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(04/27/16 5:43pm)
As we turn the corner to the final push of the semester, the stress creeps up on us. The end of semester grind is filled with non-stop work and assignments. It seems like all I do is write paper after paper, study for exams and prepare for presentations, all while trying to squeeze in as much self-care and sleep as possible. And I know I am not alone. I keep reminding myself that surely all of this is helping me synthesize and apply the lessons, theory and concepts learned in my classes this semester. Yet, I am moving so quickly, working to get it all done, that I rarely give myself the space and the time to think about what I am taking from these classes. What is the stuff I will actually remember? What did we learn that peaked my interest? Some of the material I will build upon next semester in my classes and some I might never use again. Regardless, the applicability of the lessons from the classroom and their value to my life is clouded by stress and a drive to “just get it done.”
(04/13/16 5:17am)
What are the first things that come to mind when you think of Latin America?
(03/30/16 2:11pm)
The more time that passes after my semester in Salvador, Brazil, the more I realize the impact of my experiences there have had on me and the way in which I interact with the world around me. I often find myself thinking back to conversations, observations and moments of joy and challenge during that semester for answers in my daily life now. Salvador was my classroom—whether it was learning how to navigate a new place alone or enhancing my understanding of how the intersection of race, gender and religion relate to power and privilege. Defining and learning about the application of intersectionality has made me more aware of how using an intersectional lens to understand how individuals grapple with their multiple identifiers that make them who they are. This lens is becoming increasingly more important in the fight towards equality, justice and rights for all on Duke’s campus and beyond
(03/02/16 6:28am)
With spring break just two weeks away and the halfway point of the semester in front of us, as much as we try to resist the urge, we start thinking about what comes next in our Duke careers. Now knee-deep into the semester, battling midterms, summer plans and campus activities, many sophomores are also starting to think about where they will be next semester and the possibilities of studying abroad. My column this week is for you.
(02/17/16 6:45am)
My host mom tugs at my conga, telling me for the third time since we got there to take it off. “People are going to know you are a foreigner if you don’t,” she warned. Instead, I pull it tighter around my body, trying to use every last piece of the vibrantly colored, multi-purpose fabric to cover as much exposed skin as possible. Although I had been warned long ago that I should leave my conservative “American” bikini back at home, I was not expecting what was all around me. The beach is packed with women of all ages, shapes and sizes in very small Brazilian bikinis and men in equally small bottoms. They proudly flaunt their bodies with all the confidence in the world and without fear of judgment. While my strong feminist side was saying, “you go girl, rock that bathing suit, you are amazing,” my female 20-something-year-old self raised in a body conscious, body-shaming society was taken back by this outward display of confidence. Despite my best efforts, I too had fallen into the trap.
(02/03/16 5:15am)
One of the most challenging and equally rewarding aspects of studying abroad is that it challenged me to truly understand, and not just imagine, what it would be like to live in someone else’s shoes. In other words, to practice the art of empathy.
(01/20/16 6:06am)
As I wait for the bus in Salvador, Brazil, for the final time before going back to the United States, I take my last deep inhale of acaraje (little bean patties fried in Dende oil, typical street food), feel the rays of sun mixing with the salty breeze soaking into my skin and hear the sounds of samba music blasting from a car as it whizzes by. These have become familiar to my senses since arriving in Salvador for my study abroad program this past fall semester. I check my watch one more time. Twenty-five minutes since I got to the bus stop. Probably another 25 minutes to go. I let out a sigh of exasperation.
