American Idol = American Duty

Published in Chicago Flame 4/14/08

Love it or hate it, you can’t deny it; American Idol is a pop culture sensation. Who would have thought that American Idol would be as big of a hit as it is today? When the series premiered in 2002, fewer than two million people tuned in. By the season’s end, nearly 19 million viewers watched the finale. From these humble beginnings, American Idol has become a global pop culture phenomenon, which still attracts viewers today.

Americans are living in an interesting time right now. We are in the middle of many major events, two of which I would like to highlight: a new season of American Idol and the race for the 44th President of the United States.

We have been hearing about how voters have been turning out in record numbers in both of these campaigns, and I would like to take a minute to examine them a little bit deeper.

Currently in its seventh season, the typical season for American Idol runs from mid-January to late May. For those that are not abreast on Idol’s format, a season begins with auditions (you probably have seen those commercials featuring embarrassing and eccentric performances by John and Jane Does from across our fair land singing Elton John and Whitney Houston songs). After a few rounds of auditions, finalists are determined and the remainder of the show consists of performances by said finalists, who are voted for by the television audience.

According to Telescope, a mobile phone and interactive TV solution company that keeps track of American Idol’s viewership and features the largest phone voting system in the world, the fifth season of Idol (which took place in 2005) received nearly 580 million toll-free telephone and mobile text votes (”Telescope Announces Yet Another Huge Voting Season With FOX’s ‘American Idol,’” Trans-World News, May 30, 2006).

I would like to once again highlight that this all took place in a period of five months, of which voting was held on 11 different days. This means that an average of 53 million people voted each episode. I find this to be extraordinary.

Now let’s turn to American politics. In 2004, roughly 122 million people voted in the Presidential election, according to the Federal Election Commission. This all took place on Nov. 2 (with the exception for absentee ballots and perhaps a few other stragglers).

The current race for the Presidency, according to a report by “US News & World Report,” has seen 19.1 million people cast Democratic ballot while 13.1 million cast as a Republican in the first five weeks of the overall election, from the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 3 to Super Tuesday on Feb. 5 (”High Democratic Turnout Sends a Mixed Signal for November,” Feb. 28).

Looking at these numbers, I find our current voter turnout rate to be a bit discouraging (and I know I am not alone in thinking this). It’s odd that we have something such as American Idol that appeals to people who get absolutely nothing back from voting for a contestant, aside from the satisfaction that they helped someone’s position on the show. What baffles me is that many of these same people (and this is completely my opinion here and I have absolutely no evidence when I say this) probably do not vote in the Presidential campaign because they believe their vote doesn’t matter. This is what I have heard many young people say lately, that they are not interested because it doesn’t matter to them.

To me this is really frustrating because it is a) a really bad excuse for not voting and b) hypocritical of them to say. It is a bad excuse because it is the simplest and easiest way of claiming no responsibility. It really means they are too lazy/busy Facebooking/disinterested in taking an educated look at the people that will have perhaps the greatest effect on the individual lives of every citizen in our nation (George Bush has really proved this point to be true. If the average person really cared, they would likely find G.W. to be absolutely intolerable and might go about trying to impeach the man). The reason the above excuse is hypocritical is because the same statement (my vote doesn’t matter) can be said about American Idol. But that’s the interesting disconnect that we have between pop culture and civic duty in the United States today.

We think we do have a voice when it comes to pop culture, but not when it comes to politics. Many people do not feel it is part of their civic responsibility to vote for the governance of our country. I would argue that this (voting) is perhaps one of the most easily accessible and acceptable ways of displaying civic participation.

But then again, I guess American politics do not have as much sex appeal (although plenty of sex…i.e. Eliot Spitzer, Mark Foley, Ted Haggard, Larry Craig and good ol’ Bill Clinton) as the stars of American Idol. It is hard to sell politics to young people because it is not sexy, and quite frankly, sex sells, as we all know. Instead we resort to things like Rock the Vote or the Vote or Die campaign to create public awareness for voting among young people.

These things won’t fully work, though. They are nice attempts, but we need to re-think and re-teach our young people that not only should (and that it is OK) for them to care about pop culture, they must also care about American politics, because after all, the future is theirs. So when this election season rolls around, in May for American Idol and November for the politicians, take the time to get educated in order to voice your choice. Otherwise don’t complain to me if Clay Aiken ends up running the country and John McCain lands a record contract featuring the classic Beach Boys song “Barbara Ann.”

Upcoming student election hopes for increased turnout

Published in Chicago Flame 4/14/08

UIC will hold its student elections this Wednesday for positions that will be held during the 2008-2009 academic year. Positions include president, vice president, assembly and senate members for Undergraduate Student Government (USG), as well student trustee.

Elections begin on Wednesday at midnight and last through Thursday at 4:00 p.m. Students can vote at various polling sites which will be located in James Stukel Towers, Student Center East and West and the Behavioral Sciences Building. Voting can also be done online by visiting www.uicvote.net.

Many people wonder why they should bother to vote in student elections. With a campus of roughly 19,000 undergraduates, USG members and the student trustee make decisions on behalf of the entire student body.

Decisions include involvement in building renovation plans such as Grant Hall and soon to be Lincoln Hall; and organizing events such as the fall semester’s Recess, last week’s Second City performance and the upcoming Moving Wall, which will bring a portable version of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to UIC in early September. USG plays an important role in representing the interests of the student body in decisions that the university makes, which is why it is important for students to be involved in the election process.

In years past, student elections have seen relatively low turnout rates. Last years’ election saw just under 1,000 students vote (”Young Voter Apathy,” Chicago Flame, Nov. 5, 2007). But this year may prove to be different, due in part to the race for student trustee. The trustee serves on the Board of Trustees for UIC and represents the interest of the student body in various decisions involving the allocation of funds.

With three candidates campaigning for the position, including Chris Olson, James Winters and Farooq Abbasi, interest in student elections has been generated, according to acting President Brett Thurman. USG Advisor Linda Deanna, who also serves as the assistant vice chancellor for Student Affairs and the Dean of Students, said “there are more students taking part in the election [this year] than any time before.”

There is still room for improvement as far as competition goes, however. Thurman is currently the only person running for president in the election this year, due to the ineligibility of the other student who attempted to oppose Thurman because of academic requirements. And there are currently only two students running for vice president, Manu Raghavan and Rasha Atallah. Despite its best attempts, USG only has 14 people running for an assembly 25.

An increase in competition for these positions won’t happen until more students are interested in student elections. Events such as debates, which will take place today in SCE room 713, and subject to move to the Montgomery Ward Lounge, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., will attempt to generate such interest.

But this may prove to be rather menial, as it has been in previous years, when debates have had audiences that ranged from only those running in the election to a maximum of about 20 students.

An earlier election date could generate interest in students and help increase voter turnout. Elections are typically held in mid-April, a month when students are often busy preparing for finals, registering for upcoming semesters, and making plans for summer. An election in February or March, when schedules are a little more open, could boost voter turnout for the elections.

Another element that makes it harder to increase student voter turnout is a lack of information on the candidates. Granted, students can preview the ballot on uicvote.net before they vote, but the site only gives the names of those running and the positions they are running for. If anyone wanted to know anything about the candidate before they vote, they would either have to meet the candidate or seek them out in places such as Facebook and individual websites, where many of the candidates have their platforms displayed.

This year, poster boards will be displayed at polling stations and will provide an overview of each candidate’s platform alongside a picture. For those who will vote online, however, a centralized online location, where students could easily see a brief profile on a candidate and any links to other websites, could help voters make a decision when they are voting.

For now, student elections depend entirely upon word of mouth, advertisements and media coverage, all of which have been used in previous elections, and have thus far generated low voter turnout rates. This year, due to increased competition for student trustee, senate and assembly positions, voter turnout could see a boost, but nothing can be determined until after the election takes place.

Some thoughts on social networking sites

SPEAK, the organization that I co-founded with two of my close friends held a discussion about Facebook today. It went really went and we had a decent group that openly discussed the subject. When thinking about social networking sites, such as Myspace and Facebook, there seem to be so many caveats as to whether it is a good thing or bad thing for American society in particular.

Sometimes I think that it is just tossing more fuel on an already blazing fire of distraction; I say this because I see it all around me, being on a college campus. In our discussion people said that they have seen other students in their lecture halls looking at Facebook on their laptops during a lecture. I have also heard friends say that when they study together, they must remind each other not to get distracted and go to Facebook. I have to even admit that I am not immune to this either and I have found myself on it while doing homework (although I catch myself doing this and get right back on track most of the time). It is quite disturbing and strange.

But then other times I think that Facebook is really a blessing of sorts because it can connect people in so many different ways. People can connect with others from all around the world. You can also be self selecting and communicate with those people that you only want to really talk to. Of course there are downsides to these elements too.

But either way, I find the whole social networking really interesting. I can not tell whether I actually like it and think it has/is benefiting me by getting my writing out to my friends/staying acquainted with old friends, or whether I am leading myself down a path of technological and artificial dependency.

I raised a point in our discussion that I am still mulling over in my mind. Many people argue that there is no real communication going on with these social networking sites; it is filled with pokes, jabs and wall posts that say hey, gotcha and boo. Impersonal mass messages can be sent out to all (592) of your closest friends inviting people to celebrate Boxing Day in style with them at a bar down the street (just an example, this probably hasn’t happened yet, as far as I know). We also discussed how Facebook even notifies you when one of your “friends” has birthday so you can send them a poke, message or post Happy B-Day on their wall.

But I have been really wondering that perhaps the type of communication that is going on with these social networking sites is just a type of communication that we have never really experienced before. I mean sure, you could say that it has/is making people dumber (and I often have said this. The bastardization of our language through text speak and writing in all lower case letters really bothers me sometimes, as an English major). You could even say that these sights really validate and perpetuate small talk instead of real in-depth communication where we discuss issues of importance. But, maybe these types of conversations are being had either way. Maybe through the rise in technological dependency it is becoming increasingly harder to have meaningful discourse on a given subject. I am not sure where I exactly fall on this whole thing though. It’s a can of worms that I will probably continue to drag my fingers through.

Inferno interview: Kaki King on Germans, dreams and songs

Published in Chicago Flame 4/7/08

Kaki King is one of the best guitarists you have yet to hear. Her recording career began with “Everybody Loves You” (2003) and featured intense finger-picking and fret-slapping reminiscent of artists like Michael Hedges and Leo Kottke.

King has had enough time in between her incessant touring schedule to release three subsequent albums: “Legs to Make Us Longer” (2004), “…Until We Felt Red” (2006), and her most recent release “Dreaming of Revenge” (2008). She has even found time to collaborate with the Foo Fighters and Tegan & Sara, and contributed songs to the soundtrack for the film “Into the Wild,” which received a Golden Globe nomination.

Supporting her most recent album “Dreaming of Revenge,” which is a departure from her first two albums and features layers upon layers of guitars, drums, bass and vocals rather than solo acoustic guitar, I sat down with Kaki before her performance at the Empty Bottle on Apr. 1 to discuss the tour, the German language, dreams and music in general.

Inferno: How has the tour been going so far?

Kaki King: Really, really great. We have gone like every day is a brand new climate, it’s pretty amazing. We were in L.A. three or four days ago. We are moving across the country pretty rapidly and having a really good time.

I: And you are touring with an entire band. How has that been as opposed to doing it by yourself?

K: You know, I love it. I love being on stage with the guys. They are all so super talented. They are all playing for the most part parts that I wrote and played for my record. All the material is stuff that is mine. It is so nice to sort of sit back and not worry about myself having to cover all the parts or reinterpret the songs or anything. We are certainly not playing them like the way they are on the record but to kind of be my own musical director and tell people what to do and then sit in the back, it’s really nice. And we are all totally different people but we are all having the best time together. We go out every time we stop at a gas station and I’ll get out the soccer ball and kick it around for a while. Various little bonding sessions happen mostly with alcohol involved, too.

I: Do you miss the days of doing it by yourself?

K: No, I don’t. I mean, I feel lucky that those days are not going to be going anywhere, I mean, I’ll be going to Australia right after this tour and I will mostly be playing with myself and my tour manager, who is also my sound engineer, but has been doing synthesized horn, so no, in a way I don’t feel like- I love playing with a band- but I know that I’ll be a solo artist for quite some time as well.

I: So for future records you will still be coming up with most of the material yourself?

K: I would imagine so, that’s just how I am and how I work. I don’t want to say that it’s impossible, but it just seems like unless you are a band with a really, really developed sound, I don’t think I would be able to get into a studio with some guys and create something super unique.

I: So how do you go about choosing a producer? I know you used John McEntire (of Sea and Cake, Tortoise) for “Until We Felt Red;” how did you pick him of all producers?

K: Well I mean God, I had been a great fan of Tortoise- actually I think I knew Sea and Cake before I knew Tortoise- it was kind of one of those things like, what do I want to do, what am I feeling, what are the songs sounding like. So you look at it from an artistic standpoint, like where do we want to be going, and then you also look at it from the standpoint of who’s available and how’s the timing going to work out and stuff like that. But really it was just so easy with John. There wasn’t a lot of back and forth.

I: Did you get to experience Chicago when you were here recording the album then?

K: I did get to live in an apartment in Wicker Park, but I was pretty busy. On days off- and it was winter so it was pretty cold- I visited some friends, and went down to the triangle where all the nightlife is (Damen/North Ave./Milwaukee). I definitely have a lot of love for Chicago having spent ultimately about a month and a half here.

I: There is a noticeable difference between the solo acoustic guitar work on “Legs to Make Us Longer” and “Until We Felt Red.” Was there a triggering point of sorts that caused this?

K: It was [a] jump for sure. I had reached a creative lull with solo acoustic guitar and I just wasn’t writing songs. I just wanted a different sound; I wasn’t feeling it anymore. I didn’t think the third time was going to be as exciting. I didn’t think I was going to be able to go out and creatively tour behind a record that was another solo guitar [record] because that is really a hard genre to sound different in from record to record. I know your follow question would be then, “What’s this next record (”Dreaming of Revenge”) about?” What I actually ended up doing was going, “OK well now that I’ve done ‘Until We Felt Red’ and now that I’ve, you know, had a lot of interesting opportunities and traveled the world a bit more, now what do I do?” So I went and decided to write a solo guitar record, which is basically what “Dreaming of Revenge” fundamentally started off; every single [song] was written just me and a guitar and I had no idea that it would end up sounding the way it was going to sound. I retuned everything, I started using different guitars and just went for stuff, but when you are in the process working with a producer, they are just going, “I’m not here to help you re-record your demos with really expensive microphones, forget that, you are going to get creative” and every day doing creative writing as opposed to just being knob twiddlers. And that’s kind of how all these layered melodies came to be on the new record.

I: I imagine you have moments where you think, “I couldn’t imagine being where I am five years ago.” Do you ever have those moments?

K: Not when you are in Omaha, Nebraska playing for 100 people, half of whom are drunk and have no idea who you are. And they are like gypsy dancing in the front of the stage and you are like, what?- not then. But someone told me this is something you just have to accept: there is always a bad gig around the corner. Always. You can be David Bowie and sell 5,000 tickets somewhere and turn around and go to Denver and play for 400 people for some fluke of whatever. But yeah, I never would have imagined some of the things I have done and seen, the people I have worked with this year, but that’s not really where the reward lies. It’s really more being on stage and playing that one chord that you have been trying to play right every time and you can’t get it and then finally you get it. That’s where I get psyched.

I: So what are some of your interests outside of playing music?

K: I like Australian rules football. It’s basically like an incredibly violent form of rugby. It’s actually a form of rugby but far more intense. I also read a lot. I am learning German.

I: Ah, sprechen sie Deutsch?

K: Ja, I am doing my best. I have a lot of friends in Germany and have been doing the Rosetta Stone stuff and so between that, where I am learning very proper German, versus the crazy shit [my friends] tell me to say. I find that there is a side of your brain as a musician that kind of withers after a certain amount of time that you just- you know it’s very nice to be doing something that is completely the opposite of thinking about the emotional feelings of the song, that is one part of the brain, and memorizing “der Himmel ist blau” is another.

I: So what do you mostly read then?

K: I mostly read books about loners. Right now I am reading “Bomb the Suburbs.”

I: I imagine you have a lot of time driving between cities.

K: Yeah, but I am useless driving, it’s not really motion sickness. I can’t really do anything, so I just sleep a lot. That’s probably the thing I spend the most time doing, sleeping. But I have really amazing dreams so it’s totally worth it. I have this reoccurring dream that I am a German fighter pilot, but I am not a Nazi.

I: Did this come before you started learning German?

K: No. I have had a version of this dream every night for probably about a month now- my name is Gunter von Schiphol, which is weird because that’s the airport in Amsterdam. I know I’m not a Nazi but I am still having to dogfight with RAF (Royal Air Force) but what I’m really trying to do is get home. I am flying so high that I can see all of Western Europe. Then I think, maybe I’ll go to Spain instead, because I can see it there to the left. Then I have to dogfight again. And then I am slowing down or losing altitude and I look behind me and it should be nothing because I am supposed to be in a cockpit, but I look behind me and it’s my van with my trailer and it’s all the gear that we have on the road with us. Then I wake up.

I: Any idea what that signifies?

K: I think it signifies the fact that I hate gear. I hate hauling around gear, it’s heavy, it’s bulky, it’s annoying, and it breaks and gets stolen. I’d rather just pop a guitar on my back sometimes.

After the interview Kaki and her band, which consists of a drummer, a bassist/keyboardist and a guitarist blasted through a set which featured material from her entire catalogue. The evening also included a performance by Kaki on a lap steel guitar for her song “Gay Sons of Lesbian Mothers.”

If you are interested in hearing someone that “Rolling Stone” has called the first and only female “Guitar God,” be sure to give Kaki a try. And remember, if you don’t like the first album you listen to, there are three other unique and distinct albums to choose from.

For more information on Kaki King or to listen to her music, visit www.myspace.com/kakiking.

Go Cubs Go!

Published in Chicago Flame 3/31/08

As we enter baseball fever, I am reminded of the stupefying history of the Chicago Cubs. Now I am sure there will be lots of talk about the Cubs’ lack of trophy production in the last century. People will go on and on saying that we have seen two World Wars, the invention of television, a moon landing and a Cold War since the Cubs last won a World Series. But I do not wish to bash the Cubs because of laughable lists such as these.

What I do wish to consider is this: Will the Cubs continue to be losers because of their long tradition of failure, or will they redefine their tradition by forming a team that is a force to be reckoned with?

It seems to me that people enjoy traditions. People celebrate holidays, not necessarily because they enjoy them per se, but because they have become tradition. But what exactly makes a tradition? Can a tradition be started over night, or is it something that happens over time?

Considering these questions, I think back to how people in the United State may have felt in 1914, when Mothers’ Day officially became a national holiday, thanks to President Woodrow Wilson. Did families across the America celebrate the second Sunday of May in 1915 because of their newfound appreciation of their mothers, or did society gradually begin to appreciate Mothers’ Day over time?

To determine my answer to the source of tradition, I turn to the interesting dichotomy that exists in a globalized world today. We are living in the modern information age, where globalization creates culture clashes and culture shocks on levels that the world has (possibly) never seen before. This means that old traditions may diminish and new ones may arise. If we ignore this idea, we are ignoring the fact the globalization has changed and transformed anything defined as traditional in cultures throughout the world.

Somehow this all leads me back to thinking about the lovable losers, the Chicago Cubs. Their rich history of failing at defining moments has been established by characters such as a goat, Leon Durham and Steve Bartman, which are all cogs in the giant wheel of the Chicago Cubs. By definition, they are “traditional” losers, and there is no denying this fact.

But I wonder what would happen if the Cubs actually won the World Series. Perhaps it won’t be this year, or even in the next decade. But the possibility certainly exists that they may win in my lifetime.

If the Cubs won the ultimate prize, people would glorify them. Fans from all over, young and old, would sport their Cubs flags, T-shirts and caps, and people would proudly pronounce them as kings. Either way, I, and I am sure many others, would still consider them losers due to their long and established tradition of failing. But I have begun to think, maybe I am wrong; I could be making too quick of a judgment.

People have nostalgia for elements of the old days. Tourists that went to France in the ’60s and go back today are nostalgic for the ’60s. Some people in the United States even say that they long for the values of the 1950s or elements of the Reagan years (this appears to be what much of the Republican Party’s platform is - at least it appeared to be during recent Republican debates).

I have begun to wonder whether I am one of these nostalgic-driven people that bash the Cubs because of their history, and am uncomfortable with the idea that they could be good. I will willingly admit that this year could be their year (although I highly doubt it). Whatever happens, I know that because we live in a globalized world, new traditions begin every day and traditions of the past are lost. This all gets me to think that perhaps I should not take it so harshly if the Cubs become a regularly winning team.

But I am a creature of habit, and I know that based on their history, I can look forward to an interesting year. A year that will undoubtedly see Loveable Lou’s explosions, Crazy Carlos Zambrano’s ridiculous prophesies, Wilting Kerry Wood’s fluctuating health and Ron Santo’s “aawwmans” and “goshdarns” whenever a mistake occurs.

Even if the Cubs have a successful campaign this year, and happen to make the playoffs, they will not be able to redefine their tradition of losing, unless they can win it all, and stay successful for years to come.

Until the Cubs prove me wrong, that their tradition of losing is not a tradition that defines them, I will comfortably consider them as such. Now let’s play ball!

ASB: A Break from the norm

Published in Chicago Flame 3/31/08

While some students spent last week’s spring break partying, sleeping or studying, 50 students found themselves volunteering in various locations throughout the country through UIC’s Alternative Spring Break (ASB) program. Celebrating its 10th anniversary at UIC this semester, ASB sent students to Oklahoma, Texas, Mississippi, Georgia and Tennessee to volunteer with various organizations.

According to current president Amber Orenstein, ASB seeks to “immerse groups of student volunteers in diverse environments to engage in service oriented learning in the hope that they become dedicated to life-long service and social action.”

The trips place students in locations they otherwise might not find themselves, and gives them an opportunity to help local communities and organizations, as well as give those involved a sense of empowerment and understanding about themselves and the world around them.

ASB is a student-led organization which currently features 16 board members that all play an important role in ensuring the success of the semester. One of the most important roles of the board is that of site development - students who spend a considerable amount of time researching and organizing each trip. This semester featured trips that dealt with rural and urban poverty, Native American awareness, community building, farm workers rights, and affordable housing.

Perhaps one of the greatest obstacles for ASB is affordability for students. Unlike many ASB programs at other universities, UIC receives minimal amounts of financial support from the university itself. Through bake sales, private donations and an annual auction, ASB is able to offer trips to students from anywhere between $150 and $200. Costs cover gas, transportation, housing and some food, as well as any other location-specific materials, such as hazmat suits, which were needed for a previous trip to New Orleans.

Students frequently rave about their trip upon returning.

According to San Juan, Tex. volunteer Colette Conlisk, “It is an amazing experience that I would recommend to anyone.”

The trips often give students opportunities to not only interact with a new community, but also alongside other students, each with their own unique stories and perspectives. Something that Orenstein sees as one of the most important aspects of going on a trip is that it “lets people know who you are and in so doing you find out a lot more about yourself.”

This year, Orenstein set some lofty goals for herself and the rest of the ASB board. She sought to increase awareness of ASB on campus, double the amount of trips offered from previous years, and to raise $10,000 to cover costs for these expanded opportunities. Through help with faculty advisor Jennifer Kosco, the ASB board and previous board members such as former president Barath Badrinathan, Orenstein has accomplished such goals.

Assistance from these different areas has helped ASB’s board to be what Kosco refers to as “one of the most organized and strongest [ASB] boards in years.” Orenstein, who relinquishes her position after this semester, kept ASB’s mission statement as her priority as well as broadened its presence on campus.

Former president Barath Badrinathan praised Orenstein by saying, “It is nice to see that other people are taking as much action as I had and are improving the organization.”

While nearly half the students that applied for this past semester’s trips were turned down, they should not be discouraged; there is always next year. Almost all of the accepted students hadn’t gone on an ASB trip before so as to guarantee an opportunity to newcomers every time. Students must fill out an application in order to go on a trip before each spring and winter break, and undergo an interview process to find the right mix of students for each trip.

The future of ASB at UIC has certainly been improved through the hard work of Orenstein, Badrinathan, Kosco and the current ASB board, and UIC will undoubtedly see new trip locations and opportunities for students in years ahead.

ASB is currently planning on having a final fundraiser some time in late April, when it will feature a game of tug of war in the quad - in which all students are invited to join, so be sure to keep an eye out for the event. Anyone that is tired of the usual break, whether it involves sitting in a dorm, apartment, or house, and who wants to have an alternative experience should consider ASB for next year’s winter and summer breaks.

The end

After driving for nearly twenty-four straight hours we finally got back to Chicago safely (with a little help from our friends at Denny’s on Saturday at 3 am). Overall the trip was very educational, while at the same time enjoyable. I have made friendships with people I didn’t expect I would. I will be posting an article on my ASB experience/an overview of the LUPE trip in the near future. Be sure to watch out for those and all my other random blogs. And as always, if you have anything questions/comments, don’t be afraid to send me an email or post it at the end of post.

South of the Border

(more pictures to be added later)

This will be the last blog entry before our mega express run back to Chicago. Yesterday we had a busy day. In the morning we went to the colonias to help throw away garbage. It is a strange situation because the government doesn’t pick up the trash, since they are not legal neighborhoods. LUPE arranges to have a dumpster show up for a week at a colonia and the citizens can throw out their trash. The difficult part is that they only get to do this about once a year, and when the people that live in the colonias have the opportunity to throw their trash out, they are normally working and therefore unable to do so, since the dumpsters are only brought to the colonias during weekdays and not on the weekends.

We helped out a handful of people that were around to throw their trash out. It has been amazing to see how quickly a group of ten young, energetic individuals can accomplish large tasks that would normally take at least an hour for one person to do in less than ten minutes. It has been like this all week. We have planted, resoiled, dug holes, installed insulation in homes, sanded cabinets, picked up garbage in such quickness it amazes me. The appreciation that all the people that we have worked with has been phenomenal too.

After a week of frightening dogs we finally met some nice ones in the colonias while cleaning yesterday. One was a boxer named Rocky and another small dachshund looking fella named Shrek. Of course there were a few of my fellow travelers that wanted to take them home with us.

After the colonias yesterday morning we came back and ate food at camp LUPE. The food that they have prepared for us all week for lunch has been wonderful. And there has been a large variety as well. Enchiladas, nopales (a dish with cactus and shrimp, this was possibly my favorite), fidello (noodles, one day was even alpha noodles), caldo de res (a beef soup of sorts), carne con papas (a stewy kind of beef), and of course plenty of Mexican rice, beans, and tortillas; mucho bueno.

After lunch we went were led by our guide Martha to check out the proposed wall location in the town of Mission, which is a small town that is famous for producing Tom Landry (famous football player/coach esp. with the Dallas Cowboys). There was even a Tom Landry mural on Tom Landry Street.

Martha led us to the levee that is just off of the Rio Grande River, which separates the United States from Mexico. The levee is an interesting situation because it looks to be about five feet high. The river is south of the levee by about four hundred feet and there are houses and restaurants that are between the river and the levee. They would definitely be underwater if there were any major floods or storms that caused the Rio Grande to overflow.

Martha told us a lot about the levee system and how it is so under funded and that it is something that really needs to be taken care of soon. This is something we have heard throughout the week. Many of the people have referenced Hurricane Katrina and said that with the amount of money that has been poured into the area after the levees were breached could have easily been spent before Katrina hit, and therefore it would have been a lot cheaper to spend the money on it before. This is their rationale for asking for the money now – before a situation arises. And quite frankly, I agree with them. I begin to think about this though and think of the likelihood that anything will gone and don’t think it is too realistic. Once again, because the people who live in the area that would be affected by a levee breach (as in Katrina) I am not sold on the idea that they government even sees it as worth putting money into securing this area. Oh and for the record, many of the people in the area that would be affected by this are in fact legal, according to Martha. The church that Mission is named after (which was under construction as we passed by it yesterday and looks to be able to fit twenty-five people at most) would even be washed away.

So today we are heading to the Commissioner’s office to help support legislation that would reallocate funds that have been directed towards building the wall (which is a whole other issue I may go into later) to building better levees. The reason we are going is because a few people from LUPE are attending to show their support for the legislation in hopes that it passes.

After we saw the Rio Grande, we dropped Martha off and headed for the border on the 1015 expressway. We parked on the Texas side of the border, got out of our van, paid a quarter to walk through a stall, and headed towards Mexico. There is a little sign on the bridge that you cross that signifies the split. And boy was Mexico was quite a sight to see. It reminded me of when I went to New York and got out of the turnpike and saw a world that looked like a movie set. We walked past armed guards (who had automatic weapons and a tank) and entered the world of tourism. We walked literally one street because it was full of stores that tourists eat up. There seemed to be a pattern to the stores as well. It went something like souvenir/trinket shop, dentist, pharmacy, dentist, smaller souvenir shop, bar, pharmacy, dentist. There were so many dentists it was unbelievable. I guess a lot of people come from the US to get their dental work done.

There were cars all over; kids ran around selling handmade crafts and flower, and many even offered a shoeshine. People sat on corners with cups in their hand for spare change. Workers in the pharmacy stood outside their store and boasted about what lay inside (which I thought was an extremely strange thing to do). We walked up and down the street (which sort of reminded me of Bourbon street in New Orleans, or Beale Street in Memphis) where all the tourists hang out, both out of convenience and fear to explore the rest of the surrounding area. Hammocks were sold for $10, beers for $2, margaritas were 2 for $5 at some places, and there were tacos galore. We stopped at a taqueria stand for about twenty minutes and ate tacos like fiends. They were five for three dollars and oh so deliciouso.

I could go on and on about the crazy shops we saw but I won’t. I will have to continue this all after we get home. Tons of things to update about today. I look forward to the interesting weather it sounds like we are having back home.

Uno Grande Horchata

The golden sun beamed down on us today. It was another day of hard labor, at least for some of our crew. Today we split our groups up a bit, with three people going to a local clinic that largely serves undocumented people. I was not among this group, but from what I hear it mostly involved a lot of filing and following nurse practitioners (the people that went are all interested in the medical industry).

The rest of our crew worked on more lawn detail, replanting various plants. While four of the fellas dug up and relocated a cactus-like plant, I was busy riding a John Deere, straddling ditches and cutting weeds. The sun finally was as expected; hot and unforgiving. But it was a good way to spend a morning before we ate another good authentic lunch. In the afternoon I helped put together a wooden bench and then went to Proyecto Azteca, which is where houses are built by LUPE members.

The housing situation is interesting because it is a situation where people apply and go through this process of waiting to build a house based on many factors, some of which include income and the immediacy of need for the house. There are zero percent interest rates on these houses and payments for them are worked to be whatever a family can afford. It was interesting to hear the other day when we were in the loan office that they are now experiencing some trouble because some people are not making their payments on houses/loans given to them and they are not sure how to deal with it. It is basically a trust system that they have set up. They do not perform background checks or anything, its all just a system where they say that if someone is not paying, they send someone to the person’s house and ask them why not, what they need etc.

Each family must put in 500 sweat equity hours (work done by family members) in order to get their house. Five of us spent the afternoon sanding the cabinets of a house that will be owned by an elderly couple, so they will not have to put in their 500 hours.

Tomorrow we will be cleaning out colonias instead of today and we also plan on going to Mexico tomorrow afternoon/early evening. We plan on bringing a local with us so we do not run into trouble. From what I hear we will be leaving our van on the American side of the border, walking into some type of stall and paying thirty cents to enter Mexico. Sounds like going to Aldi’s and paying for a shopping cart.

Working with my fellow students on a trip such as this really gives me an opportunity that I have already been grateful for. We have had many great conversations and I look forward to continuing them over the next couple of days. It is amazing how we got in the van just four days ago and sat almost dead silent for twenty minutes and now no one will pipe down for a minute.

Oh and we finally did elotes today. Not as great as everyone anticipated as they put so much chili powder on the corn that it was kind of unappealing. They also served it in a cup instead of on the cob, which made it even more unappealing. But I ate it anyways and even got a huge jug of Horchata for two dollars.

Kujo y Colonias

Today we got to see the area outside of LUPE’s grounds. The day began with a guide bringing us to what are called colonias; these are neighborhoods which are set up by illegal residents who do not have means to afford suitable housing. They often lack sanitation development and many other basic necessities that are provided through local governments, due to their illegality. For more information view the wikipedia page on colonias here.

It was really interesting to walk around the colonias and hand out papers on behalf of LUPE in order to increase awareness about the organization and a march that they are planning on having this coming Saturday. It will be a march in memory of Cesar Chavez and they expect to have 800 people involved, followed by a fiesta.I had difficulty with the lack of Spanish that I have, but luckily through the help of five confident Spanish speakers we got the job done. That does not mean I didn’t try out my Spanish all day (much to my dismay when I ordered dinner in Spanish as Plato y Mexicano the waiter responded by saying Mexican plate).

It seems that many people own dogs in the colonias and near LUPE’s camp, but they all appear to just ramble on down the road throughout the day. Many of them appear to be harmless, even with their incessant barking, but the people in our group seem to be afraid that all of the dogs are rabies infested Kujo-type dogs.

There is a debate that exists inside me that is a bit confused about the whole idea of the colonias though. I understand that they are openly accepted as areas where illegal immigrants live, but I am confused as to how/why the border patrol do not invade these areas. Perhaps it’s a legality issue, or perhaps it’s a manpower issue, or perhaps something else. I do know that Texas has the largest amount of colonias in the United States (920 of which reside in Hidalgo County – where LUPE is located). It is all a very interesting situation and I look forward to finding out more. Apparently since they are illegal neighborhoods they do not have garbage collected, so we will somehow be working on cleaning out garbage in the colonias tomorrow.

The weather has warmed up a bit since we have gotten here and this past evening it looked like it was going to rain a terrible storm. No rain ever did come and it makes me wonder how the plants can survive in such dry weather.

Today has once again proved to be an interesting day, traveling around and seeing the disparities between various areas. Extravagantly and economically stable houses are sporadically strewn about in neighborhoods that look to be little above squalor. I certainly look forward to exploring the greater area of San Juan more in the last few days that we have here. We definitely saw an interesting side of the area in the town of McAllen which seems like driving down the street of Anysuburb, USA fit with Buffalo Wild Wings, Fudruckers, and Bennigan’s. We slipped our way into what we hoped would be an authentic Mexican restaurant, but it was nothing compared to the food we have had made by our authentic friends at LUPE. Tomorrow we look for elote, Mexican corn on the cob.