Graduation, A Shift In Identity

          As I am sitting in my bedroom in Ohio, I realize that it has been a month since I have last written. So much has happened in the last month, so many memories made, both happy and sad. I am now a college graduate. That makes me sound so much older and mature than what I feel. I have to admit that graduation Sunday was actually a terrible day for me. I had stayed up most the night before with friends and thus on Sunday I was tired, crabby, and honestly just deeply mourning the end of what has been the best four years of my life. For me, graduation was not a celebration of the work I have achieved, but a rough shove out of EMU into the real world. For with the end of college came a loss in identity.
         No longer am I a college student. I can no longer claim that title and sense of identity. I have been a student for the last sixteen years and now all of a sudden, it no longer holds true. As I walked around an empty campus the days following graduation, I also realized that I no longer belong at EMU. Yes, as I was reminded by a friend, EMU will always be a home to me just like Hogwarts was to Harry. However, it is not the same... things will never again be the same. I am not an EMU student and will no longer be involved in EMU clubs and events. When I visit, I come as an alum, not an active part of the EMU community. Since I moved right after high school graduation, Northwest Ohio has never felt like home; I don't really belong here. And now I don't belong at EMU either. For a few days in the last month, I felt like I didn't belong anywhere. I lost my identity as an EMU student and thus believed I lost my identity all together.
          But do not worry, I have some of the best friends and mentors in the world and was soon reminded of who I am. I may still be in mourning at the end of the era, but I am also truly excited for the future. This summer I will be attending orientation for Brethren Volunteer Service and then taking off this fall to begin a two-year term most likely in Eastern Europe. These past four years have shaped who I am and I will take that identity with me as I go. So who am I and how have I been shaped in the last four years? I would like to end with the words of my one of my campus pastors, Byron Peachey, who served as a mentor to me and presented me with the Cords of Distinction Award. To read more about this special award, go to http://emu.edu/now/news/2013/05/emu-awards-10-students-with-cords-of-distinction/. I have to say that this ceremony the day before graduation was more meaningful than receiving my diploma and I am so blessed to have been part of such a great community.
          
         "Come with me and step into Julia's apartment... look around and you'll see her eye for beauty and a quality of gentleness in the paintins she's done, over here closet doors have been removed to create a little more space for guests. On the table is her tea set to host and provide a space for conversation with fellow students, ministry assistants, with Shane Claiborne, and me. On of her professors says "Everyone seems to know Julia" - because they've come over for tea, or because they've heard hr speak in Common Grounds about the Conflict Free Campus Initiative focused on the Congo. Perhaps they know Julia through her leadership role with SGA, with Peace Fellowship, or Res Judicata or from something she's written in the Weathervane. Or maybe she's met with them one-on-one throughout the year in her role as a Pastoral Assistan.
          At EMU we hear the slogan -- "serve and lead in a global context," which Julia already is putting into practice. I've listened to her reflect on a cross-cultural semester in Belgium, her Ministry Inquiry Program summer with a church in San Antonio, Texas, her travel with a Christian Peacemaker Team to Iraq, and finally because - 'hey, the tickets were so cheap!' about her Spring Break in Istanbul. Characteristically, she drew four other students in going along with her. 
          Julia is a person of mystery -- with all her involvements when did she do her homework? I'm sure she's had plenty because not only is she graduating with a major in History, but also minors in Peacebuilding, Pre-law, Political Studies, Philosophy, and Bible & Religion. Julia is profoundly curious about the world, and her studies point toward a vocation of advocacy for human rights, for systemic change, and for cultivation of deep relationships. A graduate student from Africa says she has 'a heart of peace, sense of leadership, and competency of mobilization."
          She loves 'to plan adventures to brighten people's day.' 'She's one of my heroes!' says one of her faculty mentors, 'She is the best we have!' And now Julia, we have to let you go -- knowing you have truly made our campu community a better blace. 
          Wherever you go -- and recreate your apartment of hospitality -- you'll continue to share all you've learned and integrated in yourself, with friendships you've begun here, within the wider church, to strangers in other places who will become your colleagues and friends. I am so proud to present you with the Cords of Distinction."

The Final Three Weeks!

         Three weeks from today I graduate from college. This seems so weird to me; I don't believe it can possibly be true! I have so many emotions right now and am having a hard time trying process everything that is happening. First, I am feeling stressed. It is the end of the semester and EVERYTHING is coming due. I just turned in the rough draft of my History Capstone paper, which I spent the entire year working on (especially in the last week). I will still have editing to do on that and three (maybe four) other papers to write. I also have a couple of presentations (one at an undergraduate conference at JMU!) and one take-home exam. Other items that are causing stress are last minute planning of events and the normal busyness of meetings and events to be at. I also have applications to finish and the future to stress about. Which brings me to my next emotions: anxiety and disappointment.
          As a Senior about to graduate, it seems that I should know what I am doing next year, or even this summer. But, this is simply not true. I have already been turned down by two different organizations (one for summer employment and one for the fall) and it is really frustrating. The one job I knew when I applied that it was a reach for me since I do not have much experience, but it was still really disappointing not to get. Although I know that something is going to work out (I WILL be doing volunteer work for one of five organizations in the fall), it is hard to hear others know their plans and me to have only two rejections. I won't deny that I am a little anxious about the future and this week has been hard for me as I have dealt with rejection and disappointment.
          But, I have also spent some great time with amazing friends. Friday night I was with some of my favorite people just hanging out and watching a movie. Last night I went out for drinks with a close friend to catch up and just process life before seeing Les Mis. Although I have seen Les Mis twice before and have listened to the soundtrack countless times, it was still a powerful experience. The one line that really gets to me is at the end, "To love another person is to see the face of God." Loving is one thing I think I have done really well at college. My friends mean the world to me and the time I spend drinking tea and just being crazy with them is when I know that God exists and the world makes sense. I feel overwhelmed by the love in my life.
          Finally, I just feel so blessed. EMU might have its faults, but it really is a good place. One of the best aspects of the school are the relationships I have with professors. This week, one of my favorite professors, who I don't even have a class with this semseter, took the time to read a draft of my history paper and then spend an hour with me talking about it and suggesting ways to make it better. Then on Thursday night, another professor came over to my apartment for Peace Fellowship and we got to hear part of her life story. It was amazing to have that time to connect with a professor outside of class and have the space to ask any questions. Here at EMU, you know that professors truly care for you and believe that you will succeed. I really am blessed to have been here these four years and build these relationships.
         So how am I feeling? Tired, stressed, anxious, disappointed, sad, happy, silly, loved, and blessed. I cannot believe that I am about to graduate and that college will be done. I spent so much of my life looking forward to this adventure and I have done my best to live in every moment of it. And as such I plan to spend these next three weeks doing just that -- living every single moment to its fullest and soaking up these last few moments as an undergraduate student. 

EMU is Conflict Free!!!!

          This past summer I spent a lot of time researching the ongoing conflict in eastern Congo (http://julia-exploringtheinfiniteabyss.blogspot.com/2012/06/researching-eastern-congo.html) to lead up to Peace Fellowship's campaign this year to make EMU officially "conflict-free." I am so excited to announce that all of the hard work that I, my friend Josh, and many other fantastic students have put in, has finally paid off! After months of meetings, events, and planning, the President's Cabinet unanimously passed the resolution that we wrote! For those interested, the following is the course of action we took...

1. To get students interested and knowledgeable about the conflict we hosted a showing of Blood in the Mobile in our coffeeshop on campus. More than 50 people showed up and stayed to watch the entire 90 minute documentary.
2. We then started weekly meetings with interested students. In these meetings we would assign tasks as well as plan awareness raising events.
3. We spent a large amount of time writing our resolution, looking at templates from other schools and looking at EMU's policies and past actions, then sending it to different departments for editing until we came up with a version we were all really happy with. 
4. At the end of October, we set up an informational booth in the campus center for an entire day where students could come learn about the conflict and sign a petition in support of the resolution. We gained around 130 student signatures that day. 
5. A small group of students then presented to our Student Government Association who officially voted to support our resolution. We also got official support from Campus Ministries, the Bible and Religion Department, the department of Applied Social Sciences, MCC Washington office, and most importantly Information Systems, the department actually affected by the resolution and who makes the electronics purchasing decisions.
6. This Spring Josh and I met with our provost, the head of Information Systems, and the university president to discuss the resolution and figure out what our next steps are. Our president recommended we have it passed by the President's Cabinet instead of the Board of Trustees because it would do the same thing and we would not have to wait until June to have it approved.
7. On Wednesday, March 13, Josh and I presented at the President's cabinet, where the resolution was officially approved!

We now want to get the word out there! An article was written for our school newspaper that came out last week. EMU's marketing department is now writing a story and will send it out to other newspapers in the area, as well as Mennonite publications. We are so excited about this resolution and hope that other schools (especially the Mennonite ones) will start their own campaigns.

          So what does the resolution actually mean? It means that when Information Systems (IS) purchases new electronics, they will look to see how the company is doing in respect to conflict minerals and if available, they will favor verifiably conflict-free products. They will also send out a yearly letter to electronic companies we are in contract with to let them know that EMU cares about the situation in Congo and urge them to work harder towards tracing their minerals to verifiable conflict-free mines. IS will also have a link on their website that has the resolution and letter as well as having the information in their policy manual. Finally, by the President's Cabinet passing the resolution, EMU is getting informing the public and our constituency networks of this decision and urging others to do the same. 

          Seeing our resolution being officially approved and adopted really means a lot to me. This movement that Josh and I began over a year ago and put in countless hours of research and work has finally paid off. We started a social movement and ended up getting everything we dreamed of and more. I feel like I really accomplished something special and soemthing that future generations who come through EMU will be able to see. In a small way, we made our contribution to help end the war in Congo and bring peace to people who really need it. And it feels really good.

          

For those interested in reading the entire resolution, please see http://julia-exploringtheinfiniteabyss.blogspot.com/2013/03/eastern-mennonite-university-conflict.html

Eastern Mennonite University Conflict-Free Resolution

Eastern Mennonite University Conflict-Free Resolution

Date: March 13, 2013

Sponsored by: Mennonite Central Committee D.C. Office, Student Government Association, Information Services, Department of Applied Social Sciences, Bible and Religion Department, Campus Ministries, Judy Mullet, Barrett Hart

Authored by: Peace Fellowship

Passed by: Eastern Mennonite University President’s Cabinet

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Whereas, Eastern Mennonite University has declared its commitment to human rights and social justice in its governance documents and policies, including stated core values such as faith and fellowship, service to others, sustainability, global community, and peacebuilding; EMU recognizes that “We live in an increasingly connected world.  Here we ask ourselves how our choices affect others across the globe;” and

Whereas, Eastern Mennonite University has taken affirmative steps throughout its history to promote these values by organizing peace vigils, offering counseling and mediation, helping to organize Walk for Hope, supporting the Dream Act, requiring cross-culturals, promoting interfaith dialogue including joining the community’s stand in support of a local mosque after it was defaced, educating students about social justice issues, and influencing graduates who work in social justice and peacebuilding all over the world; and

Whereas, the United States Senate and the House of Representatives have found that armed groups bear responsibility for massive atrocities in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo; and

Whereas, legislation signed into law (Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act of 2010) requires that companies submit an annual report to the Securities and Exchange Commission disclosing whether their products contain gold, tin, tantalum, or tungsten from the Congo or nearby areas; and

Whereas, the International Rescue Committee has found more than 5.4 million civilians have been killed between 1998 and 2007 and countless more remain at risk as a consequence of attacks conducted by armed groups in eastern Congo; and

Whereas, the United Nations Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo released a final report on December 12, 2008 which found that armed groups in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo continue to fight over, illegally plunder, and profit greatly from the trade of coltan (tantulum), cassiterite (tin), wolframite, (tungsten) and gold in the eastern Congo (“Conflict Minerals”), some or all of which are used in such electronics equipment as computers, mobile phones, digital cameras, and camcorders, game consoles and other items; and

Whereas, the U.N. has urged the international community to work with the U.N. peacekeeping force currently on the ground, and other stakeholders to resolve the conflict in eastern Congo; and

Whereas, the armed groups generate hundreds of millions of dollars each year by trading in conflict minerals; and

Whereas, purchasing of these minerals from legitimate sources in Congo strengthens the country’s minerals trade and the legitimacy of minerals used in consumer products; and

Whereas, Eastern Mennonite University spends $200,000-400,000 per year on electronic products including companies which use conflict minerals from Democratic Republic of Congo in their supply chains;

Therefore Be It Resolved that Eastern Mennonite University will consider whether electronic products contain conflict minerals from eastern Congo in future purchasing decisions and, when available, will favor verifiably conflict-free products.

Be It Further Resolved that the President’s Cabinet of Eastern Mennonite University calls on electronic companies and other industries to take the necessary steps to remove conflict minerals from their supply chain.

Be it Further Resolved that Eastern Mennonite University will convey to its constituency networks and wider community of its actions with respect to purchasing from companies which use conflict-free minerals and urge them to do the same.

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Ruth and Krissy

          Things are settling down a bit as I buckle down on work for the last five weeks of my undergraduate career. Five weeks! I truly cannot believe that I am almost done and this crazy adventure called college will be over. It has been almost two weeks ago since Istanbul, but feels like a lifetime. As great as it was, time moves on and so must I. If anyone is interested in reading a bit more and seeing some great pictures, please visit my roommate's wonderful blog, Ruth For A Reason. Speaking of roommates, I wanted to devote this blog entry to two amazing people in my life, both of which have been great roommates and become two of my best friends.
          The first one is Ruth. Ruth and I became friends early on our first year of college, but then drifted apart. We reconnected last Spring and decided to room together as we both did not have housing plans for Senior year. Even though we did not know each other well before living together, it has been the best living situation I could ever imagine! We really work together perfectly and I believe this year has been my favorite year of college largely because of living with Ruth. We have a two-bedroom apartment on campus in the basement of Parkwoods. We worked hard to decorate the apartment with a lot of artwork (mostly our own) and create a place that is welcoming, inviting, but most of all home. But it is really Ruth that makes the apartment feel so much like home.
         Ruth is really chill to live with, which is good considering my messiness and sometimes breakdowns. She is always there for me when I need to talk and will hold me when I need to cry. She is the perfect one for me to talk to after any sort of significant or insignificant event in my life. One of my favorite times of the day is the two of us reaccounting our different adventures and encounters to each other. With her I feel completely safe and am able to process all that happens throughout the course of the day and feel loved and supported. We laugh together, dance together, and go on crazy adventures together. She not only accepts my weirdness, but embraces it! I love her so much and really hate the fact that I will not be living with her next year.

Ruth and I in Istanbul

          The second person is Krissy. Avid readers will reaccount many of the adventures that Krissy and I had while in Belgium in the fall of 2011. We were roommates there, but became best friends. Since that time, I have visited Krissy twice in New York and we have spent countless hours talking on skype. This past week, though, I was so excited to have Krissy come to Virginia to spend her Spring Break with me! We had the best time reconnecting and spending quality time together as I showed her around campus and the Shenandoah Valley, as well as introduce her to Mennonite life. Although she only stayed a short time, we made a lot of new memories and had some really good conversations.
           Krissy is smart, beautiful, and so full of life! She makes me so happy as someone who has seen me at my worst, and still loves and accepts me. Time together is always filled with stories and smiles as we can talk about any subject, even ones we disagree on, and come out of the conversation with new ideas and perspectives. I love her openness and willingness to learn, and also her deep passion for people and Jesus. She is one of the most authentic people I know and am so grateful to be able to call her a close friend. Our friendship is going to be one the continues our entire lifetimes.

Krissy and I at Shenandoah National Park

           Two wonderful people who have impacted and enhanced my life greatly! 

Interactions with Istanbulites

          Well I am pretty much over my jetlag and finally have been able to get some work done when I am not hanging out with friends and reaccounting adventures. I understand that I am in school to study and should be working hard to end my senior year well, but honestly, at this point I just want to hang out with people as much as possible because I only have six weeks left to do so! And the papers will somehow be written and I will still probably get a good grade, despite the last minute work. Professors will understand, right?
           Anyways, I wanted to spend a little time sharing about some of the interactions and conversations I had with Istanbulites. The following is part of my journal entry from Thursday:

          "So today was a really good day here in Istanbul. This morning I stayed in bed until I actually wanted to get up, which was around nine. After breakfast I headed out by myself to sketch the Hagia Sophia. So I really have never sketched before, but somehow I knew I would be able to draw mosques without ever having lesssons. Tuesday when I was sketching, several people came up to me. One Turkish couple watch with their son for a while and told me it was very good. I replied 'grazie,' which is very odd since I definately do not speak Italian. A couple of teenage girls then came up to interview me for a school project. They were really cute and fun to talk to. Finally, two people came up (only the girl spoke any English) and it turns out that the guy (a Kurd) was in fine arts school in Istanbul. He showed  me some of his sketches, then his paintings via pictures on his camera. He then sketched me and gave it to me! The girl and I chatted for a bit while he sketched. It was interesting because she introduced herself as a Turk and the guy as a Kurd, but at the end of the conversation she revealed to me that she was actually a gypsy!
          Well, back to taody. Today while I was sketching, I first had "Antonio" come clean my shoes (that in reality really needed it). He was super cheesy calling me beautiful, but I tried to learn more of his story. I learned that he shined shoes to help pay for University where he was studying mathematics. He said he wanted to take me out for coffee later, but you know I am not really into cheesy Turkish shoe shiners :) The next people to come up to me were tourists wanting their picture taken. After that, a Turkish sketch artist (doing sketches for tourists) approached me. He seemed impressed and gave me a little advice. The other people to come around were a bunch of Turkish school girls. They were so cute and loved watching me draw. They figured out how to ask my name and then told me all of theirs. They then all said 'bye-bye' as they walked away with their class.
          When I walked back to the hostel, I found Ruth sitting outside. I sat down with her and one of the workers of the restaurant connected to our hostel came over and talked a bit. I have to say that I have been trying to get to know people while here and have been wanting to know people's stories- how they got to Istanbul and what life is like for them. This guy (Enes, who actually would become a friend and someone I hope to stay in touch with) is actually from Kurdistan and lived in Diyarbikir! We had a good conversation and I learned some about his life. 
          Then, Ruth and I went to lunch. On the way we were stopped by a guy selling Bosphorus Cruises. Only, he did not want to sell us anything, but had seen me sketching earlier and wanted me to sketch him! I told him that I wasn't very good and had never sketched people before, but he wanted it done anyway. I told him I would be back after lunch. Ruth and I then ate in a little cafe then bought some earrings. As Ruth was making decisions, I had a little chat with the store owner. Even though he spoke very little English, I learned he had owned the shop for over 30 years! He also wanted to know if my mom was rich.... I told him she wasn't. 
          We then headed back over to the guy. He was really surprised we had come back, but was happy to see us. We went to a little park across the street where we sat down on the grass. It was really fun. I have drawn anyone before and he had never been drawn. Which meant that we ended up laughing and it took a little while to be serious. He told us a bit about his job and life in Istanbul. One part of the conversation I really like was when he said he knew we were smart because we sere traveling. So many people never lear their little parts of the world and thus don not truly experience all of life. I fully agreed (as would EMU). The sketch was not great (I made him appear fairly old and kind of like Antonio Banderas) but we laughed about it and he seemed happy. 

          I loved how sketching brought about unique interactions and allowed me to be seen not as a tourist, but as an artist, which was really cool. Although not all interactions in Istanbul were as pleasant as the ones I wrote about above, it felt really good to try to get past being a tourist and learn something about how life is in the city.  

Istanbul (a brief overview)

         It might only be 7:30pm, but due to much travel the last couple of days and jet lag it feels much later. Which means that I have lost my motivation to write the papers and do homework. Oh well, maybe tomorrow I will be more awake and motivated to do work. But for now I really wanted to be able to write a little about my adventures of the past week in Turkey. I went with my roommate Ruth, and three guy friends who I did not know very well before the trip, but were really great to hang out with for the week. So much happened and I am still processing the trip, but the following is an outline of what we did. In the days to come, I hope to post some of the more specific stories and thoughts that I had while on the trip.

Sunday, March 3: We flew from Dulles (Washington D.C.) in the afternoon.

Monday, March 4: We had a layover in Frankfurt, Germany before arriving in Istanbul around 1pm. After getting to our hostel, we spent the rest of the day walking around trying to get oriented to the city.

Tuesday, March 5: We decided this day would be "Mosque and Market" day. We went into the famous Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar, the Spice Market, and hung out around another big mosque.

Wednesday, March 6: We took a ferry to one of the Prince Islands to spend the day there before coming back to mainland Istanbul and walking through Taksim Square.

Thursday, March 7: I spent the morning sketching the Hagia Sophia before going the Modern Art Museum and back to Taksim Square.

Friday, March 8: We went to the Cistern, Hagia Sophia, back to the Grand Bazaar, and hung out in the restaurant connected to the hostel.

Saturday, March 9: I went with one of the guys and two American girls we met at the hostel on a boat tour of the Bosphoros Straight.

Sunday, March 10: I spent the day with Ruth and the two American girls visiting the famous Chora Church, city walls, and surrounding neighborhood before last visits to shops and sites near our hostel and then heading the aiport where we slept for a few hours before flying back to Frankfurt.

Monday, March 11: Our flight from Istanbul to Frankfurt was at 5am. We then spent over four hours in the Frankfurt aiport before the eight hour flight back to Dulles. We arrived back to the apartment a little before 8pm.

The week was really full with millions of small interactions and mini adventures. Even after a week, I feel like I only saw and experienced a small portion of this amazing city. It was truly a great time and I cannot imagine a better way to spend my last Spring Break.