Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Commencement



My family saw me receive my diploma on Sunday. They arrived 10-15 minutes before they started 
calling out the names. Saturday night when they missed their connecting flight to Hartford, I didn’t think they were going to make it after all. It was too bad Delta couldn’t work miracles and the US didn’t have a national high-speed rail. What matters is that I saw them in the audience as I was waiting for my name to be called.

Here is what was noted in the program:

Salima Mbelechi Etoka, Idaho, B.A., summa cum laude, with honors in Political Science, with honors in Urban Studies, with honors in French.

Member of Phi Beta Kappa and Pi Gamma Mu.

My sister who stayed home to compete in the state track meet did well individually and her team took first. My family stayed with me for two days before heading back to Idaho. We enjoyed touring Hartford and getting to see where I spent the last three years. Overall, it was a great weekend celebrating all our accomplishments with friends, family, faculty, staff and everyone else who helped us get to this part of the journey.

As I stated in the previous post, I am thankful for everyone who helped me get here today! I couldn’t have done it without you. As I go to DC this summer and NYC in the fall, I am taking the lessons I have learned along this journey and looking forward to the next part of my life. It's been a great experience documenting my college years through this blog.

Photos: Taking photos after the ceremony; President Berger-Sweeney, my sister and I take a photo in tent city.

Friday, May 15, 2015

A Note of Gratitude


In less than twenty four hours, my family will be here for graduation. We will be reunited this weekend as we celebrate my graduation. I wanted everyone to know that this is my second to last post. My final post will be after graduation when I post photos from the ceremony.
In my four years here, I have accomplished everything I wanted and then more. I came to Trinity without knowing anyone. Four years later, I have formed relationships with people from across the country and world. I only found Hartford on the map once I was matched. I have been challenged in different ways. I am graduating college with a deeper understanding of who I am and what I wish to be. Lastly, I have been given opportunities to be here today and to be receiving this degree. This semester was a difficult one because I had a medical problem; we lost a member of our extended family; I got waitlisted or rejected from the graduate degree programs I applied to; and I was trying to graduate in good standing. Despite all these challenges, I want to say that I made it here and I am proud to represent those who helped me get there. Next year, I will be doing a fellowship in NYC through the Urban Fellows Program.

As we say, it takes a village to raise a child. Here are my words of thanks:

  • For my family, I can’t wait to see and introduce you to Hartford. Thank you for your sacrifices.
  • For the Denkey family, thank you for teaching me about West Africa.
  • For my friends at KOG, thank you for your constant support, words of wisdom and otherwise checking up on me to make sure I am ok.
  • For my friends at Emanuel Lutheran Church, it’s been a pleasure worshipping with you these four years and I am thankful for your help in getting my family here for graduation.
  • For the staff and faculty at Trinity, thank you for providing me the opportunities to learn and grow as a person. I am thankful for my theses advisor and for their guidance.
  • For Chaplain Read and the Chapel Community, I am grateful for the wonderful discussions and for taking care of me when I needed it most.
  • For my friends in the US and everywhere else, it was my pleasure meeting you and I hope to see you again at another time.
  • For the staff and faculty at CIEE, my host family in Dakar and Linguère, and those at my internship in Yeumbeul, thank you for showing me Senegal and allowing me to appreciate what it offers.
  • For everyone else who I didn’t mention by name but was involved in getting me here today, thank you!

 Photo: A baobab tree in Senegal

Senior Week: Providence Edition





Classes finished last Friday and we are graduating on Sunday. Rather than staying on campus for senior week festivities, George and I decided to visit Providence, RI for the week.  So much happened during this semester that I was reminded of the lady at my appointment who told me to relax and take time for myself. This was my vacation as I had been doing work during all the other breaks. I am here to report that our trip to Providence and Newport was a success and that it felt good to celebrate my four years at Trinity.

Some highlights from our trip:
  • Providence is smaller than Hartford. Getting around was very easy. 
  • The riverfront is great for walking. If you want, you can take a gondola ride.
  • We enjoyed touring Brown University. Prospect Park on College Hill gives you a great view of the city.
  • Federal Hill has some great places to eat.
  • In Newport, the Volvo ocean race, which is a sailing competition that takes 9 months around the world, was there. There was a nice exhibition on sailing and the different teams competing.
  • You can go tours of mansions in Newport. We enjoyed walking along the waterfront.
  • The bus between Providence and Newport costs $2 one way. We saw why Rhode Island is called the “ocean state” and how beautiful it is. This world is full of wonderful places and I look forward to visiting them.  
  • Adding a new state to the places I have visited





Monday, April 20, 2015

Back to Blogging for the Last Time

I will be graduating from Trinity in less than a month. I just turned in my thesis for Political Science yesterday. A full year's worth of work is now done. I have a couple more assignments and then I am officially done with college. I promised to blog during my entire and I was good at that during some points than other. This academic year had its stress that went beyond the academic work and I had to spend the second semester taking care of that. I made it and I am ok. As I promised my sisters and people back home, I am here one more time to finish what I started. I will keep you updated until my graduation on May 17th when I say good-bye to Trinity and Hartford.

Here is something I wrote when we were having the crazy blizzards this winter:



Wake me up when spring comes. Please call me when the sun is out or there’s rain coming and I will gladly join you on the streets of Hartford.  I can’t take another day of snow. I can’t stand another snow day. After going three weeks of not having classes on Monday because of snowstorms, I have begun to ask why I didn’t apply to colleges in California. When you add the fact that I look like a fool trying not to fall on the ice, you can begin to understand why I wouldn’t mind staying in my apartment until winter ends. I can keep going because I know that that snow is actually pretty and other cities in the Northeast have it a lot worse than we do. Plus, I made the choice to come here. I survived the blizzard from two years ago and had a great time sledding with Quest Scholars. There are friends who accuse me of secretly enjoying the snow because I don’t complain about it every day. All I know is that I could be living on this side of the country for a couple more years and it makes no sense to depress myself about something I can’t change. Winter will come. Snowstorms will happen. My job is to make sure I have enough food and toilet paper in the apartment. In the same way, I am graduating. In less than 100 days, I will get my degree from Trinity College and continue living this gift of life we’ve been given. I am excited. I am nervous. There are too many emotions going on and it’s not like senior year of high school where my focus was getting into college. There are too many unknowns, but that’s life. Before that can happen; there are theses to write, homework for textile chemistry to complete, an independent study project to put together and college life to enjoy. Since this blog was about connecting with those who helped me reach this point of my journey, I am back at blogging. A lot of things got in the way this senior year, but I am here to finish what I started and to share the last few months of my life as a Bantam. 

Photo: This is from the blizzard two years ago. It came and it went. This year, the snow just kept coming every week.

Saturday, December 27, 2014

USA vs. Ecuador- My First Time at a Soccer Match

Highlights from my fall semester


October was an exciting month for me. Between the homework load picking up, the fall break and midterms, I enjoyed a soccer game at the International Friendly between the US and Ecuador. There was a match in East Hartford, not far from Trinity and I was invited to go. Many of you know that I enjoy sports, so going to this game was quite an adventure! I was also told that Landon Donovan would be playing his last game.

 I had a great experience at my first soccer math and I hope to see more in the future. I enjoyed the atmosphere at the game. The tail gating seemed like the point to get everyone excited for what was going to come. The game started at 7 pm and we got a chance to see the beautiful sunset. During the match, we were rewarded with the American fans that were all decked out in white, blue and red and standing in one area. Their leader reminded me of the drum major in band and he was getting the crowd pumped the entire time. I was amused by the American fans that were quick to boo the referee and the Ecuadorian players even though the American players were at fault at times. The Ecuadorian fans really made their voices heard event though they were outnumbered. Lastly, I got to see Donovan play for 40 minutes and the excitement every time he was in our corner and about to make a shot at the goal. We left too early to see the goal to see Ecuador score their goal and tie the score at 1-1, but I was there to see the Americans score their first goal. Although this match wasn’t anything like the World Cup in Brazil, it was a great event to get excited and to rediscover just what it means to support your country at a sporting event. Next time, I will be prepared with all my gears like the true American fans we saw in the crowd.

Photos: The sunset at Rentschler Field in East Hartford; the American fans showing their support

Celebrating Christmas with the Family



I am back! I am back in Boise for the holidays to relax and spend time with family and friends! My first semester back at Trinity was rough and outside of work, classes and other commitments, I was writing essays and wondering why I seemed to be drowning in work every week. Despite everything, I am proud to say that I survived and am looking forward to my last semester.

After everything that’s happened this semester, it’s good to be home for a number of reasons. Being home never gets old and having the time to visit with my family and extended family has allowed me the chance to see the growth that’s taken place since I left. It’s so funny realizing that my youngest sister is growing up and she’s the same age I was when I came to America. At church, I get to see the kids I babysat or helped with in the nursery.  Some of them don’t remember me, but I clearly remember those days of playing house and other games to make them stop crying. Being home means listening/playing/hearing Christmas carols, discovering new songs and enjoying old favorites.

My favorite part of Christmas is attending the Christmas Eve service at my church. Every year, we attend the service led by the youth. Once upon a time, my friends and I were in charge of the service and we served as ushers, musicians, acolytes and anything else that needed a role. Now that I attend this service, as a participant and not a leader, I am proud of the work that the youth do in creating a memorable experience and telling the Christmas story. I was reminded of the Christmas Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, which is a tradition in the Anglican Church. At Trinity, it takes place the first Sunday in December. I served as an acolyte my freshman year and had difficulties lighting the candles because of my height. My sophomore year, I was the thurifer and got to carry the censer. Finally, in my last year, I was a reader and I was responsible for announcing to the entire crowd the Christmas story. Like the youth at my church, I had to slow down my reading speed and make sure that I was pronouncing the words properly. I hope the youth on Wednesday realized how important what they were doing was and what impact it had on those attending the service to hear the Christmas story.

Happy Holidays!

Photo: Christmas Market in Paris 



Monday, September 22, 2014

Educate Yourself Before Posting on My Blog

As some of you know, I started this blog to keep in touch with those back home and to share my college experience with those who helped me get to Trinity. I couldn’t have done it alone! When I was home this summer, I checked my blog to find that someone had left a comment in response to what I had written in my post about Black people living in Idaho. It read, “I don't get it. Why do minorities insist on moving to white majority states? then they complain about how there's no diversity and how "racist" it is. If you want diversity don't move to a white state and force that crap on us. We don't want to see diversity, we see plenty of that in Detroit, Los Angeles, Chicago, all high crime places. I want to be able to walk down the street at night and not have to worry about getting raped by some gross black thug.”

I was very upset after reading this and I wanted to post something badly. My friends and family suggested not to post anything while I was angry and to not take someone who would say something like that seriously. I took their advice, but now I am saying something. Sarah Miller, this post is for you and other people who feel justified in saying the things that you did. I am not going to let you get on my blog and get away with saying ridiculous things.

I’ve got three points to clarify for you:

1. It’s very interesting that you list cities known for diversity as Detroit, Los Angeles and Chicago. You seem to have forgotten New York and Houston. Did you know that Vallejo, California is the most diverse city in the US on the list created NerdWallet.com?  To measure this, they looked at how Hispanics, Whites, Blacks and Asians are distributed in the city. Having a high concentration of one race like in Detroit is not an example of diversity.

2. You seem to think that having diversity means dealing with crime. You seem to suggest that minorities are the only ones committing crimes and as soon as you add them to the mix, to what you call “white majority states,” crime rates are going to increase. I don’t know the statistics on who is committing crimes here in America, but I am sure you can find that crimes are committed by people from different background.

3. Lastly, you have some nerve with your last claim about, “I want to be able to walk down the street at night and not have to worry about getting raped by some gross black thug.” You have insulted my father, my professors, my cousins, my friends and other people in my community who happen to be Black. You seem to think that your position as a White woman entitles you the right to “fear” Black men because they have nothing else to do with their lives except to go walking down the streets late at night looking to rape a White woman. Who are you? Do these people not have a purpose in their lives except to go hunting to rape women, specifically White women?

Sarah Miller, maybe you are one of those people who uses the internet to say terrible things because there’s no accountability and you can hide behind a screen. Maybe you’ve grown up in a community that has the same beliefs as you and minorities should stay away because they aren’t wanted. Who knows? What I do know is this; don’t go around insulting people and making claims about diversity, minorities and rape until you get yourself educated and I have no reason to make any counterarguments because you are justified in your thinking.