Round 2 - Tomas Moreno

Some CHANGE Could Do You Good!

Well, now is time for me to attempt to debrief you all on CHANGE, Oxfam, and my state of mind.

First of all, CHANGE is an initiative though Oxfam America that aims at mobilizing rising college students interested in social justice (particularly though their "rights based approach") to start campaigns on their college campuses. Our training consisted of y days of intense discussions, activities, hands on activities, and just some really fun times. The basics of it revolved around the idea of promoting our own involvement with Oxfam America though one of three avenues: climate change, extractive industries, and FAST and emergencies (the one I am doing) which includes hunger and poverty work. So, now that we have this training, we are given the opportunity to work with oxfam via their aid in providing us with materials including, but not limited to: technical support, pamphlets, articles, studies, speakers, money to attend conferences, movies, and pretty much everything under the sun.

Oxfam now, is a humanitarian organization that aims at ending poverty and injustice though a "rights based" ground up approach. Oxfam does not go into countries and impose solutions, instead they work with people on the ground and asses their needs and aim at addressing what means they see fit. Moreover, in general, Oxfam does not run these programs, it is almost always the people in that area that organize around this idea and these goals.

So, this all has affected me profoundly. Essentially, it has made me grow up a lot in a very small amount of time. CHANGE has made me reassess my life, my goals, and my values and finally take a hard look at what I was doing in the world. For that, I am eternally grateful to Oxfam, CHANGE, and the people who helped me to realize my potential. I always feel pumped after attending a conference like this (just look at my blog about the Power 100 here), but CHANGE was something else, I feel different from my core. I am not just energized about doing things with Oxfam, but I am energized about the possibilities in my future and the effects that I may have upon people in my life. It was and is the most life changing thing I have ever experienced, all in just a week.

So, if you would like any more information about Oxfam, the CHANGE Initiative, how you can get involved or anything, please don't hesitate to email/comment/facebook/call me. I want to help.

Quote of the Blog: "[T]he more we open to others and show love and compassion, the less we are obsessed with ourselves and the more confident we become."--His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso

Sorry!

Hey, so sometimes life and dreams get in the way of one of my favorite activities, BLOGGING! So, I'm sorry about not blogging sooner about the CHANGE Conference, but I've just really needed to reassess things on my end and decompress a little. I am actually on my way out right now (as always) but I do plan on sitting down and spilling my life for you all!

On another note, I have a really fun idea that is in the works for my last few weeks blogging before you freshmen come on campus for real! Hopefully you will enjoy it!

Quote of the Blog: “Let no one be discouraged by the belief there is nothing one person can do against the enormous array of the world’s ills, misery, ignorance, and violence. Few will have the greatness to bend history, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events. And in total of all those acts will be written the history of a generation” - Robert Francis Kennedy

Basically this quote is my mantra right now and I LOVE it! Also, it is at the end of all of my emails right now! email me here with any questions/comments/concerns!

Make CHANGE Happen!

So, this week I am at this really great conference held here in Boston by OXFAM America and it is phenomenal. I can't say much because we're REALLY busy but it rocks and I've met some awesome people. It is about spurring change and making things happen on your campuses and ensuring that social justice is reached. Well, I have to go because we're going to dinner now but I will give you the complete low down later this week (like Saturday).

What to Pack for College Pt. 4

For this edition of WPC (I know the acronym looks like its important!) I would like to highlight Surge Protectors.

Basically you need to know that your room will NOT have enough plugs for all of your stuff. Marsh (from my memory) has only 10 plugs in the whole room, including two in the closets. This means you get four on your side and your roommate has four on their side. Allocating them the best way, you would have one for a fridge or microwave, one for your computer, one for your television, and one for your lamp. Simply put its not enough. So, a great investment is to have two surge protectors per person. This way you have one in the front of the room and one in the back of the room. You are able to have your desk utilities (computer, printer, phone charger, and external hard drive) and your "fun" items (television, video game system, lamp, and reading lamp) separate and in a supply such that you may actually live without constantly making choices between what items to use at any given time. Also, it allows you to unplug everything all at once during check out and makes an RA's job easier!

Quote of the blog: "They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself."--Andy Warhol

What to Pack for College Pt. 3

WHITE BOARDS!!!!!!

Basically these things are the best inventions ever! I have a huge one of these that I use for everything from organizing, planning, doing math problems, drawing, and everything in between.

It is a really good thing to have as my next door neighbors John and Daniel found out. I had 3 last year, one outside my door, one for a daily calendar, and one for random work. They are AMAZING! Basically, they are phenomenal.

So, Go get 'em of ALL different sizes.

Quote of the Blog: "When other beings, especially those who hold a grudge against you, abuse and harm you out of envy, you should not abandon them, but hold them as objects of your greatest compassion and take care of them."--His Holiness the Dalai Lama (14th) - Tenzin Gyatso

What to Pack for College Pt. 2

Installment number two is a fan! Basically this is a necessity from day one. South Carolina is hot, nuff said!

If you are lucky enough to be in Marsh (4th floor perhaps!) you will find out how much one of these beauties is needed rather quickly. You see the Marsh heating/cooling system has two settings hot and cold and they are on 24/7 except for 4 days during which it switches over from hot to cold or vice versa. This means that during the days in the winter that its hot, Marsh will be ridiculous and same for those days that maintenance is changing the system. So you will need it!

And on a greener note, it will be imperative to have a far to reduce your use of your heating/cooling system as you can either use a fan instead of or auxiliary to your system!

Quote of the Blog: "When I want to think, I sit. When I want to change, I act." --Japanese Proverb

I Laughed So Hard At This!

So I had to share this. If you will notice, there are no terriers in this video at all and as such it should be used as further proof that you chose/are looking at the right school!

What to Pack for College Pt. 1

So, as promised here is the first of my new series of blogs, "What to Pack for College". The purpose of these blogs are to provide you with some tips on what to bring because I know that about now last year I was beginning to collect my belongings to go on this great adventure called COLLEGE!

:D

So the focus of this blog will be something that many a person forgoes in their college planning: carpet. The thing is, floors are cold, especially concrete floors, heck the tile floors in the village are cold! It will be a thousand times harder for you to get out of bed in the morning if you have to put your feet on cold concrete, trust me, I know!

As such I would suggest that you purchase some carpet with your room. Now the cost may be split between you and your roommate or one person can buy it just as another may buy the fridge, microwave, etc. But in all seriousness, you will yearn for carpet. I had some friends who lacked carpet all year and they told me they had to have socks on at all times just to be able to walk in the winter and it was still cold!

If you would rather go for a more "unique" approach, I would instead recommend either carpet squares (crazy expensive) or a myriad of rugs.

So, go out there incoming students and purchase some carpet!

P.S. For all other goods I recommend that you go to Bed, Bath and Beyond if you live a ways away as they have a special program where you can pick up all of your items at the Bed, Bath and Beyond near campus. That's what I did!

So, I Suck, I'm Sorry!

I've been a lame blogger as of late and I must apologize for that. Well, as you can easily surmise from Mal and Lisa, session 2 has started of Summer School and that means I now have to wake up at 7am.

Yes, I have the dreaded 8am class. Now I am not a morning person so this usually ends up with me waking up at 7:40, taking a shower and then heading to class at 7:50 from the apartments. No fears though as I have in the fall both 8 and 8:30 classes! :D

Nonetheless, class is going well but seeing as I have yet to have a full week of classes as of yet I'm not too sure as to everything Macroeconomics has to offer me yet.

Also, I have decided to do a new series of blogs to help incoming students.

They will start tomorrow but you should be EXCITED! :D

And for this blog's quote, I would instead like to provide this video from a great site called ImprovEverywhere. They specialize in doing random acts of funny in cities around the globe. This one brings to mind High School Musical. ENJOY!

AHHHHHHHH!

Wow, I just kinda realized that I have not done a "real" blog in 8 days! I'm sorry!

Well, finals are this week. It is kinda crazy to think that we've covered a semester's worth of material in just under 1 month!

Other than that, I should be/have been studying.....as these pictures can attest...I'm sorry!

Well, I need to go. BTW, the girl in the picture has a paper that is due tomorrow...yea....