On Location: SOCLR Love (or, Day 3)

(my SOCLR graphic - click to actually read!)

I want to describe my SOCLR experience in a series of experiences, similar to the way I have previously described New York.

1. First day, waiting for the bus, lugging too much stuff, I am aided by a kind (and stronger) hand.
2. I almost cry on multiple occasions from day one to day three.
3. Fig leaf shed; real life coming.
4. Four words: rock, paper, scissors tournament.
5. Interesting insightful conversation even between programs - after an interview, before eating, on the bus...
6. Trippiest and most educational game ever: forks, spoons, knives.
7. Beware the Facebook profile.
8. Working on the intersectionality of identities and how that affects your leadership.
9. Following through on your goals.
10. I met some of the most fantastic people and I have never felt as safe at college than at this retreat.

Thank you so much everyone for the notes, for the support, for the greatness that is SOCLR. Leadership is a promise made in your heart and your head to your peers, and I believe that it comes from all good intentions. Our experiences at SOCLR really voiced our good will and good intentions, which I hope will blossom into greater leadership on campus and a safe community in which people can be as open as possible without fear.

Read the first two posts SOCLR Day 1 and SOCLR Day 2.

On Location: SOCLR Day 2

It occurred to me that anyone outside of the Columbia community (or even most people in the Columbia community) probably don't know what SOCLR is. Allow me to define:
SOCLR = Students of Color Leadership Retreat, which is put on every year to discuss and challenge stereotypes and other racial issues that pertain to personal identity and society at large. This year, we are working towards the idea of leadership, not just for racial issues, but also for all our other interests and identities.
This weekend is all about connecting with a group that you may not have run across on campus and may not necessarily have thought to talk to. We have discussed issues on the intersections between multiple identities, shared personal stories about the hardships of our lives, and laughed until we all felt united in a special and intense way. Basically, my recommendation to anyone and everyone is to go on a retreat (if you have the chance) because you will learn about yourself and you will make connections.
I will have a more comprehensive recap once we get back to campus and have internet and other technological phenomenons, but just know that so far it has been intense and great.

However, I have not been on schedule for my novel this weekend - there's just a lot of other stuff to do!
18,898 words.

Read the first post SOCLR Day 1 and follow-upSOCLR Love.

On Location: SOCLR Day 1

Today I am embarking on a restorative weekend. No cell phone reception, select internet, and a completely different location than my urban Manhattan lifestyle. (I know, quel horreur!)
So, for this weekend, I will probably be putting up posts that are more descriptive than analytical, but we'll see how it goes. Let's get on to the day:

- In the morning, I overpacked my bag with all the things a city girl thinks she'll need at a camp site and almost broke my shoulder hiking it up to Wallach...
- The group trickled in slowly but surely, pizza was served (breakfast of champions)
- We participated in some getting-to-know-you exercises - human bingo reminded me of fourth grade a little bit (for those of you who don't know, you have to find a person that matches the boxes in the room)
- We got on the bus and watched Kick Ass, an enthralling but HORRIBLE movie
- 3 hours, winding roads, deer, cows and some greenery later... we arrived at Frost Valley YMCA!
- It gets dark out here super fast, so we hiked up to our camp building, a great place named Quirk (haha)
- We had our "official opening" and shared some personal fig leaves (a.k.a. where our defenses lie)

Conclusion of the day? I think I'm going to like it here...

Read the follow-up posts SOCLR Day 2 and SOCLR Love.