An Awesome Intersession Experience

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Name: Claire Schwimmer

Hometown: Westport, CT

Year: Class of 2012

Majors: Computer Science and Economics

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Following winter break most Hopkins students return to campus for Intersession, a three-week program in which students have the opportunity to take incredible classes, study abroad, intern, volunteer, and more! I chose to spend intersession in Honduras on a Global Brigades trip focused on microfinance.  Global Brigades is global organization that brings students to Panama, Ghana, and Honduras on different community service projects.  Microfinance is a diverse field but our trip focused on improving a rural Honduran bank and recruiting new members to the bank.

At 3:45 am the morning of January 15th, the nine of us met and exhausted, made our way to Honduras.  Once in Honduras we began our exploration at a national park with a view of the whole city. We then drove to “the compound”, which is where we would be staying for the next week.

The view from the national park

Our first day there we drove two hours through rivers, over rocks, and on the bumpiest roads imaginable to our community, “El Junco”.  Once there, we met with the executive board of the bank and questioned them endlessly until we understood how their bank operated.  El Junco has an agricultural economy, based mainly off of coffee so in the afternoon we learned how to make coffee, starting with planting the plants and ending with drinking the coffee.

Me with my coffee plant. The basket around my waist is for collecting coffee beans.

Driving through a river

We spent the next two days learning about different family’s financial situations by visiting their homes.  Since many families did not save any money, the majority of our time was spent figuring out ways for them to efficiently allocate their incomes.  The first family we visited had seven people (including a two week old adorable baby) living in a three-bedroom house.  Each member, including the children when they weren’t in school, had to walk an hour and a half each way to work on someone else’s land picking coffee.  They barely had enough money to get by and in the off season they had even less disposable income.  We realized that this family needed another source of income to provide for all of the children, so we helped the women open a business selling clothes, a skill they could now capitalize on.

After talking with the families and the members of the bank we made suggestions about how to improve the bank’s functionality and how the families can utilize the bank to improve their livelihood.

However, my trip to Honduras wasn’t all work. One of my favorite memories was visiting an orphanage and playing with the kids.  My Spanish isn’t great but I was still able to communicate and have fun.  There were hammocks all around the compound so when we weren’t in the community, I spent a majority of my time relaxing in the rural beauty of Honduras on a hammock.

One of the kids from the orphanage

My intersession trip to Honduras was amazing! It gave me a chance to see Honduras, learn about microfinance, and make great friends!

Outdoor Pursuits Pre-Orientation

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Year: Class of 2014

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Major: History of Art

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If you ask me what my best decision has been so far at Hopkins, I think I’ll surprise you in saying that is was also one of my first. When I was a mere pre-frosh, I decided to go on one of the Pre-Orientation trips offered by Outdoor Pursuits. Going on Pre-Orientation, or PreO in Hopkins jargon, was an adventurous decision for me. To put it lightly, I was a city girl. Born in San Francisco and raised in Los Angeles, my idea of spending “a week outside” was going to the beach everyday with warm hot showers at night in a hotel.

Nevertheless, I decided that I should try something new and make some friends before I was caught in the whirlwind that is Freshman Orientation. Somehow, I not only survived, but actually loved my week in the backcountry on Canoeing and Hiking Pre-Orientation. For four days we paddled the Potomac River, and then hiked the Appalachian Trail for three days. It was the first time I had slept outside for more than a night at a time, and it was definitely the first time I went a whole week without showering. I don’t want to get all tear-jerker on you here, but I met my to be best friend and now roommate, Jen, on PreO, and I looked up to my leaders like idols. My leads told me all about what to expect from classes, dorm life, parties, etc., and each night Jen and I would get in our sleeping bags and wonder what our new lives were going to be like.

I think the best thing about PreO is that it doesn’t end when the week is over. When we got back to campus, my group got our cell phones back (finally!) and we immediately all exchanged numbers. The first few weeks of school, my leaders would check in on me regularly, asking how I liked my classes, letting me know what they would be up to that Saturday night, and telling me the best places to eat near campus. About a few weeks into school, my leaders approached me and asked if I was interested in becoming a leader myself. Had they forgotten that I was the girl who showed up in a white dress and leather boots to the first day? Well, needless to say I applied.

I was selected as a Canoeing leader, and a few months later I picked up Kayaking too. Outdoor Pursuits has become like a family to me. When people ask me why I love PreO, my answer is always the same: the people. I can go out into the backcountry any weekend, but only during that one week of the year does the PreO spirit come alive. So make the best decision you’ll make at Hopkins before you even get here, and join me and forty-six of my best friends/fellow leaders on Pre-Orientation 2012.

It’s Always Sunny in South Africa

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Name: Saznin Mehta (@JHU_Saznin)

Year: Class 0f 2012

Hometown: Alexandria, VA

Major: Public Health Studies

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The first ever group to be a part of JHU Public Health Department’s new study abroad program in South Africa

For one of my very first Hopkins Interactive blogs, written way back in the stone age that was my freshman year, I mentioned a major life aspiration of mine: to become Anthony Bourdain. The man travels, eats, and says snarky things on camera for a living. Naturally, I have a major case of life envy. But as one of my friends once put it, “What’s there to be jealous about? You do all those things anyway, just without the cameras.”Okay, true, I’ve traveled quite a lot and eaten quite a lot. And come to think of it, I can earn something from my travels Anthony Bourdain can’t (at least not anymore): college credit. So this summer, I studied abroad in South Africa for six weeks as part of a new Hopkins public health program. Needless to say, spending six weeks in a strange country with 13 strangers – while sounding a lot like Real World: Cape Town – was a learning experience in itself.

Our guide teaching us a cool South African handshake before our bike ride through Soweto

Our first stop: Soweto, South Africa’s largest township located right outside Johannesburg. We were intrepid young tourists by day – riding bicycles through the township, touring Nelson Mandela’s old house, perusing museums – and a motley crew bonding over a bonfire by night. Our first few days in the world-famous township served as a crash course in South Africa’s history of apartheid, which provided solid background for what we would be learning in class later. After Soweto, it was off to Kruger for a three day safari, which was as fun as it was cliché. We saw our fair share of giraffes and springbok, but finally hit the jackpot when we came upon a couple of lions cuddling by the side of the road. National Geographic material right there. Once our orientation period in Soweto and Kruger was over, we headed to the main attraction: Cape Town.

Bloukrans Bridge, site of the most terrifying 710+ ft. bungee jump

The way we conquered Cape Town would put most travel hosts to shame. I’m sure our little group hit up every notable restaurant, bar, and local attraction Cape Town had to offer. And when we weren’t stuffing our faces, checking out the nightlife, or partaking in pretentious tea times and wine tastings, we literally put our lives on the line. Some in our group went cage diving with sharks and hiked up Table Mountain, while I and four other friends drove seven hours to attempt one of the highest commercial bungee jumps in the world. Insert requisite apologies to our parents: sorry, but it just had to be done, and now you can brag about us to your friends!

Getting owned by the kids of Zwelethemba, the township where we spent our homestay weekend.

When we weren’t out defying death, we were taking a great class on issues surrounding public health in South Africa and interning at health-based organizations in and around the city. As part of the class, my peers and I had the opportunity to help a small community-based organization in Khayelitsha, Cape Town’s largest township. My internship at Ubuntu Africa, a small non-profit that provides comprehensive care to HIV-positive children, was located in Khayelitsha as well. Three days out of the week, I’d be driven away from the beautiful mountainside campus of the University of Cape Town to an expanse of corrugated metal shacks and poverty in Khayelitsha.

My fellow interns Constancia, Jamie, and PK with a few of our little friends from UBA

My boss, Whitney Johnson, started the organization right out of graduation from Colorado College in 2006 and has been expanding the program’s reach ever since. Working there for six weeks gave me a look into the inner workings of a small non-profit, and having the opportunity to help them with projects related to their growth made for an awesome out-of-classroom learning experience. Children affected by HIV/AIDS face extreme levels discrimination and a severe lack of access to necessary resources, on top of the destructive health effects of their disease. The extreme levels of poverty in the township making living with such a devastating disease that much harder. Seeing as South Africa has the highest rate of HIV/AIDS in the world, UBA certainly fulfills a critical need. Being able to witness firsthand the kinds of struggles HIV-positive kids face every day taught me more about public health than I could ever learn by sitting in a classroom.

The stark contrasts between the developed metropolis and its vastly poorer townships used to bother me, and having to switch between the two every day was extremely jarring. I found it hard to wrap my head around the fact that I could be eating at a fancy restaurant before having to spend six hours working in an impoverished township. The apparent disparities had me asking a lot of difficult, unanswerable questions.

But that’s the exciting thing about South Africa: it’s full of contradictions that are impossible to comprehend in just six weeks. I loved being immersed in country still in transition. Its recent recovery process from apartheid has been complicated by the scourge of HIV/AIDS, but after meeting so many hardworking, enterprising South Africans, I have no doubt that the country will live up to its potential within my generation.

The view of Cape Town from on top of Table Mountain

My time in Cape Town played out much like an episode of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. Just like Tony, I ate my weight (even more, actually) in amazing food, took advantage of some amazing opportunities (seriously, nowhere else would I have drove seven hours through a foreign country just to jump off a bridge), veered off the beaten path to see those aspects of Cape Town no tourist would ever experience, and come out of it all with more questions than I had going in. Cue really introspective monologue present at the end of each episode.

At the end of the day, I gained a fresh new perspective, 13 new friends, experience at a great non-profit, and close to 10 pounds (but I was never able to master the three different clicks of the Xhosa language. Fail.) I know I’ll make it back some day, but I’m determined to do so with a camera crew to record yet another amazing experience for my loyal viewers at home. Watch your back, Bourdain.

For even more about Saznin’s experiences in South Africa, check out this JHU Gazette article: On the ground in South Africa.

The Adventures of JHU H4H: How Power Tools, Pumpkin Pete & the Plague Changed Everything.

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Name: Gena Marie Upshaw
Year: Class of 2012
Area of Study: Public Health Studies
Hometown: Greensboro, NC

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Intersession

Spring semester has just begun and we have just gotten off of the break following fall semester.  Some schools call this break Winter Break but, here at the Hop it is referred to as the blessing of Intersession. Intersession lasts about 6 weeks and includes almost the entire month of January.  During intersession short one and two credit classes are offered (at no additional cost) during the first three weeks of January. In addition to these mini courses, study abroad trips to places such as Ghana, Spain, and Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands.  This year I had friends travel to all three places, cool I know….. But I was determined to have some adventures of my own.  No I didn’t travel the world or take the beloved wine tasting class, but I did manage to do a little traveling of my own. I decided to participate in the annual Habitat for Humanity Intersession service trip.

The Mission

Habitat for Humanity is the organization that made this adventure possible. H4H provides affordable housing to those in need through building these homes with 100% volunteer labor.  The JHU Habitat for Humanity works every weekend in the city of Baltimore and plans two trips around the country a year; one for Intersession and the other for Spring Break. This year the destination for the Intersession trip was Louisiana.  One of the cool aspects of this trip was that we did not remain in one city the entire time. We were housed in Slidell, built houses in Abita Springs, and spent our nights in New Orleans. The weather was not as lovely as I thought it would be, but it was way better than the freezing temperatures and snow storm that swept through Baltimore that same week.  It rained the first day and was basically muggy all week, possibly the cause of “the plague” (as explained later).  However, that did not prevent us from having an amazing week.

The Work

Randy Bell, c/o 2013, roofing

Over the course of the week we built a house.  There were a few construction supervisors, but for the most part we did most of the work. The tasks involved everything from the interior work of painting and caulking to roofing and bracing the ceiling beams. Bracing the ceiling beams was my favorite thing to do.  This task involved me to climb up into what would become the ceiling, balance on narrow wooden beams and hammer on reinforcement boards sideways. When I first climbed up there 20-something feet in the air, and straddled those 3 inch wide wooden beams I was almost certain that I would fall and break something. By lunch I began to trust my body and by the end of the day I felt like Tarzan.

Myself, cutting boards for the roof, thankful for basic physics!

It was amazing to see the sense of community in the Abita Springs, LA. It seemed like the majority of the houses in this community were Habitat homes. It is safe to say that every person we encountered was friendly; every stranger waved and spoke to us.  Sometimes neighbors would walk over to our building site and pick up trash or construction debris without asking. People were so helpful and grateful. People thanked us left and right. I was truly blessed to be able to work on this community.

The Base Camp

Group pic in the fellowship hall of Peace Lutheran Ev. Church. Mardi Gras came early for us.

We did not stay in a five star hotel but we did stay at Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church.  In my opinion it was better, for the price we paid we were living large.  The church had a volunteer center composed of four bedrooms with numerous bunk-beds in each room, multiple bathrooms and a lounge that included a 57’ flat screen and computer lab.  There also was an outdoor basketball goal, a bonfire pit and a separate fellowship hall.  Every day we were provided with breakfast, bag lunches for the work site and a dinner. The lady who prepared our food was an amazing cook and had amazing stories to match.  In addition to the prepared meals, we had access to hundreds of baked goods and other goodies…literally hundreds. This was because Wal-Mart made weekly donations to the church and we were told to have anything that we wanted.  We were literally begged to eat all as much as we could because of the surplus. The first night a group of us explored the like children in a candy store, but it was better because we had adult size appetites and everything was freeeeeeeee.

The TEAM

TEAM Humphrey

The group was composed of 8 Hopkins students ranging from freshmen to seniors.  The personalities were as diverse as majors, which believe it or not, made for great group chemistry.  Prior to the trip I only knew two people and by the end of the trip I considered the other five friends.  On the second day the group was divided due to additional help needed on another work site.  The big group became team Wilburßnamed after the trip coordinator.  My group, which consisted of only three members (as seen above), became known as team Humphrey ß named after a lizard we captured on our site.

The Plague

A series of random sicknesses, latter dubbed “the plague”, swept through the group like wild fire.  It first appeared on day two. The interesting thing was that it was not a single virus; everyone had different ailments and symptoms.  Team Wilbur got hit first and hard. My team remained untouched until the second to last day when one member developed a sore throat and cough.  It was a sad, sad day. We blame this day on the fact that we rode in team Wilbur’s car (the infected car) the day before. During this ride, I held my breath, JK. But I was very aware of the germs floating around in the air, on the door knobs, seatbelts, seats, windows, etc(Public Health Major J), so as soon as I got out of the car I washed my hands.  Fortunately the end of the trip the plague had loosened its grip on the group and almost everyone was back to full health.

The Burning of Pumpkin Pete

First I would like to make clear that this is NOT VOODOO. Now that this has been established I shall explain how Pumpkin Pete came into existence; his rise and fall.  One day a pumpkin was bought for two dollars, with the simple intentions of roasting its seeds.  We had already been planning to utilize the churches’ bonfire pit for marshmallow roasting and smores that night.  The time came; the bonfire was  made, marshmallows were roasted and the team leader took the pumpkin inside to dig out its seeds.  When he returned the pumpkin was no longer a regular pumpkin….it had a face and was given the name Pete. Pete’s seeds were roasted and many shenanigans later he too wound up in the fire.  Though he did not melt like the Wicked Witch of the West, Pete lived a great life and thoroughly entertained 8 Hopkins students on their winter break.

NOLA

Preservation Hall musician

The city of New Orleans was definitely an experience to say the least.  Despite the plague, we managed to have a blast in the city.  We spent the majority of our time in the French Quarter. There every other shop was filled with voodoo things; paraphernalia, fortune tellers, etc’. It was pretty interesting…I guess. The Voodoo really was not my thing and slightly creeped me out, so I did not stay for too long and refused to get my Tarot Card reading. But some of the people in the group really like it.  Bourbon Street was exactly how I pictured it would be. It was filled with the voices of hundreds of people, music from endless jazz clubs and karaoke bars, inebriated individuals, and horse poop. The horse poop was a result of the mounted police force that patrolled the French Quarter.  The horses were magnificent! I was in awe of their size and pure beauty.  Over the course of our nightly escapades through NOLA a few of the spots we visited a few spots worth mention; BubbaGump Restaurant (a Forrest Gump themed restaurant <<overrated and expensive>>), the famous Café Du Monde (amazing beignets!), the historic Preservation Hall (a living museum of all things Jazz<<life performance = greatness >>), and Jackson Square (feral cat central).  New Orleans was a blast! It was the first time I traveled there, and I am sure it will not be my last.

In short, the moral of this blog is to make the most of Intersession.  There is always something fun and exciting to get into here at Hopkins whether it is through service, personal enrichment, or a program simply designed for fun. There are over 300 student clubs and organizations that specialize in everything from Habitat for Humanity to Tae Kwon Do. Take advantage of what Hopkins has to offer and there will never be a dull moment during your undergraduate experience.

Intersession Abroad: An Adventure to the Ecuadorian Amazon and the Galapagos Islands

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Name: Andrew Halls

Year: Class of 2012

Hometown: Edmonton, AB, Canada

Majors: Neuroscience, Minors in Psychology and Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality

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When people ask me, “How was Ecuador!?” I can only really tell them one thing.

“You have to go. It is possibly the most amazing experience I have had in my life. Everyone needs to go! Go to Ecuador! Go on the trip!”

Obligatory Equator Photo

Intersession. There are plenty of things you can do during your intersession, for me that traditionally meant getting a couple extra weeks of break to enjoy the Canadian snow at home. But for others, that can be one of the most exciting classes they’ve taken or maybe a great bout of intimate research with a professor. I spent my intersession on the most amazing study abroad program in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. While the trip focused on Tropical Biology and Evolution, there were a wide variety of students from all sorts of backgrounds bringing with them their own personal academic interests.

Ecuador. We all flew back into Baltimore on January 3^rd, and began our journey with lectures from faculty about all sorts of topics: The Geological History of the Galapagos Islands, Natural and Sexual Selection, Biodiversity in the Ecuadorian Rainforest, the Political Situation in South America, pre-Incan culture, art, and history… the list goes on. Then, we flew.

We landed in Quito, Ecuador on January 5^th, passed out in our hotel rooms, and got up early the next day for a tour of the city. A beautiful colonial city surrounded by volcanoes with religious and cultural significance to the Ecuadorian aboriginals, the entire city has been declared a UNESCO Cultural Heritage of Humanity Site. Of course, no trip to Ecuador can be complete without obligatory equator-line photos.

Okay, this is where the journey begins. Waking up early, (this becomes a theme) we got onto a 30 minute flight over the Andes Mountains to the small oil town of Coca located in the Amazon Basin. We loaded into two motored canoes

View from the Canopy Walk

to enjoy a 2 hour journey down the Napo River, which continues and flows into the Amazon. After those hours of amazing greenery, we took a 30 minute hike through the rainforest (yes, the middle of the rainforest) to the lake Pilchicocha. We took a final 15 minute paddle canoe to the beautiful Sacha Lodge. Where did we sleep? In cabins in the middle of the forest. No glass windows, only bug screens.

Every morning we would wake up at 5 or 6 AM in small groups with a naturalist guide and a native guide.  My group specialized in birds. I really could go on for hours and hours about all the things we did, some of the highlights include a 36 meter high canopy walk (I have a species list in my journal of over 30 species of birds in a couple days) and a night-time canoe ride through flooded forest. Oh, and we swam with piranha in the black-water lake too! (Had one or two of those for dinner on the last night…)

Checking out the baby sea lion

After the Amazon we travelled all the way back out and onto a plane to the Galapagos Islands. Noted for Darwin’s voyage there on the Beagle, we landed on Baltra Island’s airport and loaded onto a cruise ship, the Isabella II (this is the only way to see the Galapagos, really.) Every day we would load onto pangas, large inflatable motor boats, and make day treks on each of the islands. The Galapagos were amazing. My friend Julia and I hypothesized that you could take a photo from absolutely any angle with any quality camera and come out with masterpieces.

We saw of course, blue footed boobies, albatrosses, Sally Lightfoot crabs, pelicans, sea lions, and marine iguanas. The Galapagos aren’t as lush as you might imagine based on experiences on other Pacific islands though. The Galapagos are fairly young, geologically speaking. As such, there hasn’t been much opportunity for vegetation to make it to the islands and prosper, and they actually are very barren and dry. I believe that the absurd arid, rocky, islands only

Otavalo, and the Animal Market

add to the mystique and beauty of them.

You’d think there wasn’t much left to see, but the next adventure for us was back on the mainland, in the Ecuadorian highlands. We saw an active animal market (guinea pigs are only $1 each, and yes, they are sold as food here..!) and next travelled to the world’s longest continuously-running market, the Otavalo market. (My favorite purchases include wool scarves and my fuzzy, warm alpaca socks.) Last but not least, we were at the Cloud Forest, an area of rainforest elevated to a high altitude during the formation of the Andes Mountains.

Crimson Rumped Toucanet

As part of the course we maintained a journal chronicling our daily thoughts and feelings, and wrote an essay re-exploring some aspect of the trip that grabbed our interest: something you wanted to explore a little bit more upon return. I love the evolutionary development of social behaviors, and so my essay was a review of the interactions between squirrel and capuchin monkey troops, based in part on observations made during our time in the rainforest!

I miss Ecuador so much, you know each and every one of us on the trip do! But the experience hasn’t ended there. Every week l take classes with, grab coffee with, play games with, hang out with all the amazing people from the trip.

Namaste: Volunteer Work Abroad Drives My Goals at Home

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Name: Chelsea Rinnig

Year: Class of 2011

Hometown: Santa Monica, California

Area of Study: History and Writing Seminars

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When I came to Hopkins, I was pretty much undecided about everything – my major, my career…even my extracurricular interests began to change.  My freshman year, I took IFP I at the suggestion of Amy Brokl, and tentatively decided to follow the path of a Writing Seminars major (while filling this requirement, I made History my primary major and kept Writing Sems as my secondary).  After completing my first year of college and spending the summer as a Mountaineering counselor, I decided I needed to take advantage of this time in my life and do something extraordinary.  I used money I had saved from high school flute competitions to book a round trip ticket, and planned to travel to Nepal to live in a house sponsored by the Unatti Foundation (unattifoundation.org).

As I approached the ticket counter at the airport, with four oversized duffel bags in tow, I had no idea what to expect.   I hardly understood what all this—the children’s clothes, shoes, and toys—was for, let alone what I would actually do with myself once I arrived in Nepal.  The seven weeks away from home that followed, though, genuinely and profoundly changed my life.

I lived in a house with thirteen young girls and three grown women, all from disadvantaged backgrounds.  Every morning, the girls woke up at 5:30am to do chores (while I asked them every day to wake me up with, they usually let me sleep in until a generous extra hour).  We took our breakfast, tea, and dinner together, eating with our hands and sitting crossed legged on the floor.  And after we finished their homework, we played outside together, or they would laugh at me trying to learn their favorite songs and dances.  While the girls went to school, I taught English Conversation at the local government school and shadowed the operations of the Unatti Foundation’s handicraft business.  One day I might have ridden on the back of a motorcycle to the top of Nagarkot Mountain to get a view of Mount Everest, and the next I’d find myself on the second floor of an apartment building, converted into a “factory” that employed children to sew beads onto fabric.  Between two week-long trips to India and Thailand, and a two-day journey home, I met my mother back in Birmingham, Alabama with my four bags stuffed with shawls and kurtas and red tikka still on my forehead for blessed travels.  The experience was trying, but it made the life I lead here so much more valuable and I realized I wanted to get involved in human rights research and activism.

When I went abroad to Buenos Aires, I chose to work with Fundación Banco Provincia, a government funded organization that provides scholarships and microcredits for the underprivileged of Buenos Aires Province.  Upon my return, I was accepted to the BA/MA Program in History, and my Masters research this year focuses on Woman’s Rights movements in the United States.  I took an internship last summer at Human Rights Watch in Washington, D.C. and my supervisors encouraged me to apply for post-graduate.  As a result, I have started courses like State and Society in Modern India and Beginning Hindi in anticipation of hopefully being accepted to a scholarship or fellowship program in India next year.

When prospective students ask me why I love Hopkins, I have a two-part answer.  The first: tthe education I have received will prepare me for whatever I do.  Even if I’m a Humanities major, I have gained the research and analytical skills to apply to multiple careers and opportunities, and specifically have had the benefit of amazing programs that qualify me for a future in human rights. Second: my peers truly inspire me.  My experience was unique and amazing, but especially when talking to my fellow seniors, I find that everyone has taught English in Honduras or interned in China or done something during their Hopkins career that has changed their life.   And I never would have taken on a project like this if it hadn’t been for the example of those around me accomplishing equally brilliant things.

A Semester in Sevilla

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Name: Liz Kaplan

Year: Junior (2012)

Hometown: Coopersburg, PA

Majors: Latin American Studies and Spanish

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Saludos de Sevilla

I’m currently sitting at my usual hangout—sidewalk café overlooking the third largest cathedral in the world. No big deal. This little spot is one of my favorites in all of Seville. Other favorite? The Alcázar. Hands down. It’s a royal palace that was built in the 14^th century and always leaves me speechless. This city has quickly become my new home. I feel like I was in the Philadelphia airport just yesterday giving my parents tearful hugs goodbye. After saying adios, I haven’t looked back. It’s going to be really difficult to sum up my adventures in a few paragraphs, but here we go.

I can’t even begin to express my love for this city. As soon as my plane landed, I knew that this would be an awesome semester. I wake up in the morning and am instantly surrounded by Spanish culture—in the streets, at my homestay, at my university, and as I sit down to relax in front of the television. My host mom, Inma, cooks me typical Spanish cuisine—tortilla de patatas, croquetas, gazpacho, and some of the best lentil soup I’ve ever had. Her cooking is second to none. This is my first time in Europe, so it has taken some time for me to adjust to the lifestyle. I’ve gotten used to how laid-back and relaxed everything is here. Siestas have become a very important part of my daily routine.

Being completely immersed in the Spanish culture is forcing me to speak Spanish to survive, which is exactly what I needed. Going to cafés where literally no one speaks English is both terrifying and exciting. At first, I was afraid to speak to people because I didn’t want to be immediately targeted as a foreigner. I’m now realizing that it’s all right to make mistakes. People here are willing to reach out and help me learn about their language and culture. I’m finally confident with my ability to speak Spanish. The culture here is so different that the only way for me to learn is by making mistakes and then correcting myself the next time. This is one of the most important things I’ve learned here.

I’ve been trying to pinpoint one experience that’s been my favorite so far and am having some difficulties. It sounds really cliché, but every day is a new adventure. Just when I think I’ve had an especially awesome day, the next just gets better. One of my favorite (and most cultural) experiences was when I went to a bullfight. Yes, they are very controversial. Yes, there are probably a lot of you out there who are cringing just thinking about attending one. I can honestly say that it was amazing and I loved every minute of it. The gore, music, eloquence, and beauty immediately drew me in. The matadors turned their fight into a dance that had a unique beauty to it. I will never forget that day.

My semester in Europe wouldn’t be complete without some traveling. I’ve had some awesome adventures so far! I’ve been visiting lots of cities in Spain–Granada, Córdoba, Huelva, Barcelona, Madrid, Cádiz, and others. So far, I’ve only ventured out of Spain once to go to Paris. I spent almost a whole week there. It was awesome to see my friends in a new environment and experience their little corner of the world.

I’m quickly realizing that this semester is going to disappear before I know it. I’m desperately trying to make the most of every day by visiting museums, walking in parks, drinking espresso at sidewalk cafés, and getting lost in the winding backstreets. I am going to be traveling like crazy for the next few months—Birthday in Barcelona, Christmas in Venice, New Years in Berlin, and Lisbon, Vienna, Paris, Prague, Rome, Florence, and Venice in between. I wish that everyone at Hopkins could go abroad. This is an experience that I am extremely thankful for and want to recommend to anyone and everyone. I’ve had the opportunity to meet other students from around the world, volunteer in a bilingual classroom, and am doing so much that I’ve never had the opportunity to do before.

Despite these unique experiences, I find myself missing Baltimore more and more each day.  My heart aches each time I tell my friends here about the Inner Harbor, relaxing on the President’s lawn, my awesome group of friends at Hopkins, or my beloved row house on North Calvert Street. Being here has strengthened my love for Baltimore and Hopkins and has made me realize how lucky I am to have such a fantastic group of friends there. We’re all in constant contact despite being separated by multiple time zones. I’m thousands away from my city, but I’ve never felt so connected. Europe amazes me more and more every day, but Baltimore keeps me coming back. Europe just doesn’t have that same grit that I know and love.

For all of you on the other side of the Atlantic, thanks for reading! There’s a big world out there, so go explore. ¡Hasta luego!

When Worlds Combine

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Name: Clare Richardson

Year: Class of 2012

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Major(s): Film and Media Studies/Writing Seminars

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I had always envisioned college as a place where my interests in life would become what I was learning at school. Where at last school wouldn’t feel like “work,” but where I would immerse myself in learning about things that interested me. My passions have always been film and creative writing, and unfortunately they’re two subjects that don’t get a lot of attention in high school.  I came to Hopkins intending to major in Film Studies and the Writing Seminars, and I hoped that at one point this combination of school-world academics and my real-world interests would blend together. Of course I was realistic:  I knew that I probably wouldn’t get that opportunity in my first few years in college, and especially not in the first semester of my freshman year.

I’ve been lucky enough to attend the Sundance Film Festival for the past five years, and the days up in Park City have always been some of my favorites. A week away from the real world, surrounded by filmmakers, producers, actors, and people who are just as passionate about film as I am. The whole festival has a wonderful summer camp feeling;  it’s not uncommon for a complete stranger to ask you what your favorite film is while riding the bus (yes, the bus-it’s the only way to get around when almost 50,000 people descend on a town with a population of 7,000).  As most know, a lot of the media focus has been diverted from the festival’s mission of presenting the best in independent film and towards celebrities, parties, and of course, swag.  Even though there may be a celebrity influence, Sundance is still truly a film festival, where independent cinema has a chance to be seen.

I knew I wanted to study film in college, so I naturally enrolled in the class Intro to the Study of Film in my first semester. It was a great class that gave me a solid foundation in the “study” of film, and I was fortunate enough to have the head of the film department as my professor. As the semester began to come to an end and Sundance drew near, I realized the opportunity I might have. Here I was, a potential film and media studies major about to head off to the preeminent American film festival, and the thought to combine the two hadn’t crossed my mind. After my next class I talked to my professor about a potential independent study project using my opportunity to go to the film festival with my schoolwork, and she asked me to come by her office so we could talk it over.  I couldn’t believe how receptive she was to my proposal, especially coming from a first semester freshman who hadn’t even declared her major.  She loved my idea of tying the two together and approved my proposal for an independent study project over intersession.  I was thrilled!

Needless to say, Sundance ’09 was fantastic. The trip started out incredibly well, with Dominic Monaghan (from Lord of the Rings and Lost) helping me with my bag in luggage. For the six days I was there, the skies were always clear and sunny, and the temperature never dropped below 40 in the day.

I was able to see 24 films, ranging from documentaries about the rapper Lil’Wayne to mainstream New York cop dramas to completely unclassifiable movies involving two straight men making gay porn. As always there were good films, bad films, and really bad films, but this year had a surprising number of great films.  My favorite had to be The September Issue, a documentary about Vogue and its editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour.  The close second was In the Loop which is an expansion of the British show The Thick of It, and a wonderful British comedy about the relationship between British and American politicians.  My other favorites were 500 Days of Summer, a slightly off-beat romantic comedy, and The Yes Men Fix the World, a great documentary about activists attempting to point out corporate greed by impersonating major companies.

And of course, a Sundance recap is never complete without a mention of the celebrity sightings.  While I managed to miss Paris (phew!), in addition to my encounter with Dominic, my “big” sightings were Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore, and John Krasinski (a personal favorite-I’m a big Office fan). And what had to be the perfect Sundance Festival encounter was meeting the Sundance Kid himself-Robert Redford-and even managing to grab a picture with him :)

Coming home from Sundance and then immediately returning to Hopkins has been a quick transition, and now that I’m back on campus I feel like no time has passed since I left in December. As I begin to write my reviews of the docs, dramas, comedies, and genre-benders I saw, it’s fun to view the films with a new, critical eye and begin to apply what I’d learned last semester. And the best part of the whole experience is that I’ve already been able to connect these two parts of my life together after just one semester here.

The 4K and Beyond: My Hopkins Experience

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Name: Anna Johnston

Year: Class of 2010

Hometown: Dublin, Ohio

Major: Public Health Major, Social Sciences Concentration

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I went on a trip this past summer that was probably one of the most unique experiences of my life. For all intensive purposes, I went abroad for 9 weeks. I spent 63 days cycling across the country with a group of 25 students I did not really know until the first day of the trip (including Mohammad Modarres, who talked about the 4K in a previous entry). It was a philanthropic bike ride across the country to unite communities in the fight against cancer through raising funds, spreading awareness, and fostering hope. This was the seventh annual ride for the 4K for cancer (formerly known as the Hopkins 4K for Cancer), which was a student group I was a Co-Director for this past academic year. I was on a bike for about six hours every day, except every 9 days or so when we would get a day off to relax and explore the cities. Due to poor phone coverage and the fact I was in a new place every night, I really did feel like I was in another country in this country. As wearing as that experience came to be by the end of trip, it was totally and completely worth it. I met so many incredible people and shared an incredible experience with my peers, on top of the fact that I know we made a difference; as an organization we will donate $95,000 to various cancer institutions across the country this fall.

People always ask, “Which place was your favorite?” As expected, this is the most impossible question to answer. Climbing the Appalachian Mountains the first few days of the trip was hard, but was motivational for the rest of the trip. The views of the Great Lakes from the borders of Ohio and Illinois were beautiful and familiar to me as an Ohio resident. The rolling, forest covered hills in Missouri were simply spectacular. Climbing into Lake Tahoe was the one of the most challenging rides, but was a fair exchange for being able to see the beauty of the lake surrounded by the mountains at sunset when we finally arrived. And in my opinion, nothing can really beat that desert sunrise riding out of Austin, Nevada. As beautiful as the landscapes were, they are not the things I remember the most. It is the people I remember most fondly.

Although I had meaningful interactions with various host cities across the country, it is the state of Nebraska that stands out the most in my mind. Franklin, Arapahoe, and Benkelman were three consecutive days that really meant a lot to me. In Franklin, I met a man named Gary that I think of any time I think about the 4K. His wife is a third generation colon cancer victim who has survived three recurrences, and just finished her last bought of chemotherapy a few weeks before the 4K came to town (and despite this, was still busy in the church kitchen cooking both dinner and breakfast for us!). In Arapahoe I had the most welcoming home-stay with a young couple, Karmeca and Anthony Fisher. The have a newborn, but still took eight 4K riders into their home that night and gave us warm showers, beds, clean sheets, and even did our laundry! In Benkelman, a family planned a whole carnival fundraiser for us which raised about $2,000 for our cause. And of course, the plains of Nebraska, which are not normally as green as they were this summer, were breathtaking.

The 4K was certainly an adventure of a lifetime. My Hopkins experience is not what I thought it would be as Freshman, back when I wanted to attend Medical School after I graduated. Hopkins has provided me with opportunities I never planned on, but for which I am all the more grateful. The 4K means more to me than any truely ‘abroad’ experience could have, and my Public Health major has opened my eyes to the opportunities to help communities through policy and legislation, something that can have a greater impact than individual-oriented medicine.

At any other school, I doubt I would have become involved in Greek life either. Being a sister of Alpha Phi another incredibly meaningful activity in which I have been involved. I graduated from Columbus School for Girls, which I attended for seven years. Having a group of sisters to support me and keep me involved with community service and other activities on and around campus has been indispensable to my experience here at Hopkins. A smaller group of sisters, known as my Alpha Phi family, has really been a surrogate family for me while I am so far from home. Furthermore, I am running for a leadership position in my sorority in our upcoming election, and I am thankful for the chance to further my leadership experience and sharpen my skills I gained from being a Director for the 4K for Cancer.

I do not know what new experience Hopkins will bring me in the next year; just in the last month I have started teaching sexual education to at-risk youth in Baltimore with CRASH (Creating Responsibility in Adolescent Sexual Health), another student group here on campus! We are in the midst of a five week session with a group of young men at a transition house from the Maryland juvenile system in Druid Hill as a result of mostly drug related crimes, and in January I plan on helping to teach more classes to a group of young men in the CHOICE program, a probation and monitoring alternative for youth implicated in smaller crimes. One thing is certain, Hopkins is a busy campus, and I am positive my last year and a half will be just as busy and eventful as my first two and a half.

Working with HIV/AIDS Patients in Kakinada, India

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Name: Nick Arora

Year: Class of 2010

Hometown: Woodinville, WA

Major: Public Health, Biology

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For those familiar with it, William Osler’s

Aequanimitas likely conjures up a vision of the virtuous Father of Medicine, the power of his principles, and perhaps his time at Johns Hopkins. Interestingly enough, I wasn’t introduced to these concepts at Hopkins, but rather in Kakinada, India, a developing port town quite literally half way across the world. During my eight weeks in Kakinada this summer, I learned of equanimity, the concept of evenness of mind, from Dr. Ravi Vadrevu, a dermatologist and HIV physician at the Sai Sudha Hospital. It was immediately evident that successfully managing such a significant volume of patients, clinical, and administrative tasks relied on clear, critical thinking.

From July to August, I “interned” at the hospital while living on the top floor. The private hospital sees 150 – 200 outpatients daily, with cases ranging from dermatology and general surgery to infectious disease, namely HIV and tuberculosis. The 25 – 30 HIV positive patients visiting the hospital daily were the population we mostly focused on during my tenure in Kakinada. Addressing HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis in Kakinada is significant, as the state of Andhra Pradesh has India’s largest documented HIV incidence rate, while the East Godavri District (where Kakinada is located) has the highest HIV prevalence within the State. Tuberculosis is the leading cause of death amongst Indians with HIV; approximately 325,000 die each year.

After spending time in a New Delhi hospital last summer, I could better appreciate the burden of infectious disease, especially amongst low-income individuals. With the help of Dr. Ravi and Dr. Amita Gupta, an Infectious Disease professor at Hopkins Medicine, we organized a project focusing on identifying the HIV/TB case burden by administering a comprehensive survey to patients, then addressing the problem through educational programming. In the initial process of our interviews with patients, it became clear that these low-income physical laborers and housewives had poor nutritional diets, nor were they following their treatment schedules. With this understanding we began our educational efforts, creating and distributing pamphlets and flip charts in Telugu that promoted how to eat healthy local foods with cost-constraints, in addition to the importance of adhering to medical treatment schedules. We created similar materials to promote tuberculosis awareness, prevention, and treatment options. Using these resources, clinicians, counselors and staff at the Sai Sudha Hospital and additional sites could teach patients more effectively. With the materials and a little guidance, counselors and staff could have a more substantial impact on patients and hopefully the broader population

While I was in Kakinada, I also learned of a non-profit organization known as the Aids Awareness Group, spear-headed by Dr. Ravi. The primary objective of the organization is to provide testing and antiretroviral drugs, the most effective anti-HIV medicines, to patients who cannot otherwise afford such services. We worked on constructing a website, which is still in the process of being finalized (www.spiderace.com/aag). The free clinic currently provides medicines to over 900 patients living with HIV/AIDS, and is looking to expand the number of treatment centers and awareness efforts.

In addition to the clinical experience and research, my time in Kakinada gave me a chance to learn more about India’s development and how motivated citizens are able to advance a region’s well-being. Kakinada has a population of about 500,000 and is located approximately 500 km east of Hyderabad, one of India’s major IT hubs. When I first arrived, I was immediately stuck by the greenery – hailing from Seattle, I thought I was familiar with environmental beauty, but Kakinada redefined it for me. The landscape is peppered with palm and coconut trees, rice paddies, and huts made of leaves. Yet, the natural beauty is hampered by open-air defecation, dusty settlements, congested streets, and overcrowding. This double standard prevails not only within the physical environment, but also stretches to the political and social landscape that cultivates health care, the economy, and culture. Like much of India, this southeast region’s development faces obstacles in the form of bureaucracy and corruption. Nonetheless, a driven movement of doctors, industrialists (owners of rice mills, fisheries, and other agricultural enterprises), and general citizens are pushing for educational improvement, business development, and health care reform.

Indeed, the Sai Sudha Hospital, run by Dr. Ravi and his wife Dr. Lalitha, along with 70 consultant doctors, nurses, counselors, and staff, is an encouraging example of the power of human passion. Dr. Ravi and his family took me into their home like a son, while the hospital staff welcomed me as a brother; this fundamental human connection was powerful, and allowed me to adapt, grow, and help accomplish our goals, even though I spoke no Telugu going into the summer. For me it is these relationships and personal idiosyncrasies that I will especially value and carry with me in my future endeavors. Observing individuals like Dr. Ravi uphold equanimity in the face of adversity is a moving example of human perseverance and drive. With a healthy sense of adventure and purpose, it is exciting to consider what more can be achieved on a global scale.