Another orientation...and healthcare reform.

Had a "good" day today...lots of newbies (and family members...and grandmothers...and pets!-or so it seems!) on campus getting oriented to New York/Columbia/their first college experience. I was "required" to attend yet another orientation for first year students (which I had completed when I actually began my career here at Columbia a month ago). Although most of the imformation wasn't very helpful, I did get a free meal out of the deal...which, for an on-a-budget (read: poor) grad students...overall it was worth it.

I made dinner and will later to go the gym...but would like you ALL to watch the movie before. Whatever you think about universal healthcare...I want you to watch it with an open mind...think about it logically. If you get upset...perhaps that's good for you (we talk in class a lot about conflict being good because change and growth comes from that). Let me know what you think...



Also a special shout-out to all the Peace Youth that led the outdoor worship on Sunday at Peace Lutheran Church in Tacoma!

Updates & Pictures.

So...I'm sorry for all of you who have been patiently waiting a new post. But, perhaps you should thank me for a positive increase in your patience. First a couple of pics I uploaded a while ago. "One Class, One Year, One Purpose"...supposedly our class motto? I'm not sure...I think they just needed something to put on the shirts. If you hadn't caught it in my previous posts, I'm in the Advanced Standing Program which means my cohort of students (about 50 students) will be here for just a year (and a month-which we are about to finish) and then graduate with our Master's! Though you would like a silly one of me :D

My bedroom (below, obviously)...starting to look a bit homey. I bought these curtains from Goodwill super cheap (but it was kinda trek w/ the closest bus stop quite a way from the actual Goodwill, hmph).

This is a picture from "The Last Supper" just before I left for New York. It was a fun time to hang out before we all split up again...thanks to Nick we had an entire "photoshoot" of the four of us in silly/fun poses. Too bad the other girls had already left on their glorious adventures, so they couldn't partake in the fun!

In other news: tomorrow is our last day of our summer term. This is especially ironic since my last blog-post is about the first days of class :) again, you're welcome.

I have enjoyed the classes. And although they have been short, I felt challenged and that I was learning throughout the month (good, right!?). I actually expected to be a bit more of a slap in the face (I guess this is a pleasant surprise!) starting at an Ivy League! hehe

We have learned/reviewed clinical work (diagnosis & treatment of mental illness etc.), group work (support, therapy, educational, psycho-educational & tasks groups ) and for this last week we have spent broken up with our specific "method" groups. I'm "Social Enterprise Administration" which is this school's fancy social work term for "administration"...the class has been good. We also finish another class about our Field Placement last week. We will begin going to our Field Placements (read: internships, but more intense) a few weeks into September.

In other news: I've met some great friends in my program and traveled to New Jersey with a small group of them last weekend! It was so much fun! And my first time EVER in the "eastcoast" ocean...I say that because I've been in the Atlantic when I studied abroad in Trinidad and Tobago, but obviously it's a bit different.

I've been exploring the city a bit at a time, and next week (no classes before Fall semester!) I'm sure a lot more exploring. If you'd like to see pics of my adventures become friends with me on facebook, or you can view my albums from the following links (it takes to long to upload them both places)
My Life in New York #1 : Random stuff, hair cut and central park
My Life in New York #2 : Times Square adventure and a Broadway show ("Next to Normal")
My Life in New York #3 : 5Pointz, a permanent and rotating outdoor graffiti exhibition
My Life in New York #4 : New Jersey adventure with the Social Work girls!

Don't worry...they have captions. Enjoy :D

Other news:
-I got an "A" on my first (and only) paper...[this is for all of you who are worried about me :)]
-My roommate will get here Friday! Which means we get to go furniture shopping soon! Yay for seating!
-It's hot here! Many have caved in and bought A/Cs...I'm holding strong and just using the two fans I bought the first day I was here...all I can say, is that I hope Fall comes soon!!!
-I've found a church that I LOVE! I missed worship last week, because of NJ, but will update ya'll when I go back on Sunday!
-Thank you SO much, to everyone at Peace Lutheran Church in Tacoma! I received the travel Bible the other day and it made me cry it was so sweet (and I even knew that it was being sent!). I had mentioned that I wanted one a few days before I left, so REALLY know how much it means to me :)
-A friend of mine is designing a new blog background for me! I'm super stoked, and she's really good! That will be done sometime soon!

One other important reminder: make sure to check my Twitter feed to the right of the page. It's a place where I'll do quick/one-liner updates...usually more than once a day. This is a great way to check up on me and make sure everything alright, even when I am busy/forget to post!

Thanks for caring and following my journey in NYC!

How classes begin.

First, the nitty gritty. I started school, for goodness sake! Monday was Orientation for all students in my cohort (students in my same program). There are a bit over 40 of us...I haven't counted so I don't have an exact amount. It was quite a long day, and some parts were pretty boring/I already knew, but it's always good to have a refresher. This is especially true when it's things about financial aid (ie loan disbursement and refunds!) or class schedules. We all got free lunch that day, as well as "reception" at the end with fancy cheeses, hors d’oeuvres and wine! And to think, all of the fees I pay to Columbia help paid for all of that! I met some of my peers and they seemed pretty cool at that point, having just met them and sat in the same room all day.

Tuesday was the first day of classes. I had done all the reading for the first day even before Orientation, so I felt pretty prepared:) The main class that I'm taking is advanced SW Practice class...basically one class covering A LOT of material. We spent this last week and Monday on the DSM-IV-TR, a diagnosis manual for mental illnesses. For most of you, it is pretty apparent that this is NOT what I like about social work :) Almost all of what we are currently learning, I've never even had the opportunity to learn. This is 1)exciting 2)frustrating. I'm keeping up with reading and trying but it seems weird to be hit in the face with brand new stuff during the very beginning of my grad. school career (I honestly thought that wouldn't start until I started with the second-years in September). This is so exciting though...I love to be challenged, so I'll let you all know how that goes on Tuesday, when we have our first test.

Our professor for this first section of the class is a young woman (although old enough to have her PhD and two kids) who knows her stuff! She has been a clinician at ED hospitals and did research for a while and now is a professor at Columbia...I don't know about any of you, but that's impressive to me!

I have about 6 chapters to read every night after being in class from 9-6pm (with a 2 hour lunch break). The good/bad news, is that's just for one of the classes. The other class is a Field Placement class. It doesn't have books, so the only reading is articles (read: shorter reading). It's much more the version of Social Work Classes that I know. We had small group discussions the first day and continue to do more "discussion" than "lecture". It will also be good, becuase we start "work" at our Field Placements next month...in NYC (I know, it still hasn't sunk in that I will be working in NYC).

Ivy League?
Have you ever thought about what kind of student goes to an Ivy League school, especially for a Social Work education?

When I was younger I often thought...actually believed...that I was pretty much the smartest person ever. I thought that I would grow up and go to a "fancy" (which is literally what I thought colleges were when I was young) and then get a "fancy" job and be really "successful." When I eventually grew up a little and realized that although I had average intelligence, applied myself and cared about others, I was no where near other students of my age...and miles behind being the smartest person ever, or even the smartest in my family (you can fight about which one of you I believe to be the smartest :))

Throughout my undergraduate degree (for my students reading this, read: "regular college") I never felt as smart as I felt through high school and my "smartest person ever" years. This was NOT bad thing. I enjoyed feeling challenged and looking to my peers and colleagues for advice and guidance. College is the time when many people grow, mature, learn and become who they are, my years at PLU were certainly all of those things.

I actually never thought I would be going to Columbia, or any other "Ivy League"...which I honestly don't know what means, but knows it means "fancy"! It was still a far off dream while I was at PLU, mostly because my focus had switched from trying to be the smartest and best to being who I was meant to be. [If you were there for my "sermon" the week before I left Peace you will know that I've thought about how God has been calling me a lot throughout my years at PLU and especially during my year at Peace.] My calling is in the form of servant leadership and working with communities to create a better environment...and for some reason it's hard (for me atleast) to connect those feelings with an expensive education.

Needless to say, I have made the connection, despite it being difficult. I realized that I wanted to be highly skilled and trained so I could serve individuals and communities as they deserve to be served. I also realized that my personal stereotype of Columbia (or other "fancy" schools for that matter) was not how I imagined.

So, back to my original questions, who are the students of School of Social Work? All of my peers are not rich. They are not trying to be the smartest person ever, or even pretending to be. My peers are not all upper class and they are not all sons or daughters of alumni. They are people who care about the planet and it's inhabitants. All, of course, with personal motives to be at school (if we didn't, we probably wouldn't be here). But they are intelligent, resourceful, diverse, multi-cultural, funny and real. I am priveledged to be with this group of people, learning here for a year. God has blessed me with the ability to get to know these people.

Quick Update.

So here's the deal. I began my "first days of class" post, but then started reading for tomorrow. So, I'm sorry to say you all will have to wait another day for the details of the last few days.

All I can say now is that I'm enjoying myself, understand that this is the place I'm supposed to be at this point in my life, and am getting to know NYC & my classmates.

I have a lot of reading each day, and my main class is now about the DSM-IV-TR, which is a diagnostic manual...very interesting, but definitely NOT what I love about Social Work. Only a couple more INTENSE days of this and then we'll move onto other intense things...

Thanks to all who have been "keeping up" with my on my blog...feel free to leave comments or email me if you have encouraging words or questions!

Alright...now back to reading/studying :D

Today...I'm beginning my career as a psychic :)

I predict that in the morning I will be sore. If you too, want to partake in the psychic venture, please read the following.

I woke up this morning with an idea. My idea was to utilize the beautiful day and see everything that I could see in Central Park. I took my time preparing for this journey: a shower, breakfast (granola, some soy yogurt, & some tea), picking out the right "walking-outfit" and of course snacks for the trip. I decided that the best plan of attack would be to take the subway to the bottom (i.e. southernmost end) and then traverse the park, going back and forth until I was 1)hungry 2)tired 3)sunburnt 4)just couldn't go on.

I began at Columbus circle, seeing all the good stuff (if you would also like to see these things, then either google them, or if you're lucky enough to be friends with me on facebook, than look there :) including:
-the carnival: year round?
-lots and lots of snack/pretzel/icecream stands: I resisted and ate the snacks I brought!
-The Dairy & giftshop: I just took a quick look around
-Tavern on the Green, cute, wish I had more money to stop there :) hehe
-the "bowling" green...LOVED it! lots of old (sorry for calling you old...)people lawn bowling...I want to be one of those old people! btw: they all have to wear white.
-Strawberry fields...not as impressive as I thought it was going to be :(
-Betheseda Terrace & fountain...pretty stinkin' sweet, good view & lots of people taking pictures of each other :)
-the big'o'lake (and the little pond & the Turtle pond),
-the Swedish Cottage/puppet theater...it's kinda weird to me that they have a puppet theater in Central Park, but c'est la vie...and I guess they had to include one of everything to be fair
-Cleopatra's "needle"/obelisk: it had crab claws on it!
-the great lawn: super huge, and fun. LOTS'O'PEOPLE!
-the Jackie'O resevoir (where I walked the wrong way!) I think I might like to come back sometimes and actually walk/job the correct way!
-Lts of people, and dogs, and bikers, and pedicabs, and horse/carriages
-Belvedere Castle: pretty sweet, but the stairwells were super skinny & awkward with so many people...good views of the dirty Turtle Pond though

Honestly, I don't know how it happened. But pretty soon I was near the top (the northernmost part) of the park, near the pool & subway stops. I had stopped frequently to drink some H2O, and snack on a couple carrots here and here. I even took some pictures (again...look at facebook, if you want). At that point, I felt pretty accomplished and decided to walk the rest of the way to the top of the park, I thought that if I ended up getting tired I could take the subwayt he rest of the way. Turns out that a 5+ hour walk is exactly what I needed. I walked the rest of the way to my apartment.

Another good find about today, was the "shortcut" I took home, through my local park. It had one thing that Central Park had very few of: cookouts! Lots of families joined together and listening to music, eating food, playing games and just large bousterous gatherings! It made my heart so joyful to see this, and know that it was even closer to "me" than all of those Central Park visitors and tourists! I can only hope that before I leave New York I can participate in just such a gathering :)

Anywho...any votes if I'll be sore tomorrow?

So, today was a good day. And the goodness didn't stop in Central Park or my super long walk. I decided I would join some other New Yorkers at either a concert in Central Park, or a production of Shakespeare in a park a bit closer to my apartment. Shakespeare won out. To my surprise (and joy) I got to the park and heard some drumming. It was literally "a drumming circle" (it even had a placard designating it such). I stood and watched for a while...it was beautiful. There were people of all ages, singing, dancing, drumming, bouncing to the beat. I loved it...but there was Shakespeare to be found. I made my way up to the "upper level" of the park, and took some pictures (it was super beautiful up there...perhaps even worthy of a special event) and then made my way back down the other side where the play was about to begin.

Michael Jackson tributes were being played as the audience was getting settled. On stage an interesting set of graffitied objects and two musicians. It was an NYU version of "A Midsummer's Night Dream" called: "Dream a Little Dream". Fan-freakin'-tastic!! Funny, good music, and so well done. There was also just 6 actor/actresses playing all the roles, which provided some comic relief in itself.

The audinece waxed and waned as the play went on, but overall we ended up with more people at the finish. Of course a standing-O was well deserved!

It was dark by the time I had to make my way back to my apartment. At teh bus stop (a few blocks from teh park) there was a cop van pulling over a car, apparently they needed 7 or 8 cops to pull this person over (the scary part was that it was a cab!). Anywho a spanish-speaking family was at the bus stop. The father asked me (in Spanish) if I spoke any Spanish. I replied no (which is almost the truth)...I guess un poco (sp?) is more correct. He asked me another questions, this time in english. "If you don't speak spanish, why did you answer with "no"(w/Spanish accent), not "no" (like I normally say it)". We got to talking and apparently I sat on the bus in fron tof this family on my way to the concert, and now we were waiting at a different bus stop together, ready to head back to our respective homes...interesting, huh? I asked them if they were worried that I was following them, and when they responded that they had gone all the way to Queens, and perhaps it was them I should be worried about, I knew I loved this family! I needed that. Just a cute family, nice to strangers and funny.

Another thing: I cut off my hair! Went to Supercuts yesterday and cut it off...it's much more enjoyable in this heat now!

One more thing: I have orientaiton on Monday & classes start Tuesday, and I already have 2 chapters to read & an article!

One last thing: I'm trying out churches, and tomorrow's my first in NYC. Wish me luck, or pray for me, which ever you choose :) And I'm meeting a PLU friend for church and brunch! yay for old friends!

Good night, sweet dreams :)