Volume 124 Issue 114
kansan.com
Friday, March 9, 2012
SPEAK
Coming back home How I lost myself in Texas and found myself back in Kansas //SASHA LUND
I looked across the room and spotted Alberto* instantly. His troubled, intense eyes were searching for me also. I smiled and timidly walked to the other side of the room to meet him. My stomach was churning with nerves, but as soon as I saw his eager smile, I was put at ease. I was at KIPP middle school that day because I had signed a 10-month contract with City Year, a division of AmeriCorps, just after graduating from high school in the blink-and-you-miss-it town of
Eudora. Now here I was, in San Antonio, working as a full-time volunteer. That day was my first day as a mentor, and Alberto had specifically requested me for the job. The job, simply put, was to offer guidance and wisdom to a 13-year-old boy who experiences "special circumstances" at home.
I was immediately put in charge of an after-school program mandatory for all students, which is where I first met Alberto. Despite having the same
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
coffee-colored skin and deep brown eyes as the other kids at KIPP, he contrasted sharply with his mild demeanor and voice which rarely rose above a whisper. Only five years older than he and equally as reserved, I could relate easily to him. He began to look for me in the hallways between classes, and once I began helping him with his math homework, his grades rose far above the danger zone. In return, he taught me some Spanish slang words, like chonga, a type of Hispanic woman who draws on her eyebrows, that I never could have learned in a classroom. Without him, I wouldn't have been able to order breakfast tacos at my favorite Mexican restaurant, a hole-in-the-wall place the size of my closet. We had grown to know each other well, but when I met him I knew mentoring him would be a challenge. I had no clue how to inspire someone; the task daunted me.
On our way to the deserted classroom we used for our first session, I asked him what he wanted to do.
"Just talk," he answered.
His request bewildered me.I had come to our session prepared with books, games and activities,but I had not come prepared to talk.
"Where do you live?" I asked,lamely. It was in his answer that Alberto's life unfolded for me. He lived on the West Side, in a neighborhood I had frequently passed by on the bus, but never dared to go into because of its reputation. My friend Nephiteri advised me against traveling through this part of the city. When I asked why, her answer was simple: You just don't. Alberto lived with his grandmother in a one-bedroom apartment where they took turns sleeping on the sofa. Alberto had little recollection of his parents, but the memories he had weren't good ones. He suspected his father was in prison, and his mother could be anywhere. Coming to KIPP each morning was a gift, and I saw an anxious expression overwhelm his face as the school day drew to a close. He never wanted to go home.
We had that in common. While he went home to a dangerous neighborhood, many times without dinner, I went
home to a three-bedroom apartment that I shared with five other girls. I slept on a twin-sized air mattress because the living stipends I received for my volunteer work weren't enough to purchase furniture. Much like Alberto, I looked forward to spending my days at KIPP. Alberto and I met three times a week, for hour-long sessions. Sometimes we would just work on homework. Other times we would listen to his favorite rap songs, play card games (Go Fish was his favorite) or write in journals. Once, I gave him a writing prompt that read: What do you want to do when you grow up? He stared blankly at the paper for five minutes before telling me that he didn't know. Alberto had never even allowed himself to dream.
After two months of mentoring Alberto, I couldn't ignore the gnawing feeling that I wasn't, and couldn't, really make a difference in his life. Many of his friends were in the process of joining gangs, and when he told me that he was solicited by one, something inside me broke. I was an 18-year-old from Eudora, Kan. My experience with gangs was limited to bad TV movies. All of a sudden, the training City Year had given us seemed useless. This was real life, and I had no idea how to handle real life yet.
Later that week, in early November, I drove 900 miles back to Kansas, leaving no trace of me behind, other than an apology to Alberto. I understood life in Kansas, but the problems I faced back in Eudora were often trivial, especially compared to life in Texas. Because I had only completed three months of my 11-month contract, the only contact I was allowed with my former mentee was a letter. I asked my teammate, John, to continue to mentor Alberto, which he did well. I enrolled at KU and started classes in January 2009. I can't say I always feel I made the right decision, because sometimes I'm left with the melancholy reminder that I essentially abandoned Alberto. However, I'm left knowing that, while I may have been the one mentoring Alberto, his presence in my life has resonated with me throughout the last three years.
*indicates name has been changed
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Source: Student Senate Finance Committee
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Edited by Max Lush
any specific incident
"We're just trying to be proactive," he said. "We want to make it safer than it was in 2008."
He said the ordinance shouldn't affect bars because people are already prohibited from leaving drinking establishments with open containers. And, Graham pada, Papa Keno's uses plastic cups
He said that the University student community, and the rest of Lawrence, have maintained order well in that past and no significant issues have come up during past NCAA tournaments.
Brandon Graham, bought Jefferson Restaurant, 743 Massachusetts St., in May, 2011, and bought Papa Keno's Pizzeria, 1035 Massachusetts St., in January. He said he doesn't know what operating those businesses during the tournament will be like, but he doesn't expect crowds to be a problem.
"I give the public the benefit of the doubt," Graham said.
"With that many people, plus alcohol, bad things can happen," he said. "We want eliminate as many things as possible."
tain order.
"It's a no-brainer public safety issue," he said.
Squire said along with broken glass causing injuries, glass can be used as a dangerous projectile. He said plastic containers are much less likely to cause injury or property damage.
Squire, who assists the city in planning for NCAA tournament crowds, said the police would have a significant presence downtown during the Final Four weekend. Squire said he couldn't give specifics about how the police and city plan to deal with a large crowd, but did say a number public safety and sanitation were considered.
- Edited by Ian Cummings
CLASSIFIEDS 11
CROSSWORD 4
LUKE RANKER
CRYPTOQUIPS 4
OPINION 5
Iranker@kansan.com
Free State High School will host the local Kansas Republican Presidential Caucus Saturday.
SPORTS 12
SUDOKU 4
University assistant professor of political Science Michael Lynch said the Kansas caucus is more important in this election than in past elections, because the Presidential candidate has usually been determined before the Kansas caucus is held.
According to a fact sheet provided by University of Kansas College Republicans' president Ashley Moretti, students who are 18 years or older by March 10 registered as a Republican before Feb. 17 can vote at Free State High School on Saturday, as long as they live in the same congressional district as the University. If students don't live in the same congressional district as the University, they can still vote in a provisional ballot at the local site. Voters should bring a valid ID, which will prove state residency.
Index
KANSAS CAUCUS FORMS OF VALID ID:
- A Kansas Driver's License or no-drivers identification card
- A concealed carry of handgun or weapon license
- A US Passport
- An employee of identification document issued by a government employer
Source: Kansas Federation of College Republicans
- A public assistance identification card issued by a government office
- A student identification card issued by an accredited postsecondary institution of education in the state of Kansas
contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2012 The University Daily Kansan
Burdett Loomis, a University professor in political science, said he predicted Rick Santorum will probably be favored in the Kansas Caucus, because he has a strong support from social conservatives.
Presidential candidates Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romeny, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum will appear on the ballot.
"The general rule is that strongest supporters are the ones that come out." Loomis said.
Don't forget
Lynch said caucuses last longer than regular primaries, because voters have the opportunity to hear
speeches supporting each candidate on the ballot before they cast their votes. He said Evangelical Christians and other very conservative Republicans are more likely to vote during a caucus, because they are more willing to take the extra time. Lynch said this demographic of voters supported Mike Huckabee in the 2008 election and will most likely support Santorum this year.
He said students who want to vote in Saturday's caucus should expect to spend more time at the polls than they would during other elections.
Loomis said Kansas' role in the presidential election is greater during the GOP primaries, because Kansas is a traditionally Republican state.
"Presidential politics will leave the state after Saturday," he said.
"If Santorum wins Kansas and couple other states, he can argue it's not over," he said.
Loomis said Mitt Romney, who took a lead over other candidates on Super Tuesday, has a strong chance of winning the GOP nomination, but Santorum is not far behind.
Lynch also said voters who arrive at 10 a.m. will have to listen to about 30 minutes of speeches before voting. Speeches will repeat through out the voting period, and voters should expect the high school to be crowded, as there is only one caucus site in Lawrence.
"You aren't just showing up and voting." Lynch said.
Edited by Corinne Westeman
Tabling and organization visits for Student Senate elections will begin Monday.
Today's Weather
Brisk winds and sunny 5-10mph
Already feels like Spring Break
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