The Aquinas

Students work to beautify Scranton

aquinas — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 19:11:22 +0000

STUDENTS WORK together Saturday in the Hill Section, in downtown Scranton and in Nay Aug Park to clean up and beautify the areas. University student Martin Hofler carries plants to brighten the city.

Scranton is a little more beautiful thanks to The University community.
University students and alumni partnered with Scranton Tomorrow and Main Street Scranton to clean up and enhance the aesthetic of the Hill Section, downtown Scranton and Nay Aug Park Saturday.
According to Scranton Tomorrow’s website, “Scranton Tomorrow is a nonprofit community and economic development organization working to establish Scranton as the premier urban center of Northeastern Pennsylvania.” The Main Street Program focuses on improving the revitalization of the downtown Scranton area.
Revitalizing the downtown area and cleaning up Nay Aug are new additions to the annual Street Sweep that The University holds.
The additions to the Street Sweep stemmed from an idea conceived by Brian Riordan and Martin Hofler. Both students came up with the idea separately as a part of their summer projects for student government.
Riordan said the summer projects are student government’s way of having members come up with ideas to work on for the upcoming year.
The idea to add the beautification of downtown Scranton and the cleanup of Nay Aug to the Street Sweep was something that needed to happen in the minds of Riordan and Hofler.
Riordan, a participant in the last eight Street Sweep events, has always been a part of Street Sweep because of student government, but realized that alone the Street Sweep did not accomplish much.
“In the past, just cleaning the Hill Section was great, but I personally felt we did it just to be trashed the week after,” Riordan said.
Riordan and Hofler did not work alone to make their idea a reality. A few people that aided them with the expansion were Julie Cohen, Leslie Collins, Kyle Gleaves and Katie Gonzalez.
To have a more lasting impact on the city, the expansion allowed some students to help by raking leaves, pulling weeds and cleaning up Nay Aug, while other students planted flowers and small trees in ceramic planters downtown.
The plants were donated through The University’s support, Home Depot and Lowe’s in Dickson City and the Mulberry Bush, located in Scranton.
Nick Lowry, a student at The University, participated in the beautification aspect of the Street Sweep. He planted new trees by the Mall at Steamtown.
“It was a great way to start spring,” Lowry said. “And the local people of Scranton really appreciated seeing freshly planted trees and flowers. I got a lot of ‘thank yous’ and ‘good work’ from people.”
Riordan said he was happy with the result of the Street Sweep. Students and alumni worked together to make Scranton cleaner and more beautiful.
Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty was also present in downtown Scranton Saturday to experience the hard work that was put into beautifying the city.
Hundreds of students participated in the event. Riordan said that he is excited because the Street Sweep became so much more than it ever was before, and it is only in its fourth year of operation. He looks forward to the future of the Street Sweep.
“A clean street had little impact for me,” Riordan said. “I had the idea of adding something else to include a more permanent aspect. And so did Hofler.”

By Christina Scully
News Editor
The Aquinas Photo/Brian Riordan

University students stand up to violence

aquinas — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 19:06:07 +0000

STUDENTS PAINT signs to help raise awareness for Take Back the Night. Left to right are Joanne Nashi and Anna Schuck working on the signs.

For about 15 years, The University has rallied against gender-based violence. This year will be no different. Thursday marks another Take Back the Night Rally, sponsored by the Jane Kopas Women Center.
The rally started in London to help women feel safe at night, according to senior Joanne Nashi, the Take Back the Night coordinator. She said when it came to the United States it included different kinds of violence, such as sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, etc.
“It is a time for the community to come together and take a stand against something that affects everyone. It is a safe place for people to open up and have a little healing,” Nashi said.
Nashi believes that this event is important for all students to attend because gender-based violence involves everyone, not just women.
“It is not just women who experience violence, everyone does: men, women and children,” she said.
The Jane Kopas Women Center began preparing for this event months in advance. They collaborated with the Women’s Resource Center. The event includes a pre-rally on the Dionne Green from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. and the actual rally starts at 7:30 p.m. The rally commences in front of the library and then participants march down Linden Street and North Washington Avenue and end at the courthouse on Spruce Street. There students are invited to stay for a candlelight vigil, which will go until 10 p.m.
There is a lot of advertising done for this event, and students may have noticed the t-shirts that usually line the Green on this day.
“The t-shirts around campus are the Clothesline Project, which is an international event where people can speak out in a unique way about their experiences of gender-based violence without having the spotlight on them,” Nashi said.
Each t-shirt color represents a different kind of violence, and Nashi says it is another way for victims to heal.

“It allows each person a unique way of telling their story through art,” she said.
Nashi has been involved in the event since her freshman year. She said after she went to the rally she became enamored with it.
“Hearing people’s stories and feeling the connectedness with others was just amazing. It was nothing like I had ever felt before,” Nashi said.
Nashi will be graduating this May and she is sad to leave because this project is her passion. She likes making a difference in others through this event.
“Gender-based violence has affected me as well and I got involved because I want it to end — I don’t want people to experience the things I and many others have experienced,” Nashi said.
Nashi said close to 200 students came last year and that the event grows each year. She hopes people find courage and hope from the rally.
“Most importantly, I hope they realize what a problem gender-based violence is and that it affects everyone and it prompts them to move and do something about it,” Nashi said.
Nashi also said that this is an important community event for the students to get involved in.
“It is a chance for people to take a stand against something so traumatic and terrible. Also, it shows the community that students care about these issues and that we stand in solidarity with them,” Nashi said.

By Nicolena Basso
Staff Writer
The Aquinas Photo/Thomas Heintz

Fair trade comes to campus Friday

aquinas — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 19:01:51 +0000

Every time you buy a cup of Eco-Grounds coffee from Java City, you are supporting a small farm in Latin America. The coffee company founded on our campus participates in fair trade, which guarantees farmers get paid for their coffee beans.
The University community can learn about fair trade and buy ethically produced products at the Fair Trade Vendor Fair Friday. The fifth annual fair hosted by United Students for Fair Trade will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the Dionne Green.
Fair trade is a movement to help farmers and merchants in developing countries. According to the World Fair Trade Organization, the movement creates equality in international trade by “offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers.”
Fair trade merchants participate in the 10 principles of fair trade, which includes respecting the environment and ensuring good working conditions for laborers.
Nicole Linko, who helped organize the Fair Trade Vendor Fair, said buying products from non-fair trade could have questionable origins.
“When we buy clothing that is mass-sold at a cheap price, there is a good chance that what we buy was made in a developing nation with a risk of child labor, discrimination and gender abuse practices,” Linko said.
You may recognize Linko at her regular coffee giveaways in the DeNaples Center. She joined United Students for Fair Trade after attending the second annual Fair Trade Vendor Fair. She is working toward her goal of owning a café and serving fair trade products to the public. She hopes the vendor fair will persuade The University community to choose fair trade products over mass produced options.
“I used to think that what I did was insignificant in the scheme of things. However, I realized that every choice I make favoring a fair trade product becomes significant in the long-run, because my choices are cumulative and ultimately contribute to benefit people around the world,” Linko said.
Students do not need to wait for the annual vendor fair to buy fair trade products, they can be found on campus every day. Along with Java City coffee, the P.O.D. store sells Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream. And the afternoon pick-me-up you spent your Flex dollars on from Starbucks is also ethically produced. People interested in buying fair trade products should look out for the fair trade certification mark.
On Friday the Dionne Green will be lined with tables offering information about Fair Trade practices.
Green Leaf Organics will be selling health items and teas and Ania’s World Of Goods will be offering bags and jewelry made by women from Southeast Asia. There will be a coffee giveaway sponsored by Java City. Professors and clubs will be onsite to discuss human rights issues.
United Students for Fair Trade advisor Meghan Rich thinks the Vendor Fair is an opportunity to learn and participate in free trade.
“The University community should attend this event because it highlights the connection between our consumption of everyday goods, like coffee, clothing and electronics, and the working conditions under which people produce these goods globally,” Rich said.
Fair Trade also supports sustainability, which fits under the Jesuit principle Rei Solicitudo.

By Jessica Talarick
Staff Writer

Pennsylvania residents get ready to vote in primary

aquinas — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 19:00:41 +0000

Pennsylvania’s republican primary election is less than a week away, and voters are getting ready to head to the polls.
Political science professor William Parente, Ph.D., has been closely following the 2012 election. Parente said he would have liked to choose among several republican presidential candidates, but because of Pennsylvania’s late primary, he thinks the nominee may have already been selected.
“[The Pennsylvania primary] is very late. I’ve lived here for 41 years and the primary has never been relevant,” Parente said. “The state legislature won’t move our primary up … so it’s a little bit frustrating.”
“It’s over now and Romney is the guy. Next Tuesday is the primary, but the race has already been decided.”
While both the republican and democratic presidential nominations are nearly set in stone, Parente said he still thinks it is important to vote on Tuesday.
“It’s my civic duty to vote,” Parente said. “I don’t know who’s going to be on the ballot because they were printed some time ago, but I’ll vote for my favorite on the ballot. I’ll find out [who is on the republican ballot] when I get there.”
This year, the Princeton Review ranked the University as the Most Politically Apathetic College. However, Parente said he thinks the ranking is a poor indicator of Scranton students’ political engagement and voting habits.
“I think [the survey is] biased in favor of liberal groups,” Parente said. “Our students are relatively conservative. I think the Princeton thing is looking more at left wing causes, so it never worries me. I’m more interested in how they’re doing in class rather than what they’re doing extra-curricularly.”
In only a few days, Scranton students registered to vote in Pennsylvania will have the chance to make their voice heard in the local, state and federal elections.
Like Parente, Sophomore Luke Boniello will head to the polls on Tuesday.
“It’s my civic duty to vote,” Boniello said, “although I don’t think [the primary] is relevant this year because Mitt Romney is definitely the Republican candidate for President.”
Junior Florence Marchesano of Brooklyn, N.Y., said that while she will not be participating in her state’s primary, she will cast her ballot in November’s general election.
“It’s the first presidential election I’ll be able to vote in, so I want my say heard,” Marchesano said.
Also heading to the polls on Tuesday is sophomore Sarah Triano, who said she thinks it is important that voters know their candidates before filling out the ballot.
“I think it’s really important that people vote, but that they’re educated before they vote,” Triano said. “Every vote matters, but every vote needs to be informed, too.”
The polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. Tuesday. Registered Pennsylvania voters can find their polling place online at VotesPA.org.
In the meantime, voters are beginning to consider their options for the 2012 general election.
Released Monday, the results of the first Gallup Poll of the 2012 general election show Mitt Romney two percentage points ahead of Barack Obama.
“The Gallup Poll this morning has Romney at 47 percent, Obama at 45 percent. This astonished me because other polls had Obama significantly ahead,” Parente said. “In six months, anything can happen. I think Obama will win, but I wouldn’t bet my house or my car on it.”
Parente identified a few key issues he believes will take center stage in the fall election season.
“The economy, unemployment, Iran, the Afghanistan affair which goes on and on,” Parente said. “The women issue seems to be big — the gender gap and the women’s vote are going to be important.”
Once securing the party nomination, the next step for the nominee is to select a running mate. Parente thinks running mates should be selected carefully to avoid controversy in the height of the campaign season.
“You don’t choose someone who hasn’t gone through the ringer,” Parente said. “It’s best to choose someone who’s got a clear record and has been properly vetted, so there are no surprises.”
Parente named three politicians who he thinks may be the republican vice presidential candidate.
“Romney may select [Florida Senator Marco] Rubio to help the Latino vote move to the Republicans, but Rubio was just quoted as saying he won’t be the running mate. On the other hand, if the Gallup Poll shows Romney doing much better, maybe Rubio would accept,” Parente said.
“[Governor Chris] Christie in New Jersey has also been mentioned. [Wisconsin Congressman Paul] Ryan in charge of the House Budget Committee has been talked about as a guy who knows his numbers and has been vetted properly,” Parente said. “I think Ryan would be credible.”
Parente said he thinks it is possible that the republican nominee could select a female running mate.
“There’s the gender gap issue,” Parente said. “Should Romney choose a woman to show the women voters that we loves women and respects them? That’s a possibility. They’re making such a big deal about the gender gap, and some of the democratic operatives are criticizing Mrs. Romney because she never worked outside the home. Romney may try to aggravate the situation by selecting a woman [as his running mate].”
Parente said the nominee must carefully select a running mate who will not lower the campaign’s credibility.
“You have to be careful who you choose, so that nothing in your background will be released in the campaign and make you look incompetent,” Parente said.
Parente pointed to the 1972 presidential campaign of Senator George McGovern to illustrate how a controversial running mate can ruin a campaign. In that election, McGovern’s running mate, Senator Thomas Eagleton, withdrew after it was revealed that he received electroshock therapy to treat a mental illness. Parente said Eagleton withdrew after the electorate began to doubt he was competent to serve as vice president.
“Changing your running mate doesn’t evoke much confidence in the electorate,” Parente said.
The general election will be held November 6.

By Christopher Dolan
Staff Writer

University makes top 25 Healthiest Colleges list

aquinas — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 19:00:14 +0000

THE P.O.D. in Montrone Hall contains fresh fruit and other healthy options for students to purchase. The University was named 25th on the Top 25 Healthiest Colleges in the U.S., posted by Greatist.com.

Based on meal plans, health services and programming, The University of Scranton represents the only Jesuit University to make “The 25 Healthiest Colleges in the U.S.” list produced by Greatist.com.
Students voiced their opinions and, out of more than 100 schools, representatives at Greatist.com selected The University as the 25th school on its list.
Joining The University were UCLA, Stanford University, University of North Dakota, Colby College and University of Georgia, all of which were in the top five.
The University ranking was chosen based on representatives who took a number of things into account, but noted that Scranton had a state-of-the-art fitness center.
The results also took into consideration cost-effectiveness of food offered for students.
After the results were published, students had mixed feelings about being number 25 on the list.
“I think because I am on a meal plan I don’t really notice the price as much as people at schools who may not have a meal plan,” Stefanie King, a sophomore at The University, said. “I don’t pay attention to the price because it is already paid for.”
“I also had to have surgery last year and could not have any fried foods for an extended period of time,” King said. “I guess I could have talked to them about arranging meals for me on the side, but because I did not, I ended up eating cereal most of the time.”
Other students find that the ranking is appropriate, however.
“Scranton makes it really easy for students to stay active because of the large fitness center and also because of the number of intramurals Scranton offers to any student regardless of skill level,” Abby Jacoski, a sophomore at The University, said.
The University ranking based on meal plans, healthy living and fitness was published April 9, 2012 on Greatist.com.

By Christina Scully
News Editor
The Aquinas Photo/Thomas Heintz

Students work with food drives

aquinas — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:58:58 +0000

After learning about the scarcity of food in the local Scranton community, students from Dr. Szymanski’s Philosophy of Food class are running campus-wide food drives.
According to an article from The Scranton Times-Tribune, the number of students who are enrolled in the subsidized lunch program has increased 56 percent from 36,119 to 56,304 in the last decade. Area school officials said they see the hunger every day in children who receive those lunches, according to the site.
Typically, subsidized lunch programs are for families living within poverty-stricken areas. An increase in these programs may show an increase in poverty throughout the city. Students at The University are working to help those less fortunate than themselves and hope to alleviate such problems.
Sophomore Robert Leavy, senior Frank Siclari and senior Mike Martin are three students in. Szymanski’s class who organized a food drive as a way to help the community.
“Other people were working in kitchens, but they had too many volunteers and not enough food,” Leavy said.
The food donated, which includes non-perishable items from Ramen Noodles to Easy Mac to spare Pop-Tarts, will be given to the Leahy Food Pantry, Siclari said. The food will then be distributed to those who need it in the local community.
“So far we have been fortunate at the amount students have donated,” Siclari said. “There will also be a table on the second floor of DeNaples next week, if anyone is still interested.”
While some students worry if they have enough Flex dollars to get their daily snacks for the rest of the year, other students are taking initiatives to help tackle bigger issues.
“We’re learning that when you pair resources together, such as the Leahy Food Pantry and the donations from U of S students, we can help supply less fortunate in the local community,” Leavy said.
The group said their next donation will be held on the second floor of the DeNaples Center Tuesday.

By Joe Weitemeyer
News Correspondent

ROTC cadets train for combat

aquinas — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:57:50 +0000

ROTC SPENT the weekend training in Fort Dix, N.J. From left to right, Cdt. Horan and Cdt. Graham prepare their rifles for use during training at the Rifle Range.

When Evan Dimakas, MSIV in the Royal Warrior Battalion and senior at The University, stepped out into Fort Dix, N.J. March 30, he did so with pride — the effort that he and his peers put into organizing ROTC’s Spring Field Training Exercise was about to pay off.
Each semester, MSIVs in Army ROTC are in charge of setting up these weekends, geared at providing the cadets with realistic training. The process, though, is extensive and begins months before the exercise, with every detail, no matter how small, subject to intense scrutiny.
“[Lieutenant Colonel Ryan Remely] came to me and said he wants to conduct training for the spring,” Dimakas said. “He said ‘set it up, give me a plan.’”
Dimakas said he was contacted by Remely Sept. 30. He was given his time limit and told to “plan and execute.”
Part of the tentative plan was to use a large wooded section of the base to test the cadets’ skill at land navigation, both during the day and at night. For this, Dimakas put Cdt. Joseph Bideganeta to the task.
Bideganeta said that the process for planning land navigation was long. In addition to scouting out the land, constructing the timeline, structuring the event and tracking down the property owners to gain permission, he needed to compile a list of everything that could go wrong.
“It was very difficult, it’s almost like trying to be half psychic and half logistical planner,” Cdt. Bideganeta said. “With training designed to be as realistic as possible, there’s always going to be a lot that could go wrong and you need to be aware of every single one so you can warn the cadets going out into the field.”
One of those dangers is the weather. If the weather turns foul, the training can quickly turn dangerous.
Close attention was being paid to a weather system that was going to pass over the base. On the first night of the exercise, the original plan was to have the cadets sleep outside.
While realism is desired for optimal training, the decision was in-line with what Dimakas referred to as the ethos of “being a student and then a soldier.”
“Yes, we’re the military, and yes we need to train realistically, but you remember that these are college students and come Monday morning they need to be in class,” Dimakas said. “If they sleep out in five inches of rain and they get really sick, they’re not going be able to go. You need to balance your priorities.
Remely said he too was worried about the approaching weather.
“I think, had we decided to stay out in that storm, it would have really impacted the quality of training today because everybody would have truly been soaked and miserable,” Remely said. “It would have detracted from what we’re trying to accomplish this weekend.”
Dimakas said that, while he is proud of himself for the work he has done in putting the weekend together, he is even more proud of his fellow cadets for the work they have put in.
“It wouldn’t have happened without everyone putting in the effort,” Cdt. Dimakas said.

Submitted Photo: Joseph Kohut for The Aquinas

Mayra Santos-Febres to visit campus

aquinas — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:56:21 +0000

The Latin American studies and women’s studies department will host Mayra Santos-Febres, a renowned international author, April 25 at 5:30 p.m. in Brennan 228. She will discuss Latin American literature and her own works in particular, opening the floor to questions after the discussion. Santos-Febres has published stories and articles in journals in countries across the globe, including Cuba, Argentina, France and the United States.
Santos-Febres received her doctorate from Cornell University in 1991, the same year she published her first two collections of poems. “Anamú y Manigua,” one of these collections, was considered one of the best books published in Puerto Rico.
She then began to experiment with short stories, which received acclaim. Her short stories garnered her prizes, including the Premio Letras de Oro and the Radio Internationale Juan Rulfo Award for her short story, “Oso Blanco,” which was published in her collection of short stories called “Pez de Vidrio” (later published in English as “Urban Oracles”). This collection includes 15 short stories about the complex and multifaceted links between sexual desire, race, identity and social and political status in modern Caribbean society.
Santos-Febres later changed genre again, rising to the challenge and publishing “Sirena Selena vestida de pena” in 2000, which was later translated into English and Italian. Other works by Santos-Febres have also been translated into English, French, Italian and German. The novel tells the story of a teenage homosexual male drag queen with a talent for singing boleros, which are traditional slow-tempo Latin music. It was a finalist in 2001 for the Romulo Gallego Prize for the Novel and won the prize for best novel from PEN Club of Puerto Rico.
Her second novel, “Cualquier miércoles soy tuya” (2002), published by Random House Mondadori, sold out of its first edition within a month. Santos-Febres’ subsequent novel, “Nuestra Señora de las noche” received Puerto Rico’s national prize for literature in 2007.
Her work is often taught in United States university classes on women, Latin America, borderland literature and other areas. Selected works of Santos Febres, in English and Spanish, are available through the Weinberg Memorial Library.

By Timothy McCormick
Staff Writer

Seniors prepare for graduation

aquinas — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:55:50 +0000

As seniors at The University prepare for graduation they will need to get a few final affairs in order. First comes senior week and then the final graduation ceremony May 27.
Monday and Tuesday of this week seniors were given the opportunity to finalize a few details in preparation for graduation at the annual Grad Finale.
The event, which took place in the McIlhenny Ballroom of the DeNaples Center, gave graduating seniors the opportunity to get their caps and gowns, receive their commencement announcements from the Career Services Office and get advice from Alumni Services about how to keep track of friends.
Students were also given the opportunity to purchase tickets for the events of senior week from the Senior Week Programming Committee.
Senior Week is in May and is a week of events for seniors before they graduate. This year the four students in charge of planning the events are Jaclyn Henry, Sal Frangipane, David Hovey and Dana Walsh.
The week will begin May 20 with registration occurring from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on the fourth floor of the DeNaples Center.
From there students will go to the Redington Hall parking lot for the Senior Week cover band, which will also feature a barbecue.
Jaclyn Henry said she was very excited for this event.
“We really think the cover band will be a big deal this year,” Henry said. “Last year they had those blow up moon bounce things that are at carnivals in place of this event. We thought students would enjoy this a lot more.”
The next night, students will be able to take part in a Quizzo event in the DeNaples Ballroom. On May 22 there will be a graffiti party on the Alumni Hall Green. The week will close out with the Senior Formal that will be held at Split Rock Resort on May 24, according to the school’s website.
Dana Walsh said ticket sales so far have been lower than they have been in the past.
“We’ve seen a bit of a decline in ticket sales from last year, but we think the fact that we have a smaller class is playing a part in that,” Walsh said.
Walsh also said that students should understand that the $50 charge is more than reasonable for what they are receiving.
“I think a lot of students have been hesitant about the $50 they have to pay,” Walsh said. “But they should know that the price has not gone up since last year and that for all they are receiving $50 is a fair price.”

By Paul Liotta
Staff Writer

University student teaches English abroad

aquinas — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:55:03 +0000

UNIVERSITY STUDENT Elena Habersky (front and center) poses with her class of Egyptian students. Habersky is teaching English to them as a part of her study abroad experience.

One promise I made to myself before I came to Cairo for a year was to challenge myself in a way that I had never been challenged before. That challenge came to me through an email from a faculty member at the American University in Cairo asking for native English speakers to volunteer to teach English in Mar Girgis, a community known in the travel guide books as Coptic Cairo.
Since September, I have taught the English language twice a week to students between 18 and 35-years-old. Being bilingual for these students is of the utmost importance, as it will help them get better jobs. For most of these students, the economic situation in Egypt has put their backs against the wall. Not being from wealthy families has hindered their entire educational experience. I have learned through conversations with them that Egyptian teachers are barely paid anything — 400 pounds on average, which is less than $100 per year. These teachers have no incentive to teach; my students told me on numerous occasions that they never went to high school classes because it wasn’t worth it. Instead, teachers would teach in after school tutoring sessions for an extra fee, which these students were unable to afford. Therefore, their educational experience, especially with English, was greatly lacking. Most of them want to become fluent one day, just as I hope to be fluent in their native tongue. Eventually, they want to move away and work in Europe or The Gulf, where they will get paid more money than they ever would in Egypt.
I have felt a tremendous pressure to not let these students down because they need me to teach them. For those who have never taught others their native tongue, it is far from easy. Relearning all the grammar rules you learned in elementary school is a must and finding all the exceptions to grammar rules is essential. If there is one thing I have learned, it is that is there is always at least one exception to every grammar rule, and my students will find it and question me on it. Preparation, as well as a sense of humor, is essential to teaching in this challenging environment.
As much as I attempt to teach them English, the life lessons they teach me are immeasurable. I am able to be involved with a community that most international students never get to experience. Sometimes we converse about their genuine hopes and desires for the future of Egypt. Hearing their fears, hopes and desires for the future of their homeland is something I will never forget. For me, going into Mar Girgis every week is more than simply volunteering my time to teach English; it is a true cultural exchange that breaks down barriers and stereotypes. I realize how valuable this is and the experience will stay with me for the rest of my life. I have never been more grateful to step out of my comfort zone and challenge myself.

Submitted photo: Elena Habersky for The Aquinas