Our society has established a universal rule where we must be careful of what we say to prevent offending anyone despite our “good” intentions. We must consider the feelings and thoughts of others before expressing ourselves. One good example of this is the debate of holidays vs holy days. Holidays are a respectful tribute to various religions or to acknowledge the significance of leaders. It has become a popular trend where people would express a phrase relating to the holiday without knowing the meaning of it and how others react to it. On the other hand, some people would argue that holy days are for specific religious ideas and practices such as Kwanzaa, Christmas, and Hanukkah. Because of the ideological differences of holidays and holy days, it is important to acknowledge that not everyone takes a holiday or holy day phrase lightly. The importance of both holidays and holy days is to become more open minded about what people believe, what they say and how they say it. Certain national holidays, such as Christmas and Easter, create a situation in which certain phrases acknowledge the holiday. People become influenced by a Christmas feeling such as giving gifts, becoming more helpful and keeping a more positive attitude towards others. Businesses and companies use these popular trends to continue to influence people in a Christmas spirit to buy their product for a loved one. Some people are not entirely influenced by the positive vibe and deny the invitation of the Christmas spirit. When we think more deeply about this “holiday”, is it really Christmas or Christ-Mas? Christmas is an exciting holiday that falls on December 25th and is a day of giving. However, some people view Christmas as a “holy day”. Holy day means that religious practices and beliefs are now to be noted. Christians view Christmas as the holy day that marks the birth of their savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, who is also believed to be the son of God. Some Christians celebrate this day by attending church and having a gathering with friends and family. The significance of this is that rather than following the popular trend of giving, some religious groups do not follow these trends despite their popularity. There are some holidays I believe people should celebrate such as Veterans Day because it is honoring and paying a tribute to a population of servicemen and women. This day is to acknowledge the men and women who have made significant sacrifices to serve their country. Some people celebrate this holiday by having barbecues and gathering with their loved ones. Others take advantage of the sales that go on in stores. Businesses would offer special deals for consumers and extra deals for veterans, but overall helps their business rather than the individual. To make people more aware of these holidays, some businesses would have American flags throughout their stores. From a religious aspect, religious people pray for the men and women who are servicing the country and continue to ask for their protection and guidance wherever they go. What is interesting is that religious people continue to pray for these Veterans after their holiday has passed. Holidays like this should not have any disadvantages or debates of it being a “holiday” or “holy day”. Despite the significant meanings of holidays, it leads people to contradict their true ideas. For example, Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a unique holiday where people come together to share a meal with a variety of different food choices. The popular trend of Thanksgiving is to have a cooked Turkey at the dinner table. One should appreciate the meal they have every day because there are some people who do not get to eat as often as they should. In addition, the history of Thanksgiving is opposed to its current meaning. The history of it is of the Native Americans helping the pilgrims during a cold winter, yet were killed for their land. One controversial issue with the debate of holidays and holy days is a phrase associated with the day. For example, some public schools in New York have emphasized not to say, “Merry Christmas” but instead say “Happy Holidays” due to religious reasons. Some people do not believe in Christmas or celebrate it the way society has thought it to be, with a focus on presents, family, and Christmas songs. The other benefit of saying “Happy Holidays” is putting two holidays such as Christmas and the New Year together. However, how far are people willing to go to replace a holiday phrase with a more general one? It is important to take into consideration that saying “Merry Christmas”, “Happy St. Patrick’s Day”, “Happy Hanukkah”or “Happy Kwanzaa” is an invitation into a culture. I believe that before expressing a holiday or holy day related phrase or denying one, we should first know the true meaning of it. Invitation to a culture is a peaceful gesture that should be welcomed whenever the opportunity arises. If it seems like the culture is imposing itself on those who don’t celebrate a specific day, then the best way to manage through this situation is to allow the individual self-expression. This is what makes them happy and the best way we can deal with this is to let them enjoy their day without any disrespect. This is what makes diversity so rich and unique because of people embracing different cultures, other than their own.
0 Comments
By Henry CruzImagine a stranger coming into your home and reorganizes everything, claims part of the home as his own, but then blames any dispute or disagreement that arises about the home on you. The United States of America has a reputation for acknowledging itself as the dominant country because of superior power that was accomplished through imperialistic methods. However, other countries who have a relationship with the United States often view their history as totalitarian and barbaric state. Throughout American history, countries such as Mexico and Spain were the victims of war. These countries were oppressed by the ideology of American patriarchy that establishes them as the “ideal” country or the example for other countries to follow. Historical events such as the Mexican-American War and the Spanish-American War demonstrate the United States desire to conquer. Consequently, Americans embrace their rich history and significant accomplishments, but ignore the sacrifices other countries have made by force in order for the U.S. to remain ideologically superior. The significance of relationships with other countries is that they reflect a similar ambition to conquer as the United States. Prior to the Mexican-American War in 1846, Mexico was under a dictator named Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. In 1834, a dispute between Mexico and Texas over a loaned cannon sparked a war between the neighboring territories. Texas defeated Santa Anna’s Mexican army of 6,000 soldiers through an error on Santa Anna’s part. He split his soldiers into three small groups which allowed the Texans to become victories in the battle, thus leading to their independence from Mexico in 1836. After this conflict between Texas and Mexico, former United States president James K. Polk sparked the idea of “Manifest Destiny”. It was the belief that Americans were destined by God to conquer territory towards the west. Polk was interested in states such as New Mexico, Arizona, California and other western states. At first, he proposed a price for the land, but was denied which was the spark to the Mexican-American War. Perhaps it was karma for what Mexico had done to the Texas, but the desire for Polk to move westward ignited his patriarchal belief. In 1846, a group of Mexican soldiers attacked a group of American soldiers within their bordered area. The American soldiers, under the command of General Zachary Taylor, called for reinforcement and were able to defeat the Mexican soldiers in their territory in Palo Alto and Resoca de la Palma. The responsibility could have gone either way. Mexico initiated the first attack, but the Americans were on the enemy’s turf knowing that would influence an attack.
To add insult to injury, a group of American’s residing in California which was Mexico’s territory rebelled against the Mexican government. This led to what is known as “Bear Flag” where the United States declared California an independent republic. To ease their way into claiming Mexico’s former property, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was established in 1848. This treaty states that the United States would compensate Mexico of about $15 million in exchange for their territories such as New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Wyoming, Utah and of course, California. The United States gets the better end of the deal and felt better about themselves after giving Mexico some sort of currency. Overall, the problem with this is that the United States forced Mexico into a war that they were not prepared for. The Americans took advantage of an inferior country to gain what they wanted. This is similar to stealing because some people pick on other people who are much smaller than them knowing they are easier targets to acquire what they have. By: Katherine SantanaRevolutions are a time of change, in which the people find themselves fed up with the existing system due to corruption and unjust actions. This is also a complex time, in which tension between the people and the government soar to new heights. In mark of the 100th year since the Russian Revolution, we will go back in time to the Haitian and American Revolutions. These revolutions, just like many others, have sparked immense change and show just how powerful people can be when coming together. The Haitian Revolution (1971-1803), was considered to be one of the most largest and successful slave rebellion. At the time, Haiti was called St. Domingue and was one of the most wealthiest overseas colonies that the French controlled. Their wealth was solely constructed by the production of sugar, cotton, indigo and coffee created by slave labor. Haiti was broken up into four groups, white planters & petit blancs, slaves, runaway slaves and those who were free. Those of African descent who were slaves, became fed up of the cruel and unsafe conditions that were being endured. Inspired by the events in France, slaves came together in a series of revolutionary movements. Led by Toussaint Louverture a former slave, he attempted to negotiate with the French but was imprisoned. Napoleon intended to bring back slavery to Haiti, however, Jean-Jacques Dessalines and Henry Christophe took over and led an army against the French. They succeeded, and by 1804, Haiti was declared independent. The American Revolution (1775-1803), like the Haitian Revolution arose from tension and disagreement between the colonists and the British government. Colonists were displeased with the rise in tax for tea by the British government, they were also displeased with the fact that they had no representation in parliament. Slaves in these colonies, also saw this as an opportunity to fight for freedom. Women also saw this as a chance to gain some form of independence. The British government attempted to appease the colonists by giving them more rights. However, this was not enough. Still unhappy, the people decided to take charge. The first battle occurred in Saratoga, in which the American force led by General Horatio Gates won against the British. This battle would then be followed up by a larger one located in the South. Led by Nathanael Green, American forces were able to score another victory against the British. Peace treaties were signed, which marked the end of the American Revolution as well as independence. I chose the American Revolution and the Haitian Revolution for several reasons. The first is that they share several similarities which we see in other revolutions around the world. However, they also share some differences in terms of what is prioritized as more important. The main similarity between the two, is the fight for independence which I think is crucial. Both the American Revolution and Haitian Revolution strived for independence as they were not getting any benefits from the system. In Haiti, colonists did not have representation in the French government. For the colonists in the Americas, colonists did not have representation in parliament. We also see, how the government tries to appease the people in both, however that wasn’t enough. The next similarity is fighting for rights, which contributes to the idea of independence. Colonists in both the American Revolution and the Haitian revolution, felt that their rights were diminished. Since both had no representation in government, this meant that the colonists had no voice in deciding anything. They had to put up with what the government imposed on them. The idea of fighting for ones rights, is also crucial because it is here that we see people uniting to establish a better future. Racial tension is also another similarity in both revolutions. We see racial tension between slaves and whites, as slaves fight for freedom and independence. However, while race is also another crucial factor to both of these revolutions, there is also a major differences. While the Haitian Revolution and American Revolution share several similarities, there are also differences. The differences stems from what is considered to be more of a priority. The first difference is what sparked the revolution in the first place. In the Haitian Revolution, change was sparked by unfair and unequal treatment of slaves and the gaps between statuses. In the American Revolution, change was sparked by unfair taxation by the British. The Haitian Revolution was inspired by the idea of “Rights of Man”, which contained the notion that all men are equal and free. The idea was inspired by the series of events in France. The American Revolution was inspired by the idea of “Natural Rights”, which was about freedom, equality and pursuit of happiness. Another difference between both revolutions, are the methods used to acquire change. For the American Revolution, terrorism was used as a method of fighting back the government. Whereas, in the Haitian Revolution, civil disobedience was the primary method of fighting back the government. For both revolutions, we see what is prioritized first. For the Haitian Revolution for example, the main priority was freedom of slaves. In the American Revolution, the priority was unfair taxation and unfair rules imposed by the government. While both revolutions did fight for the freedom of slaves, the Haitian Revolution takes the topper. Roughly 90% of Haiti at the time were slaves compared to 20% in the thirteen colonies.
Both the American Revolution and the Haitian Revolution, just like every other revolutions around the world are extremely important. It demonstrates union of the people to fight for what they feel is right. I wrote about these two revolutions in particular, to show how a revolution can happen anywhere and carry the same meaning. We see how a revolution in Haiti carries the same idea of independence, freedom and equality like the revolution in the Americas. We see how no matter how far apart, a revolution speaks for change. However, at the same time while they are similar, we also see that certain aspects are prioritized more. Either way, both of these revolutions depict the sacrifice and strength of the people to make a change for the better. A change, that leads us to where we are today in this day and age. By Nelson HerasWhen I think of a revolution, the image that comes to mind is a large crowd of people protesting for a change. Protesting may not be the proper word though because the image I get is more violent, an image of people covering their nose and mouth with a cloth or a gas mask while throwing objects at the police who in many eyes represent the government. Why do people revolutionize? For many reasons. The most common being that they feel disrespected by their government. They feel tightened up with chains and their freedom being stripped from them from those who are supposed to protect them and other citizens, but who are instead fighting against them and committing acts that will hurt the people. I always admired those brave individuals who put their lives on the line to fight for their freedom because it’s hard to go out to the streets and fight for what you believe in against people (the government) with much more power than you. In this piece, I will discuss the situation currently going on in Venezuela as well as the interesting facts of the French Revolution. VENEZUELA Not many of you may be aware of the crisis going on in Venezuela against President Nicolas Maduro and his government. The reason being is that the situation that the people of Venezuela face does not get much news coverage in the United States. Venezuelan citizens are not happy with their government because they are not living free, they do not feel as if they are a democratic nation and have gone to the streets to protest their rights. The protests against the inequality and violence in the country begun peacefully, but President Maduro’s solution (if you can call him a President) has been to send Venezuelan armed forces on the streets to go against its people. The main issue in this country is that Venezuela was once one of the wealthiest nations in the world, being rich in oil, however, it is now extremely poor and getting poorer as time goes by. Although Venezuela may still have a lot of oil, the price of oil has decreased and as a result, so has Venezuela’s income since it was very dependent on the price of oil. The country is going through a severe shortage of food, medicine and daily necessities such as soap and toilet paper and because they have a high demand without much supply the result has been prices skyrocketing to the point where the people cannot afford it. As a solution to this problem Venezuelans would cross the border to Colombia in order to buy toilet paper, but in 2015 Maduro closed the borders to supposedly prevent criminals from selling Colombian goods in the Venezuelan black market. According to money.cnn.com the minimum wage in Venezuela is 200,021 Bolivars a month (Venezuelan currency) which is equivalent to $46.70 U.S dollars. With such a low income it is impossible to purchase the necessities to survive especially with the skyrocketed prices on the market. The government has not been helping its people as a government should, but instead Maduro issued a ruling that allowed him to change the constitution to fit his liking, which in my opinion, takes away the title of President. In its place one can insert the name “Dictator”. In Venezuela, you either have a shortage on an item or an over-the-top price for what is available, imagine yourself living such way. You and I living in the United States take advantage of the little things we may think are no big deal such as toilet paper, a necessity that people in Venezuela have to make lines for and pay top dollar. What’s sad is that there are soldiers who fight against these protesters when they should all be one since they are all suffering from what’s going on in the country. FRENCH REVOLUTION Before I briefly explain what the French Revolution was, I have to say that the reason why I chose this Revolution was because when we got assigned this topic for the month I remembered a bit from middle school where I learned about the three estates and about heads being chopped off. This issue was the perfect time for me to refresh my memory on perhaps the most famous and most spoken about revolution, the French Revolution. The guillotine is what was used during the French revolution to execute thousands, including King Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette. Louis XVI became king in 1774, at the early age of 20 and as a monarch he was very immature, a quality of his character that did not seem to leave him as he aged. Louis XVI continued to govern without caring, not providing solutions to problems and not offering help. This is what eventually ignited the French Revolution. The king called for an assembly, the Estates General representing the three divided estates which were the first estate (clergy), the second estate (nobility) and the third estate (commoners). The assembly was to take place on May 5th, 1789 for the first time since 1614. The problem with this assembly was that the third estate, which represented 98% of the people, could still be outvoted by the other two higher estates. So, that being said, the third estate, being the majority wanted equality. Who wouldn’t right?
Let’s put ourselves in their shoes: - we are the majority, so why not have the majority say what our future will have in store for us. That is exactly what the Third Estate did, they wanted the voting to go by person and not by status so they decided to break away and begin their own assembly where each of their members would get a vote. On June 10, 1789, they started the National Assembly where they promised to create a new constitution for France. This reminds me of our voting procedure, how each of our votes do not count as one, on the contrary our voting system is controlled by the electoral college. I disagree with the electoral college and believe our President should be chosen by popular vote, that would change so many things in our country. Since King Louis XVI was unable to perform his duties from the start of his reign, unable to take France out of its financial problems, unable to lead his country, and failed to treat his people fairly he was sentenced to death by the French National Convention in 1793. Both the Venezuelan and French Revolution amaze me, - in how courageous people are to risk everything for freedom. It’s hard to believe that, back then, if a leader would not respect his people then he would not only be overthrown, but would also get his head chopped off. That’s something we will not likely see today. The reason why I think this is because there are too many laws today that prevent us from violently acting against our government. As unpopular as our current President may be we are too focused on our own lives and if we are not directly affected many of us simply do not care. Venezuela is a country we don’t pay mind to, and we should, because they are a country who is trying to progress but is being held back by their government. Venezuela is a country that was once an amazing place to live and once one of the wealthiest Latin countries, it should hurt us to see how it is now. Writing this piece taught me a lot, I felt more for the Venezuelan revolution because it is something that is occurring at present time so it hurts more to see how as I am writing this paper there are Venezuelan citizens who are suffering. There is more to learn about the Venezuelan Revolution occurring now and the French Revolution than what I mentioned above so please do your research and inform yourselves. I am glad I wrote this paper because through this paper I informed myself of international problems, and not only focus on what is occurring in The United States of America. It is vital for you and I to look further than what the eye can see, to read and learn of things that perhaps may not interest us, but is affecting the world as a whole. By Erick GarciaRevolution: a sudden, complete, or marked change in something. That was certainly the feeling in the air when the Russian revolt of 1917, otherwise known as The October Revolution, Red October, or The Bolshevik Revolution and the Yugoslavian Bulldozer Revolution of 2000 took place. Aside from being two extremely significant events in themselves, these two revolutions embody two important concepts: control and unity. Before the Russian revolt of 1917 occurred, there was already a lot of social unrest in Russia due to it being a very impoverished country during the early 1900’s. Under the reign of the royal Romanov monarchy, corruption in the Russian government was rampant, the Russian economy was suffering due to the investment of money in various wars, and many people were losing their faith in the Czar’s failing leadership. Thus, on November 6 and 7 (October 24 and 25 on the Julian calendar), the Bolshevik Revolution took place, otherwise known as The October Revolution of 1917. Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin along with a group of leftist revolutionaries overthrew the provisional government, calling for a Soviet government ruled by soldiers, peasants and workers as opposed to leaders from Russia’s bourgeois capitalist class. This would prove to be the first step in establishing the Soviet Union, and consequently, the first step in establishing a dictatorship that would last for sixty nine years. In 1998, college students got together in Belgrade, in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, to form what is known as Otpor!, which in Serbian means “resistance.” They did this in order to call for the removal of Slodoban Milošević, who at the time was the President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, because under his regime, new laws were being enacted that imposed political control over their universities and that harassed the independent media. It was announced on July 27, 2000 that early elections were going to be held on September 24, 2000, and Milošević was campaigning for reelection, even though he wouldn’t officially finish his term until the following year in June 2001. After this announcement, Otpor! united and formed the Democratic Opposition of Serbia, with Vojislav Koštunica as the chosen candidate to oppose Milošević. When the vote took place on September 24, 2000, it was reported that Koštunica had won over 50% of the votes, but Milošević refused to accept defeat. Because of his refusal, the revolution reached its peak on October 5, 2000 when between 500,000 and 1 million people took part in a mass rally in Belgrade. The Bulldozer Revolution obtained its namesake due to an engineering vehicle operator named Ljubisav Ɖokić (nicknamed Joe) taking his wheel loader (the Bulldozer Revolution has the name Bulldozer for convenience) and using it to charge a building in Belgrade where RST (Serbia’s public broadcaster and symbol of Milošević’s regime) was the tenant. Once Joe had broken through the police and security lines, the protesters swarmed the building and took over RST’s airwaves and quickly renamed it Novi RST (New RST), therefore serving as a symbol of their victory in taking down Milošević’s regime. Both of these revolutions are of monumental importance in our history. It’s worth nothing that these revolutions were similar in some ways and different in others. Both revolutions involved a group of people that fought for what they believed to be for the good of their country as a whole. The Bolsheviks fought to end the Romanov’s rule in order to save their country from poverty and from further destruction due to war and the people of Yugoslavia fought to establish a transparent democracy in their country. Additionally, both The Bolsheviks and The Yugoslavians fought their revolutions without spilling the blood of their enemies and were each. Where these two revolutions differ are their end results. While the Yugoslavians united to fight for the democracy and freedom of their country, the Bolsheviks fought for control of their country. While the Yugoslavians successfully and officially achieved democracy through their rebellion, and therefore, ended up fighting for the good of Yugoslavia, the Bolsheviks fought to overthrow an oppressive monarchy only to establish something that was equally as oppressive. Essentially, their hunger for power led them to replace one oppressive form of government with another. Their intentions were noble at the start of their revolution, but along the way they only started to think for themselves and not for the rest of their country, and this is what led to the start of the Soviet Union. The Yugoslavians who led Otpor! also fought against an oppressive regime that was rampant with corruption and also led a revolution that sought to overthrow that regime, but their intentions did not change throughout the course of their revolution. They did not seek dictatorship once they succeeded in their efforts to overthrow Milošević and his regime. Rather, they sought to replace Milošević with someone they believed not only better suited to carry out his position as President, but who would ultimately be representative of the people and not his own selfish interests. One who would represent democracy and unity instead of corruption. And it’s important to note that even after Koštunica replaced Milošević as President, Otpor! still existed to monitor the activities of the Democratic Opposition of Serbia until early September, 2004, when they eventually merged with the Democratic Party. Both of these revolutions are powerful reminders of what can be achieved when one fights for the right to be heard and to unify his or her people. And being that this October marks the centennial anniversary of The October Revolution and the 17th anniversary of the Bulldozer Revolution, let’s use these historical events to remind us of what we can achieve when we unite to fight to make our voices heard.
By: Giselle RamirezBlueberries for Sal was a book I reread countless times in the classroom of my 1st grade library. It was also one of the high level reading books, so I was very proud of myself for being able to read it completely on my own. However, while I was excelling at English in school, I was failing terribly at Spanish at home. Being a child of immigrant parents, culture and language was something deeply valued in my household. I have an older brother so I picked up on English quicker than Spanish, so my English ended up becoming better than my Spanish, which worried my mother. Hoping to improve my Spanish, she bought me books in Spanish instead, but it did not work. Instead, I constantly kept asking for Blueberries For Sal and cried whenever I was given anything in Spanish. To be honest, I barely remember the plot this book because I lost it among the piles of old toys and books I have stored in my closet. However, it represented a time where I was confused and frustrated with the presence of Spanish in my life because I felt it was not necessary since everything outside my home was in English. As I grew older though, I learned to embrace Spanish because it not only gave me more opportunity, but also allowed me to appreciate my inner Latina. The Lover's Dictionary is a very short novel I read when I was sixteen. The author tells the story of a failed relationship between two genderless lovers in a dictionary format. I do not think it was the story that affected me as much but rather the way the author told it. The story did not have a beginning, middle, or ending, he retold the relationship as a series of good and bad moments. It is very relevant to how we do not think back on relationships in chronological order. Instead, we tend to distinguish between the good and the bad moments of a relationship. This book affected me in the sense that love stories do not always have happy endings, which is something I usually look for when I want to pick up something to read. Nevertheless, it is a unique book and I reread it whenever I am arguing with my own boyfriend or feeling bothered by something because it reminds me that communication is completely necessary in a healthy relationship. I read this book this summer at the current age of 20 and it was moving to see so much diversity in this book. I was amazed to see that the girl being crushed on was Mexican and had beautiful brown eyes. It was wonderful see myself in a book, when growing up all I remember was reading about the girl with wavy blond hair or the cute boy with blue eyes. Aside from this, the book also discusses and expresses certain concerns that young people may be experiencing during a confusing time. Including the topic of exploring a new sexual orientation and discussing what constitutes as racism among minority groups. Sana, a Japanese American girl falls for Jamie, a Mexican American girl, which creates racial tensions among both their social groups. The story brought up questions relevant to the reality that we live in now and how we need to be considerate of everything we say even if we are not intending any harm. I thought it affected me directly because there are certain unspoken boundaries on what constitutes as racism when it comes to comments made by one minority group to the other. Discussions and consideration are steps to be taken when interacting with people of all colors and I think this book lays out a good foundation on how to open up the room for discussion on this topic. by Linda CheriyanAfter much contemplation, I have concluded that there is no easy way to say it. Before the summer started I was very hopeful of having a great time and getting to spend some of it with friends, because I rarely ever get to see anyone due to my busy schedule. One thing I definitely did not have on my schedule for this summer was the death of a friend. Death forces you into adulthood. Your thinking suddenly changes, especially when the death is unexpected. Anyone who knew Frederick Swope knows well that he was a charismatic young man who loved life so dearly. Here I want to pay tribute to the person he was. He is not the kind of person who can be summed up in just a few words. Freddy Swope deserves a whole story to explain who he was. I met Freddy over a year ago at an Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA) event. He came up and told me that he was at his first school event ever since he started college. We talked about the organization, and I was struck by how passionate he was about a club he barely knew. He wanted ALPFA John Jay to get the recognition it deserved, and I immediately knew I wanted him on my team. That semester we had our election, he got voted in as secretary and I got elected to be president. We became the dream team, working tirelessly alongside each other to make the organization better, more visible, and to get a bigger audience. As the ultimate duo; I refused to do a single event without Freddy. Though he got accepted to Baruch for the following year- we promised we would stick to the pact we made when we first joined. We both dreamt of having an event where we would have hundred students joining our event one day before we graduate. He helped me pick a new team for ALPFA and promised to always help me with the organization we were building together. We said our goodbyes after the last event we held together, which was one of the hardest things, but promised to stay in touch.
We talked about starting a nonprofit organization that would change the entire world. Freddy had passion for many things, one of which included music, creating music in his apartment and sharing it with me for my opinion. He was so passionate, and we talked about incorporating music into our nonprofit organization where it will change everyone’s perspective on music. In addition to our plans to change the world at 2 am, we talked about almost anything and everything philosophical. We would ask each other, “What’s in a name?” or “how does the stock market work?” To this day I still don’t understand how the stock markets works (sorry Freddy, I have failed you there), but through the stock market, Freddy would try to make me understand his passion for economics as well. As friends we didn’t always agree on every single topic, and we certainly had our disagreements, but we made sure to look past our political views and always remain friends. Every once in awhile he would have an epiphany around 2 am and text me saying “Linda are you ready for some bitter TrYouth?” TrYouth was the name of his blog, which he constantly bribed me to write for. He would tell me, “Linda you are an amazing writer and you need to invest your time in writing for my blog where you will make a bigger impact on society.” Ironically, now I’m writing about him for the very blog he tried to lure me away from. At the beginning of summer, I made my usual summer list of restaurants and places I would want to visit to photograph. I briefly mentioned the idea to him and he said he wanted to venture out with me. I was delighted by the idea because I’m always looking for new adventure buddies. All summer we tried to hang out, whether it was before, between, or after work. For one reason or another, it was not possible to get together. Freddy got a new internship at Northwestern Mutual to sell insurance and I had just started a new internship at a financial institution. A week before his accident I felt a terrible feeling about our friendship in my gut, and I realized how neglectful I’d been as a friend. I immediately texted him and told him we NEEDED to hang out as soon as possible. Though he was at home visiting his family, he said we should make plans for as soon as he came back to New York. That Monday July 17th at 11 am, he texted me saying “we should hangout this week”. I looked at my calendar and responded, “Can’t, let’s do next week”. We agreed on Monday July 24th after work. On July 21st, I received a text from one of our mutual friends asking if I’d heard from Freddy, because she received a missed call from Freddy that same Monday. I smiled and thought he called probably to sell the insurance he has been trying to sell all summer. But then, I also realized in that moment I had not heard from Freddy either. I texted him that morning to see if we can hangout the very next day instead of that Monday, but I had failed to notice even the normal things in my life because I was so consumed with fast pace of things in my life. It escaped my notice that someone I texted on a daily basis had not texted me in the past four days. My friend told me Freddy was in a terrible car accident that left him in critical condition. I quickly searched his name up on Google and hoped this story she was telling me would be false, but sadly, I came to find out it was the opposite. The article provided a very graphic picture of his briefcase, his one shoe and a pile of blood. I remember the briefcase really well. He had received it for Christmas and was super excited about how professional it looked. It didn’t take much to excite Freddy; he found everything in life to be a gift and found philosophical meanings in everything. One time in October of last year at a volunteer event, I noticed some dried blood on his notebook, and he refused to wipe it off because he found it memorable since it was his first nosebleed. This is how he approached everything in life. He made sure everything was memorable for him and for those around him. He made the most out of everyday, so it is still unclear to me how someone who valued life so dearly can be taken away from it so soon? As soon as I could, I went to visit him at the hospital, and I felt desperate to see the pace at which he was recovering. When I saw him I couldn’t recognize him: I remember asking my friend a few times if that was really Freddy in the hospital room. The Freddy I knew had so much energy and was full of life. His dad gave me an update about his recovery. And though his injuries were very serious, I would not underestimate his recovery skills, because he had never underestimated my abilities in anything--whether it was my creative side or my presidential side. The next day, July 24th, I returned to the hospital to hangout with him as we had planned a week before. I went to the hospital with our mentor who has helped coach both of us in our career paths. But, as we walked to his room, we saw the room was dark, the curtains were drawn and his family was not to be found anywhere. Deep inside I still held onto hope that maybe he was just taken to surgery so he could get better. I asked the two nurses who were there, and they told me that he had passed away that afternoon. That moment seemed to last forever as we kept asking if it was really Freddy they were talking about. You can never be prepared for that moment. When I heard the news of Freddy’s death, I wanted to curl up and forget everything about the world. That entire next week I sent emails, text messages, read posts, and wrote comments on posts about his death. Normally the more you engage with something, the better you get at it. But no matter how many times I brought myself to talk about it, it still felt fresh and it scared me deeper. The crazy thing about death is that you sometimes lay around thinking of all the last things you would’ve said or would’ve done if you had known the person’s last days were approaching. You think of all the ways you could have shown them your appreciation, and you can’t help but begin to realize how much of their presence you took for granted. You begin to realize how much you appreciate your own life because in a matter of seconds life can be taken away. Freddy’s death has made me face so many life regrets. Freddy has always tried to teach me life lessons and still continues to do so, even after living. I learned that you are never too busy for your loved ones. Freddy, I hope you are able to forgive me for all the times I wasn’t able to hangout. You were a good friend and colleague, and I will truly miss you. I hope I have expressed enough of my love for Freddy, but I know no amount of words or pages will ever do him and his grand life justice. Freddy’s greatest goal aside from being successful in finance was to be known for his music one day. So I would like to conclude with a few lines from a song he wrote called Drones: We fly away when days are getting hard,
the pain I made it through, it left me scarred. Remember back when times were so bizarre, the scenic visuals that wasn’t far. Keep the faith and thankful to the stars, 24-karat magic, Bruno mars. Living life, don’t got no time to pause. Rest in Peace Freddy. by Joseph "Joey" ButtsTo say that a book changed my life is a stretch. I am more comfortable saying that a book has without a doubt helped my life. Some people might not see the distinction there, but to me, there is one. Not many people know that I enjoy reading as much as I do. This is probably due to the fact that it is so difficult for me to find a book that I truly enjoy, so it results in me reading not as often as most book-enthusiasts. But nonetheless, I have picked up many books, in hopes that they’ll be able to get me through the first few chapters. Some books I gave up on after a few pages. Some I read just because I felt like I had to. This is thanks to the TV shows and movies that make me intrigued about the differences between how an author viewed his book, and how a director interpreted it. The handful of books that really get through the good and bad times, are as follows: The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach; Someday This Pain Will Be Useful To You by Peter Cameron; and None of the Bad Ones by Andrew Brown. They enabled me to view my outlook on life differently. The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach This book was recommended to me by a woman I used to work with. She told me that the main character, Henry, reminded her of myself. I was the guy at work who wouldn’t speak much. I just went about my business, spoke when spoken to, and maybe cracked a few jokes here and there if the moment was right. For my standards it is a relatively long book, having a page count over 500. I probably read it in about three or four days. I could not put it down. If I didn’t have any other responsibilities, I could have done it in an one day. Everything from character development, to the detailed descriptions and to the points of narrative, were flawless. Although I never thoroughly watched or played baseball, I could still feel a strong connection to Henry. The book follows the course of three other characters in the book whose stories overlap and cross. It was beautifully written, and deserves to be read more than just one time. But Henry had such a humbled yet strong pursuit for perfection, and when things didn’t go his way, he began to unravel. He fell apart and began to struggle; not only in baseball, but in life. But after reading his experiences, and comparing them to my own, I could empathize with his pain. He let himself collapse, and almost destroy everything he had going for him. There was a point in my life where I thought this was happening to me as well...call it the “quarter-life crisis”. I gave up on everything. I became a person I thought I never would become, and it showed. I would walk around with my head down, burning bridges with friends and family; all because I was in a bad place. Henry Skrimshander inadvertently helped me through these times. Someday This Pain Will Be Useful To You by Peter Cameron So I had just accidentally missed a meeting with Professor Rougier. I broke up with my very serious girlfriend a few days prior. It was by far the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I broke this girl’s heart, and lost my absolute best friend. I was a complete mess, even though I knew it had to be done. We didn’t line up well. The longer we were together, the more I could find myself growing distant from her. I don’t remember exchanging emails with Professor Rougier to schedule a meeting in the first place. I couldn’t distinguish what was reality and what was in my head. I was practically a zombie, just going through the motions of my usual days with no real thoughts or comprehension of what was going on. When it was all sorted out, we met in his office. He told me he was going to give me this book on our original meeting date...which was such a coincidence just because of the title of this novel. It was hard for either of us not to laugh at the irony of the situation. I thanked him and read the book within the next few days. The main character, James, seemed like a spitting image of myself when I was 16, 17, and 18 years old. A quiet teenager with few friends and a knack for being a sarcastic smart-ass. James thought the idea of college was ridiculous. Something I would always tell my parents (and sometimes still do). I would always say that I would never go, and that I didn’t need it to be successful. My parents would do as James' parents and grandmother would. Tell me I am acting childish and that I didn’t know what I was doing. None of the Bad Ones by Andrew Brown This is one of my all time favorite books. I read the online New York skate blog Quartersnacks almost everyday, or at least when they put up new content. One day I saw they had an interview with the author, Andrew Brown, discussing the release of his book. In the interview, Andrew Brown was asked if the novel was a love story. He responds by saying “It’s a fucked up love story”. He also says to go into it with an open mind, other wise you will think it is some trashy book. And maybe to some extent it is, but it’s about how yourself as an individual interprets this trash. If anyone decides to read this book, I recommend reading this interview first. So after I read the interview, I ordered the book and began reading it. It was a pretty short novel.The book takes place over the course of one weekend in the mid 2000s, when BBM was a huge thing, with his encounter and relationship with a girl who has a bad reputation whom he hasn’t seen in quite some time. But the story was really hitting home for me. My connection with the nameless narrator and his days in New York City over the summer was just so eerily familiar to what my friends and I do today. Now, if someone read this book and heard that I said it hit home, they would think I am some sleazy guy who goes clubbing and does all that other stuff he describes in great detail, but that really isn’t it. There’s more to it than that. One part of the book, he describes skating down the avenues, and how New Yorkers always know what streets are the good ones to push down. He talks about going to Tompkins Square Park, and skating flat, learning new tricks. A bunch of my friends still do that. Almost everything about the novel, I could relate to. Not the erotic parts, but his relationship with the girl in the book, I could imagine. I could see it so clear. He describes his apartment and I feel like I have been there. The entire time I read this book, I was just smiling. It made me want to grab my skateboard and go downtown and skate with my friends. It made me want to buy a Blackberry and see if anyone in the world still used BBM. The book was nostalgic to me, which is strange because I have only been living in the City for three years. But it made me feel a certain way. I felt warm reading about his weekend with this girl. His love gained and love lost story. These books all did something for me. One of them might have made me smile, while the other two could have made me melancholy. Maybe you read None of the Bad Ones and say that it just belongs in the garbage. That is okay. These books helped me learn more about myself than anything else. And that is why I chose them. They were my inspiration. Not only can I see myself as these characters, but I can see myself writing like these authors, too. And this is why I started by saying: To say that a book changed my life is a stretch. I am more comfortable saying that a book has without a doubt helped my life. Some people might not see the distinction there, but to me, there is one. If a book changed my life, that means it would have taken something from my personality or my soul, and spit it out different than it was before. For me, a book cannot do that. I know who and what I am. And I like what I have turned out to be. But sometimes, I need some help, some guidance. And these books do that for me. I was told that the best way to become a better writer, is to read.
by Henry CruzThe best lessons I learned in life are how to accept my fate and how to appreciate my loved ones. English literature has always been my best subject, but only when it came to writing. I started to love reading after I read books that were relatable and written with words that expressed the emotions I endured every day. Those books were Hamlet, Great Expectations, and Bodega Dreams. These books shined a light on my darkest days and contributed some of the best lessons I learned in my life. Great Expectations In high school, I was taking an AP Literature class and the book Great Expectations by Charles Dickens was given to me to start reading over the summer before the class started. At first, I was not accepting the assignment because I wanted to enjoy my summer without any school work. However, as the days grew closer to school I knew I had to begin reading it. After reading it, I was in shock from the overall message and ending of the story. A boy named Pip grew up with the guidance of his brother in law Mr.Joe. At the end, I learned to never forget where I come from no matter how much I grow or change in life. I believe the important message of the story is to appreciate your loved ones because any trip with them is worth more than the destination. Hamlet I always believed that a person is responsible for his/her own fate despite their beliefs in something. To me, beliefs are a person’s creation to give them answers that they are too afraid to give themselves. William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet shaped the way the way I think about life and death. His famous lines “To be or not to be, that is the question” goes beyond a romantic ideology of his work. This line expresses that no one can escape suffering whether they are dead or alive. When a person is alive, they walk through life with their troubles and sorrows, perhaps wishing they were dead. Death is described as an end where all the suffering and pain is gone no matter what choices were made when being alive. Death has physical or emotional feeling. However, Hamlet explains that when a person is dead, they are asleep, and when they are asleep they dream, and when they dream, they have nightmares about their problems. Death is defined as an end to life, but also represents the beginning of an afterlife. The choices we make when we are alive determine how our afterlife will be. Even if we avoid the consequences when we are alive, those consequences follow us through our morals and guilt. We eventually learn through consequences of what we should have done and what we should not have done. We are responsible for our own fate and the way we structure it. We compose the velocity of our lives. For instance, some people choose to live slowly, day by day while others live life rapidly making each day count as if it is his/her last. There are times we think about short term effects rather than long term. We cannot blame others for the consequences within our path because we are our own pilots who manage the direction where we want life to take us. Bodega Dreams
I grew up in a tough and poor neighborhood. Although I did not know everyone in my neighborhood personally, I would still greet and speak to them because I saw them as human beings before anything else. This book brings me flashbacks of the crazy things I would do to prove myself to people and how far I would be willing to go. As a man, I would be willing to do anything that would help my family in any way. Bodega Dreams taught me no matter how far I go out of my way to achieve something, appreciate those who are worried for you. For example, I learned to appreciate my beautiful girlfriend even more than when I first met her. Not only is she my lover, she is my best friend and that is what gives me the most comfort every day. I was blessed to having an amazing person like her to give me unconditional love every day. In Bodega Dreams, the main character Chino grows up with his girlfriend Blanca (Nancy) and deals with the emotional burden of wanting better for her. His financial situation becomes more challenging as he learns that she is pregnant. He becomes concerned with finding a good paying job and an apartment with more room but in a better neighborhood. However, she notices that he is troubled and worries for him. Despite her feelings, Chino secretly isolates himself to achieve his goal of obtaining a better apartment for them to live in. This situation is very relatable because I would also be willing to do anything to accomplish my goal as the main character Chino did for his. Although I have people who worry for me, I now know how important it is to stay strong for them and appreciate every second I spend with them. When your body is tired, exercise your mind. Reading these three books contributed to how I deal with my emotions and rationally think. Life tends to put people through physical and mental obstacles that shape how we carry ourselves through our lifetime. The overall message I took from all three of these books is to appreciate the trip more than the destination. No matter where life takes me, I am responsible for what direction I am headed for. by Connor GilliganThe books I have elected to write about in this article have had the biggest impact on my life and my happiness. Growing up I wasn’t the biggest fan of school, but I always loved to learn; this left me lost for a few years with no particular direction. This article will explain how I discovered and then rediscovered my passion for education through three works of literature that changed the way I view the world. The three books that have influenced my life the most are: The Golden Concise Encyclopedia of Mammals, The Depression Cure, and The Immoralist. David Lambert’s The Golden Concise Encyclopedia of Mammals was the book that sparked my curiosity and passion for learning. As a child, that book made me happier than anything else; it is covered in tape, all tattered and torn from years of use. I carried the book with me all the time and I loved learning about animals from around the world. I thought it was so fascinating that there were so many other living creatures on this planet, with different adaptations and characteristics. It really made me appreciate the wonder of the world around us; it made me excited to learn, and to share what I had learned with others. I remember reading about a few species of bat that eat fruit and I was so excited to share that fact with everyone I knew. I read this book the other day for the first time in a long time and was overcome with a sense of nostalgia. This book brought me some much joy as a child; it will always hold a special place in my heart. Stephen Ilardi’s The Depression Cure was the book that rekindled my desire to expand my knowledge. Shortly after returning to college I was feeling a little down in the dumps, as anyone does time to time, and this is the book that changed my outlook on life. Before this book I had never truly focused on happiness as a major part of my life. I figured if I did everything that was expected of me happiness would follow. Sadly, that just isn’t how happiness works. Happiness comes from within and it must be desired. I can honestly say that this book changed the direction of my life. I have recommended this book to all of the people closest to me and I recommend it to anyone reading this now. André Gide's The Immoralist may be one of the most thought provoking and honest books I’ve ever read. Gide writes “If there’s one thing each of them claims not to resemble its … himself. Instead he sets up a model, then imitates it; he doesn’t even choose the model he accepts it ready-made.” Having just finished The Depression Cure, I still had happiness on the brain and I especially connected with this quote. After reading this book I came to the realization that too often we let others define our happiness and that is no way to live the only life we have. I had struggled with defining what made me happy and this book helped me understand that I wasn’t alone in this struggle. For the March article, I listed some of the things that bring me joy, including fishing, writing, and woodworking (I would now add painting and reading to that list). Before I read this book I was under the assumption that happiness would eventually just come to me; after I read this book I searched for it. Happiness is about engaging in activities that you are passionate about and these books have helped me understand that. They have also helped shape me as an academic, as a writer, and as a person, and I look forward to continuing this path of learning and growing. My best piece of advice is to never stop learning. And if anything is to be taken away from this article, it is to: keep reading, expanding your knowledge, and doing what makes you happy.
|
Categories
All
Archives
November 2017
|