Angelica's World

Talk about an awesome Spring Break...I spent a week in Athens, Greece with 23 other Steinhardt students and four chaperones as we learned about "Humans and Nature" and environmentalism. I'll try to keep my commentary about the trip to a minimum but all in all it was an incredible trip!

First of all, the trip was part of a Steinhardt program known as the Dean's Research Travel Colloquium--one of the Scholars programs within Steinhardt. Each year, three sites are selected with three different themes and students elect to apply to one or more of the programs. Once admitted (to only one), students attend classes about every other Friday for the whole semester preceding the trip. Then, over either Winter or Spring Breaks the students travel to their respective locations and conduct research projects that are presented upon return (my presentation is tomorrow!).

I selected to go to Greece because it tied into one of my education classes last Fall (2007) that focused on Environmental Education, and I have also been wanting to go to Greece...and this was an amazing opportunity! Fortunately I was accepted along with 24 other awesome peers who made the trip even better than could've been expected!

A quick rundown of the program with some descriptions of my favorites:
-We arrived on Sunday and immediately walked to a restaurant with a beautiful view for an authentic Greek lunch (one of many absolutely delicious Greek meals). We then went on a walking tour around Athens and to the Acropolis and Parthenon. For dinner we went to a restaurant in Plaka where they had live music and after we ate we were invited to learn some Greek dances--it was great!
-On Monday (my 21st birthday--St. Patrick's Day too, had we been in the States), we did some really awesome things. First we stopped at the Corinth Canal and then continued on to Mycenae and Epidaurus. When we went to lunch everyone sang Happy Birthday to me (the tour guide sang it in Greek too) and they gave me an ice cream sundae--delish! But, the best part was on our way home when we stopped at a unit of biological cultivation of olives. This was possibly the most authentic experience someone could ask for when going to Greece. We walked through trees (and wondered where we were being led) and finally arrived a little further in where a table was set up with bread, wine, olive oil, crush olives, and whole olives--and an awesome Greek man who spoke to us about his olive farm. His presentation was in Greek so it was translated by our tour guide and professor. We then had the chance to feast on everything which was soooo good. It totally made my birthday! That night a bunch of us went out for a low key but fun night to celebrate.
-Tuesday we went to the Antonis Tritsis Park at Ilion where we learned about the park and the services and amenities it offers. We were also videotaped to be on the Greek news doing a segment on volunteerism. That's because after the presentation and the tour of the park, we did some community service to help beautify the park. Unfortunately, I was too enthusiastic and after three digs into the dirt to replant something, I got a thorn stuck under my thumb. How come I wasn't even going to be able to participate in one of the things I was most excited for? Well, that wasn't okay with me so after we disinfected it, I put a band-aid and a glove on and decided that I would help the garbage picker-uppers instead. We had a lot of fun! After the Tritsis Park we went to Archelon in Glyfada which is a sea turtle rehabilitation site. They take in sea turtles with any injury and nurse them back to health. We got to see some turtles and hear their stories--and I did some research for my project! The sun was setting while we were there, right on the water, and it was absolutely beautiful!
-Wednesday we went to Delphi and had a tour and learned a lot about mythology and how the site was affiliated with the stories. Lunch was with the group at a taverna on the way back to the hotel.
-Thursday, due to a national strike, some of our trips were cancelled so I went shopping with 3 other girls in Plaka before meeting up with the group for lunch and a tour of the Agora (former marketplace). Then it was back to shopping, a nap, and a 16-person outing for dinner!
-Friday was our last day there and we went to the island of Aegina...it also happened to be the only day that it rained. It was still really interesting because we went to a wildlife rehabilitation center (EKPAZ) where we saw a baboon, rabbit, rooster, owls, foxes, a snake, vultures, flamingos, and some other animals. It was sad hearing some of their stories but it was also another experience that I would never have had without being on DRTC. For our last night we invited a Greek girl we met out to dinner. We also ended up hanging out with Greek cops we had met earlier in the week and we all danced to the live music they had at the restaurant. It was a fun last night.
-Each night a group of us went out to dinner to a different restaurant near the hotel and had the opportunity to try all different Greek meals--and eat lots of Greek salads (in case you forgot, I love food!) We often walked around and explored different areas after dinner which was tons of fun.

So that was our itinerary but it doesn't do the trip justice. We had a great time and had some very unique and memorable experiences. The fact that Steinhardt offers this opportunity is amazing and I'm so fortunate for having been able to take advantage of it and benefit from it!

Basically, I love it!

But God forbid I had an entry only 4 words long...so stick around for the explanation!

Anyway, I somehow found out about Special Olympics while I was in high school and signed up to volunteer at their Games on Long Island. Unfortunately, while I was driving there I happened to get into a car accident and wasn't able to go. I was finally able to get re-involved last year since NYU brings Special Olympics to our campus. Each spring NYU hosts the NYC Region Basketball Clinic and Competition. The clinics are held every Sunday morning at Coles Gym for two hours and conclude with the Competition which is an all day event that occurred this past weekend.

I have had such incredible experiences while volunteering with Special Olympics. Many of the athletes return year after year (and participate in multiple sports) so being able to see them again this year and strengthen our relationship was so great. I know some people think I'm crazy for waking up at 8am on a Sunday morning to go to this event every week but it is more worth it than I could ever put into words. It is such a fun and rewarding experience and I would 110% recommend that anyone look into getting involved.

Something that was pretty cool was last weekend at the Games when I was recognized for the effort I've put in at the event. I was just going to volunteer at the Games and spend the last day with the athletes (I couldn't go to the Games last year due to a death in the family so this was my first time which made it even more exciting) and I ended up coming home with great memories, lots of smiles and laughs, and even a plaque. Earlier in the season I was also invited to participate in a Youth Forum with some other college students to help eradicate the use of the R-word (retard) because of how degrading and insulting it is to an absolutely amazing group of people.

Well, that Forum was held all day today in upper Manhattan. There were participants from universities all over the country and even people from the Dominican Republic and Taiwan--we've all been involved in Special Olympics to some capacity. Essentially we were a focus group and spent the day discussing the use of the R-word, the way it is perceived, the meaning of other words that could be hurtful to certain demographics, how we could help increase awareness for people who have intellectual disabilities, the idea of volunteerism and its place in society, and also what the proper and most acceptable terminology is that should be substituted for the R-word which is completely inappropriate. The Forum was very interesting, enlightening, and an all-around great experience which I am so thrilled and honored to have been a part of. I really hope I am able to stay in contact with the people from the group because not only are they awesome people and we all got along very well but having this shared passion is a pretty cool common thread.

I'm really hoping that I can become involved with Special Olympics in an international capacity in the near future!

And, if you are interested in volunteering or just learning more about Special Olympics or the R-word cause and don't know where to turn, please don't hesitate to post a comment and I will be sure to respond! Thanks for all your support :)

For my Classroom Assessment class this semester, we split the class into four groups and each group had the chance to read a different book--each dealing with people who have some sort of disability. I selected to read Icy Sparks by Gwyn Hyman Rubio--a fictional story about a girl who has Tourette's Syndrome.

Icy grows up in the 1950s living with her grandparents as both her parents have already passed away. She explains what it is like to have tics and jerks and to do "strange" things with ones body but in her early childhood she is unaware that what happens to her is an actual disorder.

In the 1950s institutionalization was still the most commonly used "cure" for people whose families often could not take care of them sufficiently. However, historically these institutions have been places which awful conditions manifest in and rather than improve, patients conditions often worsen. Fortunately for Icy, she is placed in a state hospital with only 14 children in the unit and nurses who are, for the most part, very kind to her. Although Icy initially is depressed and does not want to be there, she eventually begins to form relationships with some people at the hospital.

Eventually it is time for Icy to go home equipped with new strategies to help her let out the tics and jerks in more discrete manners. Icy is now into adolescence and going through what many teenage girls go through.

I don't want to give away any more of the book but I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend you read it. It is an incredible story that really lets you into this girls life which is oftentimes a very difficult one. It also provides you with a significant amount of information about Tourette's--a disorder without much publicity.

Steinhardt's community service committee 'hardt to Heart is sponsoring the first ever Month of Service this month. Last week we sent some people to a local soup kitchen, next weekend we'll have people going to two soup kitchens, making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, sewing SurgiDolls, and playing baseball with Play! and on the 26th, we'll also be sending more volunteers down to Play!

However, today we participated in the Annual New York Cares Hands on New York Day. A group of us went to Marine Park in Brooklyn with a number of other volunteers (we had 48 total at our site today). To be honest, although I love doing community service, I was somewhat skeptical all week because it was supposed to rain today. But the day turned out way better than I would've ever expected.

After receiving a brief introduction and welcoming, the volunteers lined up along the water in teams of 6 where we proceeded to rake and bag leaves as well as pull tons and tons of weeds. After lunch I asked someone how many bags we had stuffed and the number was up to at least 135 and we still had more time to go. It was incredible to see the transformation before and after--I wish I had taken a picture of that! The whole area we were working on was so clean after!

I felt very positive after leaving the park for our hour bus ride back to Manhattan. I had had the chance to spend time with some other Steinhardt students, meet some other volunteers from all over the city (and even one from my hometown--such a small world), and hopefully make a difference in the lives of Brooklyn residents. The whole Hands on NY Day program is absolutely phenomenal--between 7,000 and 8,000 volunteers TODAY ALONE were sent out to "helped revitalize 110 New York City parks and gardens, playgrounds, community centers, schools and homeless shelters" according to the Thank You email we received after the event.

I would HIGHLY recommend trying to get involved in this event which takes place twice a year--oonce in the fall and once each spring.

Every spring, NYU hosts Relay for Life--an overnight fundraising event for cancer. This was the second year that I was able to participate in the event and it was an incredible experience. Many students sign up as members of various teams--residence halls, Greek life, clubs, etc. have their own tables at the event which is held at Coles gym--and for the months leading up to Relay, those teams fundraise in whatever way possible so they can then donate the money that evening. They also create mini fundraising activities to do at their tables while Relay is going on--people need to do something to stay awake from 6pm-8am! (Note: those times are not typos)

This year I was a part of the 7A Partnership team (the 7th Street and Alumni Residence Halls) and we donated $2686.60 which helped us win "Outstanding Residence Hall." The means by which we raised the money was pretty fun! We hosted various events throughout the past few months for our fellow residents. The highlight event was "7A Delivers" where the Hall Council ordered food from local restaurants and gave students the opportunity to call/email us to order their food and we would then deliver the food to their door. We had food from Famiglia Pizza, S'Mac, Coldstone, Magnolia Bakery, Spice, and Veniero's. The event was so successful the first time that we offered it again a few weeks later!

On March 12, the Washington Square News, NYU's daily newspaper, printed an article about Play! It was really exciting to see our organization out and in the faces of so many NYU students (we even recently found it on a non-affiliated blog). The Facebook group we've started (Play!) has also been receiving a lot of attention which is great. And, an incredible number of people have signed up to volunteer both this week and next (4/19 and 4/26) at our first two baseball games as part of Steinhardt USG's Month of Service.

Perhaps one of the best parts of Play! thus far, however, has been seeing it actually come to life. This past Sunday, 4/13, we had our kickoff event with a little league parade. The athletes and their families came, registered, received their uniforms, interacted with the volunteers, and then we headed over to the field for some singing and speeches. Jenna and I then addressed the parents and expressed our excitement and thanks to them for willing to be a part of our program. I couldn't have asked for a better first day--the children are great and I can't wait to work with them, the parents and families are nicer than could be imagined, and the people working with us at the park have been so helpful and accommodating. The season is slated for 4/19-6/14 and we will be recruiting volunteers from local colleges and high schools--if you are interested, PLEASE contact me!

I was just looking through some of my previous entries and noticed that I wrote about RALI and the process of trying to become an RA. But, I never wrote a follow-up entry about the results.

I'll be short and sweet!

The last day I was in Greece over Spring Break I received an email that I had been accepted to be an RA (Resident Assistant) in Weinstein, a freshmen residence hall. In being accepted to the hall, I was accepted as an Explorations RA for NYU C.O.R.P.S.--the community service floor. I'M PUMPED!!! Next year should be tons of fun--we seem to have a great staff and I get to meet them all tomorrow!

This is sort of random but I felt the need to blog just now. I just got back to Kimmel to do some work before my first RA staff meeting at Weinstein. After I got out of work I called a friend who happened to be in Kimmel with another one of our friends and I decided to come meet them. We came down to the 2nd floor and did some work before heading over to galanga, a Thai restaurant on West 4th Street between MacDougal and 6th Ave. as recommended by the guy we were with. The three of us ordered a bunch of (delicious) stuff and just shared all of it, eating out of each other's plates and having fun conversation throughout.

Although I certainly could have been more productive had I just left work earlier today and found a place to do my homework, I love doing things like what happened tonight--even though it took me two years to admit to myself that it's okay to do it. I really do have some great friends here, even though most of them are seniors and leaving me in less than a month (tear), but being able to just randomly meet up, chill out, and have dinner together can totally change the entire mood of the day (even though I was having a good day already--good interview and an A on a midterm). So basically, I just wanted to write because I'm in a good mood and just enjoyed a fun low-key time with some friends! Essentially, despite the craziness of this time of year (and that I'm in the midst of finishing a HUGE project), I've learned after two years that sometimes you just have to separate from schoolwork and go have fun, as long as you're responsible about your timetable later on :)

Today I went back to visit the class I student taught in last semester. It was such a great day and really made me miss my students. When I first got to the opened door the students, who were sitting on the rug, saw me immediately and once the teacher said hi to me, they all ran over and hugged me--I loved it. The teacher I worked with then gave me her seat and the students asked me what I've been up to and anything else they were interested in. It was fun to catch up with them before I passed it back to the teacher because I did not want to be too much of a distraction.

I watched part of Stuart Little 2 and went to lunch/recess with them. During science in the classroom I went to each table and just spent time with the students speaking with them. It's such a great feel when they appreciate your company and show an interest in your life...hugs never hurt either! We later went into the yard for about 15 minutes of "chill out time" and I threw the ball around with a number of them. I'm so glad I was able to take the day and go visit them today. I really loved teaching in that class--the students and my Cooperating Teacher were all amazing. I can't wait to see the opera that they are putting on with each student taking on a different role!!!

This past Saturday was the annual IRHC-sponsored Elegance on the Water. The Inter Residence Hall Council is the umbrella hall council to each individual residence hall's council and they sponsor numerous large scale events each year. One such event being Elegance. They subsidize a significant amount of the program so NYU students only have to pay $15 per ticket for a 3-hour evening cruise and dinner.

It was a beautiful night, good DJ, and the food was delicious. I had a really great time and was so glad I had the chance to catch up with a bunch of friends. The event is open to the entire university so people I didn't know were going were there which was a great surprise! All in all, awesome event, totally worth the $15 we have to pay. I can't wait to go next year.

I have never been more excited to wake up before 8am before but this morning I was because I had the chance to learn how to do the flying trapeze!!! It was AMAZING! The Office of Student Activities (OSA) sponsored an event for students to sign up and pay $15 (of the $50+ pp) for a 2-hour trapeze class at the New York Trapeze School. It was so worth it. There were 11 of us in the morning session and we learned how to hang by our legs and do back flip "dismounts" and some people got to be caught by one of the staff members.

While it is a pretty expensive sport to get into, I really hope I have the opportunity to go back--it was soooo much fun!!! If you're ever looking for something fun and different to do in NYC, definitely check them out!