I had to find my way to the Conference room. 

I saw some other kid dressed up with his parent so I naturally followed since they seemed to know where they were going. Well they didn't and pretty soon the father invited me to search with them. The father, Alex, then told me that he came all the way from Kentucky and then the interrogation started. This man asked me where I'm from (Fairfax) and he asked me what grade I'm in (I said Junior). I asked his SON what grade HE is in and the FATHER responded that they (wtf, they???) are a juniors as well. The father then asked me if I'd taken the SAT/ ACT (not yet) and what my score was (!!! how rude!). He asked what colleges I was going to apply to (I'm not 100% sure yet) and if I was in the top 10% of my class (!!! Well not to be cocky but I probably am...). This man was scoping me out as competition for his son and I hated it. Not because he asked a lot of personal academic questions but because of the fact that he was a PARENT! I didn't hear his son say a SINGLE word! I never even found out what his name was. Which is why I now hate helicopter parents. 

The college admissions process is supposed to be (somewhat) fun and a journey where you ask yourself what type of environment you really want to be in. Rolling hills or bustling metropolis? Little school where everyone knows each other or huge crowds at a big school? Is there a party every night or is it a more work-hard play hard type of school? Yet here are these parents who don't let their kids ask those types of questions, because the parents themselves are the ones asking the questions. This was supposed to be a college fair and yet, for the most part, I've seen parents approaching the college representatives with their kids kind of straggling along. It frustrates me because while parents should advise and support their kids THEY are not the ones applying to college, their KIDS are! Blarg!!! I'm going to go talk to someone normal looking now -.-

 

***

Thankfully I did find two very normal twin girls to talk to after I wrote that little rant. I actually really liked them because even though they were clearly very bright girls they were thinking outside the box in terms of where to go to college. They had visited over 10 colleges and I hadn't heard of the majority of them but the way they described them they sounded like nice little liberal artsy school where the ratio of guys to girls is 1:2. After the college fair there was supposed to be some big two hour long ceremony but I couldn't handle the environment of the place, the parents were annoying me too much, so I got my ribbon and medal and left early. Will I attend another NSHSS event ever again? Probably. But at least I'll be a little more prepared next time and will try to get as much info out of an admissions officer before a cutthroat playing parent pushes me out of the way.

UYL,

Andre

Studying Andre in School

It's complete! After exactly three months the non-profit One World Education organization has finished creating a curriculum around my essay, A Divided Island: Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Last Tuesday I had the opportunity to go to the Rotary Club of Capitol Hill's weekly meeting and present to them. It was actually very intimidating because I don't think I've ever presented in front of a group of adults, much less adult professionals. But they all received me kindly and applauded when I finished my little 5 minute speech.

Me, Eric Goldstein and the new Rotary Club, Sean McAlister.

I got to keep one of the little booklets that Eric brought to show everyone samples of the activities and worksheets that go with my essay. It's really awesome, there's a social studies unit, a science unit as well as an English unit. I think I've finally grasped how big of an accomplishment being selected as a One World Ambassador was. Thousands of kids (especially in the DC public schools) will be studying of my essay!!! Ahhhh! Ok well here's a little link that will show each discipline's unit in a little more detail, enjoy!

UYL, (Update You Later)
Andre

P.S.

In case you don't know what the heck I'm talking about here's an old post that I did about winning the One World Education essay contest

On the Final HYI Day...

I of course did not have any time to write this out on the last day of the HYI which I still can't believe was over a week ago. I promise I will keep this one short since the day in itself was short.

To start off, I completely slept through my alarm which was no wonder seeing as I had gone to bed but a couple of hours before and my body was tired. But I managed to quickly change (we were required to dress up the last day) and join my bros for one last breakfast in the cafeteria. The mood was very mellow and no one, especially me, had much of an appetite that morning.

After breakfast we all went to the auditorium for "graduation". There were a lot of (very) long speeches and then all the familias went up one by one. Our RAs (resident advisors) spoke a few words to us and then we took a picture and were handed certificates. Afterwards we went to lunch were once again I didn't have much of an appetite even though that was the last time I would eat for at least another 8 hours (!) Then we went at did a post survey about our time at the HYI (we had completed one on our arrival) and then we went back to the auditorium where we learned about how we could stay involved with the HYI and the Hispanic College Fund (and I will!)

5 o'clock soon rolled around and it was time to say goodbye =[ I spent a lot of time with a lot of amazing people and I will never forget the time I spent at the HYI. It really has motivated me to go on and help the Latino community, to be an active leader and to make sure that the percentage of Hispanics in college goes up. I was fortunate enough to discuss all of this on the bus and became really close with the same 4 people that I awkwardly sat around with on the bus on the first day. We played ridiculous games and played Upside/Downside except we only did upsides and my buddies have done some incredible things!

Coming home was definitely a shock but after some New York styled pizza I was finally glad to be home and back in my own bed.

I slept for 14 HOURS. Pure bliss.

UYL,
Andre

College Talent Dance & Cry

Day 3 of my time at the Hispanic Youth Institute (HYI) and probably the funnest =]

***     Saturday, July 23rd, 3:30 AM     ***

I'm exhausted in every imaginable way. Physically, emotionally, mentally and even spiritually. My day was great however! As I write this at 3:30 AM in the morning it seems like what I did yesterday morning (Friday the 22nd) was weeks ago. It's likely that that is because I have 20 hour long days but mostly because of how chock full of activities each day is. Which is why I won't go to sleep until I properly document everything otherwise I'll forget!

After the whole waking up and breakfast shebang (more potatoes btw!) we went on a cycle of different workshops that were all about college. There was one of financial aid, one on writing a good college essay, understanding the SAT and how to score well on it and finally making sure that you apply to college strategically and for the right reasons. My notebook that I brought is bursting with the notes I wrote in it, I'm dead serious. I'm very glad that we attended these workshops because I can later use these notes as actual resources for any time I need to preach about college. 

I think I posted this already?

It's such a shame that my memory is so terrible and I really don't remember perfectly but I think that we then went to the auditorium where there was a panel of RAs and we could ask them questions about college life. And then we used what we learned from the college workshops and went to an actual college fair! Well in reality it was a "resource fair" because there were a lot of other nonprofit orgs. as well some career people. I actually picked up A LOT of information that I am certain to share with the Hispanic Leadership Club at school as well as other volunteer type clubs. I also picked up this cool bracket which will forever remind me of my time here at the Hispanic Youth Institute and of my duty to be an active leader in the Hispanic community and to get involved in supporting the DREAM Act. Unfortunately the resource fair was cut short for my familia BUT it's because we had advanced to the Finals of the Issues to Actions competition! I feel that my group did a great job and even if we don't won first place tomorrow I loved the effort that my familia put into it. 

Some presentation that wasn't that great was next on the list of our to-do list and then we went to go have dinner. After we hit the potatoes, err, I mean chicken we went back into the auditorium for the Talent Show!! I don't know why but I really love talent shows! Some people are just so creative or really get into it when performing. The talents that performed involved 1 singer, 5 very cool and diverse dancers (cumbia, hip hop, pantomiming while singing, dance/techno and Egyptian), 1 poem recital (by Jonathan Villatoro of course! He won first place btw), one flute player, and two guitar players of which one was my buddy Mauricio! (He sadly did not win =/ )

Mauricio

Pantomime girl!

 

 

Next up on our agenda (it was like 9PM, I know, our days seem like they are never-ending, right??) was something called an "alumni reception" which sounds boring but turned out to be a part-ay! It was hot, we were all sweaty, but it was amazing. There was no shyness between boys and girls here, we all immediately sought out any partner who wanted to dance! It was really funny to see people dancing reggeaton one moment to moving their hips to bachata and then fist pumping to techno all in less than 10 minutes. American and Hispanic culture merged into one and even other cultures joined in! I taught Bahram the basic footwork of salsa and I saw the Egyptian kid getting down with a girl during a reggeaton number! Half-way through the dance all of the guys from this one Greek fraternity started doing a type of step-dance in a train formation and circled around the room, it was really cool and spiked (what was) my non-existent interest in joining a frat. Sadly an hour later they shut down the music and we had to move on to familia debriefings and then the boys and girls would split up to go to different lectures.

So they guy's talk was called "Man Up" and was really...emotional I guess. It started out with a lot of hype since we had a push up competition, each familia sent two guys. After we all simmered down the real talk began and Ernie G, Dr. Soto and Daniel Sarmiento (the director of the HYI) each talked about a different aspect of being MACHO (Mature, Ambitious, Caring, Honest and Open I believe was what that stood for). Dr. Soto spoke of being fit in both mind (getting an education, reading) and body (working out, doing sports). Ernie G and Daniel S shared stories of their fathers and about forgiving them because one was a player that ended up impregnating FIVE other different women and the other one accused his son of molesting his cousins and to this day has not called him by his first name. Naturally everyone was either crying or had their head bowed at this point. Like always they opened up the mic to anyone who wanted to share and Jonathan Villatoro again stands up and speaks about his dad. His father is apparently the most cold and unaffectionate person to be around with. He and Jonathan would work in construction for HOURS and all he ever said to his son would be "pass me -insert tool here -". It was really heartbreaking and made me really appreciate the relationship I have with my own dad and mom as well. 

 

We ended at like 12:30 with a little activity where Dr. Soto pushed through us saying that he was our problems. Then he made us link arms to show that when we are united as men he cannot push past us and frazzle us. He made us all chant/yell, "MACHO" several times and I feel that it really made us stronger, I can't quite explain...no one really wanted to leave after that, we each got into little groups and people shared more with each other. My familia though was one of the first to leave but everyone quickly sneaked into my room where sob fest part 2 was held. I'm very happy that we did do that because I learned so much more about the kids that were in my familia and what events/people caused them to be who they are today. At 3AM though I became a party pooper and had to kick 'em out and here I am now, all ready for the 2 hours of sleep I'm about to get, not really looking forward to tomorrow...

Believe it or not, that is all (for today!)

UYL,

Andre

El 2do Dia

Day 2 of my time at the Hispanic Youth Institute (HYI). Written at:

*** Friday, July 22nd, 1:42 AM ***

Man, you guys are going to hate me for such long posts but I really want to make sure I have the most detailed account of my time here at the Hispanic Youth Institute. I keep on learning new things not only about those around me but about myself as well. Let me explain,

I am so happy that I can wake up immediately even though I am not a morning person because I was able to avoid the bathroom rush hour and mostly had it to myself! There really isn't anything like having to share a bathroom with a dozen other boys that makes you desperately wish for your own bathroom (even if I have to share it with Valeria!) 

Typical post-food craziness.

Breakfast naturally came after that and I seriously think that I am going to gain at least 10 pounds in my time here. All I have are potatoes!!! I have at least four servings a day! Whether it is tater tots, baked potatoes, diced fried potatoes, french fries, etc I have them during breakfast, lunch and dinner EVERY DAY. The other food is...eatable but not desireable to be honest. Oh well. 

After that we went to the auditorium where some speakers gave us tips on networking which, according to the Department of Labor, is how 69% of annual hires are made (!) They also taught us how to properly shake a persons hand and give them an 'elevator speech'. That means that you introduce yourself to them and tell them who you are and what you do in less than the time it takes for an elevator to go from the 10th floor to the Lobby. And why would they teach us this?? Because we went to meet the Hispanic Heroes afterwards! 

As corny as that was named some of these people really did become heroes in the few minutes I spent them. My familia (group) all sat down at a table and we sort of speed dated through the "heroes" who were professionals in a wide variety of fields (although I noticed engineers popped up more often then others). Some people that my heart went out to was the 40 year old rookie firefighter who after an abusive marriage finally decided to pursue her dreams as a firefighter, as well as Fred Soto who I mentioned in the earlier post and Tania Alvarez a success adviser at Old Dominion University. Afterwards we mingled and I went and ate with the firefighter for a while as well as the Dean of Syracuse in New York. 

Then, (sorry I'm in story mode!) we went to do an activity - that turns out was actually a competition! - where you had to locate and set up a solution to an issue in the Hispanic community. My familia selected the topic "Lack of Role Models" and it turned out pretty interesting I'd I do say so myself. We'll find out tomorrow how we did!

Then came a serious of four career workshops to interest us in engineering, chemistry, (Marriott) hospitality and more engineering (Lockheed Martin has some amazing 'toys'!)

So we did all that and had dinner (consisted mostly of fries...again) and then came the part that I will NEVER forget. We watched a documentary that was based in Prince Williams County which is a neighboring county to mine. It was about how the Board of Supervisors or watever tried to pass a resolution that would enable the cops to stop people and then check and see if they are legal. I wasn't moved too much because I thought the documentary was clearly biased at that time but whatever, I'm not going to get into that. What I do want to get into is the sob-fest that followed. 

You see there were four students that came down to the HYI to represent the DREAMers. If you don't know what that is please go look it up so I don't disown you as a friend. The kids had some amazing stories but what I liked best was one of the activities we did with them where you stand up if whatever they say is true. It started out easy with "stand up if you dance bachata" but ended with "stand up if you are undocumented in the US" to which at least 1/4 of the students stood up! And I'm sure there were more but they didn't have the courage to stand up just yet. My biggest surprise was that a good part of the people I had met stood up! Ernie G then had whoever wanted so say something come up and speak to us. The first courageous guy, Jonathan, went up and told his story. 

He, just like many other people, came when he was young and he had to leave family behind never to see them again.  I thought that he was just another ghetto-Hispanic (he was sorta dressed the part) who was apathetic towards school but Jonathan forever changed my mind. He told us of how he was angry at the people who looked down on immigrants because he was the complete opposite of all stereotypes. He was in the top 5 percentile, the cream of the crop of his school and he was angry and afraid of the fact that even though he did better than everyone else in his class he would always have the most trouble going to college if he can manage to find a way to avoid the residency problem. And after that came Araceli, who told of how she was never able to go on field trips and how she was so tired of lying to her friends about how she can't get her permit because "her mom is afraid she'll get in an accident" when in reality it's because of the fact that she is undocumented as well. Or of the other people that went up and told of how they are top of the class, valedictorian even but they might never get the chance to afford higher education because they don't have proper documentation and can't get federal financial aid. 

Everything I ever thought about Hispanics our felt towards myself for being Hispanic was flipped. I may not be able to relate but the emotions that these peers stirred up in me left me (along with half the auditorium) bawling. Hispanics ARE hardworking with a tireless work ethic. They DO make differences in their communities by volunteering and taking leadership positions. They CAN and WILL succeed in school and go onto college. But the sad part is that many of them feel they can't. I deeply admire all the kids that came out today and told their stories. I am eternally moved by the sufferings that they had to go through and still go through. That is why I now support the Dream Act 100%. I don't know why I was against it before but after hearing these successful young men and women speak I want them to keep on succeeding in life and make a difference in the world because I know they can. I will support them in any way I can and I am determined to be proactive about it when I return home. 

A bracelet I picked up during the program that will remind me of the stories I heard and the promise I made to myself.

I don't think I've ever been so emotional in 48 hours but this program is changing me forever. I am PROUD to call myself Hispanic!

UYL,

Andre

First Day of the HYI

***     Thursday, July 21st, 7:03AM     ***

"It'll change your life". That's such a common cliche that we hear ALL the time. 'Here try this burger it'll change your life' or 'oh my god that massage changed my life' and even 'wow she was such an amazing girlfriend she really changed my life'. Except most of the time's the expression "it changed my life" is used to exaggerate something that was really good not what the phrase literally means. 

Well I'm here to tell you that after jut one day the Hispanic Youth Institute (HYI) is already causing deep transformations in my mind. It's not necessarily changing who I am, but boy have I had some really deep reflections today. I was put on a bus with almost complete strangers this morning and just 5 minutes ago I went to say goodnight to my bros in mi familia. That's how close I've gotten with some of the people!

So like I mentioned in my last post I basically went to bed at 2AM only to wake up a couple of hours later at 4:30 in the morning because I, for some odd reason, STILL hadn't finished packing! But yeah I finished packing, got ready, ate breakfast, all that good stuff and then I was off to J.E.B. Stuart High School. 

Ok so the bus ride is all a part of the story that could be easily skipped BUT I just wanted to tell this one quick story that's not off topic, I swear. Ok so back in the 6th grade I was invited into this educational acceleration program called QUEST which provided gifted students the opportunity to take even more advanced classes then what they could take in school and the whole purpose was to get us, the students, into the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. I remember that I became really close to this tall, bloody brilliant kid named Mauricio and he was the closest friend I had at QUEST. Well as we all know I moved to the Dominican Republic and I had to leave Mauricio (as well as an amazing education opportunity fml) behind. So flash-forward to me getting on the bus and sitting across from this familiar looking dark-haired kid. I couldn't stop staring at him he just looked so familiar until finally he caught me looking and I blurted out "did you do a program called QUEST back in the 6th grade" to which he responded, "Yes!! Andre???" and so we had an amazing little reunion and I'm happy I reconnected with him again. =] It's so amazing how tiny the world can be sometimes.

The dorms

My home for the next four days and roomate, Bahram!

Well we arrived after a most uncomfortable bus ride and got settled in and then it was on to ice breakers and team building exercises. The first few games were fun but then we got into a game that was much more intimate and caused the first shift in what I thought of my peers. I was kind of hesitant to mingle during the game, called upside downside, where you go shake 20 people's hands to introduce yourself and tell them something you are proud of as an upside and then when it's downside time you tell people something you are ashamed or embarrassed about, because I am a little shy. So when downside came around all of us were a little superficial at first trying to be embarrassing funny but people dropped that quickly and started getting deep. I mean imagine that, people going up to complete strangers to tell them that 'I am the reason my parents got divorced' or 'I find it extremely difficult to connect with people on emotional levels'. I was in awe of how quickly the HYI became a safe environment where people can just be themselves

After we did all of those games and bonded we went to one of the auditoriums at VSU to hear many important speakers talk about going after success and how to speak publicly but the one speaker that really caught my attention was the Dean of VSU, Dr. Mirta Martin and her story of how she got to where she was. In a nutshell she escaped from Cuba with her grandma and had to leave her parents and brothers behind in order to be able to come to the US. She remembers that her grandmother, who had a Ph. D (imagine that, a Hispanic, female woman with a Ph. D back in the 60s, it was very rare!) always told her that an education was the most important thing she could ever get and to never stop learning. Dr. Martin's grandmother told her this as they were on their hands and knees cleaning bathrooms and offices. Which raises the question in my mind, how many immigrants who cross the border into the US have a degree of some sort?

Well anyways after dinner we were graced with Ernie G's presence. He's a Los Angeles comedian who does clean empowerment funny and was extremely funny in the comedy show he gave us that night! If you know me well then you know that I find comedians funny when they are talking about real things. As I like to say, "it's funny 'cause it's true" and Ernie G definitely spoke of things I could connect with such as "the stare" that all Latina moms give when you've done something wrong! I liked his comedy so much that I went and bought his CD from him later on and got it signed =] It's called "Mama's Boy" lol

Ernie G

And if I thought I would finally be able to go to bed at 12 that night boy was I mistaken! I was just chillin in my bed typing a good portion of this blog entry up when my roomate, Bahram, randomly starts telling me this story about how an influential Iranian (Bahram is Iranian as well) was killed a few days ago. I'm not sure why he felt the need to share that with me but his ice breaker worked. We started talking about corruption, living in a different country, the stereotypes that minorities often have to face, problems with older siblings and more until I finally had to tell him at 2AM that if we wanted to be functional the next day we should really go to sleep. After all we had to wake up 4 hours later and I am not a morning person. Little did I know that that would be the night where I got the most rest...

UYL, 

Andre

Andre + Packing = A Mess???

Alrighty so I'm back hone after an amazing four days and my next 5 post (!) will be dedicated to the time I spent at the Hispanic Youth Institute (HYI) Kick-off. This program has seriously altered who I am as a person and I am extremely happy that I was fortunate enough to go. The application process was more competitive than I had originally thought (200 spots for over 900 applicants) but I know that I was selected in order to experience what I did. Bear with me because these will be even longer posts than normal and are very detailed so that I never forget my time there. I decided against bringing my laptop but I wrote all of my post on my iPod.

***   Wednesday, July 20th, 12:30 AM   ***

Is it sad that I can't fit 4 days of necessities such as clothes, toiletries and chargers into a rather large carry-on suitcase? 

Let's not answer that. 

Here I am and hour and a half later after I started packing for my trip to the Hispanic Youth Symposium and I'm not even done! I just keep on staring at all the clothes thrown on my bed but nothing magically flies into my luggage. Not to mention the fact that I have no idea what type of toiletries I should bring...if I need a towel does that mean I will need to bring my own soap? My own toilet paper? Arghh I'm so lost! But screw it I'm tired and I will finish in a couple of hours when I wake up. I feel surprisingly detached to this trip, like I don't know what exactly will be going on to be honest. I just got off the phone with my...well I'm not sure what he is (Counselor? Advisor? Babysitter?) but Nick was supposed to be checking up on me to make sure I was coming and to remind me to bring certain things except he had been calling my old cell phone and decided today to just call my house phone except I was at work which is why we ended up speaking at 12:15 midnight and wow that was a long run on sentence!

Anyways the point is I'm pretty excited and apprehensive about what the next four days will bring. So wish me luck!

Colloportus

And just as Hermione used this spell to close a door in the 5th book of the Harry Potter series a door has just been closed in my own life. It all ended tonight, the final movie of the Harry Potter franchise! And what a spectacular movie it was! My two most favorite parts of the final book were given their moment and executed just as I imagined! It was a thrilling film that I am sure I will watch over and over again just as I have read the books over and over again.

Harry Potter was more than just a book or film to me though. It was a staple of my childhood, I grew up with Harry, Ron and Hermione just as I grew up with Ashley, Emma and Mersal. I don't think I have ever reread a book as much as I have with the Harry Potter books. They just never get old and even though I already know what will happen the writing never fails to surprise me. These books are classics, they will continue to be read and loved by many generations to come I am sure.

It saddens me so much to think that it has finally all ended. I cannot find the words to express the melancholy that I feel now that it has all ended. A great chapter in my life has finally closed it doors, colloportus.

On a less depressing note the premiere was great! Emma and I went together and arrived in Kingstowne at 10:30 where we made a quick pit stop by Safeway to get our grub on!

I don't think I need to explain why I am still wide awake at 3:30 in the morning. And that picture above doesn't include the chewy sour heads, popcorn, and fruit snacks that I had in my lunch box...

If there is one thing I regret is not dressing up for the premiere! I somewhat dressed up for the premiere of Part 1 but decided not to for Part 2. SO STUPID OF ME. Not only because it's the last time I would be able to dress up for Harry Potter but because I felt out of place dressed like a normal muggle! There were a lot of great costumes and I felt like a complete creeper when I asked this man (or woman?) if I could PLEASE take a picture of them dressed up as Hagrid!

The person right next to Taylor Lautner's face had a better costume but this was all I got so I shouldn't complain even though I am...oh dear what a long caption!

Great movie, awesome night but I think that Monster energy drink is starting to fade off now...

UYL (when I'm a little more conscious...)
Andre

The Arts-ier Part of DC

Going to George Washington University wasn’t the only thing I did in DC! Even though GWU took up a good 3 hours I went and had lunch with my dad at Oyamel a nice Mexican restaurant. However, the menu went completely beyond the typical taco, burrito and quesadilla which was a nice change. After stuffing myself with a “Torta de camarones a la parilla” (Grilled shrimp sandwich) I went exploring!

Now most of you should remember Dr. Newton my old chemistry teacher. Well she and I have been e-mailing back and forth this summer because there was an error on my transcript from her class that we were trying to get fixed. She told me though to make sure I go and see an exhibition at the National Gallery of Art in DC and so I did.

I hadn’t been to the Gallery since…about the 6^th grade I think and to be honest my mind was blown. From the paintings to sculptures to technological art I was constantly amazed by how brilliant and talented these artists must be to create such great masterpieces of art! I use to wonder why people would stare at paintings for such a long time until I found myself staring at this piece by Jackson Pollock (American) for a good 5 minutes!

I started off in the West Wing with the more traditional and well known pieces of art such as The Thinker by Auguste Rodin and Four Dancers by Edgar Degas

Then I went to the East Wing through this cool underground little walk-way with lots of dazzling white lights that appeared to be moving even though they were really just turning on and off constantly.

The East Wing was certainly a lot more modern and cooler (that’s where the Pollock painting above was found!). There was this modern one exhibit by Nam June Paik, A Korean-American artist, that seriously blew my mind. Apparently he experimented with technology and using it in his art or as the art. So they had this big cavernous room upstairs that was completely dark with the exception of one candle. There was a video recorder though of said candle and there were about 15 projectors that displayed that candle on the wall in different ways (upside down, really big, really small, different colors, etc). The effect was VERY cool. 

Nam June Paik also had this other piece which was kind of creepy and I didn’t take a picture for of some reason (But I found one online!). It was a little see-through silk robe that was put on a wooden stick and there was a TV behind the robe that you could sort of see and the TV was just playing the same images of little girls playing with a red ball and then a splash of random red colors and then back to the little girls playing with the ball…very weird.

Other paintings and 3-D art I liked are pictured below:

UYL,

Andre

George Washington (Univeristy) and Me

After several days of a dull routine of waking up, going to work, reading about the debt-limit talks in DC and sleeping, I finally got a day off a work and out of the house. Sure today was probably just as stressful as a work day with all the ridiculous time limits I felt everywhere I went but it was totally fun. This next bit is going to sound mean but I honestly have just as much fun by myself as when I am with friends (no offense to anyone!)

As the title of the post suggest I woke up bright and early (so like 7:45...) in order to get ready to travel into DC with my dad and to visit George Washington University. But this time, I was going on a real legit information session and tour. I mean, in my trips to the University of Virginia and the University of Maryland - College Park I toured the campuses but it was sort of included in the activity that I was doing at that University. This time I actually had to sign up online for an information session that lasted an hour (but I learned so much from it so it was worth it!) and then a tour of the University.

Now for those of you that don't know, George Washington University (from here on out it'll be referred to as GWU) is actually right in the middle of DC. It's literally 3 blocks away from the White House! Clearly since it is in the middle of a city there wasn't a beautiful scenic landscape that I took million of pictures of. GWU basically owned a 5 by 6 blocks area and all the buildings in that square box was theirs. They called this the Foggy Bottom Campus. So there were several building dedicated to dorms, buildings where classes were taught, a student union type building, etc. What was really different though was that you had to cross streets and other non-GWU people to get to those buildings! The University really integrated with the outside community and you felt like you were still in DC, which of course you are, but it felt like you were in downtown DC not on a campus. It's sort of difficult to explain I guess. But despite feeling like you were in downtown they still had the traditional quadrangle lawn thing going on.

There's old George Washington as a statue!

I also noticed something really unique as I was walking the brick paths and it totally captivated me. When I asked the tour guide (a rising senior who is not only double majoring in political science and communications but also has a concentration in Chinese!) about it she told us that every graduating student gets a brick that is engraved with their name, degree and graduation year. That brick is then put into one of the pathways and stays there FOREVER. That way the student is still a part of the GWU community even though they may not be there physically. How cool is that??

GWU also has another campus which is about 15 minutes away (they have free bus shuttles that travel 24/7 between the two campuses (I wish I could say campi instead of campuses...it just sounds weird...)) and has a more college-y feel with much more greenery, sort of hidden away from all the city noise. The Mount Vernon Campus as it is called is newer and houses a large portion of Freshmen in their new West Hall which is also LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certified. Assuming I apply and decide to go to GWU this is definetely where I would want to live Freshmen year before migrating to the more urban Foggy Bottom Campus.

West Hall

Another other cool thing that I liked about the university was their big push toward sustainability and the whole reduce, reuse, recycle concept. I don't know why but that's somehow become a factor when I'm thinking about what colleges I would like to apply two in just a year and a half (!) If the school isn't putting a lot of effort into being green its kind of a turn off. GWU though is definitely succeeding though, they even had these bins in the Wellness Center's Gym!

And finally they also had a mock Wall Street Trading Room for the business students. Very cool.

So overall I sort of liked GWU even though I certainly have mixed feelings about its lack of a clearly defined campus with lots of wilderness. Maybe colleges in big cities just aren't for me? Who knows. What I do know is that I love DC and from what the admissions director told us at the information session there are more internship and work opportunities than there are undergraduates in this big database they have. Not only that but like I mentioned earlier the White House is just three blocks away as well as Capitol Hill, the IMF, all the Museums, the National Archives...the whole city is at your fingertips, its incredible. I'm pretty sure that I will visit at least one more time and as for whether I will apply when the time comes...well let's just say GWU has certainly caught my eye.

UYL,
Andre

Catcher In The Rye

Darn it! I wrote this a long time ago (June 19th to be exact) but I forgot to hit publish! Oh well here you go, better late than never!

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So I'm not sure if I've posted this yet but I have a document in my computer called The Book Hit List. I'm not completely sure why I call it that but its just another list of mine that contains the books that I want to read someday. Needless to say its over three pages long at the moment but I will read them all someday! (Maybe if I quit adding to it...) One of the books was Catcher In the Rye by J.D. Salinger which I finished about a week ago. I'm pretty sure I put this on my list because I saw on MSN.com that it was a controversial book or something plus the fact that I tutored a 9th grade essay on it in the EWC (you should know what that means by now! Edison Writing Center)

As much as I would love to say that the book was amazing and that its now one of my favorites, I can't. I'm not going to critique the book chapter but I honestly don't understand what possible theme a freshmen could extract from that novel. Obviously there's the whole teenage rebellion/angst feel to it and the fact that Holden, the protagonist, is pretty alienated but...well anyways, it was very weird and the main character, Holden, was pretty whimsical in everything he did. Diction-wise the book had some pretty cool words (although that might be because it was written in the '50s) and I really liked the expression "he/she/it killed me" which I'm guessing meant that the person was pretty funny or something? Oh and the fact that cowardliness was referred to as having a "yellow" streak.

Anyways, I just wanted to share two quotes that I enjoyed (they killed me!) and that made me pensive for a long while.

"Boy, when you're dead, they really fix you up.  I hope to hell when I do die somebody has sense enough to just dump me in the river or something.  Anything except sticking me in a goddam cemetery.  People coming and putting a bunch of flowers on your stomach on Sunday, and all that crap.  Who wants flowers when you're dead?  Nobody."

and

“Life is a game, boy. Life is a game that one plays according to the rules.”
“Yes, sir. I know it is. I know it.”
Game, my ass. Some game. If you get on the side where all the hot-shots are, then it’s a game, all right—I’ll admit that. But if you get on the other side, where there aren’t any hot-shots, then what’s a game about it? Nothing. No game.

The Freak Observer

WARNING: If you aren't into appreciating literature I advise you skip this post.

Doesn't that sound like an awesome title? It is and it's the title of the book I just finished by Blythe Woolston. It was definetel one of the more interesting reads that I have had this year. Kind of like The Book Thief (by Markus Zusak). Not content but they both have very different abstract-ish writing styles. So here are some of the passages that made me laugh out loud...or send chills down my spine.

"The first visit [to the psychologist's office] I learned there are some responses to grief that are pretty common: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance.

It isn't like baking a cake where you follow the recipe and get it done:

1. Heat the oven to Denial
2. Prepare the pan with a spray of Anger
3. Mix in two medium-sized Bargains with The Bony Guy [a.k.a. Death]
4. Add 1/3 cup of Depression (tears will do if you want low fat)
5. Bake for 35 minutes, or until you can jab a toothpick in your arm and it seems Acceptable."

(Woolston 39)

Pretty intense stuff. Mostly because this girl, Loa, is grappling with the death of her younger disabled sister as well as the car crash death of a friend. Which leads her to have some pretty scary dreams apparently.

"I avoid feeding my brain anything it can turn into nightmares--so the news, horror movies and the weather channel are all out." (81)

What?? The weather channel?? Ah well to each his own but a few chapters later own I got a glimpse into Loa's nightmares...

"Someone is trying to frighten us by tampering with photos of my father's funeral. In some of the photographs, there is blood on the face or neck of the man who is supposed to be my father in the dream. In some of the pictures, he is propped upright in the casket, but not exactly straight. He's leaning to the point where he might fall out and onto the floor.
     When I turn the page in the photo album, the pictures just go on and on: pictures of my dead father at his funeral.
     Every time I turn a page, the pictures the weirder and weirder. In one of them, my father is encased in a papier-mache cocoon with a lumpy, blotted shape and winglike appendages. There are smears of blood and feathers on the outside of the cocoon. I can't see my father, but I know he is in there, under all that glue and newspaper.
     I try to explain to my dream mother. I say, "Someone is trying to hurt us." But I can't find the pictures that have been altered. They are missing from the album.
     When I check to make sure that my dream Little Harold [her brother] is OK, I see him outside. He is having a tea party. He is using the bloodstained chopping block for a table.  
     I am really, really afraid." (149)

Creeeeepy. Especially when you are reading it around 1 in the morning and no one else in the house is awake. Woolston did a fantastic job though of creating those scary nightmares and creating such a genuinely damaged protagonist. Its a good read if you can keep up with the disturbing flashbacks.

On a happier note I finally got my hands on a copy of The Maze Runner by James Dashner. From what I've read on the back of the book it seems a bit like The Hunger Games (by Suzanne Collins) which was really awesome. And speaking of running guess what little critter I saw yesterday morning??

UYL,
Andre

Happy Birthday America!

When you think of the USA what do you think of? Do you think of  a particular person or place? A symbol? The country's geographical outline on a globe? Well I personally think of the geographical outline shaded in with the flag.

Yeah a little odd I know but that's just the way my mind works (plus if I was able to find it on Google then there must be people out there who think the same way, right?)




I could tell you guys about my day which started with a quiet family breakfast and quickly moved on to one of American teenagers favorite pastimes, shopping, and how I found amazing sales including a $10 J. Crew sweater (I LOVE finding such great deals!) and $14 black slip on shoes that I have been searching for forever!

The Sanabia men all dressed up in their red, white and blue at the mall. Even Whiskey got to come and had an American Flag bandana!!

Or I could describe the little block party I went to afterwards at a friends house full of really good food, interesting new friends and fireworks to boot.

But that totally doesn't match up with what is really being celebrated on Independence Day, freedom. And how lucky we Americans are to have it when other foreign countries may restrict the right to speech or religion or any other fundamental right. Its kind of depressing to think of a life in which you might not know what's going on in the world because your newspaper or the internet is being censored. Or being taught a biased history of a country. Sadly I know for a fact that that last point is still prevalent here in the US. In all the time that I have studied here I have yet to hear of the countless military interventions that the US has done around the globe (I'm specifically thinking of the one I studied in the Dominican Republic from 1916-1924.)

But regardless the US is definitely one of the most amazing nations in the world =] I am so happy to be living here and all of the opportunities that I have been given because I live here and will continue to be given to me. I believe that this is a country where hard work truly pays off (I should definitely take note of that quote and say if it still rings true 10 years down the line!) Well its late now and I have to go to bed so I can do some of that aforementioned hard-work tomorrow!

UYL (Update You Later)
Andre

Summer Relaxation? I Think Not!

My dear readers,

I am so sorry to have abandoned you for such a long time! And it would have been longer still since I am dead tired and just want to go to sleep right now. But alas, I will write for the sake of your (and possibly my) sanity.

I. Am. Exhausted. I don't know why but this last week has been crazy! It's most certainly not what I envisioned my summer would be! I have yet to scratch a single item off my Summer To-Do List (!!! MAJOR RED FLAG!) I have not made a schedule of my week and I seem to live at my job. I've done 8 hour shifts for the past three days! Sure it'll pay off next week when we get our checks but I didn't really think my boss would take me seriously when I said he shouldn't fear working me like an animal (what the heck was I thinking?) Not only that but I always seem to manage to find things to fill up the time before my next shift and sleeping. 

For example on Friday I went to work and then went to the ever-so-popular Chipotle with a friend. After that we went on to go and see Transformers with Emma and Mersal. The movie would have been good had I known what was going on...plus we had terrible seats (way up in the front row!) and all I could focus on was how the actors clothes kept on changing throughout the film. (Yes, I am aware that people change clothes everyday thankyouverymuch, but I have no idea how Rosie Huntington-Whiteley went from stilettos to brown boots to grey flats in less than 5 minutes) Oh and the movie was 2 and a half hours so please don't ever ask me to review it because it was an experience I did not really enjoy!

Yesterday I came home after work for the first time ever to an empty house. It was pure bliss! I can honestly say that I haven't been home alone since like April when my Grandma, niece and sister all moved in. It reminded me of the beginning of sophomore year when I had like no after-school commitments, Valeria didn't get home until 4:30 and my parents were both at work. What better way to enjoy time alone than with a movie and ice cream? Unfortunately my movie selection was not-so-great (hmm there seems to be a trend) i watched The Rocky Horror Picture Show. It was weird!!! I was enjoying it up until the part where Tim Curry comes out in fishnets to sing "Sweet Transvestite". The movie just turned creepy and eerie after that. There was a scene where some poor bloke (he he I'm already building up my British vocab!) named Eddie gets hacked to pieces with a pick ax in a freezer! Scary stuff.

After today's incredibly long shift I went over to Emma's for...well to be honest I'm not sure what it was but it was like a little dinner party. There was nachos and then a barbecue meal followed by some cupcakes (yum) and a good Game of Apples to Apples where I sadly only got ONE green card (you need seven to win and there where 8 other people playing, everyone else had at least 3 cards by the time the game was over).

So that's my little weekend update for you guys. I'm sorry I am not writing as much but I just don't know where to find the time. I've made a mental schedule for next week and it already seems packed. Summer relaxation where are you?

UYL,
Andre