April 02, 2008 Erasmus Living Learning Community

Hey all! Watz crackin! Well for me as of right now my Erasmus Community is! I wanted to talk to you a lil bit about that. We just had lunch with the Board of Trustees because they were interested in what our group was doing. And apparently, they are a big deal, and I think it went well! So basically Erasmus is a living learning community, and a living learning community is where a group of students live on the same floor in one of the residence halls, take a class together that covers part of your core requirement for school, have weekly meetings, and take an immersion trip to a designated destination while focusing on a certain social justice issue. So the community Erasmus focuses on human trafficking. For those who are unfamiliar with this, it is when victims typically from impoverished countries are brought to another country by force, have their passports confiscated, and sold. They can be sold to just one individual for their personal interests, or someone who is running a corrupt business uses them to make money. Some examples are using victims to offer sex in massage parlors, perform labor in restaurants, etc. to make their own profits without giving the victims any compensation. It is a horrible issue that I was unaware of prior to this program. One of our professors is the author of the book Not For Sale which gives excellent accounts and examples of what trafficking is.   So this community has given me the opportunity to become aware of this overlooked topic and do something about it. So as of right now, our group is doing a lot of community research in our city and working with health care centers who provide for trafficked victims and try to obtain demographics to try to spread this awareness. As a conclusion to this program, at the end of the year we are going to Thailand for an immersion trip and work with children and victims of trafficking in impoverished neighborhoods. I am even going to get to meet a few of the women who I read in the Not For Sale book. So I am looking forward to being able to make all this knowledge and service come to life.   It is really a privilege to be a part of a community where we share similar passions and are able to implement them into the university mission which is using our education and talents to create a better world. I recommend anyone who is living on campus and want to be part of a community that works for a better cause to join a living-learning community; it will definitely enhance your college experience! Alright, thanks for listening! Have a great week!

December 21, 2007 Green Festival

So a couple weeks ago I went to the Green Festival here in San Francisco. It was my first time attending such a thing! One of the many brilliant things San Francisco has to offer! So even starting with the trek over there was fun, I get excited when I see a new area in the city or take a new bus. I was already happy and when I get there some lady was like “Do u have a ticket?” And I was like, “No.” And she was like, “my friend could not make it so here u can have this one!     Score! I saved 15 bucks! So I get in and boy am I overwhelmed! FREE FOOD everywhere! It was amazing! So the Green Festival is basically to raise awareness about environmental issues and promote their environmental-friendly products, and with that comes with lots of samples! I tasted so many things such as chocolate bars, cereal, cliff bars, fair trade coffee, smoothies, tea, lotion, granola, juices, yogurt, did I mention chocolate bars!? It was amazing! And it was very good and valuable stuff. I ended up picking up a few things. I am a sucker for chai tea. So I got myself a gallon of that with some good energy bars. I also spend quite an amount of time in a book section about positive books on how to promote a healthy way of life, mentally, physically, and spiritually. I am always fascinated by these books. I even found these messages in children’s books by promoting maturity and appreciation through these picture books. They also sell tons of clothing that is not made from sweatshops.   This place was massive. I could not even get through the whole place in the 2 hours I was there. Another enlightening experience that our city exposed me to. It was perfect cause lately, I have been more mindful of our environment and considering tap as my source for water because it is better for the environment. And I just got a Nalgi bottle! (I think that is how its said & spelled) I was never one for tap, but knowing San Francisco has the cleanest tap water helps a lot!

November 21, 2007 Lovin it Up...

Hey guys! Hows it goin? Hopefully good. As for me, pretty great. I had an awesome enlightening week. Pretty busy but I felt like I conquered each day. Wasn’t dozing off in any of my classes, had some good meetings, learned about grad school, made some awesome connections, ran to the beach, oh! And I started basketball last week. I had a blast! I am looking forward to it but a little sad because I’m going to have to miss a few games because my Senate meetings overlap. = (  Anywho, I’m going to talk to you about something that kicked off my amazing week. . .             Allow me to introduce to you Love Fest. Love Fest is like the biggest party in San Francisco. I know people who travel all over the state just to come to this. The idea of Love Fest is to celebrate diversity and build community and have a good time! So my friends and I dressed up for the occasion, which I think was the funnest part. Me and my orange goddess went all out which grabbed a lot of attention. Basically you’re free to dress up however you want, mainly accentuating lots of color. People are free to dress in costume, be half naked, be completely naked, just expressing yourself however you feel. So we show up feeling pretty good and it is just this big dance party! There are like mini-clubs all around the civic center playing a bunch of techno. We danced hung out with a bunch of friends, met new people, spreading the love. Never a dull moment. Later in the night, they have this big after party inside of the civic center. My friends and I didn’t go because it is like 60 bucks a ticket. Yeah pretty intense. I had a good night though. The event was definitely an experience to remember. Only in San Francisco.

November 21, 2007 On A Whole Different Level

Hey watz crackin! Hope all is well. Well I wanted to talk about my weekend and life in general. This past weekend I actually decided to keep it low key and feel as if I gained so much talking and connecting with people; truly getting to know someone, than I would have partying. I really like this approach I decided to take in my life right now. Slowing it down a bit, and participate in social activities and hanging out with people that would be worth my while. So I hung out with people I don’t usually do, and talked for hours while getting to know each other. It was quite fulfilling. I also got to go surfing this weekend which was exhilarating in itself. Freezing as well. I was not equipped with the right wetsuit. I also got to check out a Castro festival which was something new and different. Good way to take a break from campus.             I’m also trying to focus more on academics. My first month here, it was a crazy transition so my days were jam packed and busy with classes, work, club meetings that I wouldnt have any time or energy for homework. And by the time the weekend came, I just wanted to unwind! But just 3 weeks ago, I made of promise to my mom, more for myself, that I would concentrate more on my academics which has been going really well by the way! I have been trying to get more sleep, which has resulted in me in staying awake and active in class. I had my first mid-term this week and think I dominated! I hope! I also have been taking care of my body. Being consistent at the gym and less partying, which has been going pretty well. I’m on top of my game and feeling good in all areas of my life now

November 21, 2007 Blackout

So I might sound like a real freak right now but I’m going to talk about, and hopefully promote, Britney Spears's new album that came out today! It is titled “Blackout” featuring her new hit “Gimme More.” Good thing I didn’t have class today, I mean cause its not like I would have ditched class or anything, so I took a walk down Haight street to Amoeba first thing this morning when they opened. I was so excited! Im pretty sure I had a smile on my face the whole time. Ive been in Britney mentality all day. Im sure its just an ordinary day for every other USF kid, but when you see me walking on campus with a smile on my face, it is because I have Britney playing in my head. It feels like a holiday. Okay, let me explain my obsession. I’ve been a fan ever since I was ten and it has been unconditional ever since no matter what shes going through in her life. Shes human too! So Im listening to the cd as we speak and it is great! Its been awhile since I got to experience listening to one of her cds on the first day so it is magic to my ears. = ) Ok so I just realized this whole blog was about my obsession with Britney. Ha! Don’t worry Im no Chris Crocker, just a proud fan!

October 03, 2007 An Eventful Summer

Hello! Im back! For those who do not know me- my name is Joeline Navarro, sophomore Psychology major from the beautiful Los Angeles. I am currently in the Erasmus Program, Senate serving as your Student of Color Representative, Vice-President of Latinas Unidas, F.A.C.E.S. (Freedom Alliance of Culturally Empowered Students), M.E.C.H.A., hopefully another year in Intramural Basketball. I am still in the office of Multicultural Recruitment and Retention, along with 2 new jobs-  Multicultural Student Services and University Ambassadors.             So I thought I would talk briefly about my summer. Well, if I had to sum it up in one word. It would be HOT. Dam coming home from San Francisco weather required a lot of adjustment. It took me awhile to adapt to the heat again. So the first half was pretty chill and relaxing. Did not do much except for take a music class. The second half of summer I was all over the place. I went to Philadelphia with my dad, hung out in the City of Brotherly Love. My first time East Coast and learned a great deal of history in that state, especially about Ben Franklin. I also took some short trips to San Diego, as well as Reno (long train ride) to visit some friends. Did a lot of hanging out with old high school friends which consisted of clubbin, 6 flags, gambling for the first time (legally), basketball games, and attempting to watch all the seasons of friends. I did surfing for a week which was a blast! Followed by a week in Paradise in Hawai’i- Maui. Place felt like home. I had a hard time leaving. So you can say I had a pretty eventful summer. I was going to try the whole working thing, but glad it did not work out because I got to do a lot of things I always wanted to do. Like it was about time I took on surfing! I also met some cool new people as well.             It was a fulfilling summer for me. At the same time it feels good to be back although it did take me a few days to adapt to the different lifestyle. Once my friends started moving in everything was better. Life moved pretty fast after that. Next thing I know, classes were starting. So yeah, I am pretty excited for this school year. It is funny cause the last 2 weeks of my summer, I was preparing myself mentally that I am not going to have a life this year with all my involvement and responsibilities, but now I think there are always ways to balance out everything.

October 03, 2007 A Beating Heart

I am so pumped for this school year. I realized today how much I love doing what I do. Being at the Fall Leadership Institute (brilliant program by the way) made me appreciate once again what our school has to offer. Being around people like myself-sharing common goals and interests, passionate leaders who are committed to what they do and making a difference on a daily basis. I love it! Nice to know I'm not alone. Someone today, who I can consider a mentor, asked me, How do you do all that you do? And I was a bit surprised hearing this from someone who is also quite involved in campus. I thought, Wouldn't you know?  But I'm glad she asked because it allowed me to be able to articulate how I really felt. And its because I learn and grow so much from all this involvement. If my passion is social justice and creating change, I'm going to take daily steps to get to this place. I feel that who I am, and what I learn most, exceeds the walls of a classroom. And I actually feel like an asset to each of these organizations. So all those meetings I often get questioned for, I'm not going because I have nothing to do. I'm going because I love what each club has to offer. I'm here fore a reason, and that's to create change. I would not be content of simply being a student here. I want to be a learner, a believer, a dreamer, an activist, an intellectual, a mentor. College is not only about classes and partying. It's getting involved, designating some time to volunteer for a common cause, having stimulating conversations, learning in SO many ways. You know, I came to a few realizations within the past couple days. It has been a VERY busy week. My days are long consumed of work, classes, meeting, events, constantly on the go. By the end of the day, even mid-day sometimes, I am DRAINED. Then it just takes one LITTLE thing that can be SO big and mean so much to me. It is my friends who keep me SANE. Whether it be the random dance party in my room, the special meetings in UC 417, making someone's day with a hug, someone making mine with a card in the mail or getting a cake for my "b-day," blowing all my money in Forever 21, a hyphy drive to Target, or a run to the beach. All these things make me appreciate my life so much. I am thankful for all that I have, the people in my life, the school i go to, the endless opportunities...! So I came to realize I love my life and everything I CHOOSE to do. From my jobs, to my major, to my clubs and positions. I was reminded today why I go to these daily meetings, why I devote so much time. I found my heart beating faster when a speaker was talking about social issues. His words were so strong. He telling us how we can't sit around and wait for the world to change (as John Mayor says,) we have to change it. But of course, it starts with us, It's up to us to...Be The Change.

October 03, 2007 An Eager Mouth Gone Silent

So I participated in my first silent protest this Tuesday. I have only participated in one other protest before this, which was definitely a verbal one. This silent protest was pertaining to the Jena 6 issue dealing with racism in Louisiana. What an incredible and challenging experience this was for me. Just the night before, I was all rallied up, must have told the Jena 6 story about fifteen times, encouraging my friends to come out and wear black. So taking part at this protest, at first, I found it very discomforting. I was in a line, holding up a sign not saying a word. I found it difficult seeing my friends and acquaintances walk by, not knowing why I was up there. I almost wish I could tell people what was going on and bring them to the table.   On the other hand, it did not take too long for me to start observing everyone around me. Harney Plaza is the hub of our school, where students meet up with friends, relax, get some sun before the next class. I am usually in my own world when in this setting. So this gave me the chance to witness those who walked to the table, those who did not care, those who were in shock, those who were aware or sought to be, and those who were just ignorant. As time went on, I felt more of a sense of a comfort when we received support and more allies joined the line. Major props to the Black Student Union for educating themselves and raising awareness to our community, including myself. However, this is an issue that is definitely still discreet in our nation and community. For more information on this issue, you can visit the website http://www.colorofchange.org/jena/main.html and see what you can do to help change.

March 09, 2007 To Feel Fully Alive...

So I woke up to an e-mail reading my only class was canceled. Woo hoo! So I thought I would use that time to go to the gym, but when I got there I realize Im just not feeling it. It was such a nice day outside so I thought Id rather go for a run. As I started running down Fulton, the breeze hitting my face felt so refreshing. And the sun beaming down my neck felt like therapy. Its interesting how a pretty day like this will often be overlooked from where I am from; so being up here, I appreciate every day like this I can get. And running is one of my favorite things to do on a nice day. So I wasn't expecting to go too far but as long as my music was playing, I kept running. I recall reaching a peak of the hill, glancing at the ocean waves, and smiling. Which caused me to run faster til I got to the water, then I took a seat close to the shore.   For those who do not already know, I love the beach. I think its the most beautiful thing on this earth. When Im there, nothing else matters; I go there to reflect, repent, or just relax. Its funny cause over this semester, I had like 2 experiences where I felt fully alive. What does it mean to be fully alive? Something that gets your heart pumping, where you feel excessively enthralled, moments that take your breath away. One of these was after a run on a nice day, laying on the grass and looking up at the sky. I experienced the beauty to appreciate silence and feel how beautiful our world really is. Another was spontaneously going to the beach. Its funny cause Ive been to there many times but this time was different. Never have it looked so beautiful, (especially being a beach in San Francisco). I inhaled the air and felt impelled to write. Then I got this rush of excitement I ran into the water and started playing with the ocean. Moments like these are when Im grateful for just being.   So when I was able to combine these two feelings today (one being the action, the other being the incentive) by running to the beach, I was like, "Ah." Running to the beach was actually a goal my running buddy (dave!) had set to accomplish before the school year. (Sorry David,) Like I said, I wasnt expecting to run this far, but the best things in life are those that aren't  planned, and of course, free!

March 05, 2007 Freshman Leadership Retreat

Hey! Haven't written in awhile, schedule has been pretty hectic. To be honest, I have not been completely focused on academics lately up until last week. I realized my classes were starting to pick up when I had 2 midterms last week, so there was definitely a lot of cramming going on. So this weekend was perfect timing to go on a retreat so I can kind of slow my role in my social life.   So this retreat was focused on the Freshman Leadership Institute which I think I had mentioned in one of my previous blogs. You had to get nominated, followed by an application, then your acceptance. So there was a total of about 19 of us who went to Westminister Woods located in Occidental, which was north of our school. I was very excited being it was my first time being on a weekend retreat, as well as being in the woods! We started off with dinner which must I emphasize, they serve exceptionally great food. I was quite surprised. I don?t think I was ever hungry this whole weekend because we were provided with so many snacks so I was constantly eating! Oh but besides food, I had an awesome experience on this retreat. I thought it was a great opportunity to reflect on our leadership skills and how we can improve them, and how it is important it is that everyone works together to successfully complete tasks. I was also able to meet different people who I was easily able to connect with. I really enjoyed this group because no matter what our differences, we all had one thing in common: being open-minded and understanding to each others? ideas and values. I am glad I had this opportunity; because on top of food galore, I was able to gain new perspectives, as well as, bond with some cool new people.

February 09, 2007

So here I am again! Writing to you from the lovely city of San Francisco. It felt really good to be back. Just up until this semester was when it really hit me: Wow! I live in San Francisco, and how I didn't really take advantage of everything it had to offer my first semester.     Just this past weekend, a friend and I went on an adventure exploring the city a bit. Our main destination was China-Town but that ended up being the least of our priorities. We ended up taking the 43 line all the way down the Presidio; such a nice scenic route! Then we got off where it ended and walked as we shared our dream houses as we walked by these million dollar homes. (when u gonna play that lotto Kyle?) So we walked all the way to the Wharf and found the the bus that led to China Town then jumped on another bus that led us on Sacramento St, all the way down to the end of California St, then to Geary. Finally we had dinner in some Italian restaurant on Geary. It felt really good seeing new places, and I get really excited riding new bus lines!    I told myself I'm going to do a lot more of that this semester. Man I can't believe already 3 weeks have flown by this Spring semester! It has been a really great 3 weeks by the way! Classes are great, clubs/organizations are enlightening, club is happening Thursday nights, and still continuing to meet new people. As for The City, I look forward to seeing new areas, riding new bus lines, and I still plan on trying every restaurant worth trying!

December 19, 2006 Finals can be fun?

Hello peeps! Well what can I say, I am officially done with my first semester of my freshman year as a college kid. Feels nice. Wow it's amazing how fast it went. It just felt like last week I was moving from the 6th floor to the 8th floor due to "bed bugs." Ha good times. (There really wasn't any bed bugs by the way) But then I think of everything accomplished within these 4 months, and I think, hey it does seem pretty longer than I thought.   So, as crazy as it may sound, I actually enjoyed the week of and weekend prior to finals. I mean, I was going to sleep no earlier than 5 for the past 6 days getting no more than 4 or 5 hours of sleep. Here's the amazing thing: I wasn't studying. I was just so relieved after the last day of classes last week; I took the whole weekend off trying to enjoy my last days of college in 2006. Finally, my year began to unwind.   So let me tell you how cool finals week is: You get FREE FOOD almost every day. This is a good thing, especially for those who ran out of flexi. We had things such as Pancake Night and Midnight Breakfast. O and I even got like this cute little "finals kit" that provided all the necessities for studying. It was really cute. Actually kinda made me want to study.   Another thing I realized about finals, it really brings people together. Never have I seen so many people in the lounges, parina, or atrium. It was ridiculous, but it was really nice to see how you can count on support from your fellow colleagues as you bust those all nighters. The times I did make it to Parina lounge to study, I actually had fun. I don't think I ever really stressed. I got to touch basis with people I do not normally interact with every day. So I was able to socialize, and get something done at the same time.   One thing my friends and I brought back from the 1970s, that was a good, innocent reliever during times of intense work, was Nintendo 64. Mario Cart became a really popular and COMPETITIVE game in my room or the 7th floor. Phil, if you're reading this, get ready to polish up my gold cup that I will be taking home with me this X-mas break after I beat you. Hehe I told you it was competitive.   Well, I'm going to wrap up by saying I had a pretty good experience with finals. Don't get me wrong though, some people may have it harder than others. I just happened to work harder the weeks before finals so it wasn't too bad when finals came around. I just had 2 tests and had to polish up a final draft. I realized not to take college so seriously, because after all, it is not the times we spent all night working on a paper that we will remember, but the times we had fun with friends.

December 13, 2006 Freshman Champs

Hey watz crackin! Well I just wanted to inform you all that my intramural basketball team played in the Championship game this past Tuesday, and we left with a victory of course! Its kinda hard to be modest when we went through the season being undefeated? woo woot! Haha I would have to say I was quite surprised when coming out our first game being that we were all freshman free agents who have never played with each other before. It was quite impressive knowing that we played some upper-classmen teams. We started off with about 11 players and throughout the semester only had a consistent of 5. It got tiring at times when we all had to play the whole game, especially one time when we played with 4 players, but we still handled! We got some ballers on our team (shout out to my Run n Gun/Hella Hyphy girls!)   I had a good experience playing for this league. We played once a week, and it was very informal, but it was still structured so we had a referee, scoreboard and jerseys. But it was basically just going out there and having fun. I highly recommend playing intramural if there's a sport you're interested in. There's really no pressure or commitment needed. I got to do something I love, meet some cool people, and kick some butt along the way!

December 04, 2006 Counting Down the Days

Hey! Wat's going on? How was everyone's Thanksgiving? Fulfilling I hope! Mine was nice and relaxing. It was good to be surrounded by family again. I didn't realize how much I missed that feeling of warmness in all kinds of ways. Cause it's been freezing ever since I got back! I think this has been the coldest since I've been here! I swear, I can't feel my toes when I get back to my room! And this is probably nothing too? Were at about 50 degrees, ya I know all those from the city and east-coast kids are probably laughing at me?. I know there's more to come?.I'm sure I got lotz of rainy days coming my way?.             Speaking of days?.I believe the count is up to 16 til the dorms are closing down. Which means?.I get a break! Phew! Man let me tell you..The first 3 months were so fun and chill compared to these last 5 or 6 weeks wrapping up the semester. I felt as if my social life declined!.haha. My workload increased to the max. I had long papers due everyday this week! But yea whatever. I dunno whether to be excited or dreading the holidays?  Life and people back at home just aren't gonna be the same. That's wat happens when you grow and go off to college! I guess I can hope for excitement?.Once my mom mails me my "Now That's What I Call Christmas" cd! Yea mom, your lagging it! Haha. That cd usually gets me pumped for Christmas. For once in my life, I am ready to fall back into my "comfort zone". I need to rejuvenate at my L.A. beaches and get ready for Spring! I'm excited for Spring Semester, hopefully all my classes work out. Ok guys, until next time?? Peace n love

November 20, 2006 Hump Day.

Yo wats up everyone? As for me, I?m feelin pretty good. I recovered from a one-day sickness yesterday. So I'm pretty happy about that. I felt really horrible yesterday. But the day before was a great day. Why? Because it was Wednesday. Why are Wednesdays so cool? Because its Hump day. It is when you are halfway through the week so you are going  "over the hump" of the week. Yeah sounds lame, but it's when I start to unwind from my hard week.  So here's a taste of what my Wednesdays look like?..   So at the start of the semester, I would kind of dread Wednesdays because it was my longest day out of the whole week; but something I re-learned is that it's how you plan to take on that day. I can either let it drain the hell out of me, or conquer it successfully. So it starts around 9.00am when I have to drag myself up Lone Mountain so early in the morning (yes that's pretty early for me!) to go to work. Then right after, I have class at 11:35. After class, (I've been trying to stay in shape) I go for a run and work out for a bit before my next class. Then I shower and study for my next class at 3:30. After class, I attend my STEM (Storytelling Engaging in Multiculturalism) meeting at 5. Here I eat a very fulfilling dinner where our advisors kindly prepare for us every week.  During these meetings I develop so much insight and learn to see things from different perspectives. We discuss issues about oppression and privileges dealing with topics such as race, gender, sexuality, disability using different forms of expressions. Lately we have been writing and presenting poems relative to these issues. This ends at 7 and I usually stick around the UC building for my next meeting with Latinas Unidas at 7:45. I develop a sense of leadership here as we talk about upcoming events and community service we may partake in. One of the girls asked me if I was interested in a leadership retreat that is only held for selected freshman. I kinda excited about that. Finally, my day ends with two of my closest friends meeting me at my room (shout out to Candice and Jose!) as we watch my ultimate favorite show- Tree Top Hill! a.k.a. One Tree Hill. I'm still learning by watching this show as I relate to many of the issues about life and adversity these characters face. Following the show, we usually end the night with a movie. This week was The Other Sister. Good movie! Well done, Candice.   By the end of the day, I am so enlightened. Not even so much from the classroom, but I feel like I gain wisdom and understanding of things occurring throughout my day. Like I was saying, you make your day everyday. We are in control of how we want our day to turn out. Although circumstances (sickness, printer's not working, long line in the cafeteria as you're running late to your next class) make it challenging, it is up to us to overcome these little things and do not let them get in the way of a good day.

November 09, 2006 Janitors Strive for Justice

For the past few weeks, I tuned into the whole situation about the Able Corporation and our USF maintenance crew. Apparently, Able (who is in charge of paying the USF janitors) are offering a new contract that would take away the benefits of the workers and only offers a 55 cents raise for the next 5 years. This issue struck me right away because I come into contact with these people every day and am thankful for having them put in so much time and effort into keeping our dorms/campus a clean and comfortable environment.    So I attended the Mecha meetings-who take strong forces to fight for social justice in our community. We had a few informational meetings and discussions about the issue; and how we plan to take a stand. This was the first justice issue that had moved me here on campus. So about 2 weeks ago, I participated in my first protest! I must say, it felt good to take a stand, and know what you're fighting for. I was happy to see how more and more people joined our circle since when I first got there. Students and janitors are giving their heart to fighting for justice at school; I hope we are not doing it for nothing.    Our janitors put a lot of time and effort into our school, and all they are asking for is the bare minimum to continue to support their families in this highly expensive living city. If Able isn't going to have a change of heart, I hope our institution can take a stand and do something that would give these hard workers the benefits they deserve.

November 03, 2006 Beautiful Experience

Yo! Wat up people! Well, I'm at work right now, working for Multicultural Recruitment and Retention in case ya'll didn't know. Yeah well I had a pretty stressful and busy week. Nothing too exciting. The highlight of my week would probably be playing Mario Cart last night. But anyway, I wanna recall an experience that happened a lil over a month ago that I would like to share with you?.   So I went to this Women's shelter with a few girls from Latinas Unidas. It was my first time, so to be honest, I was a bit nervous and intimidated not knowing what to expect from these women. I was in an uncomfortable zone, which felt good, so I go in confident eager to lend a helping hand. So as I was serving dessert, I came across an elderly woman who caught my attention- she was super sweet and polite. So I sat down and began talking to her and right away she started telling me how thankful she is and how happy it makes everyone when people do nice gestures like this. She also said that it is good that I experience this so I can see how everyone is at different levels. I totally agreed. She was a very wise woman. As we continued talking about school/life, she couldn't stop expressing her gratitude saying, "We are honored to have you here, you can be anywhere in the world, and you chose to be here." Wow, my eyes got watery. It was my pleasure! It was interesting to hear one of the women say, "Take care of yourself so you won't end up here." Then, it hit me.   There's this song by India Arie called "Better People" you guys should check out when you get a chance. (India Arie is such an amazing artist! I saw her in concert!) And it's explaining how you can learn from different generations of people. There's this line that goes"I can help you with the brand new technology, you can help me with the age of philosophy," and I know, while I could have made their evening, they also made mine. I developed so much insight by just talking to them. I wish more people would step out of their box and take the time to do something like this without thinking about themselves or how weird it would feel. People can be too attached to their "comfort zones" and too caught up with their own life, it's kinda frustrating. You can be missing out on a beautiful thing.

October 27, 2006 My first months at USF

Hello everyone!   Allow me introduce myself. I go by the name Joeline Navarro and I was born and raised in Los Angeles- So CaL represent!! This is my first year at USF, majoring in Psychology.   It's kind of funny how I ended up here in San Francisco. Coming from LA, I loved the sun! So I was positive that I was going to attend a beach school with nice weather. Somewhere along the line, I happened to apply to USF along with UC-Santa Barbara, San Diego, Santa Cruz.  I got into all of the above, but when it came down to it, USF had all the qualities I wanted in an institution, just the lack of year-round beautiful weather and nice beaches. To make a long story short, I got over the irrelevant features of the other schools and decided to stick out the rain and come to USF. And let me tell you, I'm glad I did.   My transition here was extremely smooth having attended the Foreword program, which was a summer bridge program offered to incoming freshmen. It got my mind going again, familiarized myself with the campus, and most of my friends are from this program. By this time, I was already content with my decision in choosing USF.   Right-a-way, I felt like family on campus. From the students, to teachers, even to the chefs at our cafeteria. Academic resources and support are always available to me. I know if I have a problem with anything or even if I need someone to talk to, I find it easy to approach any of the resources on campus. Once I got familiarized with our mission "Educating minds and hearts to change the world",  I knew USF was the school for me. At this point in my life, I am aware of the problems and injustice issues in this world, and this school encourages students to make a difference and contribute to humanity.   Its been almost three months since I've been a Don, and I feel like I've accomplished a lot so far. Some interesting clubs I've gotten  involved with are:  Latinas Unidas, Mecha, STEM (Story-telling engaging in Multiculturalism) and playing Intramural Basketball. Oh, and I attended one Knitting for Neighbors meeting where I attempted to knit for the first time, which I didn't do too bad! Not very domestic at all! Through these clubs, I have been able to do some community service. I went to visit a women's shelter which was an amazing experience and participated in the Breast Cancer Walk. I also met Paul Farmer whom I was enlightened by from reading his biography over the summer.   It's pretty ironic how I've been living in So-Cal all my life, and the time I learn to surf was when I came to San Francisco. Our gym Koret offers numerous outdoor activities, and surfing was one of them. So I jumped on that fast! I had a blast! Who would thought I would have been able to enjoy the beach up here? Another activity I went to that Koret offered was the Giants vs Dodgers game. Of course, I was going for the Dodgers. And who won? The Los Angeles Dodgers of course....haha.. That was fun because I went with a group of friends who were rooting for Giants. So there was definitely rivalry. Our school also hosted a boxing event where Pitbull was the special guest. That was exciting! I felt like I was at a mini concert.   Other than school, I'm loving the city! Its hard to believe that San Francisco and Los Angeles are in the same state. There are differences in weather, size, culture, and diversity. Being such a small city, there are so many things to do! I enjoy going to Union Square when I wanna shop, Haight street when I just want to walk around and chill, Fisherman's Wharf when I'm craving some Clam Chowder- just to name a few. I look forward to going back to Castro soon maybe for Halloween. Oh and I also saw Ziggy Marley in concert! "Love...is my Religion!" One of the best concerts I've been to! The Fillmore is such an awesome venue!! Another great thing about "The city" is that due to its diversity, there are so many different places to eat. And I love food! Especially trying different kinds.    Overall, I guess its safe to say that I'm having a pleasurable time here at USF. Its kinda hard to miss home....Well except for the home made meals my Mom would cook every 2 years! Haha ok I'm exaggerating.... But ya, I'm looking forward to taking advantage of any other opportunities that may come my way, and to make the most of my years here at USF.