Athletically and Artistically Productive Winter

There is plenty of time to relax and I cannot ask for more when I am spending winter in San Antonio.  Days are warm and sunny and the Sun stays with me almost all day long. To prevent myself from getting bored or philosophical and start searching for meaning of life, I have kept myself busy by playing Tennis, soccer and basketball, not to mention books and movies.

Apart from being athletically productive, this winter has also been artistically productive. I have spared some time to sharpen my photography skills and I am still in the process of bettering it. Apart from these, I have also been an almost regular audience for Trinity's basketball matches even though there are no cheerleaders to entertain the audience (during winter). I was unaware that Trinity's women played such good basketball and were among the ten best teams  in Division III.

I also had to make trips to Mexican Consulate in Downtown to get a Mexican visa. I was impressed by the ease of application process and surprised by the fact that a tourist visa for Mexico is valid for multiple entries for five years. I will be going to Mexico with Campus & Community Involvement as part of a service project sponsored through Mexico-Americas-Spain (MAS) program of Trinity University.

Winter at Trinity University

Merry Christmas to all my readers!!

This Christmas season has been unusually merry for me. Grades are out and despite a demanding semester loaded with courses from engineering, maths, sociology, anthropology and media, results exceeded my expectations. Besides that, I am glad that semester is over and there are weeks of holidays ahead. Since my country-Nepal- is on the other end of the world, I've decided to stay at Trinity. Staying at Trinity over Winter is not as boring as people believe.

I decided to explore in the field of arts, a discipline that harbors my weakness, and try my hands on photography. Now that I own a camera, given to me by Trinity University, I took some experimental shots along with my friend Abhishek who is also staying at Trinity. If you want to see what Trinity looks like during Winter, here are some pictures for you.

The above picture reminds me of prospectuses of colleges in the Northwest, that I used to receive in Nepal.

This one is just behind one of the residence halls.

You can see more pictures of Trinity University during Winter 2010 by clicking on the album below.

Trinity Winter 2010

Avatar, the Greatest Movie of this Year

Avatar, the most expensive movie ever made and directed by James Cameron (who also directed Titanic and Terminator 2) has lived up to expectations injected prior to movie release. It is poised to winning several Oscars, for its superior animation and fantastic graphics. It has wowed its audience and people who have watched simply loved it, passing on positive feedback to their circle of friends through updates on Facebook, Twitter and likes.

When I went to watch Avatar, I did not expect a real good story because I had been warned by film critics about absence of a credible, real life story but I did expect to be entertained. Not only were my expectations surpassed, Avatar had a real good story too. I don't know how film critics missed it. That's the downside of being a critic; you have to be critical and criticize every work you judge.

For anyone who is considering watching this movie, it is an absolute "optical candy" as it is claimed. You can expect to see graphical illustrations that will amaze and transport you to the land of Pandora, where everything is exotic, more exotic than the Himalayas, Machu Pichu or Pyramids of Egypt. There are numerous Orientalist  philosophies embedded in the film, especially relating to the life ten foot tall blue creatures living on Pandora live. These blue creatures have a very close knit society and consider every life form, an integral part of Nature and of the infinite. Every living creature is connected to each other, every trees' roots are connected with others' forming an underground dense network that helps create a deep bond.

The fact that this was my first movie with a 3-D experience made it even more special. I considered it worth my bucks and would recommend to anyone who likes going to theatres to watch movies.

Trinity Flash Rave 2010

(Written as part of Official Student Blogger Program for Trinity University).         
       Newest addition to Trinity's Tradition, and by far also the coolest one is Trinity Flash Rave. It started in Spring 2009 and enjoyed popular support of Trinity students. I got to participate in Trinity Flash Rave 2009 (Fall Semester) for the first time in real time and space. At a time when Final Exams are already driving students crazy, this is one event where students voluntarily choose to go crazy over dance numbers in Holy Mecca during Finals- The Library- as library staffs watch with amusement.

                                                      

      Having to miss on sports due to severe cold weather (that San Antonio has been facing since weeks)  and exacerbated by busy Finals Week, there couldn't have been better time for some muscoskeletal movement. While I usually derive fun by watching others dancing, this time I unrestrained myself and simply melted into the crowd. It is one time where you get to see people, who would normally not dance, go absolutely wild. Geeks and party freaks alike, danced under the common banner of "Flash Rave" while live human bodies floated and translated five feet from the ground on strong shoulders of students. And, this was a great break from stressful Final Week. I'm glad Trinity introduced this coolest, newest tradition.

                                                       (Photos by David Leon)

Engineering Christmas Party

Written as part of Official Student Blogger Program for Trinity University.
I don't celebrate Christmas because I am a non-Christian and I don't usually publicize my religious affiliation but my parents are Hindu and I love my parents. But, at every chance I get, I join others to share happiness and eat good food. You got it, it's again about authentic off-campus food.

Contrary to what people like to believe, engineers do take off time solving differential equations to relax and enjoy. Evidence: Christmas Party organized by Engineering Department. And, most of the food was home-cooked, some by professors' wife (makes you realize how much professors care for you) That's unique about a close-knit community of Trinity University.

                                 (Moody Blues singing. From left, Tasha, Trey, Dr. Leifer)

I assisted in setting up the party since I work as an Electrician Shop Assistant for Engineering Department. The food was really good. My plates were full of rice (Basmati) and chicken curry cooked by Dr. Mahbub's wife (Please, accept my thanks). It was a good break from intense pressure that we students are feeling during this Final exam week. And, to add value to the party, Moody Blues (led by Dr. Leifer) recited Christmas songs and an original composition by Caroline that made fun of engineering and engineering professors, in a good way. Everyone laughed and enjoyed.

Winter Jubilee

I wrote this blog-post as part of Official Student Blogger Program for Trinity University.

I love cultural events at Trinity University. There's so much off-campus food, some authentic, others not quite authentic but, off-campus food nonetheless. My attendance and volume of audience at most of these events  depends on advertisement about authenticity of off-campus food. And, if it's Indian food, the crowd just swells.

Trinity Diversity Connection, the umbrella organization for all cultural clubs at Trinity University organized a Winter Jubilee cultural event, the grand cultural event to seal off Fall semester. And, it was great. Several cultural clubs were present and there was an extensive variety of delicacies and cuisines. It's events like these that make me realize how diverse really Trinity is. When I see Indian girls creating beautiful mehndis (heena) designs on other students' palms, it reminds me of large international student body that constitutes more than 10% of student body. 

I ate a lot of food, and ate marsh mellows for the first time, but can't say I would want to try it in future owing to its sticky nature.

Why Humans are Never Satisfied

An excellent comic of why humans are never satisfied. It's very funny and accurate. Should motivate you to reflect on your own lives.

Picure taken from: Fortune Watch.

International Holiday Dinner & Gift Exchange

Again, I wrote this as part of my Official Student Blogger for Trinity University.
        
     Trinity students were treated to exotic cuisines yesterday which included authentic Nepalese style cooked momos, popularly known as dumplings. The program was organized by International Programs office in collaboration with International Club. Students at Trinity come from 57 different countries and there was a representative dish from each one.

      No, I'm kidding. But there were authentic and representative dishes from several countries. It was home-made meal cooked by students, international programs staffs assisted by dining services staffs. I was involved partly in cooking momos which ran out before everyone had a chance for first serve. I'm not kidding. I didn't get to eat a single one since I was busy cooking other dishes in the kitchen while it ran out.

This is Sawan and Paurakh cooking momos.  Photo by: Inessa.

          Also, there was a traditional Christmas style gift exchange which was a good experience for international students who were not previously aware of how Christmas is celebrated in the US. I got a "I love Texas" logo in exchange for my little "statue of liberty" replica. To make exchange more interesting and add some mystery to game, gifts were wrapped which meant one had to choose a gift based purely on instincts, but people tended to use size as their primary choice variable. So, my gift was chosen last. No one noticed, except me.

        In addition, my host family- Roy and Cammy- two great people also were invited for the dinner and we had a very nice conversation with them. It's always nice to have a family here in the US while I am away from my home in Nepal.

Engineers in Action

(This blog was written as part of official student blogger program for Trinity University.)


Have you ever thought of who makes those bridges as you drive across one of them? They are not made in heaven, obviously. First year Engineers at Trinity get a decent exercise in Engineering field by designing a Truss structure, which is simply a fancy word for bridge-like structures.

Trinity Engineers use CAD and force analysis softwares to design and build trusses. The main objective is to build a structure with highest strength to weight ratio. To add a competitive edge, a truss design competition is held among first year Engineers where their structure's maximum strength is tested.

Truss competition is an annual event of Engineering Department that draws a fair number of spectators, who laugh and cheer as structures buckle and eventually break under heavy load. I participated last year (my Freshman year) and my group had won in the lightest structure category. Here are some pictures taken by a First-Year, Mohsin Rahim.

Schools Kill Creativity

There is a direct correlation between my affinity for schools and number of days to finals. And discernibly, the relation is inverse. In fact, my affinity for schools is inversely proportional to the square of number of days remaining for the finals.

As finals approach, I think I channel my mental energy to activities that I am made to to instead of ones I think are important in my personal development intellectually. This drives me into a mental introspective state where I conduct philosophical surgeries and spiritual operations as to what truly is the purpose of exams. Call it undue mental stress levied due to academic pressures or my bias against conventional testing methods, namely examinations, I fail to see its benefits.

Since I did not want to study for my Mechanics and Differential Equations exams two days from now or work on my paper, or on my design project or presentation, I watched this video that resonated with my current state of mind. The video argues that schools kill creativity by giving rise to academic hierarchies at the top of which sits mathematics followed by humanities and arts at the bottom. And, this hierarchy is precisely determined by marketability of each discipline, meaning how suitable is it for getting a job. We study what we study not necessarily because we truly are passionate about that discipline but because it has a better scope and has a greater probability of making our lives better, monetarily and tangibly of course.

Take a look at the video, if you have time. It's fascinating, not to mention humorous.

Site of the Month (November)- Ted.com

Ok, so I came up with a great idea, namely - nominating a site for the month.

Reason: To promote the site and spread great ideas that others may not be familiar with prior to it.

For the month of November, I chose Ted.com. And again, this is not a scientific decision but rather a personal one. I think Ted.com is a great website to learn from whenever you have free time. This semester my reading hobby has suffered a strong blow due to a very tight schedule. As a result, I thought I really need to compensate for this loss by watching some intellectually stimulating videos with great ideas implicit in them. Aptly, one of my friends suggested Ted.com and I've been an addict ever since.

An excerpt from Ted.com's website:

TED is a small nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. Since then its scope has become ever broader. Along with the annual TED Conference in Long Beach, California, and the TEDGlobal conference in Oxford UK, TED includes the award-winning TEDTalks video site, the Open Translation Program, the new TEDx community program, this year's TEDIndia Conference and the annual TED Prize.

Every video has subtitles in several languages thereby widening the scale and scope of spreading ideas to non-English speakers and the deaf. Take a look at the website and browse through some videos and I promise you won't be disappointed.

I have embedded a sample video that I liked of a simple guy in Africa who on his own built a windmill. It will inspire any youth from a poor nation to do something for one's country.

Thanksgiving Dinner, American Style

When I tell my friends that I will be staying at Trinity (on-campus) over the Thanksgiving Break, they flood me with their sympathies. I really don't that much because I had no idea what Thanksgiving meant until I came to the US. I actually used to think it had something to do  with appreciating others and saying thank you. How stupid right? Turkey, eating a turkey dinner should have sprouted to my mind. Anyway, I feel sad when I miss festivals celebrated back home.

I thought Thanksgiving would never have any meaning for me until I had my Thanksgiving Dinner with my host family. No, Turkey was not the part that appealed to me. Turkey does not even taste good. Oh, oh, I just said it. Goat and chicken meat resonate with my taste buds better. Can't help that goat's meat is the most delicious meat in the world, if you know how to cook that is. This year I had Thanksgiving Dinner at two places. I know, right. The first one was on Wednesday, a day before with InterVarsity. The second one was with a half-Nepali, half-American family. The food was good but the atmosphere was even better.

I could imagine how blissful it would be to see all family members unite for a nice family dinner. Amazing. We talked about a lot of good things. And then it was followed by a game of Poker. Before we left, I also got a chance to play records on their really old device. I don't even know what the name is. Wait a minute. It is called Gramophone. No, that did not come off top of my head, I wikipedia'd it.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. And thanks everyone for reading this. It's Thanksgiving day.

New Moon is a waste of time and money

Alert: Anyone considering watching the Twilight saga-New Moon should know this before hand. This movie is a total waste of time and money.

I fell asleep several times during the movie. I do not even know why I went to see this movie. It was actually because my friend really wanted to see it and it was his birthday so, we could not opt for 'Men who stare at Goats'. The only incentive for me to watch this movie was the actress, who is somewhat beautiful.

There was no high point in the movie. People in theater seemed to be very bored. The script was borrowed from old style Bollywood movies  and sounded really silly and hilarious. I could not make any sense why Edward suddenly left Bella (on a fine day). And, how could he leave her in the middle of the jungle? If he wanted to leave her, at least he should have taken her safely to her home.

The movie was absolute nonsense. Warning: Do not watch it unless you do not have anything worth to kill your two hours. The hype created is overrated.

Trinity Students Don't need a reason to be Innovative

Trinity's students don't need a reason to be creative. Their creativity spills in whatever they do. See this artistic  arrangement of chairs in Murchison Computer Lounge by an anonymous artist who did not know what to do after completing his paper. Trinity students keep innovating.

Newspaper Readership Program by ASR

Ok, so here comes some confidential information. Potentially, this information could be used by behavioral marketers and advertisers to reach out to Trinity students' newspaper readership behavior.

I processed raw data using my "superior" spreadsheet skills and converted into graphical representations that are somewhat more appealing.

The above data is based on treasurer report as submitted by ASR Treasurer for Aug-Sep 2009.

The United States of Fighting Terrorism

      When Major Nidal Malik Hasan, a US military psychologist opened fires on his fellow military personnel, it sent shock waves throughout America at a time when the White House was busy formulating Afghan policies. Many media networks hastily termed it as an act of Islamic extremism only to be aptly cautioned by President Obama.

    This unfortunate incident transmitted a signal to Americans that they still seem unwilling to accept. American magazines and television networks after ‘deep digging’ falsely associated this to his alleged ties with Islamic clerics. They went on further to claim that real reason behind this act can probably never be known. Really? Is it that hard to see something that is so obvious? Even without taking any psychology courses, I can rightly claim that every human being has his breaking point. For Hasan, this was his breaking point.

    If Hasan were an Islamic extremist- a ‘jihad’, he would have done things differently to cause more damage, like use explosives which is rather characteristic of ‘infiltrators’ to make a statement.  Experts and advisers to the White House have expressed clearly that the threat to a nation’s sovereignty is a stronger revolutionary force that calls for action than religious extremism. And, Hasan’s breakdown at a point when he was about to be stationed in Afghanistan testifies to the claim above. Hasan’s outburst has to be attributed to the transnational US military operations that undermine Afghan sovereignty rather than a misconstrued religious fanaticism association.

    One thing that surprises me is Americans’ reaction to 9/11 attacks and their behavior as if all of this ‘mess’, which the US calls ‘war on terror’, started with that unfortunate incident. US-backed CIA has led assassination attempts of country presidents like Fidel Castro, Sukarno and overthrown democratically elected governments in Iran and Indonesia only to reinstate US-favored regimes. US military, despite UN warnings has compromised other countries’ sovereignty by direct military attacks and other sanctions to fiddle in internal affairs, among which Gulf War, Vietnam War and Korean Wars are just a few to name. It has maintained a biased and one-sided support for Israelis backed by rich Jewish New Yorkers that discernibly angers the Arab world sparking anti-US sentiments.

    Perhaps, the US dreams of staging yet another glorious victory over 9/11 perpetrators just the way it did with Japan over Pearl Harbor attacks. But, Uncle Sam needs a word of caution here since he is not the only nation with nukes now.

   Borrowing ideas from Thomas Friedman, the US due to its misdirected policies in the past has projected itself as “The United States of Fighting Terrorism”. The US, in doing so has not only gained enemies but more importantly has lost its edge in innovation and control over global economy. Think of the glorious Cold War decade when the US maintained enormous political and economic control over the world without firing a single missile. Military offence begets hatred and more resistance. The US needs to reinvent itself as the “500 pound Economic gorilla” if it wants to maintain its stronghold because, it is economic prosperity that translates to greater leverage on global issues.

-Purushottam Shah

Note: The above article originally appeared in the Trinitonian, a  student run independent campus weekly newspaper of  Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas.

A Fun Filled Diwali Night Entertains Trinity Tigers

Diwali Night, one of the truly cultural events at Trinity opened with a brief lecture by a professor at UTSA who enlightened audience about the significance of celebrating Diwali or Deepawali, the "Festival of Lights". Even though audience count was somewhat lesser than last time, that can be attributed to audience being divided between Diwali and play 'UrineTown' at Trinity's theater, premiered almost at the same time rather than the argument that people did not show up assuming it would be same as last year.

For those who missed it, this year's Diwali had many unique events to offer. First of all, there was a guest performance by students of Indian community at UT-Austin, among which Reena Patel stole the show with her superb performance. Second, two of our homegrown talents, Nikita and Ashwin sang classical songs and played a traditional instrument called Tabla. Never had Trinity Tigers had a taste of authentic Indian Classic Music. Trinity's claim that Class of 2013 is the most diverse, talented and academically strong seems to have some credibility. Third, there was another classical dance by pair of Aparna and Ashwin again. Meena, Heena and Aparna staged another amazing performance over tunes of a very popular and ostensibly sensuous Bollywood song. Looney Dance Crew, clearly one of the favorite dance groups on campus sealed the show with their characteristic dance over a Bollywood tune. Hilarious and entertaining style of two anchors, Raj and his partner withdrew a lot of laughter, applause and attention.

Diwali Night is one of the few events at Trinity that enrich Trinity students with an authentic cross-cultural experience. Not surprisingly, there were more non-Indian performers who looked gorgeous in Indian costumes. The level of attention and participation that Diwali Night withdraws from Trinity students belonging to varying cultures is laudatory. Hard work and organization that was put in it by ASA (Asian Student Association), HSU (Hindu Student Association), Looney-Crew and other dance performers is worthy of appreciation.

Physical Plant Likes Flowers More Than We Do

Look at the picture above which is just outside Mabee, closer to McLean Residence Hall. The flowers look beautiful, don't they? We all love flowers. But look closely and you will see that branches of these bushes protrude out on the pavement. So, if you were to walk from Mabee to McLean (which I do several times a day), you would have to dodge them or risk contact which could be dangerous since they are in line with your eye level.

The problem becomes worse if there are people walking in opposite directions towards each other and there is a vehicle on the road which rules out the option of stepping off the pavement and using it. The movement is halted since space is simply not enough for both parties to walk and yet maintain a safe distance from these bushes. Physical Plant is doing great work with mowing lawns, keeping grasses good length, clearing pavements of any dry leaves and cleaning Northrup glass windows which look shine proudly under luminous lighting at night. I mean we all love these flowers but it would still look beautiful if Physical Plant were to trim it a little to make movement easier on these pavements.

More Bang For Your Dine

The easiest thing to do for us humans is: to criticize. We criticize about all kinds of things; Trinity students and staffs complain about false representation in the Trinitonian and international students complain of inadequate services among many. But nothing comes even close to the criticism that Aramark Dining Services draws from student body at Trinity University.

Students at every chance they get lament at exorbitant Aramark food prices and Trinitonian columnists go one step further to compare prices of pineapple cups in Mabee to that of a pineapple offered at HEB and term Aramark pricing as 'ridiculous'. Mabee Hours comes second in the list that students complain most about. But a recent development on part of Aramark to offer special combos at a price cheaper than earlier has left Trinity students baffled and amused. Aramark which had projected itself as a soul-less classic capitalist, driven towards maximizing profit did something that students would call 'out of the blue'.

We students always fear running out of dine money before the end of semester which is partly aggravated by upward adjustment of Aramark food prices in line with inflation. Never have we seen downward readjustment, if you will. Sandwiches that we used to get for $6.19 now comes for $5.99 with free drinks and home-made chips and similar special combos have been introduced for pizza, hamburgers, quesadilla and Pasta. If Aramark seeks to redeem its brand image then probably it will get much more than that. It will win more berth in students' hearts if it continues this offer for considerable time. But how long is this 'considerable length of time' is questionable since Aramark has a condition * for limited time only.

Should Professors put tentative syallbus online prior to registration?

It's that time of year again when Ratemyprofessor.com complains of sudden influx of traffic and Facebook walls are filled with questions like 'Which professor should I take for Microeconomics?', 'I heard Dr. #### is a tough grader'. I wonder if professors read their profiles on these pages. At least they would know what students think candidly about their style of teaching.

I am also sorting between few courses even though my course schedule is pretty much already laid out. Engineering at Trinity maintains a very strict curriculum with limited flexibility, if at all. Surprisingly, my best course each semester so far has been a non-engineering course. No wonder, who likes solving differential equations or calculating moments of a couple on Thursday nights and weekends? First Year Seminar (Frankenstein and Beyond) taught by Dr. Mackenzie Brown was my favorite course during first semester and Globalization and International Development(SOCI/ANTH 4362) taught by Dr. David Spener is my favorite class this semester.

I want to take Special Topics in International Politics (PLSI 3349) but am not sure if I want to take PLSI 3349-1 (War, Conflict and Alliance) or PLSI 3349-2(The European Union in International Politics). Sadly, the course catalog has no description about these courses since they are special topics offered only during particular semesters. And this is where ASR's new initiative to request professors to put tentative course syllabus online prior to registration will be useful. Hopefully, it will cut down on number of add/drops, help students make wiser, more informed decisions and also less W's will appear on student transcripts. Students often argue that unless a test/exam has been administered for a course, they should be allowed to withdraw from the course without getting a 'W' on their transcript. But professors and administration thinks that would simply create more volatility in course operation and class size.

Trinity University in Pictures

These are two pictures that I took from my cell-phone. They are processed a little using PhotoMatrix software.

Northrup Building at Trinity University

From Drop Box

Pregnant Lady Statue at Trinity University

From Drop Box

Trinity in Pictures

Here are two pictures that Paurakh Rajbhandary took. I took some pictures too, but I they are not processed yet.

Trinity University's Miller Fountain

                                                                         Trinity looking gorgeous.

Halloween at Trinity

Happy Horror Leen Hollow Leen.Halloween

It was quite a Halloween scene at Trinity last week. Halloween stickers in Mabee and somewhat more artistic ones at libraries added to the experience, however my favorite part was the candies placed by one of McLean residents that I picked as I walked in and out of the Hall. InterVarsity joined the Halloween party with its free pancakes while Susanna with its hard work, creativity and resident volunteers created quite a scene worth a tour. Calvert Ghosts as a tradition was kept alive with participation of Calvert residents. And, there were dance parties and frat parties. The one that stood out, in my view, was 'Rocky Horror Picture Show'.

Rocky Horror Picture Show was a real culture shock as part of my stay in the US. Not that it would have been any less shocking had it been mentioned in the International Student Orientation Class though. I wouldn't imagine that people could go to that extent, guys kissing guys, girls kissing girls, groping in public, stripping naked and other activities that I do not intend to describe. I like to keep my blog somewhat readable for all audiences. I arrived late to the show which was intentionally devised to avoid getting a V mark on my forehead. Yes, I was tipped off by some knowledgeable friends. Maintaining a safe distance from the stage, I was a spectator ion in this reaction where ions of opposite charges, protons with negative charges and possibly no charges defied the conventional laws of attraction. I didn't see it beyond 10 minutes.

The word Horror aptly describes my general perception of the 'Rocky Horror Picture Show'. I wonder what would happen if there were to be something like this in my country, Nepal. It will never happen. Halloween is a culture that I have not understood yet or at least gotten comfortable with. We do honor the dead in Nepal but it is nothing like this.

I met a girl who was dressed up in some costume that I wasn't familiar with. However, I said, "Hey, Megan Fox."

She replied, "Really, do I like like Megan?"

I said, "No, you look like a Fox."

This is a Tangential Break: Looking at the quality of humor in the Trinitonian, I thought I would also try my luck. I didn't say that. Totally punned that.

Unhealthy Publicity Culture

You call it Innovative  I call it- Unhealthy.

Trinity students have gotten innovative and the chalk marks all the way from Murchison Hall to Coates or Mabee Dining Hall testify to this claim. It is such an innovative form of publicity since anyone passing through that way(which every First year including several others do) cannot miss it.

But we need to ask ourselves one question, is that the kind of culture that we want to promote? I agree that publicity is important and when Trinity students are largely indifferent to several events and activities being hosted and organized, the organizers need to become innovative and market their event. But is this necessarily worth the increased attendance?

Personally, these colorful chalk marks do not disturb my mental balance or my introspective state severely as I am walking across these paths but come on, what about the aesthetic appeal of the university? What about the rules about publicity of the university? What values do we as an institution want to convey to the outsiders (parents, prospective students and possibly evaluators)? How much is too much?

Surprisingly, the publicity sites seem to be guided by viral multiplication if you see how the chalk marks have extended from merely stairs to outside Mabee Dining Hall, even ResLife entrance and its vicinity. And although these are somewhat easily erasable, we should not forget the chalk particles get stuck on our bottoms of shoes and slippers and are carried inside the Dining Hall and our Residence Halls.

Currently, I am unaware of the Trinity's policy even though I know Trinity maintains a pretty strict policy in sticking out flyers and posters on random public places for any event or activity. I honestly think that the concerned authorities have to step in at this moment before we send a wrong message and encourage cultivation of an unhealthy publicity culture.

Women are from Venus, where are Men from?

World View: Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus.

Feminist View: Women are from Venus, Men are from Mars Hell.

        That's so precisely put. Feminists have evolved over time to become men-haters. The Women's revolution that started with an aim of empowering women and giving them fair roles in decision making has taken a different turn. Today we see, feminists not only advocating for women rights but highly critical of success of men. Maybe, I am stereotyping feminists but show me one feminist who believes that women should be empowered and is okay with mens' progress and I'll show you a liar.

        Now, why does it have to be this way? Does success of men automatically translate to subjugation of women? I don't necessarily believe that. Maybe also because I can't really put myself into their shoes despite my claims. Can a field be leveled by addition or is it always have to follow a subtraction method where materials from uphills are taken out for redestribution? Thomas Friedman has excitedly claimed that the world is flat and wrote a book on the same title in 2004 that won quite some rave reviews and accolades.

        This is essentially also the main theme of discussion over can everyone be made rich without making richer any poorer. Can developing nations become developed without developed nations having to give up their luxurious lifestyle? Can it be a win-win situation for all? I don't know.

(The readers are free to differ with my opinions and should be aware that despite the controversial nature of the content presented, it has no intention of hurting anyone's personal feelings or values.)

International Student Issues

More meetings. But I really enjoyed this meeting with international student advisors. I spoke more as an international student than an Association of Student Representatives (ASR) Senator even though that might not be the impression they got. I did voice many concerns but they weren't really intended to seek justification. Rather, they were like comments. They have been doing their best and we understand that. We, the committee were there to get their ideas across to the ASR.

I do not really know how much leverage we have over  budget issues even though they are crucial for organizing various events for international students. To me that seemed to be one of the central hurdles in extending student services to international students. The budget for conducting activities for international students has not increased in proportion to influx of a large international student body. Ironically, it has hardly increased at all.

Also, I was rather surprised to know that International Club is not recognized as a student organization and that it has been hitherto denied membership in Trinity Multicultural Network(TMN) which now has a fancier name, Trinity Diversity Committee(TDC). What this means is that, the International Club that is home to more than 200 members does not receive any funds out of student activity fee to conduct events and programs. It has to independently devise ways to raise money to organize any big events. You name it and I will bet that the International Club is the most diverse club of all existing clubs at Trinity University.

As a committee, it will be our mission to get the international club recognition it deserves.

Meetings, Meetings, Meetings!

I am least efficient when I am in a meeting with someone, face to face trying to get my ideas across. Why? Because I have never really been an outspoken or articulate kind of person. I try to stick to emails because that way my lack of spontaneity is not exposed nor is my semi-perfect fluency of spoken English. But this whole week, I have been in so many meetings, often times in which I had a central role. Stumbled few times but I guess I am improving.

On Tuesday, I had a meeting with the Dining Services Incharge of Aramark, Miguel to talk about the possibility of bringing Indian food at Trinity University for students. I had not done any homework for the meeting, no research and didn't really know what to expect. Also, I wasn't very sure if he would outright reject it on the grounds of increased work for dining staffs and managers. Moreover, it has hardly been a year since they introduced the Sushi Kitchen, which indeed must have required a lot of preparations and work on their part. But he was totally thrilled.

He said, "Let's do it. Why not? I am always open for possibilities."

That was easy, I thought. How wonderful to have a manager like that? Now we have to figure out what kind of cuisines, how spicy, and what flavors to bring. He requested for our inputs in trying to identify the possibilities and have an idea of what works best for test-buds of Trinity Students. In fact, Trinity University used to have an 'International Home Zone' where they used to serve food from all over the world. And this was only 4/5 years ago. According to him, there should not be any bureaucratic hurdles from his seniors, which is a very good news.

I suggested him bringing some naan, paneer, chicken curry and other cuisines as we go along. I am very much excited about this and believe it can be started as early as next semester if things work out well.

Controversy over Nobel Peace Prize 2009 to President Barack Obama

(Photo Taken from my cell-phone during Summer 2009)

Presidential elections are over but Obamania continues. Awarding Nobel Peace Prize 2009 to President Barack Hussain Obama has fed the political gurus food for their endless talks. Tune in to any television, and views and opinions are shed about this topic. Opinions vary when reporters approach pedestrians on the streets too. The big question is, "Did he deserve it?" If you are asking me, I would say yes. But, another question is, 'Is this going to help him or hurt him?'

President Obama is the third US President besides Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson to win Nobel Peace Prize while still in office. But no one beats him when it comes to the short interval between assuming office and being nominated for the prize, only two months. Obama admitted that even he did not know about his nomination until he knew he had won. Experts and common people alike ask ,"What has he done to win this prize?" And many republicans have passed down their statements that express their dissatisfaction. Obama in his opening speech at Rose Garden said, "I am deeply surprised and humbled...." And so are all the Americans and the world population at large.

What will President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize entail though? Will this recognition give him more legitimacy and credibility to tackle contentious global issues such as tensions with Iran, North Korea and other nations? Palestinian Hamas unit has expressed surprise stating he has not done anything to win this. American political analysts and people at large believe it might fuel to divert him from focusing on local issues as grave as ailing national economy and employment sector to other global issues. Is this Nobel Peace Prize 'A Call to Action', as President Obama claimed? In my view, this Peace Prize serves to recognize the hopes he has raised not only inside     (Photo taken by Digital Subway during Summer 2009)                                              
United States but also worldwide. There were celebrations all across the globe over his prize. It might have been too early to achieve any of those goals/objectives/missions he has promised and accordingly the peace prize to him could have waited another year or two but no one can deny that he has become a global figure, a beacon of hope for not only Americans but the world population at large.

The debates over his prize will continue and probably credibility over Norwegian Nobel Committee will also be raised but the Peace Prize will definitely add more charisma to his personality and probably more glitter to the 'White' walls of his White House.

Restructuring the Himalayan Nation of Nepal

It takes a lot of strategic planning to overthrow an autocratic regime rife with irregularities, corruption and lack of vision for any sort of long term planning and prosperity of a nation. And People's Army, the guerrila forces in Nepal known as Maoists (locally, Maobadis) organized disgruntled youths and launched a full fledged armed rebellion against the state's apathy towards the poor and marginalized minorities abundant in hilly and mountainous regions of Nepal. Now that the autocratic monarchial regime has been uprooted, Maoists have come under intense criticism from other parties and the ordinary population as a whole for adopting a violent method and killing its opponents mercilessly during its revolution. It has been condemned for not giving up its method yet and is accused of torture and physical abuse.

But, there's a larger picture to see. The state had to be restructured. The existing monarchical system favored the rich and the powerful. Poor would continue to be marginalized and would never be given a fair chance to battle its way off this 'treadmill of poverty'. The greater role of Maoists is not yet over. In places of scores of bridges that they burnt and hundreds of banks that they looted, they need to establish newer ones and restructure the state so that the system is more equitable, and thus gives a fair chance to everyone to evade this continued pauperization.

It is not easy to bring a revolution on the scale that Maoists did. They were full of energy. Now, it is time to channel that energy properly so that it can be used in the greater task of nation-building and prosperity based on newer models such as integrating national economy with international trade and embracing the globalization model in favor of older national development project models. Situated amid two neighbors whose economy are growing at an amazing rate can be strategically used to benefit the nation. If you were to look back, history is evident that manufacturing jobs keep moving towards a source where cheaper labor is available. It moved from the United States to Japan, then to Korea, Taiwan, Hongkong and also to Mexico. As labor in China proved to be cheaper than in Mexico or other four Asian Tigers(Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Hongkong), jobs moved to China. As China will prosper and wages will go up, jobs might then go to Vietnam or Indonesia or other nations, part of which has already onset. If Nepal can prove to be politically stable then with its abundance of cheap labor, it can be a lucrative site for Foreign Direct Investment.

Quarreling among the political parties and blaming Maoists for what they did is simply not the solution, it is not the right way ahead to the prosperity of this Himalayan Nation. We have a common goal-prosperity of our nation and happiness among our countrymen and this is attainable only when we start seeing Maoists as positive force to move our nation forward.