Month: February 2018

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My 1+4 Story: Stone

by Stone 

Before my gap year, I was thinking of majoring in International Relations, Political Science or something related. Because of my experiences in Nicaragua and at Tufts since then, I have realized that though those relatively mainstream majors would look good to employers, they won’t give me the skills I need to accomplish what I want to do in life. The work I did last year on my CBIP (community based initiative process project) and a gap-participant organized workshop on the environmental impacts of littering combined with a city-wide trash cleanup event gave me experience with grassroots community development/leadership projects. This helped me figure out that these type of projects, on various issues and scales, are what I want to be the focus of my future career.

I went into the Tufts 1+4 orientation with about as much good intentions as ignorance. All I knew was that I wanted to help people less fortunate than me, but had little idea how to go about doing it. I was brought up surrounded by stories of individuals who went to far off lands and nearly single-handedly “fixed” the locals’ problems, commercials advertising the good feeling one could get from “saving” a child’s future for the small price of a cup of coffee, and the general culture of American superiority and white/western saviorism. As a result, I greatly overestimated my abilities, usefulness, knowledge, and irreproachability of my intentions. The Tufts and Amigos orientations and workshops opened my eyes to the way that white/western saviorism, voluntourism, and the desire to assuage personal guilt factored into my views and motivations. They educated me on the importance of working with and learning from community members and the value of sometimes taking a backseat or behind-the-scenes role in the process. If I made myself indispensable to the changes the projects enact, they would collapse when I left, rendering my work entirely useless in the long term. Through my projects I got to put my new knowledge to use and see how fully respecting, valuing, and engaging community members not only added to the quality of my projects but also of my friendships and experience as a whole.

Having returned from Nicaragua and entered college, my experiences there directly shape my decisions today. I realized that the most important things I learned last year aren’t the type of things that I would learn in a “normal” major. Most degrees would give me academic knowledge that I could then apply to actual jobs in relatively structured, rigid ways. If I only train for one thing, I will only be able to do one thing. If that one thing was exactly what I wanted to do, then that would be fine, but unfortunately, International Development is not an undergraduate major offered at Tufts. Working on grassroots level community development projects requires a host of abilities. Therefore, an interdisciplinary major is what I need in order to develop a well-rounded set of skills that I can apply to a variety of different projects in my future.

Peace and Justice Studies seems to me to be the best fitting major. Through it, I can learn about problems nationally and internationally that cause unrest and inequality on different scales, as well as potential solutions. It also has enough flexibility for me to choose how much I focus on each of those areas. Its internship-class combination requirement would let me use my knowledge in real-life situations and reflect on the process in a classroom environment in a way that would really round out my skills. The fact that I can major in it alone will allow me to take other classes in Economics, Education, and Global Health that will give me knowledge that I know will be important to my career, but are not necessary to the major.

However, the Peace and Justice Studies major is likely going to be replaced with Civic Studies. While Civic Studies compliments many of my interests, I am worried that it will not have a sufficiently international focus and will concentrate too much on government for my needs. I definitely want to work mostly abroad and in an NGO. I think that the US government generally approaches international projects with a savior mentality, and national governments in general are too large and disconnected from individuals to make the kind of changes that I want to make. Also, Civic Studies will only be offered as a second major. Thus, I would have only three years to fulfill the requirements of it and another major, giving me no time to take outside classes.

When it comes to getting a second major alongside PJS or Civic Studies, my experiences last year have informed my views there too. I now know that it would be a waste to take classes with the primary purpose of getting a degree and having something official on my resume. Their primary purpose should be to effectively give me one or multiple skills that will help me in my future. I did previously consider double majoring in Spanish, but ended up deciding not too. While I have already taken Spanish classes at Tufts and do intend to take more, I know that I don’t have to actually major in in Spanish in order for it to mean something.

Languages are not my strong suit and majoring in one would add a huge amount of unnecessary stress to my life. If I majored in it, a skill level near native fluency would be expected of me, which taking even ten Spanish classes would not give me. What I should do instead is to take enough classes to improve my skills, but then rely on using them in real world situations to get them beyond the point that I could from just classes. I’m also trying to take interdisciplinary Spanish classes. Analyzing fifteenth century Spanish literature on its own is not going to get me much of anywhere. But analyzing the relationship between different groups of people and the earth during the Spanish conquest of the Americas and onwards, as I do in my Spanish 22 Tierra, Clima, y Justicia class, will give me historical context to more deeply understand modern day dynamics in interactions between different peoples, the environment, and each other.

All in all, my gap year widened my view of the world and made me more certain of my choice of future career. My experiences gave me better priorities, rekindled my intrinsic motivations for learning, and redefined my ideas of success. Instead of wanting credentials that look good on paper, I want to expand my knowledge in useful ways and have the freedom to explore. I matured a lot last year in ways that make me more prepared to fully take advantage of my college experience to prepare for a better future.

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Saturday Morning

by Katherine, Tufts 1+4 Participant

This post started out as a “day-in-the-life” but ended up taking a turn after I was inspired by Adam Phillips’s Missing Out: In Praise of the Unlived Life  (https://www.brainpickings.org/2015/08/17/missing-out-adam-phillips/) and Milan Kundera’s The Unbearable Lightness of Being. These are recent thoughts and photos. Interestingly enough, I took these pictures to test out my grandfather’s camera (left to me after he passed away), not intending to overlay text onto them. 

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Familial Introductions

by Savion, Tufts 1+4 Participant

I sat alone in the living room, laptop in front of me, watching my hands do their little “dance” in place on my keyboard – a new hand-fidget I’ve unconsciously started to do ever since arriving to Brazil, and seems to happen only when I get too nervous. I’ve come to call it the quick-fidgety-tapping-on-the-keyboard-keys-so-that-it-produces-a-somewhat-audible-noise-without-actually-pressing-down-on-the-keys sound. It’s hard to pinpoint why this has started happening, but I think it’s because I no longer have my friends, my family, and the comfort of my home at the end of the day to fall back on when I get anxious, so these odd little habits spawn as a way to cope instead.

So, why was I so nervous? Because it was the day that I was finally supposed to introduce both my families to one another, my Brazilian one and my American one. I’m a person who likes to keep different parts of my life very separate from each other. I act very different around my friends, as I do with my family. The way I act depending on the social groups in my life is very different, so the fact that two very important pieces of my life were about to come together was a very strange feeling for me. What would they think of each other? What would they say? What would they say about me? What if they don’t get along? All these questions were hurtling through my head, which only made my hand fidgeting intensify. Continue reading “Familial Introductions”

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Siblings and Host Siblings: Worlds Collide II

by Mikel, Tufts 1+4 Participant
During my two experiences living with host-families, first in Ecuador, and then in Spain, I have had amazing luck with my host-families, making my experiences living abroad not only something that helped me develop as a person, but also the opportunity to make life-long relationships with truly extraordinary people.
In Spain, my host-family was beyond generous and hospitable, introducing me to extended family and friends throughout my 9 months, especially during family visits to Sevilla. Throughout the 9 months I made long-lasting relationships that formed my time in Spain and continue to impact my life.
In both my experiences living with a host-family I have been able to introduce my real family to my host-families, creating a bond not only between me and my host-family but between my family and my host-families. With my host-family in Spain, this has provided a great opportunity for my 14 year old brother Andres, and my nearly 14 year old host-brother, also named Andres.
The summer following my time in Spain, my host brother came to the US to spend his summer practicing English with my brother. Both Andres’ had a great experience, and this summer this unique exchange continues. For the first half of the summer, Spanish Andres will return to the US, and will fly back to Spain accompanied by my brother, who will spend the second half of the summer with my host-family during their summer vacations. This experience allows my brother to improve his Spanish, my host-brother to improve his English, all in a culturally immersive experience between two families who have come to know and trust each other with their 14 year old sons.
This amazing experience, which most 14 year old’s do not have, is product of my host families adventure in being a host-family, in the relationship that this has caused my family and my host-family to have, and the luck of having two 14 year old boys who both have something to gain from this experience, and who have both made an international friend in the meanwhile. For me, this exchange between my brothers provides a sense of both jealousy and excitement for my brothers. It is amazing that a program like 1+4 has not only provided me with a formative experience but has also given way to a live-forming opportunity for both my family and my host-family.
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Motherland

by Chastidy, Tufts 1+4 Participant

When I first met my host mom, I was surprised to learn that her husband has been living in the United States for over 15 years. He left about a year after their daughter was born to work in the U.S. so he could earn an income to support them on. One day, while we were sharing a cup of coffee, she recounted a dream she had shortly after her husband left. In her dream she stepped off a small wooden boat, her hand entwined with her husband’s. They arrived on a shore where the surrounding water was crystal clear with an abundance of fish swimming between their legs. She looked up and straight ahead was a bustling city with shiny towering buildings. I was hearing the story from the other end.

My own parents had immigrated to the United States in their 20s. I’ve only really known about my parent’s lives after moving to the United States. My parents don’t share much about their childhoods growing up, and before this gap year I never put too much thought about the families they left behind. A few weeks ago I had the chance to visit some of my father’s actual family members, who live about an eight hour bus ride away from Cuenca. Meeting some of my family members was strange – it was our first time meeting and they knew all about me from years of long distance phone calls with my aunt in the United States. My tía in Ecuador was incredibly welcoming as she was eager to make me feel at home. She served delicious plates of fritada de chancho with mote and yuca frita, while sharing stories of growing up with my father. It was around Día de los Difuntos in Ecuador, and we visited my great grandmother’s tomb, beautifully adorned with lit candles and colorful flowers. These were moments I never imagined I’d be apart of. Being surrounded by the culture and language in my father’s motherland has been such a special opportunity and I’ve appreciated being able to delve into my roots.

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Musicians of Cuenca

by Jennifer, Tufts 1+4 Participant

I’m amazed by how friendly and helpful the music community is in Cuenca. The musicians I’ve met accept me and are genuinely interested in connecting with me. When I walk down the street carrying my cello I’m constantly stopped by strangers, inquisitive and gregarious. I feel like I’ve found another family, people who understand me and who I understand in return. People who have helped me pursue my passion thousands of miles from home. Here are my impressions of the musicians of Cuenca. 
Raquel is intense and direct, with perpetual red lipstick, and seems taller than she really is through sheer force of personality. I was brave enough to approach her after a symphony concert, nervously rehearsing lines in my head. I hesitantly asked where I could find a cello to rent. With her support and advocacy, I found a cello and joined the local university orchestra. I have the opportunity to take lessons, teach cello to youth symphony students, and even perform a concerto.
Dixon has a rowdy voice and goofy smile, and he plays cello the way he talks, bold and resonant. Raquel and Dixon play in the symphony together, and Raquel introduced us. Dixon entrusted me with his extra cello. The poor thing is chipped and scratched with a rusty end pin, the bow has about half its original hair, and I extracted several strange objects – chunks of wood, clumps of hair and dust, and a foam cylinder – from inside it, but I’m happily renting it.
David is constantly sweeping his messy hair out of his eyes, adjusting his glasses, and contemplatively rubbing his beard, unconscious ticks that show his interest. We met at the university while sharing a practice room, then peeked in a window to watch the university orchestra rehearse. David plays guitar, piano, and violin, sings, and teaches at the university, but was still curious about my cello. He wants to get together and jam. 
William commands respect and attention with a scowl and a rigid baton when conducting, but as soon as he lowers his arms he becomes a sweetheart. William invited me to join the university orchestra in an email he signed “abrazos”. He gave me a real hug when we met in person. William gave me copies of the music, seated me third chair, and accommodated my flexible schedule, anxious to make me comfortable. We share smiles during rehearsals. 
Medardo is balding on top and wears button down shirts under sweaters. We became friends as the two odd ones out of the university orchestra, the foreigner and the middle aged man. He always greets me when I get to rehearsal and gives me rides home. Medardo is eager to hear about my life back home and what I think of his country. In return he tells me stories of his travels to Spain and Italy, and always knows the best concerts in the city. 
Abran is a cab driver and a songwriter. He dreams about sharing his music with the world. We met when I hailed his cab downtown and stuffed my cello in. He was excited to chat with a “real musician” and, while we drove to my rehearsal, he played a few of his own songs for my criticism. After listening to a song he wrote for his son for father’s day I told Abran I was missing my parents. He gave me his number and told me to call him the next day; he wanted to give me a CD of his songs to share with my parents. I took the risk and called.