Thursday, January 28, 2010

Dinner Reception with University President, Dr. Ahlburg

Do you want to know why I came to Trinity? The reason is simple. You might have heard it a million times and still ignored it since it sounded so much like a cliche. My admission officer at Trinity- Eric Maloof- had told me that the best way to learn in my undergraduate years would be to go to a small college/university where I would get personal attention from professors and mentors. Students learn from their mistakes and small institutions are adept at making that happen. I realized how right he was only after I came to Trinity.

Receiving personal attention from professors, residential and other university staffs at Trinity is what makes my learning worthwhile. Professors in my class know me personally which makes learning environment so much better.

(From left: Me, President Dr. Ahlburg, Pedro, Long, Chris). Photo by lady killer Paurakh.

In addition, even the University President takes time to meet us and hear about our experiences. On average, a college student shakes the University President's hand once (during graduation maybe). Getting to meet him personally is outside the domain. In contrast, today the new University President, Dr. Ahlburg held a Dinner Reception for International students and spent the whole evening talking to us. For a man of his stature to dedicate one evening makes us feel how much he cares for Trinity students. Trinity is exceptional when it comes to sense of community and relationship between students and staffs.


(From right: President Ahlburg, Me, Daniel, ...) Photo by LaDy-KiLleR Paurakh
And, even department chairs know you personally here. Below is me with chair of Engineering Department, Dr. Giolma.
(Me with Dr. Giomla, Chair of Engineering Department). Photo by lady-killer Paurakh.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

7 Reasons why I was bored at Concert For The Cure


I had never been more bored (in my recent memory) than I was at Concert For The Cure. And it was mostly my fault. I had never been to a concert before so, I thought let's do it. I'll just go and see what it is like. I didn't even care to find if any of my friends were going. I should have. Here are some reasons why I did not enjoy it.

  1. It was not a rock concert. Singers sang country songs, not that I can differentiate between genres, but that's what they said.
  2. The name Concert For The Cure was misleading since it was not really a concert. It was a dance party. Pairs danced all along the dance floor. Someone must have warned me. There was no head-banging or anything of that sort. 
  3. I hardly knew anyone there. It was mostly Greek students whom I had seen before at campus but never talked to.
  4. I did not know how to dance. If you don't dance or are not comfortable dancing while others watch (just like me), that was the last place to be. I stood in one corner and watched others while everyone thought I was a 'mutant'.
  5. I couldn't drink. US Law was strictly enforced and under-age drinking was prohibited. Some people need a little bit of encouraging (through alcohol) to get on the dance floor, I am one of them.
  6. I was all alone. The friend I went with did not enjoy the concert so, left for another club or something, promising to return in an hour. Even after 2 hours, I did not hear from him.
  7. I could not walk out or back to school since my ride was gone. I would have to find a ride back (which I did, thanks to university's bus arrangement).
All of the reasons above acted powerfully to make me bored like I had never been before. It should be realized that the concert in itself was not boring. There were lots of people who enjoyed every bit of it. I just happened to be someone who does not like clubbing, dancing or related activities. I thought I would try out, just didn't work out that well for me. I guess, this is what everyone does in America, right?


Nevertheless, I felt good about one thing at the concert, that funds from ticket sales would go towards Cancer Research. Gamma sorority of Trinity University deserves appreciation for this noble work.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Marching with Trinity at largest MLK March of nation

         San Antonio is a pretty quiet city only until Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Come MLK day, San Antonio city attracts a lot of attention and marchers. In fact, San Antonio leads the largest MLK March in the US and Trinity University leads one of the largest student marchers group every year. Keeping in mind, waking up habits of college students on holidays, it adds to institutional integrity of Trinity.



Photo By: Jaskirat Singh Batra
      I also marched along with other students and this was my second time which means I have marched every single year I have been here. MLK march has a significance and people marched for various causes. Since it is not a parade, every student was told to think of why they were marching. I marched because,
  • I wanted to be a part of the largest MLK March in the US.
  • I want global inequality to end, MLK was the symbol for end of inequality
  • I wanted to wake up early. March ended before noon and I wouldn't have waken up before noon had I decided not to go.

Photo by: Abhishek Chhetri
         Solidarity and integrity among marchers of San Antonio incited good feelings. Scale of an organized march in modern day shows that it is still valid as a powerful tool against hegemony and discrimination. It also acted as an excellent platform to disseminate information and advertise about one's business or candidacy in Mayor's election which was reflected in posters and flyers that were distributed periodically throughout the march.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Help Haiti


It feels great to see such unity among people of all nationalities to help Haiti. People from all over are texting, facebooking and tweeting each other to garner more donations for Haiti. And, with technological advances, making an impact in Haiti through little donations is just a few clicks away or you could simply text a number and a certain amount is donated automatically. US has already donated $ 100 million and Obama has pledged his support. Amazing.


Even at Trinity, solidarity among students is very impressive. Students have organized Haiti Relief Concert to be held at Coates Esplanade of Trinity University  on Jan 17 from 4 to 5:30 pm to raise money. Students are constantly updating their statuses with messages about how one could help Haiti. For instance, one of my friends Tim wrote this,
***** is cutting a check to Haiti. Considering the hundreds of thousands feared dead from yesterday's earthquake, I urge you to do the same if possible.




And take a look at this, 
 Text "HAITI" to "90999" and a $10 donation will be sent to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts, charged to your cell phone bill.
Technology has made it easier to spread words but it could be equally misleading. For instance, a rumor has been widely spread both on Facebook and Twitter that UPS is shipping 50 lbs of material to Haiti for free. It is not true. In this time of crisis, UPS is facing difficulty delivering its own commercial shipments. Here is the rumor:
UPS is shipping anything under 50lbs for free to Haiti. You can send food clothes or shoes...and American Airlines is taking doctors and nurses to Haiti for free
Even one of the famous celebrities in Bollywood, Priyanka Chopra tweeted this until I told her it was a scam:
If you can, pls let every1 know that UPS is shipping parcels under 50lbs to #HAITI for free tdy! Pls donate! :)
Read about UPS Scam about 50 lbs here.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Across the Border with Trinity

Alternative Winter Break, a service event sponsored by Campus and Community Involvement of Trinity University provided students with an opportunity to travel across the border (Brownsville, Texas along  with Matamoros, Mexico) and serve the homeless, orphans and other under-privileged groups. I was among the 10 lucky students to be chosen for this trip. To make it even sweeter, all of my expenses were covered through a scholarship by Mexico- Americas- Spain (MAS) Program. Jealous?
  1. Crossing the Border


I had to get a Mexican visa but the surprising fact is that no one checked it, neither when I crossed into Mexico nor when I crossed back into the US. I thought what's the point of making us get one, then? Well, of course I had to pay $36 for the visa, which is THE point. Usually when you cross a border, you see gradual change and can hardly distinguish where one country ends and the other begins if it were not for border patrols on either sides. But, as we crossed into Mexico, we felt the change was rather steep. Houses lost their luster and activity increased on the streets such as, people hurrying to sell newspapers whenever vehicles stopped at  traffic signals or people rushing to wipe windshields in hope of getting some change in return. Also, houses were haphazardly built and lacked sense of architecture, suggesting those might have been self-built without consultation of an engineer or an architect. Many houses had incomplete pillars, with bare metal rods, an observation we could not have missed since Dr. David Spener had advised us to look for those as we entered Mexico.

        2. Serving Dinner to the Homeless





On our First day, we sorted through clothes that were donated to Good Neighbor House in Brownsville. A tour was given to us of donations that Good Neighbor had received. The volume of donations and the quality of donated goods surprised us all but it assured that goodwill and altruism are not extinct yet. After that, we served dinner to homeless people, and this was clearly the most significant event of the day (at least for me). Several thoughts ran in my mind as they ate quietly with their families. I was saddened however to see that they had to satiate their hunger with 3 tortillas and second help was denied due to shortage of food.

         3. Two days at Orphanage




On our second day, we traveled into Mexico to an orphanage and spent time playing with orphans. Despite hardships they faced, they exuded cheerfulness and were athletically superior as they defeated us in every game we played. It was interesting to notice how soon the barrier of shyness broke as we started playing. We played kickball (I had never played it before) and soccer among others. The kids were smiling and so were we and the whole environment was so joyous. We all felt a sense of accomplishment seeing smiles on those cute faces. There were two dormitories, one for boys and another for girls but there was only one classroom where students of primary, secondary and high school level studied together. Also, there was only one assigned teacher for them meaning they did attend a formal school. We returned to the orphanage the next day and played indoor games since it was chilly and windy outside, ruling out any outdoor activity. The moment came that we liked the least: saying good-bye to those wonderful kids.







        4. Assisting in Constructing a House

On our fourth day, we helped build a house that would be sold later and a fraction of whose profits would be used to support under-privileged groups. Most of us had no prior experience of building a house. I had some prior experience of building a truss and a balloon launcher (which every engineer at Trinity builds) and it came pretty handy while nailing. We all enjoyed working with nails and hammers even though the weather was unpleasantly cold. As wooden walls that we built were erected on two sides, we swelled with pride and accomplishment.


After the trip, we reflected back on our highs and lows and felt we all learnt different things about life outside United States.
Photo Courtesy: Paurakh Rajbhandary

* My special thanks to our cool and friendly trip coordinators, Edwin Blanton and Lily Gonzalez for making this trip so wonderful.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Getting an On-Campus Job


       There is so much talk about how bad job market currently is in the United States. And its painfully low recovery rate has been inducing sleepless nights to people like common Americans to think-tanks and economists to President Obama. No doubt, finding a job is difficult than ever. Unemployment among teens is more than 25%, a record high in several decades. Fresh graduates are the hardest hit.


     But, make no mistake, no matter what's happening with the economy, finding an on-campus job has always been challenging. The fundamental law of economics about supply and demand could be used to easily explain this. On one hand, On-campus jobs are very limited while on the other, they are the coveted jobs among college students for a number of reasons. 

  • They are not so demanding. Usually, it requires easy work such as filing, grading, shelving or checking out books compared to other manual jobs in restaurant or stores
  • It saves time by cutting back on commuting. This is one of the most important factors
  • Their pay is pretty competitive. Even though you could make more money working at high-paying jobs, most college jobs pay above minimum wage and because those jobs are easy, pay is competitive.
  • You could expect an increase if you continue through next semester. This is almost guaranteed for an on-campus job but not elsewhere.
       Having pointed out why on-campus job is lucrative among college students, I want to talk about how to secure one even though it is always in short supply. Many colleges have two kinds of on-campus jobs:
  1. Federal Work Study (FWS) (For US citizens and permanent residents)
  2. Institutional (For International Students)

        Most on-campus jobs are financed through FWS but your family income has to be below a certain income bracket in order to qualify for FWS positions. Since International students are NRA (Non- Resident Aliens)- neither permanent residents nor US citizens- they have to apply for positions that are financed through institutional aid. Funds for institutional work positions are financed through university's endowment which is why they are always reluctant to allocate more institutional positions. FWS on the other hand is financed through the US government, hence taking off pressure university's funds that could be allocated elsewhere.


       The best place to start looking for on-campus jobs is through the University's Human Resources website. It lists job openings under each type, FWS or institutional. It should be noted however that some institutions do not discriminate and job positions are open to everyone, irrespective of their nationality. Of course, we are talking about Ivy League institutions and others that have huge endowments, taking a chunk of which for institutional positions makes virtually no difference.


       But, to stay competitive in search activity, it is never enough to rely on Human Resources website. Many job openings are never mentioned on its website, are entirely bypassed and students are hired through direct contact. So, it is always smart to check with department's secretary about available positions. Talking to friends and seniors is another smart way to locate jobs. Information Technology Services, Admissions, Physics Department, Mathematics Department and Athletics Department are among the leading hirers on any college/university. Never forget to check with them.


         You should also know that students pursuing a science related degree are more likely to end up with an on-campus job than their non-science degree pursuing peers. This disadvantage arises from the nature of these disciplines and imply nothing about their corresponding difficulties. Science and maths related courses often require graders which adds quite a few on-campus jobs. There are also positions for Lab TAs, unavailable for  non-science degrees. Admissions Office also hire a lot of student workers for filing paperworks, arranging applications, prospective student tours and others. So, be sure to check with them too.


        Please note that amateurishly written above article offering general advice on locating an on-campus job is based entirely on my experience with on-campus job search at Trinity University. I remained unemployed my first semester despite my best efforts in locating a job at Trinity. I talked to my friends and seniors and changed my strategy for search activity, which landed me with two jobs in second semester, one with Physics Department, another with Athletics Department. I hope it helps you too. Please feel free to add your suggestions, tricks or smart ways to locate an on-campus job at Trinity University (or elsewhere).

Monday, January 4, 2010

A Youth's Confession

I will assume that you noticed the change in my blog's outlook, namely in its template and organization. Even if you didn't, never mind, there are deeper things to be conveyed. It's 4 am in the morning which raises an all important question, why the Hell am I still awake? This is no exam time, in fact, it's Winter Break and there is absolutely nothing to be done (not counting sleeping as an activity, that is).


I could easily take away the first prize for complaining against examination and whole idea behind testing students instead of letting education be for sake of true learning. And, now that I have all time in the world to learn on my own, to explore my interests, innate philosophical queries, I scramble for a schedule that would keep me occupied. I did read some good books and watched a lot of good movies but I felt something was incomplete, something was missing. After reading Tolstoy, my belief in meaninglessness of life was strengthened while after reading Christopher Hitchen's atheist book, "God does not exist, How Religion poisons everything, I took pride in being an atheist.


I know I am rambling. What else can one do at 4 am in the morning? More than once have I felt the temptation to start an anonymous blog where I can write what I truly believe, what I truly think, what runs in my mind. I could write what I truly think here, but I fear wrath of judgement by people who know me. What I write here is simply a construct, a literary construct bounded by social protocols and conventions that appeases my readers and is far from radical or true. I want to write about religion and its impact on our life but if I were to write honestly, it would be a blasphemy, another Danish Cartoon show.


I have come to realize that active imagination begets unhappiness because the more I think, the less happy I become. In our youths, we begin to see real world situations and dream of making a difference, improving lives of people around us. Every youth thinks he is special and can really make an impact in the world. I am no exception. I used to think all the time that I could make an impact in lives of Nepalese people and that if I could get into politics, I could develop Nepal. Seeing events in Nepal unfold, it seems I am looking through the wrong end of the telescope. Dream is nowhere near. These days, even thinking about Nepal and its condition (which I feel is degrading) makes me sad. 


I think I will be happy the day I will stop thinking. A paradox

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Load Shedding

Check

  1.  Cell-phone battery : Full
  2.  Laptop battery: Full
  3.  Flash-light within reach
Status: Good


At 10pm sharp (in less than two hours), there will be a power cut at Trinity University that will cut off power virtually to entire campus. According to Residential Life's email, this power outage is scheduled to allow "preventive maintenance to Trinity’s electric system". Power will be restored at 7am in the morning.



Power outage was an everyday activity when I was in Nepal. We used to experience power outage daily and in dry season, it would spike as high as 16 hours a day. When I came to America, I was surprised to see that a nation with power demands several times greater than Nepal did not have to execute power outages or "load shedding" (as popularly known). I found it hard to believe when one of my friends told me that the last power outage he knew of, had occurred some 17-18 years ago.


Power outage at Trinity will make me less worried than homesick. Since it is Winter and more than 99% of students are in their homes (away from Trinity), most of them will not even know about it. For a power-outage veteran like me, this experience will merely be a blip. Nonetheless, I look forward to an all-American style power outage :D