Oh, Grammy's...(Yes, this would be my commentary)

So, I managed to spend my entire evening watching the Grammy's and I had a few thoughts that I just felt the need to share. Maybe someone can understand!!

1. Ryan Seacrest, Juiliana, Kelly Osborne...you make a great fashion team. I really loved watching the three of you discuss peoples' outfits. I'm not convinced that I believe you, but it was fun nonetheless.
2. When did sitting in an egg become an iconic move? Mad props to Lady Gaga for transforming the way that America sees fashion...(not completely sure I understand it, but it's kind of genius)
3. J. Hudson - you look amazing. A-MA-ZING! Please share you're trainer with me because I know that WeightWatchers alone didn't help to form that body.
4. Bieber-Fever! Bieber-Fever! Need I say more? Guddi, I know if you were here you'd understand... :) (P.S.-Kind of want to see the movie now...is that bad?)
5. And, why is Selena Gomez trying to act all discrete. We all know you're a couple.
6. Why is the Smith family so ridiculously cute?! OMG! I sometimes wish that Jayda and Will were, like, my second set of parents. And the little boy is Will Smith's son turned actor turned rapper? What? Love it!!
7. Banjos at the Grammy's. Really? Okay.
8. Um...Gweneth Paltrow?! [uncomfortable pause]. I know you did that movie where you looked ridiculous trying to be a country star (at least from the previews, which is as far as I got). Honestly, when did you start singing. Not saying I didn't enjoy it a little, but really...
9. What happened to reggae? And ragga? Grammy...you're slacking! Why don't we have a Bob Marley throwback. "No woman, no cry" (Guddi, Mark - shout out!)
10. As I watch Katy Perry, all I can think about is how having a distinct "persona" is the new thing. Katy, Gaga, and let's not forget Ms. Menage...
11. Why didn't the cast of Glee perform. Now that would have been awesome! The show is starting to make me feel like I should be watching "the Kardashians" (except, even Kim is at the Grammy's). 
12. When is Bieber going to win a Grammy? I don't want to wait anymore.
13. Rianna's dress was kinda hot, Emininem is kinda hot, and Dr. Dre is still alive!
14. P.S.- John Legend is super hot!

Gosh, I really love the Grammy's...

Happy Weekend!!

I write to you with a smile on my face today because I have internet access. (Apparently, no one else in my building does...thank you wi-fi!).

Aside from that happy moment, I think I've actually reached a point of being overwhelmed. I mean, life is crazy, and so is keeping up! I can barely deal with 6 classes, thesis, and 25 hours of work, but add the planning for the upcoming African cultural showcase and you can see gray hair sprouting from my head! Ahh! (But, let me do a shout out - Karamu: An African Celebration - is coming to the Boston area via Kresge Cafeteria at 6 pm on Feb. 23; holler!).

Since I'm procrastinating a bit (just kidding - a lot a bit), I did want to share that while it seems that things haven't been the most upbeat lately, there are all sorts of fun and exciting activities happening around here! This past weekend started with my friend's 25th bday at a club called Gypsy, the first club I went to after moving to Boston! Saturday for me included a workout and some major grocery shopping, and then I took the rest of the day for myself to get some much needed R&R.

For the rest of my classmates, though, Saturday was the famous Winter Ball (a formal dance/"Prom" for HSPH students). I heard this years' was popping with a whopping 450 guests (at least!). Definitely a good way to interact with classmates in a non-academic environment.

(Unfortunately, this is the only pic I could scrounge up from FB...If anyone has more, please share)

My Sunday hasn't been anything to get excited about but the Grammy's will be starting really soon, so that's exciting. Also, the rest of this month is full of activities through school and Shattuck including:

• A Hispanic Leadership Conference in Chicago this weekend (yay!!! Midwest represent)
• Weekend ski trip
• Karamu!!! (be there or be square)
• Wine tasting
• Potluck dinner
• and the biggest career fair of the year! 

Good thing I got some rest this weekend; it's seems like I'll need all that I can get!

Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you only spend it once.

-From Lillian Dickson

Reflections on Diversity and People at HSPH

Yesterday marked the 3rd Annual Unity Reception, an Office of Diversity-sponsored event where the school publicly reaffirms its commitment to diversity. On the one hand, the event is a huge political feat as Dean Frenk takes time out of his busy schedule to offer some words on diversity at HSPH (and us students get to eat really yummy food). On the other hand, the event is filled with irony, as Office of Diversity Director Dr. Dale Trevino comments on the historical importance of diversity in a U.S. setting and not one  Hispanic-American is present. (In fact, in recent discussions with classmates, I'm not sure that there are any in the entire school...)

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the diversity that we do have and the commitment that the school makes; other schools (*cough*cough*Hopkins) have rearranged priorities, and supporting offices such as an Office of Diversity is not among them. It was just so interesting that this event occurred because lately, I've been doing a lot of reflecting. I've been thinking about the people I've met and relationships I've formed here at HSPH. I know that with my ridiculous load, this shouldn't even be on my list of things to do, but since I took the time to think it, I figured I might as well share...

I was speaking with a friend of mine the other day, and he commented that he couldn't believe that one year was almost over. If he had chosen to complete his MPH in the suggested 9-month time frame, he didn't feel that he would have had enough time to get to know HSPH, Harvard, and the people here. On the one hand, I can see that. I feel that I made several relationships last year, some of which have become stronger from a distance. I guess in one year, you have a limited time to really get to know someone and so much of what you remember is either: you liked them or you didn't; you clicked or you clashed; you want them to be a part of your future network or you don't. When I look back on my relationships from last year, there are a few people that I feel I've remained close with since they graduated last year and there are several others that I keep in touch with from time to time. I love them as people, value their friendship, and respect them for what they have (and will) accomplish.

Then, there are people that I wouldn't have truly become friends with if I had graduated last year. Some of my closest amigas here now are students I knew last year but didn't connect on a personal level with until after the one-year hump. 

But then there are those that after some time, I've started to question our relationship. Do they really value me as a friend? Or was our connection more for networking purposes? Is the way I'm feeling now based on "signs" I didn't notice all along, or is it me that's changed? Or perhaps, is this just the nature of the relationships we form at this institution, within the average age-group here, and at this level, as opposed to what my experience before coming here. For the very few people who came straight out of undergrad, is this the manifestation of "growing up?"

Thinking of all of this brought me back the concept of diversity among students at HSPH. It occurred to me that the students here come from such a variety of backgrounds, which while enhancing our learning may also contribute to interpersonal relations. I wonder if Nigerian-American, small Midwestern town identity, for example, prevents some people from fully being able to relate to or understand me, while my own lens impacts the way in which I connect with some others. (So philosophical, I know, but just follow...) ;) 

In my "Analyzing Culture" class at the Ed school, we were actually talking about the "sense of otherness" that people may choose to box you into because they don't understand or can't categorize you. I'm Midwestern (i.e., not a New Englander), Nigerian-American (i.e., a melange between one and the other), and you can group me into either of those categories. But, I'm also a proud Spartan (go MSU!), from a public state higher-education institution (no prep school, no Ivy League). I sometimes find that the diversity of backgrounds of people here at HSPH leaves me feeling isolated...different...I have been fortunate enough to be provided with tools, encouragement, as well as my own personal motivation, to find ways to compensate. But if I were coming from some other backgrounds (certain racial/ethnic groups without a presence here, lower socioeconomic status, etc.) and had never been exposed to ways of finding support and connections in a place like this, this type of environment might seem too much to handle.

Honestly, with all the formal "lunch dates" and organized visits to peoples' houses (which I have learned is related to culture), sometimes I wonder what happened to the random phone calls at 8 pm to informally "hangout" and have a beer?

Perhaps my experience isn't typical. Perhaps most of these thoughts, worries, and insecurities are about me and the background that I'm coming from. But I'm also realizing that I'm now in a very different environment now. I'm not in college where everyone wants to save the world and will do whatever it takes to try and contribute to realizing that dream; just getting people to commit to planning an event like an African cultural showcase for 100 people is really hard (and sometimes discouraging)! Even though I don't always realize it, this is an intense, quietly competitive environment. This stop is just one of many on the journey to become a world-renowned doctor or researcher, and so I think that many people do what they feel they need to do to get there. If you're lucky enough to find people that you can relate to, then you can really enjoy the experience and form great bonds along the way. 

Dissenting Views at HSPH

A thought crossed my mind yesterday in class about the type of atmosphere HSPH promotes. Generally speaking, I feel like my own perspectives are part of the mainstream. I find myself to be more liberal in terms of the role of the government; I believe that intervening in health crises is a responsibility - not just a luxury - for countries such as the US. But something in class yesterday didn't sit quite right as I realized I had an opposing view.  

I'm enrolled in a course called "Society and its Effect on the Child," and overall, I've really enjoyed it. It's based in the Society, Health, and Human Development department, so it has much stronger links to social sciences than global health. If I had taken this course last year, I'm not sure I would have enjoyed it as much. Many of the topics remind me of a less intelligent conversation from my undergrad. (I'll add a disclaimer, however, that the people I had such discussions with in undergrad were "experts" due to 4 years of research while I think the topics are somewhat new to some of my current classmates).  

That notwithstanding, we were talking about a theory in social determinants yesterday that suggested that capitalist models in society are often to the detriment of the disadvantaged. As someone who’s done work on structural barriers including racism, I found this to be an intriguing model. However, the example given was about breast milk vs. formula and how only the multinationals benefit.  

 Now, think about it for a minute. Yes, I agree that the nutrition of mothers should be improved. And yes, I agree that breast milk has substantial benefits for nutrition of children. But there were 3 areas in particular that I thought presented a counterargument to my professor's point: 

1.     Babies born to HIV-positive mothers can benefit from formula. While perhaps recent years have led to developments that make breastfeeding less of a health risk in the transmission of HIV, avoiding breast milk from an HIV-positive mother is a sure bet. (Of course, it's important to identify that not receiving breast milk could have nutritional repercussions for children, hence the need for development if antiretrovirals (anti-AIDS medications) and other technologies. But that doesn't change the fact that not have breast milk has benefits in this respect).  

2.     Formula feeding has reduced discomfort and diarrhea in lactose-intolerant children. Case and point: me! I had difficulty digesting breast milk as a child and often cried due to discomfort. My mom has shared, however, that I seemed more content when drinking lactose-free formula. I cried less and digested more. 

3.     Using formula provides an opportunity for mothers to work, and this has both financial and mental health benefits for the mother. We live in a society now where women have much more access to working. We may still be underpaid and under hired, but the influence of women in the workforce has drastically increased. Being able to use formula as a feeding supplement provides a way to keep children nourished while the mother is at work, particularly in the absence of a breast pump. We could argue whether or not the role of the woman is to be at work or at home, but as someone raised in a "women are equal" environment, I've seen that being able to work is empowering, and this can improve mental health. It can also help bring in additional income to the household.  

While I don't believe that formula use is the end all and be all, or that it should be used exclusively, I do believe that it has some benefits. And what bothered me today was that as the only person with a vocalized dissenting view, I didn't have the opportunity to make my argument. It made me think about a program that we put on in Shattuck not too long ago where we watched the State of the Union address (and made commentary along the way). The assumption was that everyone was a democrat or Obama supporter, but understandably, the one person I knew wasn't in that category was quite silent. I think that while HSPH is often a great place if you're a part of the majority, it can be difficult for those in the minority. 

“Minority is about being an individual. It's like you have to sift through the darkness to find your place and be that individual you want to be your entire life.”

-From the band Green Day

Snow Day!!

Today might just be one of the best days of the year. Not because I got my dream job...and not because somehow my thesis and academic work magically got completed overnight. No, today is so amazing because it's a SNOW DAY!! (You know, those 24 hours of bliss that you get once in a blue moon because the weather is too bad to go to school/work). A-MA-ZING! 

Today was especially awesome because it gave me some much needed recuperation time in a week where it's been "raining and pouring." Monday and Tuesday went something like: 6 am gym, 8:30 am class, 10:30 am work, 12:30 pm Office of Diversity program, 1:30 pm class, 3:30 pm more class/work, 5:30 pm exhausted, aching muscles, thoughts about lots of reading and scary econ homework...Then, yesterday evening, the Resident Community Advisors in Shattuck (this includes myself) organized a welcome back reception, which ended around 10:30 pm. Needless to say, today was pretty spectacular. 

So, in light of the impromptu holiday, I slept in till 10 am (which never happens!), did some shopping and laundry, and attempted another job application. I also enjoyed being a 5-star chef and watching a little bit of the "classic" High School Musical (which, I'm just saying, I think I should've been in). I also got to take my mind off of the negative energies in my life lately (including being called fat, failed job attempts, friends using me, denied references, and finding out that another pair of boots are no longer waterproof). Preparing for graduation is hard work! But days like today, every once in a while, really help. Now, if I could just get a full-body massage...

Everyone loves a snow day!

-(None other than ME!)

This was yesterday leading up to the big storm...