Sunday, April 13, 2008

Its Tough Being On Top

Well, things have been absolutely crazy since the Jayhawks took National Champs against Memphis (and what a crazy time it really has been - 45,000 people in less than 10 city blocks all at once, streakers, over-turned cars, people scaling buildings, and all in less than 24 hours!) and, because of the impending madness (and plethora of pep rallies) the school work definiately suffered, as did the general reading. Things, hopefully, look as though they're finally getting back on track, however, as my term papers for both Spanish and English have been turned in (at least, their rough drafts have) and my sociology project is beginning to shape up.

Another recently large development is my tentative decision to enlist in the Peace Corps after graduation (which, at this point, is still a long way away). I've become so involved recently with the campus efforts of Amnesty International, UNICEF, as well as United Students Against Sweatshops and the Lawrence Fair Trade Coalition, that I just don't see myself going to grad school without really sitting down and getting in to the world, attempting with the power that I have to make it a better place. As of now, with only a little research put in to it, I'd love to go to Sudan or southern Darfur to help with AIDS programs, or eastern Chile and Argentina to help with community building. Then, there is a lot more time to decide that kind of stuff.

Because of this desire to do good, and on kind loan from a friend, I'm reading The Darfur Diaries: Stories of Survival by Jen Marlowe, Aisha Bain, and Adam Shapiro, a team of three young humanitarian workers who also produced a documentary of the same name. The book is the telling of the three as they travel to Dafur at the beginning of the Darfur genocide, as they cross border lines and talk to some of the most powerful leaders of the SLA (Sudanese Liberation Army, the prinicipal rebel movement) about the Janjaweed and influence of the Sudanese govenrnment. In addition, they go in to quite a bit of description about the refugee camps they visit: their need for schools and educational materials, their complete lack of time to build a steady infrastructure, and their disagreements with their Chadian neighboors, who see the refugees as a drain on their economy. I could go on, but I'm not done with the book yet, and I'm not entirely sure anyone would want me to, anyway!

As they say, being on top (both as Champions and as Americans) can be tough. But its not nearly as tough as being on the bottom.

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About Me

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I'm a 24 year old newlywed, getting my library science degree all while working in a bookstore and trying to find some of the big answers in the big books - and the small books, while I'm at it. I'm interested in all types of fiction and personal non-fiction, all procedural cop dramas, and a fair portion of the TV that airs on the BBC3! I care about sustainability, agricultural ethics, independent documentaries, and admitting freely that I don't have all the answers - and may never - but I'm trying to have fun while I figure it out!