It's My Duty To Vacation

Last night I dreamt that I was vacationing in South Beach again. For my 21st birthday last year, rather than pursuing the regular route of gathering the girls together for a weekend in Las Vegas, I chose to travel to South Beach (commonly referred to as SoBe), Florida instead. A couple of weeks prior to our departure date, I received word of spontaneous thunderstorms that occurred daily around the area of our hotel, and lasted up to six hours. I knew that July was considered “hurricane season” in that region but it’s not my fault my birthday is on July 1st. Despite my concern, I boarded a plane and landed in Miami – after the pilot flew around in circles above Miami International Airport for two hours, due to the thunderstorms.

In spite of the terrible weather we encountered upon arrival, my mood completely changed when we stepped into the upscale, all suite Savoy Hotel located right on Ocean Avenue. I couldn’t help but smile when I walked into our beautiful two-bedroom, oceanfront suite. I was later informed by the concierge that the Savoy was once a nightclub (“Woody’s”) owned by Ron Wood, the guitarist for the Rolling Stones. Immediately after we settled in, we also experienced a dramatic change in luck as the sun came out and the clouds disappeared. In fact, we didn’t see a single cloud for the rest of the entire weekend which even surprised the locals who were also expecting daily showers.

We had great weather, a gorgeous hotel and an amazing private beach, so what more can a 21 year old girl ask for? How about nightlife? Just a mere block away from our hotel were some of the most high-end and prestigious clubs in the nation, such as Mansion and Cameo. My personal favorite had to be an exclusive spot named B.E.D., which technically stands for beverage, entertainment and dining. However, as the trendy name suggests, it also happens to serve you dinner on king sized beds, full of pillows and separated by white curtains. On our last night in beautiful South Beach, we went to Niki Beach in an effort to fully experience upscale Miami. This venue was located on the beach, and was all about the scene. Beautiful people dressed in all white met with cool vibes on a dance floor, while others either sat around, or lay on the back beds outside.

My experience in SoBe, Miami was amazing, and I am already planning a trip back for my birthday next July!

Photo Credit: click on pictures for hyperlink

Getting Involved

ΠΣΑ ΠΣΑ ΠΣΑ ΠΣΑ ΠΣΑ ΠΣΑ

Last night, I attended my very first Pi Sigma Alpha club meeting. I had no idea what to expect in light of the fact that I’ve never been involved in a school club. Even in high school, I generally concentrated more on my homework and my friends than on pursuing extracurricular activities. My friends who currently attend SJSU and had heard about the club told me that it was like an honor society and that I shouldn’t join because the members would probably be “weird”. On the other hand, the professor who introduced the club to my class pointed out that it would look good on an application for law school, and could somewhat increase a student’s chances of getting in.

I have to admit that when I first submitted my application, I was motivated to sign up by my professor’s advice about law school, and I was not looking forward to attending any meetings or club events. Nevertheless, I was surprised at how much fun I had, and all the students I met who shared my interests and goals. I had expected a much more rigid atmosphere, but I was clearly wrong. It was different to see my professors outside of an academic environment, and it was great to just hang out with them. From a student’s perspective, teachers can sometimes seem intimidating, so it was more comfortable being able to discuss my goals with professors I had taken classes with over pizza and drinks.

After last night’s meeting, my perspective completely changed, and I am now very eager to enjoy the rest of this semester as a member of Pi Sigma Alpha, and truly look forward to the next meeting.

It's My Duty to Volunteer

This weekend, I begin my new job with two consecutive days of orientation and training. I have mixed emotions regarding this job, because although I am nervous, I'm also anxious to begin. About three years ago, when I began university, I chose to pursue law. Little did I know that these days, trying to get into one of the nation's best law schools is more competitive than the experience I had a couple of years earlier, as a high school graduate, applying for university. Law schools want well-rounded students who are active and involved on campus. They want students who have completed internships relevant to the field; they want recommendation letters, high GPAs, high LSAT scores and more.

In an effort to meet the internship requirement, I applied for the new JusticeCorps project. JusticeCorps is the legal branch of AmeriCorps and it basically offers law students an opportunity to serve their community while educating them about the law. Aside from the fact that this program encompasses students in a legal environment, I knew that any information I acquired while working with JusticeCorps would aid in my success in Law School.

JusticeCorps was founded on the basis of the fact that California has experienced a rise in self-represented litigants. Many of these individuals appear before the court without professional legal representation simply because, they just can't afford it. The issues they face range from divorce and family issues, to probate and other civil cases. These litigants lack knowledge of basic court orders or legal processes, which hinders their ability to resolve their legal matters. This problem also impacts the society because it results in a lack of public trust in the judicial system.

As a JusticeCorps member, my task will be to give legal advice and information to self-represented litigants, thus I will be trained in various legal areas including contracts, small claims, and family law. While all of this legal information will help prepare me for Law School, I am happier knowing that my volunteer work will ultimately benefit the community.

A Battle For Tolerance

Last week, I received a phone call from my friend David. He is currently a Marine, sent back to serve in Iraq for the third time since he enlisted about three years ago. We discussed just about everything you can think of, including the fact that he thought he saw two of the men in his troop kiss. When I asked him how he felt about that, he paused before giving me a surprising answer, "I could honestly care less. There are a bunch of gay dudes out here."

After I hung up the phone, my mind began to wander. Then I remembered an article I had read for a class last semester concerning the issue of gays in the military. The article "Ban on Gays is Senseless Attempt to Stall the Inevitable" was written by the late Senator Barry M. Goldwater. Personally, I feel that in light of the substantial and pressing issues involved in the national security and foreign policy of the United States, the issue of whether gays should be allowed to serve in the military isn't really one that deserves serious attention from Congress. Nevertheless, I recall that with the election of a Democratic-led Congress, some members called for changes in the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy to allow Gays to serve openly in the military.

Goldwater's article was interesting to me because he made various claims in support of homosexual military service, including the assertion that everyone knows gays have historically served in the military since the time of Julius Caesar, and that they will continue to do so. Although some might view this as a broad generalization, I think that the fact that we have implemented a policy of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" emphasizes the probability that the military contains various forms of sexual orientation. The part that stuck out the most, however, was his arguement that the military has thrown away half-a-billion dollars trying to find those identified as being gay, so they can kick them out. Then, there was General Peter Pace who argued that we should uphold the ban because gay behavior is immoral and, in allowing it to be expressed openly, the military would be allowing immoral activity. While Pace may be correct in assuming that not all people are tolerant of the gay community, and that allowing gays to serve openly could cost the military a signficiant number of recruits in terms of those who don't want to live alongside homosexuals, my friend David reassured me that his comments constitute a minority view among those serving in the military.

It is my duty to express my personal view on this issue. Under such a policy where one is asked to leave the military if they find out that that individual is gay, many straight soldiers could claim that they are gay in an effort to receive an honorable discharge, allowing them to end their military service and go home early. This policy is costly in terms of both money and workforce. The military spends millions recruiting new soldiers and training them only to discharge a significant number due to their choice of sexual orientation. Considering the fact that our military is spread thinly, we shouldn't turn away qualified recruits on the ground that they are openly gay.

In a society that promotes equality, this is a step backward. As Goldwater pointed out, both blacks and women were eventually allowed to serve in the military, why should gays be any different?

photo credit: http://z.about.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/Q/f/1/homophobe_general.jpg