Baccalaureate Mass: A Conversation with God...

Graduation week has come and gone. After four long years, I am officially done with my Rockhurst undergraduate career and I have walked across the stage to receive my prize--a piece of paper. JUST KIDDING!

It is obviously more than a degree that I am graduating with, but also a Jesuit education. On Thursday at Baccalaureate Mass, Fr. Curran was able to highlight one of those benefits during his sermon.

When he spoke to some students about the singers to perform at this year's Spring Rockfest concert, he discovered that country songs often describe the lives of Rockhurst students. Although it was a joke, he offered one song called: "If I could have a beer with Jesus..." by Thomas Rhett as a reminder for us to keep close to our faith even after leaving.

As graduates of Rockhurst, we have to reflect on our lives, not just as professionals, but also as responsible children of God. Fr. Curran also made it a point to remind us that prayer can take many forms. Perhaps we like to pray the rosary, but prayer can be as simple as a conversation with God.

As a gift, each of us received one of the coasters pictured below:

We promised to keep it in a place where we would see it frequently, and that whether or not that drink was alcoholic, he hoped that we would be able to have these conversations frequently.

The Mass ended with one of Fr. Curran's "true stories" and we walked across back to campus to enjoy a small reception with our families. Below are a few pictures from the reception:

 Hawks walking back to campus. 

Cathy Phillips (my first college roommate) and I. 

Lorie Castilleja and I.

Yummy dessert kabobs. 

Fresh fruit kabobs.

Paloma Carmona, Lais Carvalhinho, & Hero Balani by the Bell Tower. 

Hero Balani, a student from Belize, waving his country's flag.  

Hero posing for his sister.

Afterwards, the SOL seniors that could make it, headed over to the SOL room to carry on a tradition that has been alive for many years--the addition of our hands to the SOL alumni wall. Here are a few pictures from the actual event:

And to wrap up, we celebrated with cake. How could we resist doing the tradition Mexican cake bite?

I know...we are just too cute. 

With that picture and a promise to carry on as a strong Latina Hawk, I would like to say my farewell. Thank you to Rockhurst University for allowing me the opportunity to share my thoughts and life as a Hispanic student. I have many great memories as a Hawk and I really think that the challenges I have faced throughout these years has helped shape me as an open-minded and confident person. 

Thank you for reading my blog and I hope that you too will have a meaningful and unique college career. 

Hasta luego!

--Jackie 

As I see it...

"Two finals, a ten-page paper, and a presentation stand in between me and graduation!"

"Four finals and a capstone presentation until summer!"

"Only three exams to go!"

These are the kind of statuses that are flooding my Facebook news feed. No matter what the combination of obstacles is, graduation is so close we can almost smell it! Kinda...

I've picked out my outfit and I'm ready walk across that stage on Saturday just like everyone else. Walking through the halls of Massman just to get lunch has never felt this way before. Perhaps it is because I know that I will never walk through campus again as an undergraduate. Not as SOL president and not as a student, but today as I sat down in a pew during my sister's high school graduation Mass, I realized that I shouldn't be sad about leaving.

As I walk across that stage on Saturday, so will thousands of other high school students across the nation. What came to mind during my sister's Mass was that while I am on my way out, others are on their way in.

The first few pews were full of Bishop Ward High School seniors getting ready to graduate. Just like me four years ago, their eyes were full of so much promise. I just thought to myself, "Where will they be four years from now?"

I prayed that their lives would be illuminated and that God would help them find their individual and unique callings. It was a special moment for me as a Latina and as a Catholic, because I felt excited for what their lives could become.

Now, I am able to look at graduation not just as me leaving a place that I have grown to know well, but as an opportunity for others to come in and start their own lives.

Below are a few pictures from this afternoon that I would like to share with you:

My two beautiful sisters. Three very different sets personalities and traits, but we understand that at the end of the day, we'll always be there for each other. 

My father embracing my sister to congratulate her. When I see my father I think of everything this man has had to do in order to make sure his daughters were going to be have a fair chance at life. 

My mother's loving kiss. I think of all of the times my mother has had to put up with a stubborn child and my heart feels heavy because I understand that her love is infinite and unconditional. 

As I approach graduation, I promise that I will feel proud of my accomplishments and happy that I am paving the way and also getting out of the way so that a new generation may come and accomplish their  own dreams. 

Jackie

Spring is coming around!

Rockhurst is once again covered in beautiful blooming tulips. The trees are beginning to look green and the squirrels are beginning to roam the campus again! Hopefully we have seen the last bit of cold weather because I am definitely ready to ditch my coats for my colorful cardigans.

This past weekend my family took advantage of the beautiful weather and headed down to Loose Park, just past the plaza, and held a nice picnic. It is a park that many Rockhurst students visit because it is so close to campus and it is a beautiful and safe place for a run. The park includes a picnic area, small lake and even a tree-climbing area. Below are actually two pictures from a trip a group of friends made to Loose Park a while back. In the first, I can be seen bravely climbing an obviously dangerously tall tree (clearly!) and in the second, playing frisbee with a friend.

This time my family invited a few friends and shared a delicious meal together. My dad grilled carne asada and burgers while my mother whipped up some fresh guacamole and nopales. Of course the traditional Mexican meal wouldn't have been complete without the beans and rice to complement the perfectly seasoned tacos. Regardless of how much food I ate, I had to make room for dessert! There was no way I was going to be able to pass up the fruit kabobs and tres leches cake that my friends brought over. 

After eating, many of us sat down to talk, other kicked a soccer ball around, and then all got together to play an incredibly amusing game of "Ninja." For those of you unfamiliar with the game, the object of the game is to not get slapped on the hands by the person next to you. 

Cindy (in yellow) can be seen laughing because she just missed my sister's (in black) move. 

Each person takes turns making "ninja moves" and can either go after the person to the left or the right. The object is to get either person next to you out of the game by slapping their hands, however, you must stay in the position you are in until it is your next turn. 

We had an incredible time, though I'm not surprised! There are so many things to do around campus that it's nearly impossible to be bored. 

See you next week!

My last SOL event...

The cap and gown that hang from a corner in my room, are signs of the happy, but sad reality that graduation is just a few weeks away. I am beginning to experience a lot of "last" experiences at Rockhurst. For example, I've filled out teacher evaluations for the last time and last week I was relieved to realize that I had registered for classes for the last time as well. 

However, the most important "last" experience was attending my last organized SOL event as a Rockhurst student. On Monday, SOL screened the Oscar Award-Winning film called "Inocente," about a young homeless and undocumented girl from California that aspires to be an artist through her vibrantly colored and animated paintings. A discussion of the problem immigrants face due to a broken immigration system followed the film that had been viewed by more than 40 students and community members. 

 A picture from my seat of people watching the film

It was a very touching film and I'm sure that I wasn't the only one that was moved to tears by Inocente's story and her bravery to confront her struggles. One lucky student even walked away with a print of one of her art pieces. 

Ahmad Maaz presenting our winner with her prize!

As the event came to an end, I was assured of the success that SOL will be able to achieve in the next few years and I am incredibly happy that this organization will continue to offer a place where Latino and Spanish-Culture loving students will be able to come together to celebrate the Latino culture. In addition, I am happy to see that as a Jesuit university we are socially conscious of the problems our community is facing. 

Best of luck to the next generation of SOL members!

The things that I will remember...

This past week, the Student Organization of Latinos officially bought airplane tickets and booked our hotel rooms for the National Council of La Raza Conference in July.

Five SOL members, including myself, will be traveling to New Orleans to attend the three day conference which is supposed to be the largest gathering for Latinos in the United States. We will be able to attend workshops on health, education, business, leadership and many other topics.

In addition, we are excited because in the past, the key note speaker at the gala has been President Barrack Obama. Below is a video in case you would like to learn more about the conference:

http://youtu.be/CwbNg6KYRCc

This has all been possible because SOL has worked very hard over the last two years to raise near $3,000 to help cover the expenses of traveling to the conference. After many fundraisers and receiving donations from community members, we were able to reach our goal. Just this past week, we spent three nights filling orders for our annual burrito sales. Luckily, Rockhurst students and staff have grown to love Latino foods and they ordered over 60 dozens! Below is a picture of me actualy trying to teach the guys how to make vegetarian burritos.

 

 

Our small group has worked extremely hard to make this year a success. Last year we were nominated for the Outstanding Support for Diversity and unfortunately lost. However, this year we have been nominated for a new award. For the first time since I have been here, SOL has been nominated for the Outstanding Student Group Award!

 

It has been both a great honor and and blessing to have served as president of SOL for the last two years. I have learned so much about organizing and being a leader. I strongly encourage everyone to become involved in some kind of leadership position while they are in college. The lessons you learn and the friendships you make will stay with you forever.

 

Until next week!

Life takes off so fast...

With the new direction my life has taken in just the last few weeks, it's hard not to feel like I'm walking on Cloud 9.

A few weeks ago I learned that I had been accepted to my top three law schools. Just last Friday I learned that UMKC's School of Law was offering me a full fee scholarship that was renewable for three years and this week I mailed the letter that sealed my future with UMKC.

It has been an incredibly humbling experience for me and my family. Not only do I have the opportunity to minimalist the cost of law school, but I have the perfect opportunity to be a leader for my community. I have been reminded of something I learned in my leadership class while we were studying the Jesuits last semester: we are leaders and we are leading all the time.

Whether or not I am working towards finishing law school to have a better future for myself or going through law school to further my education, my action have the potential to affect someone else's life. I see my accomplishments as confirmation for other students that have similar dreams. It also motivates me to be a leader even while I am a student.

I am very thankful for this new opportunity and I definitely hope to inspire someone through my accomplishments.

The moment' I've been waiting for...

Snow, Facebook, shoveling, aches, hot chocolate, CABIN FEVER, shoveling...

Those words can all be used to describe what the week before Spring Break was like and I'm definitely grateful that our break came with incredible news:

All in the same day, within 30 minutes of one another, I had received the news that I had been accepted to my top two schools!

I can't explain the joy that I felt as I read those e-mails over and over. I had done it, I had been accepted. 

The first thing I did was called my dad. 

I fought back tears of joy as I told him that not only had I been accepted, but that both schools were planning to offer me scholarships. I felt confident about the applications and I was relieved to finally be in the negotiating stages of the admissions process. 

I finally felt the sense of security about my future that I had been longing for. I can remember reminiscing about all of the moments in my life that have led me to this moment. All of the hours of volunteering, organizing, planning, studying... it had all paid off. 

I went into work that day and gave my boss and co-workers the good news. We celebrated over a delicious lunch and the law school advice started pouring in from the attorneys, "The trick to law school is highlighting." 

"Three hours of sleep is the norm, four hours of sleep is incredible and six hours of sleep is a dream."

I obviously have a lot of preparing to do. Law school is supposed to be a whole 'nother animal, but I can't help but be naive about it for now. I'm looking forward to reading about cases and learning about procedures. 

For now, all I want to think about is that I've done it. I've been accepted to law school and in two months I'll be a college graduate. :)

Let it snow, let it know, let it snow…

For those of you that do not live in Kansas City or in any of the surrounding states, you've probably escaped the snowy wrath of Snowmageddon parts 1 and 2. But for my Rockhurst friends and Kansas City neighbors, I bet you're all ready to drop the shovels and not have to get up early to dig yourselves out of your house every morning!

It all started early next week when the newscasters began talking about a massive snow storm that was going to hit Kansas City during the late part of the week. By Wednesday night, shelves at the grocery stores were being emptied by cautious Kansas Citians looking to stock up on bread and milk before Snowmageddon. 

The funny thing about it was that I can remember waking up at 2 a.m. that Thursday morning to look out my window to see that there there wasn't a trace of snow on the ground. Rockhurst had already cancelled classes for Thursday morning and I just thought to myself that Mother Nature better get something going or I might just have to show up to take the Sociology exam I hadn't studied for that night. 

By 8 a.m. that morning, it had already snowed more than 6 inches. I turned on the television to see images of I-29 North that looked like a parking lot with all of the cars that were stuck in the snow. It snowed about a total of 10 inches in my neighborhood and classes had to be cancelled for Friday as well because the roads still hadn't been cleared. Lucky for us, we were able to enjoy a four day weekend…kind of. I'm sure that many of us, like myself, suffered from mild cases of cabin fever after being stuck inside for most of the first two days. 

I was able to go to work on Monday, but we were released early because of ANOTHER impending super storm we dubbed Snowmaggedon 2013 Part 2. This time, towns south of Kansas City could see up to 20 inches of snow! Once again, Tuesday classes have been cancelled and we are waiting to see if we can resume classes tomorrow. 

I think that the funniest thing about this all is that our spring break is just next week. I really hope that groundhog shows up sometime soon because I've had enough of snow angels and snowmen and I think I've seen every single movie in our home collection. I am getting ready to graduate in a few months and I'm looking forward to getting back to class to make sure that happens this year. 

However, this experience has been a blessing in disguise. I have been able to stay home to enjoy the company of my family. I've also been able to do some much needed work on an event that the Student Organization of Latinos is planning for this weekend at Holy Name parish. Please see the flyer below and stop by if you have the chance. 

Have a great rest of your week, folks!

Multicultural Discussions

Hello everyone!

This week I decided to highlight another part of my week that I really enjoy. I first got to know the multi-cultural group last Spring through a friend of mine that would always disappear to get pizza around the same time every week.

One of these days I finally was hungry enough to follow her to get a slice of pizza and that's when I met Shu Fen, a Rockhurst professor and counselor. The conversation and friendly environment helped me come back nearly every week since that first time. I know that as college students, it's hard for us to make time in our days to reflect on our thoughts and experiences, but this discussion group has helped me do it in a fun way without even realizing it.

It's a safe space where we can talk about our thoughts with ethnic and gender issues and we all bring different perspectives to the table since we come from different backgrounds. We support each other and offer career and even relationship advice and it's just especially nice to have someone hear you out when you've had a bad day.

This week I brought my laptop and took a few silly pictures to start off our meeting:

We're a lively bunch (as I'm sure you can see!) and we meet on Tuesdays at 3:30pm in Massman in case you would like to join us. We even created a video tonight about what we're all about:

Join us either this year (or next year if you're a prospective student) and I'm sure you'll always feel at home. 

Have a great week!

Jackie

Happy Chinese New Year!

When you think about Kansas City, most people think about great barbecue, powerful water fountains and perhaps vast sceneries of miles of open fields. I wonder how many people actually remember that Kansas City is home to a world-class museum called the Nelson Atkins Museum.

If you haven't heard of it yet, I'm positive that you will have to visit for an art class no matter where you go to college in Kansas City. It's known for being the largest collection in the midwest and for housing a rare Caravaggio painting of St. John the Baptist. Luckily for Rockhurst students, it is only about a five minute drive from our campus and most of the exhibits are free to see. 

This week I was able to attend their Chinese New Years celebration on Friday evening. I went with a high school student that I mentored and we had a blast. We were able to get a picture together in front of this huge Buddha:

We arrived just in time to watch the dragons dance to the beat of drums. It was incredible to see how colorful they were and to watch them move. The eyes and mouths of the dragons were able to open and close and they were not afraid of getting intensely close to your faces. Below is a clip that I was able to capture of the dragons: 

We were also able to walk around the museum. They had several activities going on at the same time and there were hundreds of people there that seemed to really be enjoying themselves. 

Hopefully you will be able to visit the museum once you are a student as well!

Feeling incredibly blessed!

Hello everyone!

Today I want to talk to you about "God-incidences".

I'm sure you know what they are...
They are those moments when tiny miracles happen in our lives. When you feel like God has interfered in order for you to go down a certain path or learn a special lesson.

There's no other way that I can explain how I was able to submit an application for a $2,400 just a day after first hearing about it and actually get it.

On Wednesday night, a friend sent me a text message to tell me to pick up an application for first-generation college students. The only catch was that it was due Friday.

This wasn't completely out of the ordinary. I think I'm a natural-born procrastinator and I'm sure I would have procrastinated until a day or two before the deadline regardless of when I first heard of the scholarship.

During my lunch break on Thursday, I hurried to the Financial Aid office and picked up the application. I had to fill out a quick sheet with information, complete a bio, submit at thank you letter and a picture of myself.

I got to work on the bio first and thanks to all of my practice with law school applications--I was done in no time.

I had a friend proof-read it and I jetted over to our printing center to beg them to print a picture for me. I was able to e-mail them a picture and they had printed within five minutes. Next was the thank you note, after my acting class I hurried over in the cold weather to the XL dorms to grab a thank-you note from our SOL room.

I had to re-write the note several times because I kept making mistakes. Luckily, I got it done and submitted the entire application to Deborah in the Financial Aid office.

I wasn't sure how long I was going to have to wait, but I nearly jumped out of my seat when I read the e-mail on Sunday that I had won the scholarship.

It all seemed so unreal to me, but it has taught me to always take advantage of the opportunities made available to me. Some of them will pay off--literally!

Speaking of scholarships, if any of you are reading this and are thinking "Man, I wish I could win a scholarship..."

Check out the Greater Kansas City Hispanic Scholarship fund at:
http://www.gkccf.org/scholarships/hispanic-scholarship-fund

The application is due March 1st and it is incredibly easy to fill out.

See ya next time!

Making plans and "Making Movies...

This week marked the first meeting for our Student Organization of Latinos for this semester.

I am still in awe of how much we have grown as an organization and I'm sure that 20 years from now I will still be able to look back and remember some great moments.

This semester I am especially looking forward to an opportunity to bring some caliente (Spanish for "hot") music to the Rock. We have played before with the idea of bringing Latino performers to Rockhurst and it looks like this may be the year.

We've narrowed it down to a local Kansas City band named "Making Movies." They are the kind of band that you can find on a Saturday night playing at your favorite Crossroads district bar, but lately they have even been featured on the Spanish CNN channel.

Here is a sample of their music:

This is one of my favorite songs from them and you can bet it will be on the list of songs performed if we are successful at getting them here.

Hopefully we will be able to book them within the next few weeks so our students can enjoy a great local band.

Enjoy the song and have a great week! :)

New Classes, a little nostalgia and hot chocolate...

Well, after finishing up the first few days of full classes, I am quickly seeing that it is going to be a great last semester for me.

I am already finished with my Core and Major requirements so my schedule this semester is full of fun electives. I am taking a psychology course called Sex & Gender that will analyze how gender identification is perceived in today's world, another course on Anthropology which is great because our professor is so experienced in the field that I really feel like we're just watching the History Channel for an hour every day.

I'm also taking one of those intense half-semester courses. The classes are extremely long from 5:30 pm to 9:45 pm so I am really glad that my professor uses a lot of group discussions and videos to keep us engaged.   I'm also happy that I'm taking a Sociology class because I can already see that it's going to help me better understand other people.

Lastly, I am super stoked about taking an Acting class with Dr. Proctor. It's been four years since I've been on stage and it really feels like I'm coming home.

I'm starting to realize how fast these last few years have gone by and I get an incredible feeling to see new faces on campus because I just know that Rockhurst is going to help them grow as students, Christians, and real-world ready professionals.

Although I am a senior, it seems like Rockhurst has one more opportunity to offer me. For the past few days I have been hearing all about Gamma Phi Beta, a new sorority that is starting a chapter here and they are looking for recruits to help. One of their girls stopped me on the Quad to have some hot chocolate. I don't know if it was the hot chocolate on this bitter cold day or her hospitality that has won over my attention, but I definitely think I'll stop by their informational meeting next week. I've always thought about going Greek and this has just helped me realize that it's never too late to go after your dreams.

Last week before finals...

The week before finals is definitely the most stressful week every semester. But it's hard to blame professors for having end-of-the-semester projects due at the end of the semester.

Not only are we up all night finishing the papers we have procrastinated working on for the entire semester, but sometimes we have up to five different classes to cram for.  I can only imagine how much sales for coffee and energy drinks spike up because of sleep-deprived  college students.

Luckily, Rockhurst extends their library hours until 1 a.m. for us and even provides midnight snacks. THAT I can at least look forward to this week! College students LOVE free food.

In other news, I received the honor of sitting on a student panel for our Rockhurst Board of Trustees during their meeting. I'm always so humbled by the quality of students that accompany me at Rockhurst. We all brought great feedback to the table and it was great to see that the trustees really wanted to hear what we had to say.

Finally, I was able to see the "A Christmas Carol" at the KC Repertory Theater which is conveniently located across the street inside UMKC's campus. I had a blast and it helped me sit back and relax just before a stressful week. Below is a picture of me sitting at the Cratchit table just before the play.

Good luck to everyone on their finals and I'll see you next week after all the madness is over!

Surviving the LSAT

From reading previous posts some of you may know that I'm applying for law school this year. Going to law school has always been my dream because I've felt a moral inclination to help defend people and their causes which is mostly rooted in experiences with legal problems my family has faced in the past.

This inclination was even more so fueled when I started working with pro-immigrant organizations throughout Kansas City and the rest of the United States. Through the experience I was able to meet immigration attorneys both in the private and government sector and I haven't been able to envision myself doing anything else since then.

The application process to get into law school, however, is not the easiest. Mostly because of one aspect in particular--the LSAT. The Law School Admissions Test is comprised of five 35 minutes sections of Logical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension and Logic Games.

To help others that may be thinking about applying to law school, I decided to publish an article I wrote about methods you can use to study for the big test in my Intro. to Journalism class at Rockhurst Univerisaty with Dr. Clune (which I definitely recommened!). The article is entitled, "The LSAT Nightmare." Enjoy!



The LSAT Nightmare

 

Your palms are sweaty around your No. 2 pencil. You have read the answer choice B and C twenty times, but you just can’t figure out which one sounds the most correct. Perhaps this is when you realized you should have opened up that KAPLAN LSAT prep book a few more times.

Taking the LSAT for the first time can be a nightmare. Maybe it’s the room full of law school candidates that makes you nervous or maybe the fact that  your performance will decide if you make it into law school or you drop out of college and move into a cardboard box under the Swope Parkway Bridge. Okay, just kidding, but when you are thinking to yourself during the middle of the test, everything always seems worse than it really is.

So how do you prepare to tackle the big Law School Admissions Test? When I asked Kansas City corporate attorney and Harvard Law graduate, Ramon Murguia, he said that it really is a hard test to prepare for; either you have it or you don’t.

KAPLAN and other test-prepping agencies, however, have their own opinion. They have created an incredibly successful and profitable LSAT preparation market for those who want to put in the time (and money) to learn.  Whether you want to use self-study books, intensive review courses, multiple week courses, or tutoring, they have the resources to help you.

When choosing the best studying strategy, make sure you assess your own personal studying habits and capabilities. Ask yourself the following questions:

1.      Do I have the self-discipline to study at least an hour each night?

2.      Do I think I will be able to go back and decipher why I answered test questions incorrectly?

3.      Am I looking to improve less than 10 points?

4.      Do I have less than four weeks to study?

5.      Is paying $1,200 or more for a prep-course going to be a challenge for me?

If you answered “No” to all of these questions then you might want to consider taking a course through either KAPLAN or PowerScore. These two companies are both known for their high success rate and they both also offer guarantees on their services. If you don’t score as well as you had hoped, you can repeat the class free of charge.

Jacob McMillan, a first-year law school student at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kan. can recall his positive experience with his on-site KAPLAN course. “I absolutely hated the logic games section, but by the time I took the exam I had learned to diagram games and I scored pretty decently,” he said.

Both KAPLAN and PowerScore offer a variety of online and on-site courses that usually last about six weeks. If you are in a crunch and just need to lay a foundation to study on your own, PowerScore offers a 16-hour weekend course that covers all of the basics.

If money is an issue or if you would rather study on your own, self-study books are available for surprisingly affordable prices through Amazon.com. They can be used as a pretty effective studying strategy if you can create a studying plan and stick to it.

Monica Ramirez, a Harvard and Stanford Law graduate remembers studying for the LSAT on her own. “I started studying for the LSAT three months before I took it,” she said. “I would take a practice test almost every night.” Can you imagine yourself being so committed? If you can pull it off, you might find yourself scoring above a 160 just as she did.

Try not to get too anxious about the exam. There will be other parts to your law school admissions application where you will be able to show the committee why you should be admitted.  Regardless of what studying method you choose to pursue, just remember one thing: It is just a test and you are more than just a number.

 

SOL Thanksgiving

One the things that I picked up pretty quickly about college students is that they love free food. And while there was plenty of delicious food at our SOL dinner this last Tuesday, I enjoyed the company of my fellow SOL members most.

On Tuesday, right after Thanksgiving break had started, the Student Organization of Latinos got together to break bread as a Rockhurst family. The feast included a tasty turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, cornbread stuffing, scalloped potatoes, and plenty of dessert for our twenty attendees.

I had the priveleg of leading us in prayer before chowing down and we gave thanks for our organization and its incredible members and our school for allowing us to bring our culture to the Rock.

It was a great night and it reminded me of how great it was to be a part of our organization here at Rockhurst. I think it's safe to say that your college experience will primarily take place outside of the classroom. The friends that you make in college are probably going to be your friends for the rest of your life and I'm proud to call my fellow SOL members my friends because we are there for each other and we've proved time and time again that we will be there for one another.

Below are two pictures from our dinner:

These are some of our members going through the line for food. 

This is Adriana and I. 

This Week: Latino Professional Panel and My Senior Capstone

This week, it was hard to escape the reality that my last semester at Rockhurst University is drawing nearer and nearer.

On Wednesday I was able to see a fellow SOL member successfully orchestrate his first event. It was an amazing thing to see as a leader because you're able to witness those same leader-like qualities grow within someone else as you assist them through the process.

It was also our first professional panel as an organization and three out of the five panelist were actually Rockhurst graduates.

Left to Right: Teodoro Garcia '95, Leticia Zarate-Garcia '95, Randy Lopez '06, Mayra Aguirre and Ed Mendez

The event organizer and moderator was Rockhurst junior, Anthony Moran. He guided the panelists through conversations about career and real-world preparation, interview experiences, the economy, and how being part of a minority population has impacted their lives. If you are around campus next year, I definitely would encourage you to check it out!

On Thursday night, I presented my Spanish Capstone on recent immigration policy changes in the United States. I had been working on it all semester with Dr. Rocio Duncan and it's helped get excited about law school. 

The happiest moment for me wasn't after my capstone when I knew that it was all over and done with, but just simply knowing that my parents had been there to see it. 

Coming from an immigrant and bilingual household, it's hard to try to integrate both cultures. For example, throughout my high school drama club experience, my parents only came to one of five productions. Not because they didn't care to make it to see me on stage but because language was a barrier and our family business made it hard for them to take time off. They also weren't able to make it to one of my biggest public speaking opportunities during my freshmen year at Rockhurst because of work again. 

On Thursday night, however, I was overwhelmed with pride and a sense of fulfillment that my parents were finally able to see me at work. 

Overall it was a great week and I totally looking forward to Thanksgiving dinner with my SOL family on Tuesday and then again on Thursday followed by the Plaza Lighting Ceremony and some Black Friday shopping. 

Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving! 

White Elephant Surprise!

In this week's blog, let me tell you how the most exciting part of my weekend was also the lowest...

On Saturday morning I received a text from my good friend, Paloma, to ask me if I was planning on going to SAB's Christmas in November that evening at Rockhurst. 

The Student Activities Board held the same event last year where they bought gifts and played White Elephant with the attendees. The attendance, however, had been low enough for people to take home several gifts. Some of them had even been game consoles, iPads and electronic readers.  

If you have never heard of the game the White Elephant, let me explain the details...

All of the gifts are individually wrapped and placed together for people to choose from. 

Everyone gets a raffle ticket and waits for their number to be called so that they can go up and pick a gift from the pool. 

The twist is that you have to unwrap your gift and announce it to everyone. 

That is because someone may steal your gift from you when their turn comes. 

The gift can be stolen up to three times before it cannot be stolen anymore. 

Basically, the third person to steal the gift really gets to keep it. 

So back to the story, I was so excited for the event. All day I had been daydreaming about taking home a Wii and a Nook. I could see the fireworks going off as I saw myself choosing the most expensive gift. It was going to be amazing! 

My evening, however, didn't go exactly as planned. 

I took a seat next to Paloma  at the event as I anxiously awaited the start of the game. There were a lot more people than expected. "Maybe I'll only get to take home the iPad tonight," I thought to myself.

The time had come. The moderator explained the rules of the game over a microphone as the crowd paid close attention. 

I had taken one more bite out of my pizza when she had called the last two number of the first raffle ticket chosen. "Number ....7-1."

I squealed as I looked down at my ticket and saw those numbers staring back at me. This never happens to me!

I hopped on stage and surveyed the gifts trying to figure out which one had the iPad. I picked one up and I immediately knew I had struck gold when the rectangular box felt heavy. I almost didn't want to unwrap it because I knew someone was going to steal it from me. 

I peeled back the wrapping paper and my fear had been confirmed. I hesitated, but the words finally came out of my mouth, "It's a Nintendo Wii." 

I had tried to be as quiet as possible, but the moderator repeated my words over the microphone. 

I took my seat and I could feel my skin get hot with anxiety. I knew someone was going to take it from me, but I didn't know who. I stared at the box hopelessly. 

Three girls chose gifts and no one had taken it yet. Then I saw him. 

The young man approached the moderator and whispered something to her and then approached the microphone: "I want the Wii."

My heart dropped. 

I surrendered my prize and went up on stage to pick another one.

I nearly cried when I unwrapped the box. This is what I had chosen...

Needless to say, I was heartbroken. 

I took my seat and looked the box up and down. Deep down I was hoping that there would be a Hello Kitty fanatic in the crowd that would want to steal the gift from me so that I would have another chance. 

I went home with the Sleep Over Set that night and I learned a life lesson...never mess with the White Elephant. 

Events, events, events!

The last two weeks have been incredibly busy! I've had my classes to keep up with, LSAT scores to anxiously await, and I've started my new job at an immigration law firm. PHEW!

However, I've had two wonderful events to look forward to each week. Last week it was the Sporting KC game with my fellow Student Organization of Latinos (SOL) members. It was a blast! And the best part came after the game (which we won 2-1!) at "The Cauldron" where we celebrated with other Sporting KC fans by screaming at the top of our lungs some of the best team chants I've ever heard in my life.

They really know how to rally up their people. I nearly lost my voice that night, but it was well worth the time away from my books.

This week I had the Mexican celebration of El Dia de los Muertos to look forward to. SOL puts on a celebration every year at Rockhurst to allow our students an opportunity to see what the holiday is all about.

In short, it is basically our Memorial day only with a bit folkloric twist. I think this video here by LAIKA House explains it best.

The belief is that on November 1st the spirits of our loved ones return to earth. My mother tells me that families visit the cemetery to clean the tombs of those they know and they decorate them with beautiful yellow and goal marigolds. The marigolds are supposed to light the way back home for the spirits. Next they fix altars at home with are adorned with colorful sugar skulls and papel picado. The table can be filled with pictures, their favorite foods, clothes, board games, and other small things that held a special meaning for them. 

This last Thursday SOL erected two beautiful altars. One was a generic altar that members and guests could contribute to. The other was built by Stephanie Dueñas who is a local artist as a tribute to one of her mentors who passed away in 2010. Below are some of the pictures from the event and the altars. 

Hope you enjoy!

This one is the teaser that was shown before the event.

This is Mr. Brock's altar by Stephanie Dueñas.

Papel Picado by Stephanie Dueñas.

Performer Allen Arias singing songs from his album The Dusty Road.

Stephanie Dueñas presenting her altar. 

On the left are two guests, and our SOL members Lorie Castilleja, Alexandra Chavez, and Hero Balani. 

The two on the right are dressed up as Catrinas which have become associated with Day of the Dead.