We are in the final countdown till I am in Turkey (7 days). There is still a lot that needs to be done before I leave the country. This past week has been busy with preparing for the conference and buying things for our home conference we host in April. For those who don't know, I compete in Model UNs domestically and internationally. This will be my 2nd international competition. Last year it was London this year it will be in Antalya Turkey.
What is a Model UN you ask, it is exactly how it sounds. You are given a country to represent, a committee, and topics to discuss. We are given the task of coming up with resolutions to the topics at hand. The hardest part of doing Model UNs is staying in character. Researching and finding out how your country feels is easy but playing a character is important in making it believable. There are so many people who can research and speak from an academic point of view but the people who can combine that with acting are truly getting the entire experience.
In Turkey I will be representing South Korea in a Future Security Council. The security council is a committee of 15 different countries with 5 permanent members, the other 10 rotate every 4 years. I was excited to be on this committee because there was a separate application and they felt I was worthy enough to compete with some of the more experienced UNers. Then the bomb was dropped on me, theres an OPEN AGENDA! NO set topics, instead they have this huge write up with 7 different possible topics. Oh did I mention I only have a week and half to do research/dissect what I find online. The topics are pretty rangy also, they deal with global warming to wars in Africa. So much more work to do for this and with school in general. Heres to hoping I am well prepared and able to compete at a high level. At least I get a break from the daily grind for a week. I know I am competing and still doing a lot of mental thinking but the break from the same routine will be a huge change. Plus this means I am close to my spring break, which is tentatively being spent traveling through the Greek Islands but more about that later!
Friday, February 25, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
Happenings around UMass Lowell
It has been a busy week here at UMass Lowell especially for me. If you haven't heard or read the news, two three students have been struck by cars crossing the VFW/University Ave. The semester is just ending it's second month and to think there have already been that many accidents. It isn't much of a surprise that it occurs what is rated a top ten dangerous intersection in Massachusetts, but to have so many in such a short time frame is scary. Safety is always the priority of any school whether it be pre-k or a university.
Being on the student government here on campus, it is our job to promote that safety and respond to the concerns of the students as these events occur. I have been working non-stop with the Dean of Students and have now started to set up meetings with the police department and other people on campus who deal directly with student safety at crosswalks and in parking lots. I hope this meeting occurs ASAP, as I am leaving for 2 weeks in 15 days.
Other than the bad news of people being struck by vehicles, it is Black History Month and Social Justice week here on campus. There have been a slew of events happening all around campus to raise awareness about the social injustice we face each day. It is important for the community around the school to hear about these topics in ways they can relate. We are living in Lowell a melting pot of culture and diversity. To have a do not disturb sign when we see things that we know are wrong is absurd.
Last night I attended a very powerful and moving presentation labeled "The Voices for Innocence". It was about two men who had been wrongfully imprisoned for 45 years combined. I will dedicate a post specifically to the show later on in the week. But to sit there in that room and hear the story and emotion behind it was truly amazing. Well I will post later on about this piece of show that I have witnessed. Until the next blog toodles.
Being on the student government here on campus, it is our job to promote that safety and respond to the concerns of the students as these events occur. I have been working non-stop with the Dean of Students and have now started to set up meetings with the police department and other people on campus who deal directly with student safety at crosswalks and in parking lots. I hope this meeting occurs ASAP, as I am leaving for 2 weeks in 15 days.
Other than the bad news of people being struck by vehicles, it is Black History Month and Social Justice week here on campus. There have been a slew of events happening all around campus to raise awareness about the social injustice we face each day. It is important for the community around the school to hear about these topics in ways they can relate. We are living in Lowell a melting pot of culture and diversity. To have a do not disturb sign when we see things that we know are wrong is absurd.
Last night I attended a very powerful and moving presentation labeled "The Voices for Innocence". It was about two men who had been wrongfully imprisoned for 45 years combined. I will dedicate a post specifically to the show later on in the week. But to sit there in that room and hear the story and emotion behind it was truly amazing. Well I will post later on about this piece of show that I have witnessed. Until the next blog toodles.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
First blog in years!
Man it's been a while since I've blogged. After a long hiatus from the blogging world, I thought this would be the best time for me to pick it back up. A lot has happen since my last blog on wordpress, first is the obvious move to blogspot. I find it to be cleaner and easier to use than wordpress (man that sounds geeky). What other changes have occurred since then...Well I am now what I hope to be is my last semester in college. There are couple of small loop holes that need to be closed up and then I will be on my way to the "real world".
The biggest thing other than graduation I am looking forward to, is my trip to Turkey and Greece! Only 17 days!! This is a much needed vacation for me. I have been extra busy this past year with academics and being a student leader. Even though it's only been a month or so into the semester, I am already running on fumes. While this trip is for a class, it is still a time for me to relax and really let myself re-energize.
I think this is good enough for a first blog in years. Stay tuned for future blogs and a day to day blog of my trip to Turkey and Greece.
The biggest thing other than graduation I am looking forward to, is my trip to Turkey and Greece! Only 17 days!! This is a much needed vacation for me. I have been extra busy this past year with academics and being a student leader. Even though it's only been a month or so into the semester, I am already running on fumes. While this trip is for a class, it is still a time for me to relax and really let myself re-energize.
I think this is good enough for a first blog in years. Stay tuned for future blogs and a day to day blog of my trip to Turkey and Greece.
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