Jasmin Paniagua
Year: Freshman
Major: International Studies / Political Science
Hometown: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Campus Activities: I-house, International Club, Intervarsity, CAC
Hobbies: Reading books, listening to music, meeting new people, learning, spending quality time with my family, surfing the web, going to the movies, playing volleyball, watching all kinds of sports!
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Most students took the lead in leaving campus on Thursday. By Saturday, everyone else who was planning on leaving had been gone! I stayed the first two days cause I needed to work on my research papers and also study for a test that I had yesterday. I spent the rest of my break at my roommate's house, an hour and a half away from UE. It is nice to spend moments like this with a family, even if it's not your own.
New things coming up? umm, I-House will feature Uzbekistan tonight! and Isc is making plans for our Int'l Formal !
I'll see u guys later !
Jas
I will start this post with an apology for my loooooong silence! The second part of the Spring semester has a special manner of making students’ lives sort of miserable. My friend Sara says that it’s a matter of choosing the wrong majors, lol. Indeed, you cannot be an International Studies/Political Science/French major student while being involved in several extracurricular activities and expect to be anything else but busy! But this time is seriously the craziest for students in general. My political science professor seconds that. In his own words, “this is the time when you are running from the classrooms to the library and vice versa because it’s the time when all your papers are due and you are so exhausted that end up half dead lying on the ground because you simply can’t take it anymore, and when you think it can’t get any worse than that, someone comes and whispers on your ear, ‘get up, it’s the week of finals’!
Besides all the responsibilities that come with ISC and I-House, all the homework and tests, I also have three research papers to write for next month. I actually feel guilty right now that I’m doing something other than collecting sources! But I know you are entitled to this note, I owe it to all of you.
First, I need to tell you about the International Week. As I probably mentioned before, ISC sponsors several activities throughout the week, whose main purpose is to entertain while getting students aware of fantastic facts about all the cultures represented here at UE . All the activities went very well but I think my favorite was the Latin Dance Night. The attendees were mostly domestic students and I had a blast sharing the best of the Latin music and dancing with them. As for the Int’l Banquet, which is the event that wraps up this wonderful week, I must say all the efforts of the ISC executive board and all the people who helped paid off. Everything was organized, people seemed to enjoy both performances and food. Our pride this year was having president Jennings come over and enjoy from the beginning to the end.
On another matter, I-House featured Saudi Arabia last Wednesday!! I was so excited about this particular presentation because this group is one of the largest on campus and they always put so much effort into the presentation! I love hearing people say they loved everything about the event! Seeing people learn something new about the culture, taste traditional food, take pictures with international students, see their names written in another language and then, thank you for making it possible is one of the most rewarding things of being the I-House coordinator. I’ll miss this job next year! I have pics for you!!
We had our Spring Break two weeks ago! I went to New York and got to do what I needed the most, REST !!! I know it sounds impossible, I mean, New York is the city “that never sleeps” but I was very strict with my family about this so they let me rest for a few days, lol. I didn’t have much access to internet while I was there and that’s why I didn’t post anything. The weather was b-e-a-u-tiful! Not too cold, not too warm, just, PERFECT!
As soon as I got back to campus, I started running all around campus (and what’s new?). That week, I also attended interesting lectures about different topics. That’s one of the things I love the most about UE. One has such great opportunities to learn things outside the classroom! I won’t get into details though, because this note would be extremely long.
I also had the opportunity to attend the First Women in Leadership Conference here at UE. It consisted in taking a test before the conference that would determine my Top 5 strengths and they would use this information as a starting point to allow great women leaders from our community to offer students wonderful advice on how to be efficient leaders. I hope they make this conference an annual event because I think there’s a lot of potential in our university and sometimes, all students need is some guide on how to exploit their talents.
Oh, another thing going on lately…my birthday! I can’t believe I am already two decades old! I have to admit I got into panic that day! I am not even kidding! It’s just that one day you start dreaming about life after high school and you make all those plans to achieve every single goal you have in mind, and the next day, you wake up realizing that you are already in your sophomore year of your college education. I know it seems like a lot of time but no, 4 years are not enough! I am half way to graduation!!!! I’ll say that again, GRADUATION !!
I have some good news…I AM GOING TO FRANCE ! It will be in my junior year, next Spring 2009! I am going to study in Paris for a semester! The UE Study Abroad department approved my request to go there. I still need to convince my parents that this experience will only do me good. I thought that this would be the easiest part, I mean, I am already in the United States for heavens’ sake! USA, France, what’s the difference? Well, according to my parents, there’s a huge difference so, please, cross your fingers for me! I am so grateful to this university for being aware of how important is for students to go study abroad! Another reason to love UE !
So, with this happy note, I will leave you for the moment. See you soon!
Hello everybody!
International Week is coming!!!!! During this week, The International Club sponsors several events and everyone in the Evansville community can get a bit of international education from … a bunch of cultures!!!!!
I’ve been very sick lately. This past weekend I didn’t do anything productive and I just hate wasting time!! It’s just a cold with a really bad fever and coughing, but illness and stress are not a good combination so I had to stay in bed and miss classes and meetings and it was awful! I’m glad it was Friday when I started feeling worse though! I’d rather be unproductive during the weekends…
Oh! The I-house presentation I talked about on my last note went pretty well. It was fun presenting along with two fellows Dominicans and I was thrilled hearing students say they can’t wait to go visit my country! This week, we are having a special presentation about Chinese New Year Celebration! I can’t wait!
Now, I need to go back to my books and then I’ll just go to bed soon because the doctor said that I need to rest!!!!! I second that!!!!!!
I'm sooooooo busy that I barely have time for breathing !! However, I wanted to pass by and let you guys know how excited I am, because...
I am presenting for I-House tomorrow !!!!!
Me and a couple of other Dominican students from UE are going to make a presentation about our country and let other UE students enjoy our beautiful culture ! We are going to dance and we are even making some traditional food !!
Next time, I'll tell you how it went... so get excited !!!!!
Adios !!!
Jasmin
I’m back in Evansville and classes have begun! I can’t believe it’s been a year since I first came here! Time definitely flies!! I went home during Winter Break and it was just wonderful!! I could not resist taking a picture of the first thing I saw when I was on my way home from the airport: the almighty sea!!! Here it is…
All Dominicans should travel abroad and stay out of the country for at least one month. It’s a life-changing experience. Your country is no longer just your home, but you learn to see it as the greatest, most precious treasure in existence! I felt miserable the first two days after I came back from break, but then classes began and UE put me on the track again. I love all my new classes… Philosophy, Political Science, my Human Rights Seminar and even World Cultures! I have A LOT of reading to do everyday for all my classes! Although this semester will be even more challenging, I have the feeling that it will be equally successful! Besides, it was so good to see all my friends again! As much as I love being home, I could not be more grateful for this opportunity of studying abroad.
I started planning activities for ISC and I-House as soon as I arrived!!…and I’m sure this semester will be as fun as productive!
Oh, and I started an exciting thing this semester: I’m minoring in French, which is something I’ve been wanting to do since I first came here but hesitated because it sounded crazy to me studying “a third language in my second language? but then I thought “hey! crazy doesn’t mean impossible!? so here I am this semester, taking a 200-level class of French (in English, lol)
I need to go back to my reading now!
Take care and I’ll be seeing you soon!!!
Jas
Hola!! I just finished my first final this morning and decided to stop by and let you guys know. I'm so glad that it's over !! I'm done for the day but I have my World Cultures final tomorrow at 8am. By the way, the first thing any UE student would probably tell you without you even ask them is how much they hate WC, but it really isnt so bad, I actually like WC (and I think that makes one person out of 2,000, ha)
Hey, about the I-House Holiday Party, I must say that it was pretty successful. The Christmas spirit was in the air !! Four students from Japan, Greece, Mongolia and Taiwan shared with us how they celebrate Christmas in their countries; we built Gingerbread houses and we even had Purple Santa visiting us. oh, Trivia question : Why is our Santa purple? , ha!
I'll post some pictures from the party later on, so be alert!!
I have some errands to do now, so I guess i'll talk to you later !
Answer to the Trivia question: Duh! UE Purple Pride !!
Take care !!!
Hi guys!!! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!!! Here are some updates on what’s been going on here recently!
The week before Thanksgiving break, MAC (Multicultural Action Committee) offered a party to wrap the International Week with a “Fluorescent Frenzy of Fun?!!! It was pretty successful! About 75-90 students showed up and this was something unexpected because there were many other activities going on at UE and it is just great that students decided to support us, mostly because MAC is a new organization on campus and they are not so familiar with it yet. It didn’t matter the kind of music the DJ played: pop, rap, salsa, merengue and even belly-dancing music, people kept dancing until the lights were turned on announcing that it was time to leave!
In the same matter, the International Gift Sale was very successful as well!! I personally don’t have any complaints about the UE community’s support! Students here are always willing to support a good cause and that motivates me to get involved and help to promote interesting things.
For Thanksgiving Day I went with my roommate to her house which is an hour and a half from Evansville. I was particularly excited because I had never been in the USA for this holiday before and I know it is something important in the American culture and I was excited ‘cause I got to experience it with my roommate’s family, who is an American student and values Thanksgiving for what it is. We did tons of things and had a blast. I think Thanksgiving is a beautiful tradition, especially because families get together; that’s the reason I love Christmas at home!!!! I can’t wait!!!
There’s another exciting event coming soon! The I-House Christmas party! And we are having a purple Santa coming that day!!! It should be really fun!! ISC is also having a winter party and that should be a blast as well. I’ll tell you all about how these events go when the time comes.
This is the week prior finals so I’m going to be working like a bee. My plan is writing at least a line for you guys everyday telling you how busy and stressed I am, lol. However, what a relief when the last final test ends!!!!! I seriously can’t wait to experience that feeling! Anyways, my family is counting the days until I get home. AND SO I AM!!! In the meantime, I’ll have fun with the girls and enjoy the most beautiful holiday of the year: Christmas!!!!!!
I’m writing a research paper for one of my classes which is about Nelson Mandela’s life, so this time I’m going to leave you guys with one of his quotes…
“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.?
What a wise man!
Until next time, friends!
Hey... guess what! I am way too excited 'cause I just figured out how to upload a picture and post it .... HERE !
Here is my sample picture... two cool dominican students having a GREAT time at the International Bazaar, ha!
That's all for now guys! until next time !
Hola !!
I am very sorry I haven’t stopped by in a while, but please, do not think I’m abandoning you guys. Just know that I’ve been VERY busy lately. Here I am with some updates:
HOMECOMING WEEKEND. It was pretty cool. A very warm environment with kids all excited and parents all around. I hardly enjoyed the activities though, which is very sad; but it was my fault. It’s really hard to get away from your desk for a while and enjoy life (at least on the weekends); in my case, I didn’t manage my time very well the week before so I had to stay in my room doing homework. It sounds very sad, but it’s not really that bad when you get all your tests and papers back next week, lol.
USI vs. UE International Soccer Game was held last Sunday and this time it was hosted by USI International Club. We didn’t win… but it was fun! The boys did a wonderful job; especially because the weather was awful and the rain made things a little complicated for the players (I had fun running though, ha).
However, there are more exciting things coming soon! International week started this Monday and there are tons of activities that promise to be educating and fun! The International Club is having a gift sale of merchandise from around the world, hundreds of beautiful and creative items such as ornaments and jewelry provided by Ten Thousand Villages. I encourage you guys to visit their website http://www.tenthousandvillages.com
I-House is offering a special event during this International week. It is a “Poetry Reading? night. Students from different countries will be sharing poems in different languages and once again, students will have the opportunity to enjoy all the talent that only diversity can create! As the I-House coordinator this year, I am VERY excited about this week.
With all these things going on, the last thing I needed was bad news from my country; but that’s exactly what I got anyway. The Tropical Storm Noel decided to pass by my country and destroyed everything it could possibly touch. Noel, jealous of the beauty of The Dominican Republic, caused the death of many people, a lot of farmers lost their land and important bridges were destroyed. Tons of places I didn’t say “bye? to, but “see you in Christmas?, do not look the same anymore. I just hope nature does not hesitate to do its job and gives its beauty back to every corner of the Caribbean ASAP. My family was safe all the time but, still, depending on the news to know what’s happening in your country while you’re gone is not the easiest thing to experience.
Oh well, I’m sorry people, I’ll go back to the happy news now. MAC (Multicultural Action Committee) is having a party this Friday! It is going to be held at the Student Fitness Center and it will be a great opportunity to enjoy good music and food while meeting other students and enjoying a diverse environment. It should be FUN!!
On another matter, I realized today that we have less than a month left before Winter break! Time definitely flew this semester, which is good ‘cause it means that I enjoyed it; however, I am also very excited about going home for Christmas! I just LOVE Christmas in my country and I can’t wait to take that flight and get back home!
I better focus on these last weeks though, ‘cause there are many tests and final papers coming up and I really like “great endings?, lol.
And speaking of endings, I better stop here. I’ll leave you with a quote, as usual.
"In school you are taught a lesson and then given a test; in life, you are given a test that teaches you a lesson" - Tom Bodett
Hasta luego amigos!
Jasmin
Hey, here I am again with some updates….
So, I went to this event organized by Zeta Tau Alpha called “Big Man on Campus? and it was amazing! It was as fun as productive. It was very funny watching those boys trying so hard at first and then answering those serious questions in such a mature way. I also liked the speaker, Mrs. Sheila Seiler who is the executive director of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. She did a great job by leaving all students in the room with a very clear message of how important is to prevent breast cancer while we still can. The contest was very varied: Poetry, dancing, singing and even acrobatics! The winners were: in third place Chi Omega, second Phi Kappa Tau and in the first place the International Club! Yeah David Sena!! All the proceeds will benefit Breast Cancer Awareness and Education.
In another matter, I-House had its “pumpkin carving? last night. It was very fun. Both Americans and international students enjoyed creating funny and scary faces while listening to music and talking to their friends. Pumpkin carving is a special event I-House sponsors every year for Halloween.
Tomorrow I’m going to be out of campus for a while. As part of the requirements for one of my classes – ID 150, The American Corporation - we are going to Shoe Carnival. We are going to spend the whole morning taking a tour of the company, listening to important speakers and asking all the questions we want. All students are required to dress up with a business outfit. I think it is awesome that we can get to experience the concept of business outside the classroom. I’m not even a business major but I’m excited!
Hey…I already told you what I did during my Fall Break but I haven’t talked about the trip that International Club sponsors every year for all students who want to come. This time, a group of almost 30 students went to Chicago and as far as I am concerned they had a blast. I really would like to go on one of these trips sometime.
Last week in my econ class there was this guy in front of me wearing a FIJI t-shirt that called my attention because of this quote it had on it and that I will leave you guys with…
“Impossible is just a big word thrown around
by small men who find it easier to live in the
world they’ve been given than to explore the
power they have to change it.
Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion.
Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare.
Impossible is potential.
Impossible is temporary.? (And then, of course, it ended with “FIJI is everything? lol)
Hope you liked it!
Well… See ya guys later!!
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