Abroad Musings, Vol. 3

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Indicatively, I find myself writing a blog in the Vienna airport once more. This time, it’s off to Deutschland for a family reunion. My flight is delayed, but only 10 minutes, which already puts me in a position about 10000x better than my last harrowing flight experience. To finish off that epic tale:

I ended up poorer, but 24 hours in Istanbul richer, after booking a last minute flight for the morning thereafter. Istanbul is the most incredible city I have ever seen, extremely eclectic, bustling, and simultaneously reminds me of times spent in Vienna and Viet Nam. My friend Hiba Dhanani, who is currently on her own study abroad excursion there, busted out her Admission skills and gave me a wonderful tour of the city.

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Next up on the ancient city tour, Athens. My friend Kat Wyly is teaching English in Athens on a now-Fulbright fellowship, so I had the incredibly good fortune of having a friend, hostess, and guide waiting for me when I disembarked my plane. It was so nice to see a close friend after almost a year, and surreal to do so in Greece! The Haverford network is seriously global. I spent my weekdays wandering ancient ruins and eating delicious gyros, and my Saturday with Kat on Hydra, a nearby Greek island.

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Life was good. Extremely good.

So in the end, as terrible as that rebooking fiasco was, the days that followed were just that incredible.

The following weekend I was in Rome, eating the best tagliatelle, gnocchi, gelato, cheese…

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After this trip to Germany, I’m off to Budapest, thereafter to Dublin and Copenhagen, and then I have a mere two remaining weeks in Vienna before flying back to Haverford for commencement. Life is currently beautiful insanity. I knew how quickly my time abroad would fly by; I remember thinking on the bus ride into Vienna, “at some point a couple of months from now, you’ll think back to this moment and be in disbelief that it’s already been so long.” Good work, Sonia from the past, that is absolutely true, but it doesn’t make the realization any easier to internalize.

Seniors at Haverford are finishing up theses, pinwheel day has come and gone, and I can finally retire snow boots to the back of my closet. My time here is waning, and that brings simultaneous anxiety and excitement. I’m sad to think of goodbyes to friends, Käsekrainer, and Kaffeehäuse; I’m a little scared but very excited to be thinking about my thesis, last year in college, and life thereafter; but I’m also looking forward to seeing my friends again, an incredible, paid internship in Philadelphia this summer (cue the next blog post), and reflecting on the incredible experiences I have had and will have in my time away from Haverford.

Abroad Musings, Vol. 2

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Being abroad means a lot of things. It means having to adjust to living in an entirely new country, making new friends, and learning to live without a regular supply of peanut butter. It also means dealing with a lot of very annoying, very tedious bureaucratic messes by yourself and in different languages. Some of these things are more fun than others. I hope you all find some humor in this travel saga; as I write this from Berlin, I am only beginning to appreciate its future storytelling clout.

I’ll start by sharing a few excerpts from my journal, written as I weathered a 5 hour delay in the Vienna airport a few days ago: ‘No one conveniently told me my original flight had been cancelled, so lucky me gets to spend the afternoon in the Vienna airport instead of Berlin.’ and ‘[text has been altered to omit rather colorful expressions].’ Apparently I was feeling philosophical, because then this followed: ‘Patience and flexibility — I guess that’s something I’m really starting to take away from this trip. Miscommunication? Let’s try again. Oh, this operator only speaks Turkish? Who else can I talk to? Who can I go to for help? When should I and what can I accomplish by myself? What risks am I willing to take and when should I listen to my gut and back off?’ Philosophical it may be, but those are important questions that I do end up asking myself almost everyday.

I wasn’t quite so into introspective questioning after finding out that I had not actually been rebooked to Istanbul, as my rebooking confirmation stated, at 1 a.m. in the morning. I was less into the introspection after spending hours on hold, speaking increasingly tense and decreasingly polite English/German, after 4 hours of stressed half sleep. And after breaking down, cancelling my original booking with no guarantee of a refund, and calling my folks in Seattle at 4 a.m. Pacific time to figure out how I was going to get to Istanbul in time to catch my flight to Athens, I just wanted some peanut butter and a long nap.

I am now eating some stale rice and a rather mealy apple, and appreciating my family’s swift response. I am not writing exactly what my plans are because I am terrified of jinxing those too, but I’ll reveal the conclusion to this saga in my next blog post.

The last 24 hours have been the most stressful ones I’ve had recently, but there is a lot of learning to be had. Patience and flexibility are very valuable virtues that I am still cultivating; get receipts for absolutely everything every time; don’t be afraid to ask for help; apparently this is what being an independent adult is like (not actually, but at least at times); and if all else fails, there’s a lot of chocolate in Europe, and the new Justin Timberlake album works wonders on the nerves.

I promise more photos in the next post!

Life After Haverford

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Who knew there was such a thing as life after Haverford…For the first 18 years of your life you are preparing to go to college, that is the obvious next step in life. You go to elementary school, then middle school, then high school, and then college. But here is the kicker, after college there is no universal next step. Everyone does something a little different and goes in a different direction. I have finally figured out my next step…AH. Starting in August I will be going to Georgetown University for graduate school to get my Masters Degree in Peace and Conflict Resolution.

Last May I came to the conclusion that I wanted to go to graduate school and began this graduate school search process. The first step I took was to meet with the CDO (Career Development Office), which is wonderful, and they helped me formulate a list of programs and schools that interested me and I began my search process, just like all of you did at first.

After visiting schools and getting a feel for what it really was I wanted to study and where I wanted to go to school I turned to my professors. With the help of numerous faculty members, my advisors, and my professors, I was given guidance throughout this entire process and was always supported. The student to faulty ratio here at Haverford is 8:1, and let me tell you, the professors here really get to know you. I was able to meet with professors who knew everything about me and were really able to give me informed advice about where to go to graduate school based on what they knew about me. I had a strong support system to get me through this process and never felt alone.

Here I am nearly a year later after beginning this journey making a decision about where to go next. It is stressful even for me so I understand how all of you must feel right now. But, I really think I have made the right decision and I am trusting my gut. It is really hard for me to believe that I only have a few short weeks left at Haverford and am a little jealous of all of you who are about to embark on the journey to college. While I am super excited for my next step and getting the opportunity to go to graduate school to pursue what I am truly passionate about, leaving Haverford will probably be one of the hardest things I have ever done.

Thesis Grind

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Sorry I have not updated you all in quite a while…let me tell you, second semester senior year has kicked in. As I’m sure you have all heard, all seniors at Haverford write a Senior Thesis. This thesis is intended to demonstrate what we have learned and how we have grown academically and intellectually over the past four years at Haverford. Every senior writes one here because we believe we all deserve the opportunity to write a Senior Thesis, we have no honors students because in truth, we are all honors students. The other great thing about all seniors writing a thesis, besides the academic experience we all get, is that we are all going through this together. Every single one of us is having ups and downs, good days and bad days, and we all understand what the other is going through. Let me tell you, it makes this whole process a heck of a lot easier when 325 other students are in the same boat as you all trying to get this thesis done on time.

With that said, the thesis grind has begun. For most of us, our drafts are due April 1st, which means it is go time. For my thesis I am looking at the impact International Criminal Tribunals have on fostering reconciliation in countries recovering from intra-state violence. In particular, I am looking at Bosnia and the impact the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia had there. I am arguing that International Criminal Tribunals fail to ensure that reconciliation occurs because of 1) the distance at which they function, the international dilemma; and 2) the serving of justice is not enough for some individuals recovering from such atrocities. For some of you this may sound like gibberish, but I promise you, it has taken me months and months to get to this point where I am able to write down my argument in a few sentences. With the guidance of my wonderful thesis advisor Anita Isaacs, who I meet with once a week, we have reached this point together.

I have three weeks to finish the first full draft of my thesis…but I think I can do it!

Squash champions

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This past weekend, Haverford’s women’s squash team packed up our squash rackets and headed up to New Haven, Connecticut for the college national tournament. After months and weeks of practice and games, we were excited to have the opportunity to play in this tournament.

We had qualified E Division and after winning all of our round-robin matches, we moved onto the championship match to compete for the big win. The night before the match, I could barely sleep. Come Sunday morning, when we won our division championships, all of the work that my teammates had put in paid off.

The squash team and athletics have been a big part of my life at Haverford; with practice everyday, we have all dedicated a lot of time to our sport and I’ve quickly become close with many of my teammates. Yet despite the time commitment required by sports, Haverford athletes have a way of balancing their time here so that their sport is not the only part of their life here. For example, many varsity athletes are involved in extracurricular activities like Honor Council, Student Council, and all of our student-led clubs on campus. In addition, there are no classes offered during practice times, 4:00pm and 7:00pm, to ensure that athletes aren’t excluded from taking certain classes. At Haverford, no one has to choose between being a student, an athlete, or a member of our student community.

All of the practice, workouts, and time spent preparing for the matches were rewarded by the title of E Division Champions.  But coming back to Haverford, exhausted from the weekend, we were not alone in our excitement; we were welcomed back as squash players, as friends, and as members of the Haverford community.

 

Journey Through The Mid-Atlantic

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My thesis project examines Bayard Rustin, perhaps most notable for serving as the deputy director of the 1963 March on Washington. Yet, he led a lifelong commitment to civil and human rights in America and abroad. A pacifist, Rustin modeled nonviolent action (as a reflection of his belief in Gandhian principle) as a means to bring about social change. Raised by his Quaker grandmother, Rustin went on to become a Friend* himself. Scholarly discourse regards Rustin primarily for his Civil Rights era contributions, leaving his lifelong career largely unexamined. That is, aside from biographical texts and collections of his writings. I remain interested in how his Quaker background influenced his commitment to and actions toward social justice in America and abroad.

Mary Poppins might say, "Feed the birds!"

Having poured through the seminal and subsequent Rustin biographies, I decided that I would take advantage of my prime location in the Philadelphia region to travel to Washington D.C., where the Library of Congress holds the Bayard Rustin papers, a vast collection of Rustin’s speeches, letters, memos, photographs, and other materials. The first half of this blog post I wrote while in the Madison Reading Room. Now, I write to you from Union Station’s Starbucks (with the bar seating, that is!) where I have begun chugging a dirty vanilla chai to renew a bit of my energy.

To recap, I departed Tritton Hall, where I live on campus this year, at 6:30am. Before heading to the Haverford train station an 8 minute walk away (if you’re speed walking), I swung by Bruegger’s bagels to devour a rosemary olive oil bagel. A DC (Dining Center) banana proved to be a nice snack on the 20-minute train ride to 30th street station where I quickly made my way to the MegaBus departure location. The 3-hour bus ride was the perfect time to read a short story (and watch its film adaptation) for my Japanese Literature and Film course before taking a half-hour nap. Surprisingly, Google Maps led me in the appropriate direction to the Library of Congress building, at which point I went on a wild goose chase to receive researcher authorization from several bureaucratic centers. In the end, I was able to spend 4.5 solid hours in the reading room with a cornucopia of Rustin papers, some of which will be invaluable to the future of my thesis.
Now an hour away from Philadelphia, I think I’ll make this post final. Here’s a photograph I captured of Union Station as I made my way back from the Library of Congress. How nice the 58 degree weather (F) was!

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Abroad Musings, Vol. 1

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I’m an English major.  I do a lot of reading and writing, and believe heartily in linguistic power.  For this blog, however, I owe a disclaimer.  I really don’t think it’s possible to describe what I’ve been experiencing in Europe thus far with words.  I will supplement with as many photos as possible, but you, dear readers, will need to supplement with a little of your own imagination.

Where to begin?  I got into Europe about a month ago and have been on a nonstop adventure ever since.  I live in an independent apartment in Vienna proper, about 15 minutes outside the city center.  This is the view from my apartment window:

I just wrapped three weeks of “Intensive German” and am currently writing this blog from a hostel in Berlin; we get a 10 day break post Intensive German-ing, and I’ve been on a jaunt through eastern Germany – Dresden, Leipzig, and Berlin — since (most non-casual casual parenthetic ever: also had a quick weekend trip into Prague).  Photographic evidence:

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I hit the ground running once I’m back in Vienna, as my full course load commences.  I’m taking an Eastern European Comparative Literature course, Sociology of Immigration, The Cultural Heritage of Vienna (auf Deutsch), and continuing with my German class; I also have an Education internship, working with a local Viennese public school.  Conveniently enough, these courses will also garner credit for my English major, and both Sociology and Education minors.  Haverford doesn’t have any of its own, independent study abroad programs, but instead has established relationships with different universities and  study abroad programs; I am currently a student with IES Vienna.

As I write this, I have to admit that my brain feels a bit linguistically schizophrenic, and I find myself thinking of German phrases in place of English ones, or accidentally inserting an “ß” in place of a double-‘s.’ The language immersion is definitely playing its role well.

Though Austrians speak “Deutsch,” they are certainly not Germans.  It’s been fascinating unearthing the subtle, but culturally hugely important, differences between the two countries.  Some of it comes in slight differences in pronunciations, but there are some real cultural disparities.  Exhibit A:

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This doesn’t happen in Germany.  I went to a ball last week – a legitimate ball, complete with Viennese and non-Viennese waltzing, ball gowns, bow ties, and breathtaking atmosphere.  Those photos were taking in the Hofburg Imperial Palace – as in the place where the Habsburgs from the Austrian-Hungarian empire ruled.  Here’s a good place where my linguistic schizophrenia is coming in handy; that night was “traumhaft,” or literally like a dream.  There’s really no other way to describe it.

That’s actually a pretty apt word for Vienna in general.  I’ve never been in such a pristine and beautiful city before.  Just look:

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A square about 5 minutes from the Study Abroad center

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I am really, really relishing my time here.  As I upload my own abroad Facebook albums, however, I can’t help but feel a slight twinge of homesickness when I stumble upon my friends’ albums of Haver-life.  Campus looked beautiful with a fresh dusting of snow, and there are some incredible classes being offered this semester. My dad’s side of the family is German, and so much of this experience feels like coming home and reconnecting with my German heritage, but I also miss my friends and life back on Haverford’s campus.  I absolutely melted when I found out my professor’s four-year-old, whom I normally babysit, asked about me the other day. That said, though I am physically thousands of miles from my Haver-life, this is absolutely enriching and deepening my college experience.  I am so thankful for this time abroad, and owe Haverford much for enabling this adventure.  Bis bald, und viele Grüße!

Second Semester Senior Year…

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It is amazing to me how fast time has gone by. I can still remember getting admitted early decision to Haverford in December 2008…I’m now embarking on my final semester here. AHHHH.

Last week I had my first last day of school. A group of my friends and I decided to take a photo to mark this momentous day for our parents and for ourselves. These girls in the photo were the first friends I made at Haverford on my very first day of preseason freshmen year. We have been though everything together over the last few years, the good and the bad, and in truth, have grown up together.

Right now we are all in a state of limbo as we are trying to figure out what comes next…terrifying I know. We are all applying to different jobs, graduate school, medical school, fellowships, and internships. We have no idea where we will be in 5 months after graduation, but we making sure we enjoy every last minute we have together at Haverford.

Haverford bring together a unique group of individuals from all over the country and allows us to truly be ourselves. As a result, we are able to meet people who appreciate us for who we are and embrace every quirky trait we may possess. We each have something interesting and original to offer and this community values what we have to offer.

 

Expanding Networks

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I got into a spat with my fifteen year-old brother the other day.  The keystone question: who’s the cooler sibling?  Well, if we’re being honest, my brother is a soccer star, plays bass and guitar in a rock band, and pulls off pierced ears with panache… but, I decided we should settle this debate by looking at how many Facebook friends we each have.  He has 759; I have 904.  Victory was mine.  I conveniently ignored the fact that I have a few more networks at my disposal – high school, work, college, etc. – than he does, but these are just details anyway, right?

Unfortunately for sibling rivalry’s sake, networks really aren’t negligible “details.”  As I prepare to jet off to Vienna – at least physically leaving the Haverford network – I’ve come to realize just how important and immensely helpful networks can be.  Sometimes networks mean funny coincidences; my Sociology minor advisor’s good friend conveniently works two doors down from my dad.  But networks carry larger implications too.  For example, midway through the schlump-fest that is finals week, I ignored my trusty sweatpants, wriggled into interview ware instead, and headed to the city to see about a possible summer job.

Given my impending international adventures, over this past semester I’ve been making as many inroads as possible for summer employment.  That meant reaching out to the entirety of the Haverford network: from my friends, to alumni, to former colleagues, to former colleague’s friends, to professors, to professors’ colleagues… you get my drift.  It’s meant sending a lot of kind of awkward emails introducing myself to strangers.  They’re really only pseudo-strangers, though; there’s only one degree of separation from me and all of these possible employers – we’ve got some mutual friends on FB, let’s say.  I soon accumulated a growing list of names, phone numbers, and email addresses in the “Contacts” section of my planner, and all of a sudden, job opportunities, internships, and interviews started to materialize – all catalyzed by the Haverford network.

This has all been pretty informal, but tapping into these networks has also highlighted just how wonderfully, and formally, connected Haverford is.  Janice Lion, the domestic internship coordinator for the CPGC, for example, noted the many bridge programs the CPGC offers for those interested in education and education reform post undergraduate life.  I’m still focused on this summer’s employment options (whilst still beyond excited for Vienna!), but post-Haverford employment, aka real life employment, we’ll lovingly call it, looms.  In addition to the CPGC, our Career Development Office, or CDO, links current and graduating students with alumni, polishes resumes, and conducts mock interviews.  The CDO straddles one of the strongest networks, the Bi-Co, providing Haverford and Bryn Mawr students the resources and connections of both schools.  Knowing these established connections – in addition to the many that are just a phone call away – exist, is like a warm cup of “kaffee mit schlag” (coffee with whipped cream) to those real life employment woes.

Haverford’s community is incredibly strong, and from a friendship standpoint, it’s one of, if not my, favorite aspects of Haverford.  I have made some of the deepest and most genuine friendships here, and that’s been the best.  When all of these incredible friendships also become incredible links, that’s doubly the best.  So, the bestest?  I have just under a week left before it’s “Guten Tag” to Vienna, and “Aufwiedersehen” to Seattle and Haverford friends.  I really hate goodbyes, but I take solace in the fact that Skype is an incredible invention, I’m off on an adventure, my Haverford friendships and connections will remain strong, and this four-month hiatus is just another way of expanding that incredible network.  And I’ll have more FB friends to boot!

 


Finals Week Fun

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To most students, the words “finals week” set off reactions of fear and anxiety. While final week is a time of papers, tests, and getting to know the library very well, this year I’ve been noticing all the little things around campus that make finals, well, pretty fun.

FAB, or Fords Against Boredom, is the club on campus largely responsible for the excitement of finals.  Every year, for nearly every day of finals, they throw a fun event that provides a well-deserved study break for everyone on campus. The first event, held on Sunday night, is the infamous “Midnight Breakfast.” At midnight, FAB opens the dining center and, with the deans, serves eggs, bacon, French toast, coffee, fruit, and bagels to any hungry students who want to come for a break or revitalization. Perhaps one of the most popular finals week events, the line was out the door but was most definitely worth the wait before heading back to the library. In addition to the deans’ participation in Midnight Breakfast, they also make the rounds to all of the libraries and study spots on campus handing out candy.

The second FAB event, which I went to last night, was “Ben & Jerry’s Bingo.” FAB orders an enormous supply of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, of a huge variety flavors. Students can come grab some ice cream, stay for bingo, and potentially win gift-cards to several off-campus favorites, such as Wawa, Kiwi Frozen Yogurt, Brueggers Bagels, and Milk Boy café.

Tonight is the last of FAB finals week events, but definitely not the least. At 11:30 tonight, FAB will take 50 hungry students to Philadelphia on a Philly cheesesteak run. They provide a bus that goes straight into Center City where students can buy cheesesteaks before coming back to Haverford after their midnight adventure.

These events, however, only represent the tip of the finals iceberg. Our Office of Academic Resources has extended their hours so students can use their study rooms as well provided study break opportunities, such as holiday card making. Tonight, they are hosting a “Willy Wonka Chocolate Extravaganza,” including make your own s’mores.  On another chocolaty note, another club just made their rounds around the library giving out free cookies and candy canes to anyone in need of a pick-me-up. Earlier today, our mindfulness club, HaverMinds, threw a “De-Stress with Dogs” event in conjunction with Haverford’s Pre-Veterinarian club, where they brought dogs from a local shelter to campus for students to play with throughout the day. And tonight, my friend made coffee for me at her carrel in the library when we both were gearing up for a study session. It struck me tonight, in thinking about all of these events and activities on campus, that both students and faculty take the time this week to make sure that everyone has a positive finals week. The self-scheduled exam times, meant to accommodate everyone’s schedules, and professor’s extended office hours this week also make it easier for students to manage their schedules and access the resources they need before going in to take a test. As I received my free candy cane to aid me in my history studying, I realized that it’s the little things this week—encouragement from a friend or a warm cookie—that make finals a way to close out the semester with your friends before heading home for the holidays.