Nazario Lecture

Monday, November 16th I attended the lecture on Enrique’s Journey given by the author Sonia Nazario for the Honors College. For about an hour Nazario spoke about her experience while writing the book, how she came up with the idea, and the people she met along the way. Afterward there was a question and answer session open to everyone in the audience. Hearing the author of Enrique’s Journey speak in person about the hardships of immigrants and respond to questions made the contents of the book seem even more like a reality.
However, having read Enrique’s Journey like most other honors students, I was disappointed that much of Nazario’s lecture was a synopsis of the story and its introduction. She did add some other tidbits of information on immigration that were interesting, such as current statistics and immigration in relevance to North Carolina. Nazario’s mention of the Obama Administration’s plan to control immigration was also interesting and I would have preferred her speak about that issue for the majority of her time. I was shocked that our President (whose platform during election was all about change) is pursuing the same plan previous Presidents have chosen. Build a big wall. Clearly this is not an effective strategy considering that immigrants from Central America are still pouring in. I liked Nazario’s plan she proposed during her lecture. She suggests that the United States help countries in Central America create jobs so that there would be no need for their citizens to risk their lives coming to the U.S. To me, as well as many others, this seems like a clearly plausible plan that would have more of an effect. My hope is that awareness will spread through Nazario’s book Enrique’s Journey and this plan to eliminate the hardships of Central American immigrants will become clear to politicians in power.

My Education, My Plan

My freshman year of high school I took a class that helped me discover what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. The class was called “Apparel Development” and was taught by Mrs. Martin, a strict but inspiring woman. In reality, the class was just a simple variation of what many know as “Home Economics.” It had a focus on apparel construction and our main assignment of the class was to sew a set of pajamas in four months. This seemed like a fairly simple task at first, however, my classmates and I soon learned that Mrs. Martin’s standards of quality were exceptionally superior and sent many of us back to our machines to start over again on a daily basis. By the end of the semester I had a new found respect for anyone who could sew and found myself wondering if I could be a part of the apparel industry one day. Since my pajamas were close to un-wearable, I started to look into the behind-the-scenes element of fashion and uncovered a fast-paced, glamorous, and competitive industry that intrigued me. Since then, I have been working towards my dream of a career in fashion.
Along with my enthusiasm for fashion, I am also interested in the French language. Learning about the French language and culture has led me to research other cultures as well. My interest in International studies and the opportunity to be in the Lloyd International Honors Program were some of the deciding factors for choosing UNC Greensboro. Currently my major is Consumer, Apparel, and Retail Studies with a concentration in Global, Apparel, and Related Industries and a minor in French. With the combination of CARS, International and Global Studies, and Honors classes, I hope to leave college with a well rounded education that will help me pursue a career in the international apparel industry.
After learning about the current issues with major apparel companies using sweat shops to manufacture their garments, I have narrowed down my goals. In many cases, companies are unaware or choose to ignore the abuse that is taking place. I find this issue inhuman and a great injustice that occurs all over the world as well as in our own country. I want to become a sourcing consultant for the apparel industry assisting companies pick overseas contractors who respect the quality specifications, regulations, and human rights laws set by the United States. Hopefully I can help prevent apparel companies from associating themselves with contractors who abuse their employee’s rights and harbor unhealthy working conditions.
For the next three years here at UNCG I plan on taking several practical steps towards achieving my goal. Outlined in my course requirements for both my major and minor are classes in consumer, apparel, and retail, International and Global studies, and the French language. I also plan to take courses offered in the honors department throughout the next three years. I am particularly fascinated by classes concerning philosophy and ethical principles. During the spring semester of 2011 I am planning a study abroad trip to Lyon, France. There I hope to utilize my skills in French and take international business classes that will contribute to my major as well as my minor. The summer before my senior year I am required to find an internship. My goal is to locate an apparel company that is considerably involved in international relations. Interning for a company such as this and performing well could lead to an opportunity in the type of position I want after graduation with the same company.
If I do succeed in a career as a sourcing consultant then it would be essential that I know the traditional customs, language, and social norms of different countries. Respectfully interacting with business associates all over the world is important. The learning plan I have outlined will help me understand these ideas better and assist me in becoming an effective activist for the issue I am concerned with.
However, I realize that this plan that I have constructed for myself is only a set of helpful guidelines and not an exact framework of how my life will play out. It took my mother twelve years to finally land her dream job after college graduation and I know that like her, I may have to follow some unplanned paths until I can get back to my ultimate goal. I also know that a lot can change over the course of a few years and my goals now may not be the same goals I have in the future. My degree from UNCG could take me in many different directions and it would be wise to take advantage of any interesting opportunities that present themselves. Right now my goal is to become a sourcing consultant and ameliorate the human rights issues in the apparel industry. These aspirations may change in the future, but my goal to be happy will never alter.

The Coat Hanger Project

Wednesday, November 4th I attended a documentary entitled The Coat Hanger Project. The film was a feminist look on the issue of abortion and the concept of reproductive justice. Before viewing the film I was unclear as to what the coat hanger symbolizes. I learned from the film that due to illegalization of abortion, millions of women die or suffer from permanent injury from attempts to self abort using coat hangers or knitting needles. Since the landmark case of Roe v. Wade in 1973 abortion has been legal in most states. However, every year proposals are brought forth in legislation to ban abortion. Therefore, the fight for reproductive justice still continues.
The term reproductive justice was coined by Loretta Ross who has also started the Reproductive Justice Movement. The definition of reproductive justice is the “complete physical, mental, spiritual, political, social, and economic well being of women and girls, based on the full achievement and protection of women’s human rights.” This includes the right to have a child and the right to not have a child. Today many pro-choice activists participate in counter-protests to help protect their right for reproductive justice. In 2006 South Dakota legislature made an attempt to ban abortion without an exception for rape, incest, or risk to a woman’s health. Luckily the bill was overturned. However, this is one example that women must continue to fight to keep legal abortions.
Many people think that abortion is killing potential lives and therefore should be illegal. However, it is my opinion that the government shouldn’t dictate what a woman can or cannot do to her own body. Women should have the right to make their own decisions. I think this documentary further solidified my stance on the issue. Many women have died from trying to perform their own abortions. If abortion was illegal then women would still find ways to have abortions. However, they would be considerably less safe abortions. A pro-choice activist interviewed in the documentary said it best. “I’m not saying that potential lives are not valuable, but are they more valuable than the lives that are already here?”

Peace is Every Step

Tuesday, November 3rd, I viewed a documentary entitled Peace is every Step. The film was a biography on Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, teacher, poet, and peace activist. Thich Nhat Hanh is most famous for his peace efforts during the Vietnam War and for founding the School of Youth for Social Services in Saigon. His organization rebuilt bombed villages set up schools and established medical centers. Today, he travels the world lecturing on world peace and teaching his practices of “mindfulness” and “interbeing.”
Before beginning the documentary, Dr. Grieve a professor of religious studies led us in a meditation. The meditation exemplified the act of “mindfulness” through the process of eating an orange. Our goal throughout the meditation was to concentrate on the orange and rid our minds of all other thoughts. After the film started I learned from Thich Nhat Hanh that “mindfulness” is being aware of your own experience in the world and being completely present at all times. His practice of mindfulness also corresponds to his practice of interbeing. To interbe is to be aware of the inter-connected-ness of all things. “It is impossible to be alone, you must interbe.” Thich Nhat Hanh especially stresses the interbeing between humans and nature as well as the interbeing between countries. Thich Nhat Hanh believes that all conflicts should be resolved with peace.
I found Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings very interesting and applicable in my own life. Taking a few minutes out of my day to meditate and clear my mind could help me be mindful of my experiences in the world and interbe with the nature around me. “Life can be found only in the present moment. The past is gone, the future is not yet here, and if we do not go back to ourselves in the present moment, we cannot be in touch with life.”

Paris Dancing in the 1920s: Two by Cocteau

On Friday, October 30th I attended Paris Dancing in the 1920s: Two by Cocteau at the UNCG Department of Dance Theatre. The performance included two dance adaptations of scenes written by Jean Cocteau entitled Le Boeuf sur le Toit (1920) and Le Train Bleu (1924). Jean Cocteau was a French poet, novelist, dramatist, playwright, and filmmaker. He was considered a surrealist during his time and is known for experimenting with verbal codes, mise en scene language and modern technologies in his works. The dance department’s performance of his two pieces illustrated these aspects, but with a modern twist.
The first piece performed, Le Boeuf sur le Toit, was Cocteau’s idea of a farce about American prohibition. The scene took place in an American “speakeasy” and included a bar fight, a couple of flappers, and a suspicious policeman. However, the performance was presented more as a dramatic mime and didn’t incorporate much dance technique. The second scene, Le Train Bleu, took place on the coast of the French Riviera and was rewritten considerably to fit the cast and to appeal to current audiences. The action included tennis players, swimmers, and two media thirsty characters known as “The Queen” and “The Music Hall Star.” This performance incorporated much more dance to convey the action and was my favorite of the two scenes. However, the musical interlude presented between the two scenes was the greatest performance of the evening in my opinion. The interlude included a tap number and vocalist that reflected on the spirit of the 20’s as well as the popular music of the time.
Overall, I thought it was a wonderful performance that encompassed some of my favorite things: dance, French culture, and music. Having danced for twelve years I paid close attention to the technique and could appreciate the talent of the performers. I also love the French language and culture and plan to do study abroad in Lyon, France in the spring of 2011. Watching this performance reminded me of my future plans and left me excited about my upcoming international experience.