Caught in Between

(WARNING: This blog is for the serious blog readers…it’s long! sorry :( But hopefully worth it…)

This whole summer I’ve been in the middle of it all. And I’ve been lovin’ it.

I hate taking pictures of myself. A slightly unflattering pic of me at work.

That’s one of the reasons I took this internship–I wanted to be in the community. Yes, I live in Baltimore, but I have never really been IN Baltimore, doing meaningful work in places that look like something you’d see on The Wire.

(SIDENOTE/RANT  And because I know you’re thinking this, and because I may get this question…I’ll say that the show is accurate in its depictions of its pieces of Baltimore–but guess what y’all–it’s not all of Baltimore!  The show does a good job of DOING WHAT IT’S SUPPOSED TO DO–show the problems of Baltimore  in their truest, rawest forms. I would be a LIAR if I didn’t say that urban blight was real and a serious issue. But dang flabbit if you all think that ALL of Baltimore is like that! IT’S NOT! And I hope you’ve seen many of the positive things Baltimore does have to offer through the other students’ blogs to back up my assertion. And those blogs don’t even cover all of it, to put our city in perspective. /ENDRANT    :)  )

So yea, that’s not the point of this blog. The point is to show how I can see this place as beautiful even though I see these “wire like” things every day. Yes, even with it’s problems, Baltimore is a beautiful place, and it is VERY possible to enjoy it and all that it has to offer in the middle of it all. Just give Baltimore a chance to be Baltimore. Don’t close yourselves off. Talk to people in the community. They don’t bite :) Do service and get to know the problems and why they exist, rather than just know that they DO exist. Learn about the wonderful non profits working to change people’s lives step by step. As Hopkins students, we can easily do two different things:  stay stuck in our bubble and do nothing really meaningful in Baltimore (ME FOR 2.5 YEARS–FAIL) or reallllly get involved (WHAT YOU SHOULD DO!) Why complain and not try to be a part (no matter how ‘small’ but a part nonetheless) of the solution?

ANYWAYS…

So I work in Sandtown-Winchester, a neighborhood in West Baltimore. More specifically, I work on Pennsylvania Avenue, which used to be a THRIVING place.  Musicians like Cab Calloway, Diana Ross, and Billie Holliday stopped on Pennsylvania Avenue to perform in the Royal Theater…it was one of THE places to perform if you wanted to be somebody. Pennsylvania Avenue had theaters, clubs, dance halls, Black owned shops, and comfortable black businesses and homes.

So yea life happened…shops closed, MLK was assassinated, race riots happened, jobs disappeared, people moved away, and Sandtown declined.

If you were to take a walk along there today, you wouldn’t see the historic Pennsylvania Avenue…take a look:

storefronts

rowhomes

unhealthy corner stores

What’s  here now? Chinese food stores (I went to one for lunch the other day though, it was good and cheap!) , liquor stores, nail salons (went to one of those too last week…nice and cheap and good!! you find some gems in the hood :) ), little mom n pop stores, clothes/shoes shops, old store fronts, rowhomes, beauty supply stores…no major stores or retailers.

People wandering the streets at all hours of the day and night. I had the wonderful experience of getting lost last night (with a GPS too…I’m great) and getting twisted up on some streets I really didn’t want to be on, and I’m sure the people I saw wandering them didn’t want to be there either but unlike me, they really didn’t have a choice.

But here is the beauty in the middle of it all I was talking about. THE PEOPLE. THE COMMUNITY. THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE UP THE COMMUNITY.

Whatchu talkin’ bout, Dominique?

Aight. So my work again. I pulled up on the first day and saw this sign:

There are actually several on the street in front of my job, and many many more in the surrounding streets

And I was like “Whaaa? WHERE am I?” And ya… we’ve seen this activity around my job. And some other weird things. One day I came outside and some teenager was banging on my car and I had to deal with that situation (he was just sitting there tho, bored and using his hand, not a tool or anything so that was good); some guy beating up his girlfriend across the street; a small mob up the street from my job that stabbed a boy (that was at night though).

Maybe in a former life I’d be fazed by it, but I’m not now. And that’s because I am surrounded by people who love this community despite its shortcomings and are willing to live in it and love on it until it changes. THAT’S BEAUTY. (Don’t get me wrong, I HATE that this stuff happens and I’m NOTTTTTT excusing the behavior because it’s terrible, but what I’m saying is that I am touched that there are people who have hearts big enough to be filled with compassion to want to stay and help  these issues rather than turn around, GIVE UP, and run away. Ya feel me?)

This was behind a school...I'm guessing people play ball here

People can look from the outside in and turn their noses up at Baltimore all they want but what are they doing to help? I care about the opinions of the people who are putting themselves in the middle of it all each and everyday to make a difference in their beloved communities. You put the help where it is needed…so if that means people have to move into these communities to help them, then so be it. That’s why I love my internship–everyone working here lives in Sandtown.  People don’t try to come from the outside in to “fix” Sandtown, then go home to other places…they move here and LIVE here and have lived here and are working to transform it HONESTLY from the inside out.

These are some of the houses that have be rehabbed by Sandtown's Habitat for Humanity--working and living from the inside out.

Baltimore is a friendly place too. Yea, people can be abrasive, but they will say hello and good morning even if you don’t know them. That’s beauty, right? You have to be willing to put yourself out there and say “hello” to see the friendliness. How many people actually do that? Now, I’m not saying be dangerous and put yourself out there to creepers…so don’t tell your parents that I said that!!! But I mean just when you’re in a store or in a place doing work, saying a simple howdy or good morning or hello…you know what I mean. And you’ll see that this is quite the friendly place.

The biggest thing I’ve seen in Sandtown is the urban ministry though. I won’t go into the details, but urban ministry has been what’s really been giving Sandtown that sense of community. If you’ve ever traveled around Baltimore city, in the really blighted areas, you will notice that there are churches on every corner. Literally. Here, there’s a philosophy of Relocation (moving and living among the people), Reconciliation (the heart of the church), and Redistribution (giving resources equally). If you’re interested in learning more about Sandtown, here is a really good article, a nice quick read, about it: http://www.sndtwn.org/urbanite1104.pdf

That being said, I’ve already been planning to come back to Martha’s Place (name of my internship) to support its events; to attend the ladies’ graduation ceremonies; to just check up on them; to help out when needed…I’ve formed a relationship and I can’t just stop it now. I mentioned before that my first 2.5 years here, I didn’t do any kind of steady service. (I just started this spring semester) But being here this summer has shown me that it’s a two-way street. I help and I get helped. Service is one of the really good ways to get to know this place and it’s not a cookie cutter thing–there are several types of problems that requires several types of solutions.

So yea, that’s why Baltimore is beautiful to me.  I’d never heard of anything like this before working at my internship this summer–this sense of character, pride, and love–in the middle of it all. And it’s there for everyone able and willing to see it! :)

I do that a lot–my gas tank gets on E and then I end up running on fumes. I like being busy and I guess I forget that I need to take a break–and this means taking a break from fun also. As in just sleeping. And BEING.

I really need to stop driving around like this, esp. since my gas light is broken.

I took my GRE exam yesterday (Like the SAT for graduate school) and it has been the bane of my existence for the past month or so. I had to rush to study for it and take it because I didn’t know I only had until the middle of July before the format changed to something with which I’d be completely unfamiliar. So, I sucked i up, paid my 160$ (WHAT?????) and started studying for the exam.

It was weird having to remember math from 10th grade but it came back pretty easily. What was worse was the Verbal section, which requires one to know thousands of antiquated words in the hopes that the ones you do know will show up on the exam. Not too bad if you’re into that kind of thing. I’m not into that kind of thing LOL.

Anyway, I took it and got a score which I feel is decent, so I’m happy it’s over and I can have my life back! I have so much left to do this summer because Baltimore has so much to offer. If you’re thinking about coming here for college (which you probably are since you’re reading this blog ;)  ), keep in mind that the adventurous spirit is the happiest here.

What do I have left to do?

-Take a DC day trip to the Smithsonian and the Zoo

-ARTSCAPE (America’s largest free outdoor festival)

-American Visionary Arts Museum

-Great Blacks in Wax Museum

-15 fitness classes at the Baltimore Merrit Athletic Club Downtown (whoohoo!)

-NY trip with one of my best friends and her summer roommate from France who just HAS to have the touristy NYC experience

-Picnic in Sherwood Gardens

But before all of that, I need to take time to just BE. and SLEEP. I think we forget that sometimes. If some of you guys are rising seniors and starting the application process (as I am for grad school, YIKES!). take time for yourselves because it’s about to get hectic!

I think that is about all for now! I’ll be back soon with more on my internship as it end in the coming weeks :(

Until next time,

Dominique

(Before I start, I just wanna say that this is the 2nd anniversary of Michael Jackson’s death, and if you didn’t notice, up until a few blogs ago I named all of my blogs from last year and this year after his songs because his music was and is just that awesome. So yea, for those who care, there is it is, and that was why I named my blogs after his music. However, I think it’s time to adopt a new naming tradition. But until I figure that out, I’ll go with ‘regular’ names. We love you MJ!)

I admit, I don’t know any Latin and I wanted to know how to say seize the summer instead of seize the day, so I Googled it. Forgive me if this is incorrect! Anyway, I had it in my head that I was going to make my last undergraduate summer as amazing as possible. I think it’s been working so far!

This summer, I am here in good old Bmoreeeee, living at my apartment and actually being around my Hopkins friends for the first time in terms of being here for the summer. We’re all the same and still close, but we’re old now. Well, you guys see us as old. I still see us as innocent freshmen entering in summer of 2008, waiting to see what was gonna happen. But I guess that’s not the case–we’re old and now I feel like we’re just “professional students” using this last year to apply to jobs and grad school while finishing up last minute requirements.

One of which is the GRE–so I have been crazily cramming for the exam in 3 weeks because of poor planning/neglect on my part. Thank God for serendipity through a random conversation with a person that led me to realize that I basically had no time to take it before the format changed in August. So I rushed to register for a day before any more spots got filled. I got shut out of later dates but oh well, I got what I could. I had a prep course last summer through the aforementioned amazing internship but wasn’t ready/able to take it until this summer so here goes nothing! First and last chance to get it right. So yep…3 week cramming starts now. I just made an intense study schedule complete with online practice exam allowances and I am slightly scared but such is life! If you were wondering, the GRE is kind of like the SAT, but for graduate school. THIS MEANS I AM GETTING OLD!

My prep books from last summer. Peep the unhealthy bowl of fruity pebbles in the background.

But I don’t want it to feel like that just yet, which is why I am seizing my summer and trying to make the most out of it. I am going to more places and trying new things and spending more money (if you knew me, you’d be shocked because I am quite possibly one of the cheapest people alive–but I came to the realization that in order to live a little, I’d have to spend a little) in order to do these things. I’m proud of myself thus far!

3 weeks ago my friends and I went to a Jazz and Blues Festival. Last weekend, I dragged my sister to NYC and we, along with a few 2011 graduates, saw a Spoken Word poetry show  that was wonderful. I have spoken about my love/hate relationship with poetry before, but something compelled me to be open minded and to go to this show. I saw these poets on so many people’s FB pages and then I watched numerous videos of them on YouTube then I said wow I have to go to this show. Yes I was confused for a good bit of it but I enjoyed it nonetheless and am hoping to see more of them! If you’re interested in Spoken Word in the Black Arts Movement, these young people will blow your minds. Here’s their site: The Striver’s Row

All of the poetry was dynamic and explosive like this, like BAM

One of the poets, Joshua Bennett, and I after the show. If you havent't seen this young man's work YOUTUBE HIM!

This weekend, actually today, I am going to a dinner play with my mother and sister. I”m actually upset about that because There is ROOTSFest going on in Baltimore today, which is a celebration of the arts in an attempt to showcase Baltimore’s beauty and initiatives with regard to empowering citizens and the city itself through art, and Talib Kweli among others are giving free shows tonight. LATINOFest is also going on today! But both events will be going on tomorrow (just without the concerts :(  ) so maybe I can stop by then.

Tomorrow, I will be taking advantage of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum’s of Maryland African American History and Culture FREE Admission because of its 6th anniversary, and there’s a lot going on with community events bringing attention to issues with black males so I am excited for that. I’ve been before but it’s always good to go again, especially when it’s free. A group of friends are coming with  me as well, none of whom are black :) and I love stuff like that–when we reach out and explore cultures different from our own.

So yea Baltimore has a LOT going on in the summer! And it’s only June! Next on my list is the American Visionary Arts Museum–I got 7 dollar tickets from Groupon and am really excited to go because I keep hearing such cool things about it. I’ll write more about that place once I go but if you are interested now, google it. It’s known for it’s self-made artists, in a nutshell. Then a DC trip is in order. I haven’t really been to DC since I’ve been at Hopkins because I’ve never really had the time to go and do stuff (without being a tourist), so I am making that a priority!

And I’ve just been trying to expand my knowledge of things in general. Reading more news blogs and fewer junk blogs…things that are just more academic in nature. I am finishing up my Africana Studies minor this fall so I have been trying to read more on Black issues in America and beyond, namely in the Dominican Republic, the Caribbean, and Brazil. And there’s always the good ‘ol reading for literary pleasure. :) But that will have to wait till I finish my 3 week GRE cram session.

So yes, carpe aestatem, till next time!

-Dominique :)

Hey guys and gals! :)

Yea, weird title  (and it’s not a Michael Jackson song!! gasp). And it’s in no way meant to judge anyone. Many students love drinking and that’s cool–to each his own!  But I wanted to address something that I often get asked by prospective students who don’t intend to drink in college. Like:

“What is there to do for fun off campus besides party? Or drink? Or drink while partying?”

“Do non-drinkers feel pressured to drink? Do they ever feel excluded from the social life  because they don’t drink?”

And  the answers are, there are plenty of things to do and no there is no pressure to drink or any feelings of exclusion (unless you put yourself in those situations). Good news right? It basically boils down to the notion that your college life is what you make of it. If you are not interested in drinking, then don’t! Whether you’re somewhere with alcohol or not,  it’s up to you to make the choice to drink or not to drink. I’ve been places with alcohol and have had no problem with feeling pressured to drink. But, if parties aren’t your cup of tea either way, there are things you can easily occupy yourself with on the weekends. It seems like EVERYONE in college drinks, but that’s because the college schema always includes drinking and wild partying. This is reinforced in movies, music, television, radio, Internet, etc. The truth is that there are plenty of people like myself who choose to not drink for whatever reasons (faith/religion, health, social beliefs…) and we always,  ALWAYS,  find something to do.

friendssss

I just wanted to do a blog that addressed this issue because many students fear they can’t have fun unless they drink…and that’s simply not true. And your non-drinking fun isn’t limited to the mall, the movies, or to restaurants ( I used to hate when that was all I got told there was to do for fun here…not true either!)   This list is by NO  means exhaustive, but it has some interesting off campus things that are easily accessible to JHU students and I  hope they seem cool to you!

• Interested in leftist things? Check out “Red Emma’s,” a coffee shop/bookstore with a focus on radical politics and culture.  Red Emma’s is a short JHMI shuttle ride away from campus, near Peabody. We went there for film class over Intersession and it was cool…you’ll find books and newspapers that you probably wouldn’t find elsewhere. If you have a really intellectual group of friends who like arguing about such things (c’mon…we all have those kinds of buddies ;)  ) then Red Emma’s may be a cool place to visit and hold a discussion among  yourselves or even with the workers there.

small shop but pretty cool

• Take a walk on Saturday morning to the Waverly Farmer’s Market and support local growers by purchasing their fruits and veggies and meats…there are also a ton of pastry/drink stands, and people sell their homemade crafts and skin and hair products. It’s a good way to get off campus and to get some fresh air. If you keep going past the Farmer’s Market, you’ll run into a lot of stores, including a Goodwill in which I love shopping. If you need your McDonald’s fix and the fact that there is no fast food but Subway around campus drives you nuts :)  then there’s one a little past the Goodwill. Don’t judge me! I’m not a glutton. :)

• Visit Peabody! It has many concerts during the week and on weekends, and students with IDs  get discounts. If you’re into classical  music, symphonies, wind ensembles…there is plenty to see and hear at Peabody. It’s an excuse to dress up nicely for a classy event. Many concerts are on the campus and some are downtown. Peabody Calendar It’s a short JHMI ride away!

• Take the Charm City Circulator to the Inner Harbor any time of the day.  Like after class or in the morning or some other weird time of day. You can eat and go shopping, or just walk around, and I actually think it’s a cool thing to do alone! To give yourself some “you” time. Weird? maybe, but I like it. :p

• Be nerdy and visit some museums! The Baltimore Museum of Art is free and is right on/near the edge of campus. The Walter’s Art Museum is near Peabody can be reached via Charm City Circulator or the JHMI shuttle. The American  Visionary Arts Museum is just outside of the Inner Harbor in Federal Hill (a beautiful neighborhood, you should take a day to explore it by foot) and is America’s largest museum for “self-taught” artistry. The Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and culture is right across the street from the Inner Harbor and is the biggest museum of African American history on the east coast. How about the National Museum of Dentistry? Cool right? ;)
  

  visionary art museum

• Visit other colleges…Towson University, Goucher College,  Loyola University, Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), Morgan State University…these are all schools close to Hopkins that often have shows and speakers and other events that you may be interested in. MICA is an artsy school with a tonnnn of exhibitions that are worth checking out!

• Have a gathering of friends with a theme…like that sounds really nerdy but it’s actually cool. For instance, this Friday, members of my Christian fellowship are having an honest discussion about sex and sexuality in an intimate setting with food and games afterward. I’m looking forward to it!

• I actually want to try this…you can go biking on the Gwynns Falls Trails which is a 15 mile greenway and part of it is near the Inner Harbor. Check out the website and you’ll see it’s much more than just biking on grassy trails.

The vast majority of my closest friends don’t drink either, so we find plenty of things to do and places to visit on the weekends that don’t involve alcohol. I know that’s the first thing that comes to mind when people think of college and college life, but quite honestly, if you’re not into it, it’s fine. I haven’t had any less of a social experience here because of my decision to not drink and I’m certainly not boring! ;)

For those of you who care, I hope this blog helped if you were worried about this issue, and feel free to ask questions!

Hasta Luego,

Dominique

Haha like the movie. :P

Anyway, another myth I’d like to address:  Hopkins is not social. Students don’t do anything but study. We’re boring.  Blah Blah. ‘Tis yet another myth that makes me want to scream.

I will admit we have our share of the socially challenged; there are a few who do nothing but complain about grades and spend their time on D level; there are some who forsake going out for that extra hour of physics studying. It happens…but the things to remember are 1.) They are in no way representative of the whole student body  2.) You don’t have to be like that if you don’t want to (but if you so desire, then go ahead and study your brains out! ;)  )   3.) There is and should be room for work and play. End of story.

Nothing like a game of Mafia to relieve stress

I implore you to check this link out: http://bit.ly/b43gCM

Here we talk about what we do for fun and how possible it is to have a social life.  Even when we’re in the library studying we have social lives because you always see someone there and you just HAVE to talk to them! Anyway, here are some things I’ve done to have social life (disclaimer…this blog is limited so don’t think this is all I do… =] )

1.) Go on trips with your student groups. Many of my close friends are in Hopkins Christian Fellowship, and we go on many retreats and whatnot throughout the year. Here’s a pic of my friends on one of those rope swingy things that you have to pull to detach yourself from (do you know what I am even talking about?

2.) Explore Baltimore. Take the time to research a neighborhood in Baltimore and grab some friends and explore it! Many explore Hampden, which is a yuppie neighborhood right near Hopkins…but try some new places…Fells Point, Little Italy, Federal Hill, Locust point…here’s a pic from East Baltimore (near the med campus).

This was being demolished as I took this pic...to make room for med school housing

3.) Numnums….eat! Omgee I can’t say this enough. Baltimore has so many restaurants, many of which won’t break your pockets. Tired of dining hall food? Go to a restaurant! This is from Cafe Hon in Hampden, Baltimore…it actually helped to rebuild Hampden from being a druggy and prostituty area. Go there! The owner, Denise, is pretty nice.

Large plate from Cafe Hon. I don't even remember what this was.

4.) Take pictures…of each other? Lamesauce but taking pictures of people (well people you know…otherwise that qualifies as being a creeper) and things is a cool way to get to know stuff.

Pictures are fun when you take pics of your friends taking pics of you

5.) Throw/go to parties! Call me odd but I don’t like going to parties with dancing and stuff…I like parties with food, board games, couches, people, light background music, and charades. Impromptu ones are best!

Christmas partyyyyyyyyyy

There ya have it folks…some of the things I do to have a social life. Now you can either look at this and say wow how cool! Or look at the other blogger’s and say that I’m lame compared to them. Don’t feel bad, I do the latter all the time. Which gives you all the more reason to check out the other blogs and see what we cool Hopkins kids do for fun! :)  Now I’m off to pack for a half-week in New York, my real native land (love bmore tho!) I need to get some reacquainting done, so until next time!    -Dominique

I think one of my favorite things about Hopkins is how involved the student body is, both in terms of on campus activities, and more importantly, in the city of Baltimore as a whole. None of my friends here are simply students; they are also presidents of clubs, captains, RA’s, athletes, etc. Since I’ve arrived on campus last September I’ve really tried to branch out, and try things that I never would have done at home. To that end, I’ve written for the newspaper, written a real resume, blogged (obviously), joined a sorority, tutored at a Baltimore City high school, trained for and run a half marathon, done internships, hosted overnights, gotten a job, and more that I’ve certainly forgotten

I think I’m tied for my favorite on-campus activities. I love being in a sorority, and frankly that would be the easiest to write about…as no other SAAB members are in Phi Mu, they’d be pretty unlikely to blog about it. I think I’ll save this for after rush though, when I know a bit more about the process. The other activity I really enjoy, however, is tutoring. I’ll hedge my bets and hope no one else writes about tutoring, and go for that one.

I am involved in the COACH program, which stands for College Opportunity and Career Help. This program is run through the Greater Homewood Community Corporation, just across the street from Hopkins. I got involved at the start of freshman year, with the program’s pilot year in Baltimore, and I’ve really enjoyed it.

COACH tutors work with small groups of high school seniors and juniors to help them handle the daunting task of applying to college. We worked on personal statements, essays, SAT prep, organization, financial aid applications, and then when March rolled around, deciding where to actually go!

The results of this program have been fantastic, and the group at Mergenthaler High School (where I tutored) had students accepted to Towson, UMD at College Park, Penn State, and Hopkins, just to name a few. It was really gratifying to see these students succeed, but I found the best part of the program was getting to know the girls in my group, learning about their lives and experiences, and their ambitions. Last year I was only a year older (at most) than these girls; it was so easy to relate to them.

It was incredibly inspiring to see these amazing young men and women overcome financial and personal obstacles to realize their academic ambitions. I was so impressed by how sure they were of their plans—I had girls in my group who wanted to be preschool teachers, engineers, doctors, and soldiers—and how hard they had worked to get to that point.

From the Greater Homewood website…

Last year fifteen Johns Hopkins University volunteers worked with over 150 students in area high schools to increase college applications and acceptance rates. Results from our work at Baltimore City College, Mergenthaler Vocational Technical High School, and
Western High School are available here. COACH volunteers helped students locate scholarships that amounted to $588,571 combined.

I really enjoy being able to get off campus into Baltimore and see what the rest of the city is like. As much as I do love Hopkins, and the “oasis” feel of the campus, I can’t imagine living there for four years and not giving back to the community and city somehow. The COACH program is just one of the many programs on campus that establishes a direct link between Hopkins students and Baltimoreans, but it’s one of the few that works in a high school setting. I really enjoy being able to relate and offer relevant advice to the students I work with.

Everyone at Hopkins has that one activity they really love, and that is what COACH is for me. Though it’s a new(ish) program at Hopkins, I think it is one that will become much more prominent on campus in the next few years, and I can’t wait to see that happen!

I’ll be posting another blog in the next week or so about Intersession, where I’ve been for the past two weeks, and my plans for the coming semester! Hope everyone’s having a great New Year so far!

-Lauren

P.s. I’ve just found out that if you go to the website, a lovely picture of me and one of my tutees pops up! She’s now busy being fabulous at Towson University, doing ROTC and planning her amazing future.

 Ahh, the title this week is a Michael Jackson song from his “HIStory” album. Last weekend, the alumni of my alma mater, Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, came together to watch the 121st meeting of the 2nd longest high school football rivalry in American history.

Front shot of Poly

I guess this needs some background. I live in Baltimore City, meaning that I am a Baltimore Scholar–amazing donors pay for my tuition for all 4 years here. The whole point was to get high achieving students living in a place not well known for producing high achieving students to go to Johns Hopkins, “a world class institution right in their own backyards.”

Soooo, I feel like I owe so much to my high school for standing out, and for being rigorous enough to prepare me for the rigors of Hopkins. And I try to stay connected with it as best as I can…and being at Hopkins definitely makes that easier!

So as I said, Poly (as we endearingly call it) has a huge long rivalry with another high achieving city school, called Baltimore City College High School. And I won’t lie, the rivalry is kinda serious. Your best friends can go to City (as it is endearingly called) but there’s always that “my school is better than yours” thing going on.

City–we call it “the dump on a hump” but I actually find it slightly aestheically pleasing…shh don’t tell anyone!

Every year the last regular game of the season is one between us and City. All the alumni (who are overwhelmingly male, because Poly and City were originally all boys schools) buy tickets to the game. This was my 5th game, and it felt weird to go back as a sophomore in college and see so many new, young faces. The last class with students in it I recognize is this year’s senior class. While I’m still young, it makes me feel old!

Anyway, I have some pictures to share from the game. I went with my friend, who is also a Poly alum and a Baltimore Scholar as well!

Prep time–peep the awesome orange and blue!
City’s colors are orange and black, but we all know this is a better combo.

 The game is held at M&T Bank Stadium, which is the official stadium of the Baltimore Ravens, so that’s always cool–these high school students use the same size field as professional football players.

Then my favorite part is the halftime show. Both schools have bands that put Hopkins’ to shame…sorry JHU I love you, but one of my largest complaints is the lack of large marching band! Maybe one day. =] Anywho, both schools come up with its own routine, which involves playing popular songs and the school anthem. I was extra proud this year because the band played awesome songs and had good dance routines to go with them…I can’t imagine how hard it must be to dance with a trombone or tuba!

We came really close to losing, but for the first time in years, we had to go to Overtime, where we had a miraculous touchdown and won 26-20!

GO POLY BEAT CITY!

–Dominique

Hey guys!  I hope all of you have had a great start to your Fall.  I’ve been busy, busy, busy with a few things.  I started my research job at the School of Public Health just last week.  It’s at the Center for a Livable Future and I absolutely love it already!  I work ten hours between Monday and Friday, so I’m excited to head back on Monday.  I have also been volunteering more!  Just last weekend I volunteered at the Baltimore Book Festival.  And of course, I also spent Thursday night playing Palin Bingo with members of SAAB.  I definitely hope to write a blog with my collection of volunteer experiences and about how I managed to get research.  However, this weekend after having my first test of the semester, I decided to reward myself with a little adventure!

I headed off to the “Parade of Gold.”  A two-part celebration focusing mainly on welcoming back Katie Hoff and the AMAZING Michael Phelps.  The first part was a parade that I went to and the second part was a speech/fireworks celebration at Fort McHenry.  For those of you that don’t know, both of them are natives to the Baltimore area. I had no idea what to expect from an Olympian parade, but just the idea of finally being able to see Michael Phelps in person (after watching countless hours of him during my Olympic marathon in August), was convincing enough to get me to go.

Was it exciting?  Yes!  The streets were lined with thousands of people (lots of children with posters and Phelps shirts and even some wearing swim caps and bathing suits).  There was also tons of patriotism–you would’ve thought it was 4th of July.  Plus, we got tons of free stuff.  I got a free piece of pizza from a local pizzeria, an American flag, and a “Phelps Phan” poster.  The people that marched in the parade varied from

Congressmens and Senators to the Johns Hopkins Lion Dancing team, from a ROTC program to cheerleaders, from girl scout troops to motorcycle racers.

But then the cheering got louder! There came Debbie Phelps and Hillary Phelps, multiple local paraolympic champion, Katie Huff, and then…Phelps!  Phelps came surrounded by the National Guard on all sides.  Tons of staff made sure that we all gave some space, but still…he was just feet away from me!  He was standing up through the sunroof of a National Guard vehicle waving to the crowd.  Meanwhile I was videotapping all of this for our Hopkins Interactive video show (which will be debuting in less than a month!), while Matt was taking picture of Phelps–I’m so glad that he got such good pictures of him!

Overall, it was definitely one of my highlights at Hopkins.

I’m glad I was able to experience it with close friends.  Plus, not many people can say that they’ve been to a Michael Phelps parade, so I’m glad I crossed that off of my unique list of things to do while at Hopkins.

Anyway, I guess that is all on my end, plus it’s time for bed.  But Roxi, how was your weekend?  Was I (for once) more adventurous than you?  Have you changed your Facebook out of pirate language?  Knowing us, I’ll be seeing you in just a matter of hours (Sunday=library day).