Tell Your Own Story

Bright and early Saturday morning we had a tour of the University of Pennsylvania. We were still exhausted from the chaos of canceled flights, train rides, and heavy luggage of the night before, but were still very excited for what UPenn had to offer. On our walk from the hotel to get a bite of food, then to the university, we got a pleasant introduction to Philadelphia's beauty. The city is very clean, greenery traces the sidewalks and the campus, and the weather is enjoyable. 

Our first stop was the information session. We walked into the auditorium just as the presentation began, a sea of eager individuals filled the hundreds of seats, the ceiling rose high, and a smartly dressed women gestured on the stage at her PowerPoint. We scurried to find five empty seats. The setting of the session sharply contrasted that of Vanderbilt and was a tad intimidating. But as the presentation went on, I found that the philosophy behind the university resonates with me, and the environment became welcoming. 

The woman, an admissions officer named Beth, centered her presentation not on the prestige of UPenn or the high standards required for a student to be admitted, but instead on how the university fosters the myriad of intellectual or social endeavors that students have. She highlighted this principle by tying it to the university's founder, Benjamin Franklin, a man of many hats. Franklin was an inventor, a philosopher, a philanthropist, a printer, a politician, the list continues. Beth proclaimed that UPenn seeks to have all it's students emulate Franklin's behavior, all our interests - no matter how different - should be actively pursued. 

The presentation, featuring Benjamin Franklin.

In her PowerPoint she gave a few examples of students who are studying vastly different topics, one nursing and creative writing, another, film and social activism. The notion of no limitations on our intellectual interests intrigued me; I find it quite hard to settle on one topic that I'd like to study - my interests range from English to Environmental Justice. 

What you would expect out of a tour of an Ivy League university is the laundry list of criteria to be admitted. However, Beth never mentioned the SAT, ACT, GPA requirements, or the acceptance rate of the school. Instead, she simply said that admissions reviews applications holistically, every part of the application is a different puzzle piece of an individual's story. Because she did that, I felt more comfortable. I wasn't sitting in a room full of robot geniuses and UPenn students aren't that either, I was reminded that they're human - just like me.

Beth explained that schools are relying less and less on test scores, and more on the values and story of an individual. That stuck with me. These numbers matter, but we make them more important than they really are. I don't think numbers are an accurate representation of one's intelligence and I've decided to not include them in this blog because I don't want to perpetuate that culture. 

The second part was the tour of the campus. We walked through the campus guided by Brianna. The buildings were old, but had a modern interior; green trees and lawns sprawled across the campus; and the environment was calming. She told us about the buildings that we passed and the programs they housed. UPenn's  study abroad program allows one to choose to study anywhere from a week to an entire semester. The school is known as the 'Social Ivy' for it's competitive yet supportive nature. There is a supportive community for people of all walks of life, whether it be your religious, racial, gender, or sexual identity. And there is support with academics with the libraries being open at the late and early hours of the day and two free and accommodating tutors provided during your freshman year. 

The canopy of trees on the campus

Brianna told us how professors live in apartments in the dorm buildings, she remarked that there were days when she ate dinner with them and had the ability to talk to them about more than just academics. One of her professors even baked hundred of cookies every Tuesday for students. I liked that students have the ability to foster a meaningful relationship with instructors. It makes education worthwhile when we can understand that our teachers are empathetic and approachable. 

UPenn has a very safe campus: cameras span most areas, emergency phones are on every corner, and a transportation bus is offered for late nights of studying. The university ensures that students are safe. 

Brianna noted that there is always something to do in Philadelphia. In addition to the social events held by the school, the city has plenty to do and she has never found herself bored.

Philadelphia!

The academically challenging, supportive, friendly, and genuine environment at UPenn has encouraged me to apply to the school. I can see myself walking down the paths under the canopy of green trees, studying in libraries, and exploring the nearby city of Philly. We'll see what these next few months of college app season have to offer.

Us in UPenn gear in front of the mini Love sign.

Little Bens

On Saturday morning started with a site visit and tour at the prestigious University of Pennsylvania. 

The ILC provided my first two experiences with genuine college tours, and so the UPenn tour presented my first opportunity to compare how different Universities present themselves to prospective students. 

The first thing I was struck by at the start of our visit was the sheer size of the room where the pre-tour presentation took place and the highly planned and businesslike feeling of the presentation itself. We took our seats in the massive auditorium filled completely with our peers and their families all wanting to learn more about the historic Ivy. 

The Gorgeous interior of the presentation auditorium

The presentation began by talking about UPenn's founder, Benjamin Franklin, and the way that he started the school to create a place where students could receive an education spanning different interests and majors, modeled after his own life of diverse accomplishments. Our presenter, Beth, spoke about how UPenn wants its students to be like "little Bens", not confining their interests or studies to just a major checked on college applications, but instead, kids who will take advantage of a wide array of courses offered at the university pioneering their own paths. Because of this, the University offers a number of coordinated dual degree programs that allow students to take a preplanned route the combines two fields that are often otherwise regarded as separate, across two of the Universities smaller schools. For example, the Huntsman program combines international studies and business, to prepare students to play a role in the ever-expanding global economy. 

Besides the dual degree programs, the UPenn also seeks to manifest the spirit of Franklin through an emphasis on a customizable education, where students only pursuing on major can still take classes across the different sub-schools, and a robust foreign language department that allows students to create their own class with a teacher provided by the university as long as they can find 4 other friends to take it with them. 

This approach to a more fluid style of education really appealed to me as someone whos interests are not yet totally defined, and span areas that would typically be confined to separate degrees. The school also boasts an enticing study abroad arsenal with programs spanning disciplines and taking place on every continent, (Briana, our student tour guide assured us they would even send you to Antarctica if you wanted) and more than 40 countries, with any financial aid you receive for a regular semester at Penn also carrying over to your international studies. 

Beth tells us a lot about UPenn through individual stories of students that have attended the university and exemplified the Benjamin Franklin ideals, which fits with the whole theme of the overarching presentation, focusing more on the overarching valued and opportunities at Penn and shied away from the nitty gritty details of application that the student questions revealed to be what many of us wanted to know. 

While it was nice to hear an admissions officer tell us to focus on being ourselves and not worry about test scores and admissions rates, it also left me with some unanswered at a time when my thoughts about college are becoming increasingly specific. UPenn is an extremely selective school with an acceptance rate of around 10% and dropping, and those numbers really do matter. I also found the presentation a bit vague when it came to financial aid, but Beth did explain that the university provides grant-based financial ade so that students are not saddled with loans, and focuses on need-based rather than sport or merit to ensure that all those who need help will receive it, which was comforting. 

With some questions still bouncing around my brain, combined with excitement about the International Studies major and opportunities, we headed off to the walking tour portion. 

I found this section to be a lot more personal, and therefore more appealing to me as an individual. Our tour guide Briana, a rising senior at UPenn, held a genuine enthusiasm and love of the school that was clear to see, making her words enthralling and informative. 

Another group in front of one of the numerous Benjamin Franklin Statues 

She walked us through campus to a few of the major buildings making up some of UPenn's Subschools, such as the Wharton School of Business, and The College of Arts and Sciences, and even took us inside at times to see what life as a student would be like. She spoke a great deal about the vast array of clubs and organizations at UPenn, earning it the nickname, "The Social Ivy", and how that helped to create tight-knit and diverse communities within the school. She explained that the school had a relatively low rate of students involved in Greek Life, only about 25%, and that she found that with all the other opportunities for community Greek Life was there if you wanted it, but by no means a necessary element UPenn life.  

Inside The Wharton School 

In terms of food, Briana was very impressed by the food trucks she says are almost always all over campus, where one could find anything from some delicious Mexican fare, to a classic Phillie Cheesesteak.

Briana also emphasized the way Professors were extremely engaged with their students (the university has a 6:1 student to faculty ratio for undergraduates) and that the school and its faculty wanted students to succeed. All professors are required to hold office hours weekly, and UPenn will provide two free tutors for each student in order to help our with areas that they struggle with. 

Walking around campus, Briana pointed out the "blue light" system, employed by many universities to increase safety for students, where someone who is feeling uncomfortable or unsafe pushes one button and has an office at their location in 90 seconds or less. On top of this she told us that UPenn has one of the largest private police forces in the nation, and "Penn Walk", and "Penn Ride" systems that allow students safe and accompanied transport throughout campus at any time day or night. 

Walking around the gorgeous UPenn campus and attending the informational session was immensely helpful in learning not only about what that specific university has to offer, but in informing what I will be looking for in schools in general. There is nothing like being on site to feel the pulse of a university, how it functions and what makes it unique. My interest was piqued by the free-flowing nature of UPenn and its ample foreign relations studies opportunities, and we all left with comfy new UPenn merch, proudly displaying our time there.

Us in all our new gear! 

Homeward Bound

Our story picks up in Philadelphia. After the long but fun day that left us passed out in unfamiliar beds for the last time, we geared up for a final day across the country. 

The morning began with the bright light of Philadelphia streaming in through the window helping to kickstart our tired brains. We began by packing up our bags so that we would be totally ready to go and could enjoy the morning before our flight out and about around the city. 

Ana basking in the morning light

With our bags packed and ready to go, the day started on an exciting note when we found that two out of the four hotel elevators were experiencing leaks, creating a waterfall like situation on the inside. Ana and I were both very grateful to have made it in one that was still working, and with that, we stored our bags behind the counter and stepped out onto the streets of Phillie. 

The fire truck called to sort our the elevator

Our first stop was the famous Reading Terminal Market for breakfast, and even at around 9 in the morning when we arrived, the place was bustling. Full of unique shops, restaurants, boutiques, and fresh produce all tightly packed around each other with small isles for patrons to peruse the products, guided by neon signs overhead, the place made quite the sensory wakeup call.  

One of the many lively shops in the market

We all were immediately drawn to a lively crepe stand right by where we entered and spent a few minutes exploring our surroundings until our food arrived, and was subsequently devoured. We spent the next couple hours in the market, scurrying through the seemingly endless maze of shops, and getting lost more than once as we smelled candles, purchased gifts, and gazed at the tempting delicacies that many shops had to offer. 

Soon we were finished with the Reading Terminal Market, if only to leave room for other activities in our day, and made our way on foot to another popular Phillie attraction: the Philadelphia Magic Garden. A true testament to one artist's dedication to his craft, and his neighborhood, the eye-catching reflective installation was started as part of a successful effort to keep the city from building a highway through the residential area. Although the Magic Garden is immediately visible from the street, the true majesty of it can only be enjoyed from inside. 

Upon entering you are immediately greeted by light bouncing from every direction and vibrant colors that seem to jump off the walls. It helps that the mosaic nature of the installation means many of the pieces are quite literally poking out of the cement surfaces towards you. I enjoyed walking through the structure, but liked, even more, sitting in the corner where I could slowly take in the intricate details surrounding me. 

Ana in just one nook of the Magic Gardens

From the Magic Gardens, we moved further on foot to a quick pit stop for some energy giving snacks and drinks before resolving to enjoy a nice lunch in the historic area of Philadelphia. This turned out to be a great idea because while waiting for a spot in the restaurant we stumbled upon Benjamin Franklin's house and original post office and print shop. Getting to learn more about such an important member of America history, and the founder of UPenn was certainly a treat. 

The still sanding home owned by Frankin next to his own

We enjoyed our lunches, grabbed some deserts for the road, and headed to the airport.

It seems that the traveling gods were not in our favor once again, our flight was delayed to the point where we were put onto another one, from there we barely made our connection in Pheonix, and the cherry on top was my bag being lost somehow in Houston. 

On our way home

Altogether, we were pretty tuckered out when we finally touched down on Oakland, but still in good spirits and so happy to be home. We made our way deliriously through the airport for the last time and all reveled in the well missed cool climate of the Bay Area. 

When the doors of the van opened back at ECHS and we had made it full circle to where it all began, the first thing I did was hug my mom, so happy to see here in person again. 

At 1:30 in the morning my brain was not hanging on particularly well but we managed to take some pictures, sign cards for the amazing sponsors that made our trip possible, and give each other all one last big hug, promising to meet up again soon. 

Rockstar cohort and best friends

The long day ended with the happy faces and wagging tails of my dogs and a quick text to my friends from VSA letting them know I had indeed made it home. 

Traveling Endeavors

The comforts of my bed clung to me as my alarm tolled. I was in a daze. Today would be our last day before returning to California, I had not quite wrapped my head around the fact that this trip would come to an end. 

Despite it being our last day, we still had lots planned. To jolt Audrey and I out of our morning spell, I opened up the window to let in the Philadelphia light and played some music. We had to pack and be in the lobby with our luggage at 9:00 A.M. Even though we'd been at the hotel for a day, our suitcases were wide open with clothing spilling all over the floor - packing sure was a chore.

In Middle School I was a Food Network fanatic, I would watch those shows where food lovers travel around the country in search of the best food - Reading Terminal Market was a popular site to visit. I was so excited to visit the place for myself since for so long I only saw it through the screen of my TV. 

Reading Terminal!

The Market was bustling with activity: merchants were preparing food for the day, people milled through aisles, delicious smells wafted through the air, and friendly voices rang. This was not your typical farmer's market. It was authentic, friendly, and versatile. Merchants sold more than just food. There was a stall selling Morrocan carved jewelry boxes and leather handbags. Another sold essential oil products: soaps, candles, hand cream. For breakfast, we ate crepes. Then we wandered through the stalls and made a few purchases. I bought a candle for my sister along with some raspberries. 

This beautiful display of fruit.

Following the Market, we walked to Magic Gardens, a folk art studio. In the 70's, the site along with the surrounding area was to be demolished and have a highway constructed through it, local artists successfully protested it and created the beautiful space that exists today. Magic Gardens prides itself on housing unconventional art. The outdoor area takes you through a maze-like path that uses bicycle wheels, mirrors, tiles, and more random objects to create mosaics. There is not one empty space: colors, objects, and beauty follow you. 

The blue caught my eye in this piece.

An employee told me that the founder, Isaiah, cuts the mirrors himself, finds the glass bottles, and travels to different countries to find statues and figurines. She told me that the museum is still a work in progress, every Tuesday the center is closed for Isaiah to develop his piece. The museum is astonishing, you would expect so many colors and objects put together to give you a headache, but instead, the objects are a beautiful symphony. My favorite pieces were the ones with faces painted on them, the simplicity behind a pair of eyes, a nose, and a mouth is calming and powerful. 

Art can be found in anything.

After lunch, we returned to the hotel to fetch our luggage then drove to the airport to begin our travels. We were prepared for delays, extended waiting periods, and lugging heavy bags - the usual airport experience. During the month of July we sure have had our fair share of airports and knew our way around them. It was no surprise that we would have a layover in Nashville, then a second flight to Oakland. 

At our gate, we waited delay after delay for our flight. We sat watching The Office, played cards, took naps, then wandered the airport in search of decent food. Most of it has become a blur in my mind. When we began boarding the plane and the flight attendant scanned my boarding pass, inside of the affirmative ding indicating we could enter the plane, we got a lower abrupt ding. We were directed to a woman at a front desk and were informed that we were instead flying to Phoenix and would then take a connecting flight to Oakland. We waited some more. Talked some more. Pet a few more dogs, then we finally boarded the plane. I slept for most of the flight and read my book. The second flight was the same, nothing eventful other than aggressive turbulence. 

Waiting for our flight. 

When our shuttle pulled up to El Cerrito High School, I was greeted by the warm welcoming arms of my Mom. I was so happy to see her - it felt like only yesterday that she was seeing me off to Nashville. After Don snapped a few pictures and we signed some cards, we said our goodbyes and drove to the comforts of our homes. When I opened the door of my home, my dog, Jimmy, greeted me with a kiss on my nose, he had taken over my bed for the past few weeks and gave me a sad look as I reclaimed it. I'm so glad to be back in California. 

The Vanderbilt cohort returns to California.

Tough Goodbye

These last few days have been a rollercoaster, I will do my best to sum up all the ups, downs, and loop-dee-loops over the course of this post. 

We pick up our adventure on Wednesday, with the second to last day of class and our class's last day of presentations. I was able to sit back and relax, having already given mine as my classmates shared issues close to their hearts. It was fascinating, if a bit uncomfortable, to hear opinions that are not typically voiced in the Bay Area. 

The day seemed to speed by, speeches intertwined with lecturing from Dr. Kotch about complex rhetorical theory covering how we understand the world around us, and what that means for our current political climate. 

When class had finished we had some free time until dinner which I spent with Julie soaking up the last few days that we would have together. 

Dinner was followed by SOFT time during which Julie, Nyra, Mia and I ordered in chicken from Natty B's (well they did, I had fries and Commons food earlier) and watched Mama Mia in the open area on our floor, half watching the film and half engaging in, at times, silly and, at times, deep conversations. 

Nyra trying to figure out the delivery system

I am someone who does not handle endings well, I feel a looming sadness when I finish a good book, I have cried at the end of most school years, and I have never finished a TV show. So, needless to say, the ending of the magical experience we had at VSA approaching threw me for a loop. That nights PGM already had my eyes stinging and throat choked up. 

The next morning meant the last full day of VSA. I remained fully in denial that some of the best weeks of my life would soon come to a close. 

Caroline's alarm jerked me awake as usual, and I began my now very familiar morning routine in the dorm. 

We headed off to breakfast, this time embellished by the option of donuts, and while I did not choose to partake, they were certainly tempting. 

My class had agreed that our last day would be spent watching movies (rhetoric related ones) and eating as much sugar as possible. 

The morning passed quickly as we watched. "The Great Debaters", and the afternoon followed suit, occupied by a documentary on King George VI  of England, and an episode of, "The West Wing", the exemplified post 9/11 rhetoric. 

Some final words from Dr. Koch

Our last class was followed immediately by VSA closing ceremonies, consisting of speeches from various leaders, and a slideshow showcasing some of the highlights of VSA, but most importantly, the winner of the House Cup, our three-week long competition, and of the scavenger hunt way back on the second day. Julie and I ended up next to each other at the auditorium and we held out a breath as each result was announced, erupting into applause when the words "V-House" and "Payton's Group" echoed in succession through the room. We had won, twice! 

We practically skipped back to the dorms for free time during which Julie, Sydney, and I all enjoyed each others company goofing off while Sydney's hair was transformed for the upcoming final dance. 

Before I knew it dinner had come and gone and we had a little time to get into dance appropriate attire and make our way down to the disco light-filled auditorium. 

We danced the next few hours away to hits spanning the last few decades, and we headed back to the dorms for a final night. 

We spent our last Proctor Group Meeting taking part in a special closing activity that brought me and many others to tears. Our typical lights out deadline had been extended so we soaked up the remaining hours we had with each other in preparation for the next morning when we would all bid goodbye to VSA. 

I woke up early on our final morning to see Julie off as she left for the airport before breakfast, squeezing in one last tearful hug. 

Once I had returned to my room, I forced myself to start packing, one of the things that all that denial had compelled me to put off. 

When I was almost fully packed I sat down on my bed for the last time to write a letter to Payton. She made my experience at VSA so incredibly wonderful, and being as full of abundant emotion as I am, I knew that I wouldn't be able to tell her with my voice just how much she meant to me. The tears had started with saying goodbye to Julie and they did not stop for the rest of the morning.

Next, it was our last meal in Commons and I said goodbye to all my friends who I did not share a floor with before we headed back to the dorms. 

Besides Anna and Cyndi, I did not share a floor with these girls.

Slowly more and more people were picked up, each punctuated with hugs and parting words of appreciation.

Just as I had predicted, when it was my time to leave I was too overcome with emotion to say much to anyone, I hugged, Caroline, Nyra, and Sydney tightly and stepped into the elevator with Ms. Sciacca and the rest of the ILC girls. 

I was able to say one final goodbye to Payton in the parking lot right before we left, and by "say", I mean cry and hug some more but soon it was all over and were off to the airport. 

The day's adventures were just beginning, and I will try my best to recount the next 14 hours but the physically and emotionally taxing nature of the day means that the memories are a bit of a blur. 

Ms. Sciacca had found out that morning that our flight from Chicago to Philidelphia had been canceled and so our travel plans were in the air. Luckily, she was able to work some quick magic and we ended up with a flight to New York and train tickets from there to Philadelphia, it sounded pretty simple in theory. 

In reality, the time was full of excitement to see New York, a lot of reading and watching TV and was mostly colored by sheer exhaustion.

We arrived at our hotel at 1:30 in the morning still standing on mysterious energy and headed quickly up to our rooms for much-needed sleep. 

That brings us to this morning. We were able to sleep until eight and then met Ms. Sciacca in the lobby and walked to a quick breakfast before heading to our tour of the University of Pensylvania.

With our time at Vanderbilt for context, I came into this tour with a very different perspective than the last one, knowing that I lean towards a smaller school with a strong emphasis on community (like Vanderbilt). Penn, as they all called it, is not small by any means but it peaked my interest in other ways with its unique focus on blending studies across many fields, modeled off the far-spanning accomplishments of its founder Benjamin Fraklin. Penn also offers an international studies major, which is what I think I want to go into and numerous complimentary courses.

The gorgeous ceiling of the information auditorium 

After the information center,  the walking portion began with our tour guide Briana and we got to see the beauty that is the Penn Campus as well as learns more about the supportive but still intense environment of the school.

Briana broke down the school to its smaller sub-schools and we visited each once, learning about classes available there as well as more about life at Penn and Briana's experiences there. By the end of the tour, most of us were seriously considering applying to Penn.

We then headed to the bookstore to pick up some UPenn merch, generously sponsored by ILC and then posed at a smaller recreation of the famous "LOVE", a sign to get some pictures. Ms. Sciacca snapped away, and once complete we were satisfied we headed to lunch.

Lunch consisted of an East Coast specialty, Shake Shack, which packed a pretty great veggie burger that well enjoyed, and the shakes weren't bad either.

From lunch, we shifted gears to head to Eastern State Penitentiary, a prison erected back in 1800's that is now open to tours. I had not expected to be able to use the skills I learned in my class so soon, but when we walked through the large opening gate I immediately put on my metaphorical biological criticism glasses to examine the underlying messages of how the prison was presented.

I found that like many museums on controversial topics (Eastern State practices would be considered torture by many today), the tour focused mostly on how the Prison was viewed at the time and tried to avoid the making any connections to how it would be viewed today. The tour guide even explained that they tried to present just the facts and let visitors make up their own minds, but I noted the dulled language when describing the horrendous ways that prisoners were treated, and emphasis on the intentions of those who created it told a story of there own. 

From there we headed to see the famous Liberty bell briefly with its even more famous crack before heading back to the hotel just long enough to catch our breath and go back out for dinner.

We had Mexican food for the first time since leaving California, and although we all agreed there was some room for improvement, the restaurant itself was very cool and the food was nourishing.

Our last activity of the day also took place the farthest from the ground, 57 stories of the ground to be precise. We went to the One Liberty Observation deck and were watched the sunset over the vast expanses of the city.

Just one of the many views

Last Day, Best Day

Wednesday was our last Soft Night. That afternoon, Hawi was in the mood to play, so for the first hour of freedom we pranced around the lawn playing tag and hide and go seek. Despite the campus' openness there were many nooks and crannies to hide in - we sure had fun releasing our inner child. The second hour, we walked to Barnes and Noble since our friends wanted to purchase some Vanderbilt merchandise. Although our outing wasn't out of the ordinary, it was emblematic of the silly nature of the friendships we've made at VSA. On our walk to and from the campus we took turns choosing songs, danced, and laughed at one another's jokes. I'll cherish these memories forever. 

Final Day Shenanigans

Thursday was our last full day at VSA. In my Novel Writing class we presented our novel pitches that we had planned the day before. Dr. Jan wanted to mimic the assignment around what authors may do at conferences: consisting of  a synopsis, a prospective agent and publishing company for our novels,  a novel competition that we'd like to submit our novel to, a query letter, the next steps for our novels, and what we learned. A literary agent is someone that author's hire to pitch there novels to publishing companies. A query letter is a letter written to an agent or publishing company seeking representation for your novel or to suggest writing ideas. This presentation helped familiarize me with the publication process - it's less foggy and I see it as an attainable goal in the years to come. My goals for my novel are to work, at the minimum, 3 hours a week; have friends and family revise my work; complete my first draft; revise, revise, and revise; then submit the completed novel to writing competitions and consider seeking an agent. The presentation went well: I felt confident with my novel and my material, my classmates picked my mind with interesting questions, and afterwards my teachers remarked that they enjoyed my presentation. 

That evening we attended a closing ceremony where we were congratulated for our hard work and accomplishments. I felt so much gratitude for the people who spoke to us about why they love VSA and why they keep coming back; they reminded us of what a beautiful community VSA is and how it's fit with people from different backgrounds, with different interests, and all positive and thoughtful intentions. I forgot that I was immersed with such bright, kind, and genuine individuals and I realized how different this experience has been from high school - it will be missed. 

The night ended with a dance. In our casual dresses we sauntered into the 80's themed dance floor, the lights were dim, the music loud, and the environment supportive but their was lingering sadness in the air. We danced the night away to a mixture of 80's and contemporary music. Hawi picked up a Yo-yo from the prop table and at the best times began letting it fall from her hand to add to her exuberant dance style. 

Our friend group!

Friday morning, we ate our last breakfast together and said our goodbyes on the patio to those departing to the airport. Luckily, our closest friends who lived on our floor - Meghna and Abbey- were leaving a few hours later, just like us, so we had more time to bathe in each other's presence. All packed up from the night before, we sat in the empty dorm rooms, played a few last game of cards and laughed before it was time to go. Although I was sad the last few days, it was a good sadness where my heart felt happy and full. I didn't feel like crying nor was I prepared. When Meghna's Mom walked through the dorm room and it was time to say our goodbye's I burst into tears, the same happened with Abbey. 

When Tori came walking down our dorm hall, Hawi and I embraced her, overjoyed. We grabbed our luggage then traveled to the floor above us to fetch Audrey and Anna. In the elevator, Tori surprised us with some interesting information - our connecting flight from Chicago to Philadelphia had been canceled. She wasn't sure what we were gonna do and neither did Don, she was informed of the unexpected turn of events only an hour before.

We drove to the airport, not entirely sure what we were doing, but we had a few options and ended up deciding to fly to New York then take the train to Philly. We spent hours waiting for our flight to New York, during which we ate food, talked to Tori, watched TV, played cards, and roamed the airport. Other than unwelcomed turbulence, the flight was uneventful. Once in New York, we drove to the train station, my nose was plastered against the window the whole time. I've never been to New York and was enraptured by the soaring buildings and bright lights - I was getting Mexico City vibes the whole time.

Outside the train station in New York

Waiting at the train station was worse than the airport. It smelled like fecal matter in some corners, was dirty, and much less cozy, not to mention it was 9 p.m and we were all exhausted. We spent the hours blurring out the train station with more comedic T.V shows. The train ride was pleasant, but we longed to be in a hotel bed. At around 1:30 this wish was granted.

Tired faces

On Saturday, after a well rested night we strolled down the warm Philadelphia streets to get breakfast at a quaint cafe then headed to our tour of University of Pennsylvania. The campus is very beautiful: there is plenty of greenery, old buildings, and friendly faces. First, we attended an information session where we learned the principles that UPenn operates under. They value students who wear many hats - they want a community filled with versatile, open, and bright students. Beth, our information session presenter accentuated the idea of students being mini Benjamin Franklins - the founder of the school, a philosopher, scientists, inventor, politician, the list goes on.

University of Pennsylvania

What I appreciated the most about UPenn was when our tour guide Brianna mentioned its supportive community. Whatever background you are from, problems you face, or story you want to share UPenn has a place for you. Professors live in the dorms near students, offering tutoring,  mentoring, or someone to have dinner with. Undergraduate students are also provided with two tutors during their four years in any subject. And there are plenty of organizations for an individual's religious, racial, sexual, or social identity. Accommodations are made to welcome students with wide arms to the UPenn community.

Following our college tour we had a quick meal then drove to Eastern State Penitentiary. The prison has towering rock walls and a Gothic castle-like entrance. The prison, at the time of its opening, was a revolutionary system. Inmates were kept in solitary confinement and given an hour of exercise time, this drastically contrasted the previous system where individuals were kept in a large chaotic room where they waited until they received a shameful public punishment or a disturbing death.

A dilapidated prison cell

What I enjoyed about the tour was that our tour guide, Brittany, emphasized that the museum is centered around planting a seed of conversation around the current prison system. She didn't steer us in any direction, but instead wanted us to think for ourselves how we can alter the prison system and seek better rehabilitation for inmates. I've always been interested in America's prison system: the high rates of mass incarceration, disproportionate amount of inmates who are people of color, the school to prison pipeline, and the privatization of prison. Those are just a few of its problems. Everyone has there secret radical view, mine is that I'm an advocate for abolishing the system and rebuilding it from the ground up, but that's another conversation.

In the evening, we headed to the the Philadelphia Observation Deck where after waiting in a long line and riding a cramped elevator up to the 57th floor we viewed the scenic Philly skyline. We arrived just as the sun was setting and were able to watch the light blue haze turn golden red then darken. The observation deck gave a 360 degree view of the towering and small buildings, the bodies of water, small cars, and distant suburbs. Although there were many annoying people who decided to stand in the way of the view and simply take pictures of themselves, I was still content with the gazing out the window and watching the convoluted city. Our lives and worries seemed so small in comparison to the vastness of the city.

The Observation Deck

Payton's Potatoes

Monday started earlier than most of my mornings here, I had set my alarm for 6 in order to get some time to work on my speech, having given myself a break the night before.

I crept around the room trying not wake up Caroline and silently began to transfer my speech to note cards, trying my best to internalize the words as I scribbled them down.

Time flew by, and before I knew it, we were once again sitting in the plush red chairs of our classroom. We were given additional time to work on our speeches in the morning, and with our speeches starting the next day, and the dreaded sign up for speech times began. 

Once we arrived back from lunch, Dr. Koch decided that the best course of action was to draw names from a hat to overcome the nerves that kept many of us from volunteering for the first day. I had already written my name down for Tuesday and so I had nothing to fear, but the anticipation in the room was palpable. The rest of class passed with more discussions and a more time spent reciting our speeches to the hallway walls. 

The hallway where we practiced

After class, we had some free time, which despite promising myself I would spend on my speech, at least half was spent playing cards with Ana and Hawi, along with catching up about our classes. We also spent some of the time rushing to the place where sign-ups for our evening activities would be taking place, people at VSA do not mess around, and despite showing up a half hour early, we were not the first ones there.

Before long, dinner had arrived, and while Ana, Hawi and I had gotten the activities we wanted, Anna partook in some quick gymnastics to sort out a snafu in hers. 

The activity had everyone assume a role complete with some information they could share, and a secret that they were meant to keep private as long as it strategically benefited them. One person was assigned to be the murderer (none of us, unfortunately) and the rest of us engaged in conversations with one another to try and figure out who the evil-doer was. 

In the end, myself and a group of people did figure who the murderer was, how they did it and why, and although we were not the first group, it still came with an immense amount of satisfaction. 

We finished off the evening with an always wonderful Proctor Group Meeting and I went to sleep dreaming of the words I would be reciting the next day. 

Today was much harder to start than yesterday, I had grand intentions of waking up waking up early again, but the nerves, or the warm bedding, or something else kept me hitting the snooze button. 

The morning passed in a blur for me, full of breakfast, speeches, rebuttals, (one of which I did) and a healthy heaping portion of nerves, as I would be speaking right after lunch. 

On the way back from lunch Ana and my classmates reassured me that everything would go well, and before I knew it I was standing up in front of the class, beginning my introduction. I could not have predicted how much standing up in front of just 14 classmatescould fill me with what Dr. Koch calls communication anxiety. My hands shook, and I am sure my voice wavered, but as I went along my confidence increased, and by the end of the speech I had managed to make it on time without any major hiccups. Success! 

I listened to the rest of the speeches intently, relief had washed over my body. 

The afternoon was spent working with Julie on a top secret project for Payton (our proctor and a wonderful human). We had begun collecting materials for this project the night before, but it was time to set our plan into motion. 

We would be creating a stuffed potato pillow, complete with signatures from all of our proctor group and a sweet message. Way back on day one we had branded ourselves, "Payton's Potatoes" and the name stuck, working its way into almost all of our meetings from then on. 

Payton showing off the back side

Tonight was Proctor Group Night, so it seemed an appropriate time to present our small token of thanks to Payton, knowing how much she loves surprises and heartfelt gifts. 

We must have chosen right, because Payton was over the moon at her gift, and we were lucky enough to catch her reaction on video, involving lots of high pitched noises, hugs, and smiles so big they could light up the world. 

The front of the potato complete with her bow

My evening concluded with goofy conversations involving Payton, Julie, and Kate, and immense gratitude for being exactly where I am right now, and with the people I am with. 

Exhaustion, Mystery, and Friends

As VSA winds down, so does my energy. Monday morning I struggled to get out of bed and even found myself clicking the snooze button on my alarm, like I do during the school year. I wasn't the only one who was drowsy—my 17 sluggish classmates and I sunk into our chairs as Dr. Jan welcomed us with her usual pep. Our lethargy surely didn't get past her. She startled us by asking, "Are you guys okay? Am I boring you?" The weekend high got the best of us but Dr Jan knew how to snap us out of it—she reached behind a stack of books and pulled out leftover popcorn, Sour Patch gummies, and M&M's from our movie a few days ago. Munching on snacks cured us of tiredness. 

In class we spent time working on a part of our final presentation, a synopsis of our novels. We participated in a three phase exercise where we first described the location of our novel, then the characters, and lastly we combined the two with a summary of the entire novel. A synopsis isn't simply what one reads on the back of a book, instead it tells the beginning, middle, and end of the novel. It's challenging to condense my entire story into one paragraph without  making it seem mundane.

On Monday night I chose murder mystery as my evening activity. It was a real life game of Clue, we were assigned roles and given snippets of information. The scene was as follows: researchers, professors, and students were invited to the home of Cornelia Vanderbilt for a dinner party, after one of the party guests dropped dead from ingesting poison, it was known that their was a murderer in the room. The cops were delayed by the stormy weather, so the party guests had a few hours to spare to put the pieces together and solve the mystery. The story is a bit convoluted, so I'll spare you the explanation, although unsurprisingly the murderer turns out to be who you least expect. 

Call me Professor Matthews.

Instead of our usual After Class Activity, this week we have an extra hour of free time before dinner. I decided to be productive and used the two hours to work on my summer assignment for AP Literature and work on my novel. With my earbuds in, I sat in a cozy lounging chair and clacked away at my computer. I forgot how much I enjoy time to myself, these weeks have been so busy that I hadn't had time to sit down on my own without the presence of others. As much as I love being with people, I think it's also important to have a fair share of alone time - I bathed in that luxury today.

A view of the evening Tennesse sun.

Tonight, instead of regular dinner we had Proctor Group Night. We went out to dine at Cabana, a local restaurant. What's special about this eatery is that there are booths carved into the wall for customers to sit in, a curtain for privacy, and an aux cord to jam out to music without bothering other patrons. I ordered ricotta ravioli (isn't that fun to say) and was disappointed when I saw a mere 5 pieces on my plate. Although stingy, the food was still very satisfying and I enjoyed spending time with my Proctor Group.

Our journey to Cabana.

Enjoying our meal.

Positivity!

On Friday, Dr. Jan told us that while she read through the drafts of our novels she found that we are so negative towards our own work. She noticed whole paragraphs that we've highlighted and commented "I don't like this" or "Blehh". To address this behavior, we spent the morning discussing how proud we should be of our work along with having a "Yes and.." mentality. Meaning we should take on the challenges that life throws at us positively, while also extending them by digging deeper.  Jan wants us to be proud of every word that we type and seek ways that we can improve upon our skills.

We carried this positive attitude past our writing and into the classroom with a few affirmation activities. On Friday we played a game of speed complimenting, where the premise was to out-compliment our classmates. Two people spoke over one another, spewing out compliments - if you paused or ran out of compliments you're out. One pair complimented each other for 7 minutes straight. It sure was entertaining. However, the compliments were a tad superficial and disingenuous since it was based on quantity over quality. To compensate for that, the following day we went around the circle and genuinely complimented one another. The new and improved compliment game surely brought tears to many eyes - even mine. People remarked on qualities of mine that I hadn't taken much notice to.  I also really enjoyed expressing the appreciation that I have for my classmates. I'm so fortunate to be surrounded by such kind, intelligent, thoughtful, and hilarious people.

In the midst of the 7 minute compliment showdown. 

We had our second peer review this week, with newly assigned partners. My partner, Keaston, had written a startling 39 pages while I only had 12. I'm not as far behind as it may seem, he's only farther ahead than most of us. The rest of my classmates have around 8-15 pages - writing a novel proves harder than it seems. I always get something good out of a  peer review session: I learned to be more deliberate about the actions of my characters and give the reader better insight into who they are.

Tonight VSA held a Talent Show. Performers presented songs, poems, and comedy sketches. My friends and I watched the show and were pleased by the song choices, awed by literary talent, and entertained by jokes. Although I didn't perform, I still enjoyed the show.One performer, Peter, played a song on his guitar, one that I love but hadn't listened to in ages. The second I arrived in my dorm room, I pulled it up on my phone and listened to it: The Rain Song by Led Zeppelin.

Pre- talent show picture.

On Saturday, we had a few hours of class, then  watched a movie - Isle of Dogs. The movie came out a few months ago and I hadn't gotten the chance to watch it. It takes place in a city where a disease plights the dog population, in response the governing powers mandate a decree that exiles all dogs to Trash Island.The film eerily resembles animosity to certain groups and political power used unjustly, as seen in today's world. I won't spoil the rest, but I strongly recommend it.

We watched a second movie that night, but instead of only my class it was all of VSA. We clambered through Vanderbilt's endless campus to reach a theater where we sat and watched The Sandlot. It was a rather foolish movie and we did enjoy making a ridicule of its archaic insults.

After our trip to the mall.

Sunday evening, after a visit to the mall, we had a TED Talk style presentation by researchers. I initially chose New Problems in Law, but after being told that no one signed up for History and the Human Race - I changed my selection. In the presentation, three individuals spoke to us on different topics. Rosemary Lieske spoke about her research with archaeology in Central America focusing on Spanish conquistadors and their interactions with indigenous communities. Kelsea Best spoke to us about her research on  the affect of environmental changes on migration patterns in Bangladesh. And Greg Smith spoke to us about his research in geology and the remains of animals to understand extinction patterns. From the presentations I got a better understanding of certain fields that I could delve into, along with understanding how it would be to conduct my own research in graduate school.