I am enjoying life, and I'm ALIVE!

Hello everyone!

It's been ages since I've last blogged. I have been terrible at keeping things updated ever since school started in August. I feel the need to write out and possibly try to update everyone on my great, and awesome life so far. I'll write short summaries and go in depth as time progresses.

 I am ALIVE!

 Location 

I attend South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota. Brookings is located about 60 miles North of Sioux Falls. Sioux Falls is the largest city in South Dakota, and there are many options to do in Sioux Falls in which I am still discovering slowly. Sioux Falls has a city feel. For those who have lived or live in a metropolitan area, you understand the "city feel," Sioux Falls has exactly the city feel. I am not much into the party scene, so I find many options to do outside what some of my peers do, "party." 

There's a beautiful park in Sioux Falls, called Falls Park. There is literally a waterfall that runs through the park, and it's a perfect place to go on a picnic or just relax. The waterfall and river freezes during the winter, but I will remember to post pictures of the park the next time I am there. Currently, with the holidays approaching, the Park is decorated into a "Winter Wonderland." 

I live on the Eastern side of the state now, known for more harsh winters than the west side. The winters can get pretty chilly, and the temperature can go down to -30 Fahrenheit! It also snows a TON here as well, but we haven't seen any blizzard or snow lately. The weather has been forgiving lately, but I can certainly feel the body numbing wind.. the snow is yet to come in the months of Jan./Feb./Mar./Apr. and May. I did not realize what I got myself into until I read the emergency prepareness instructions for a BLIZZARD, which was outlined in our schools' code of conduct.

Minor snow fall - this is nothing!

Part of the "Wellness Center" or gym - it's HUGE!!

Part of the library

Homemade ice cream. Cookies n cream was invented here at my school years ago. There is a diary plant on campus that produces ice cream in lots of flavor :)

Upper floor of the union, perfect decor and relaxing environment to study at night

Hobo day decor, part of the union. The union looks really small but it is actually large. The construction below is construction of sidewalks. The construction is finished, and there are more lights and pathways for ease of traffic and security reasons.

Here is a quick snapshot of the union. It is very relaxing and chill at night. You run into everyone you know here. I actually like the size of my school (~14k students) because I know people in my classes from all backgrounds and I'm not just a statistic.

The union looking from the 2nd floor. There will be an expansion of the Union which will double the size of the union.

My first football game with a great group of fun friends!

I didn't get to sit on the student section because we came late, but it was great! We won. Our football team has been winning every game but 2 games so far. We made it to play offs and will be playing again this weekend against North Dakota.

Classes

I am taking 12 credits this semester. My schedule consists of: introduction to sociology, english composition 1, college algebra, first year seminar for nursing majors, and medical terminology. My classes are going great so far, and I am doing exponentially well. My highest grade is currently a 99% in college algebra. My other classes are also A's except for composition - my grade there is a B. Finals are coming up and the grade on the final is worth 20% of our grade, so I am keeping my fingers crossed for a successful finish. I did not take more than 12 credits this semester because I've been out of school for a while - I'm getting myself ready for a heavier load next spring. 

I registered for next spring already, and I'll be occupied. A total of 16 credits will be taken next semester. My classes registered for next spring are: english comp 2, general chemistry 1 with lab, religion, psychology, and speech.

I'm looking forward to excelling in those classes as well, because I believe that if you put your mind into anything you can succeed. I'm a prime example of that; coming from a conflicted background, I was able to work my way up to my moment here - obtaining a higher education. I NEVER give up, because giving up would mean giving up on my dreams.

Dorm life

You would expect the dorm life to be full of partying, and the usual things people think of when they think of "college students." However, I do not partake in drinking nor do I have the urge to drink or do anything illegal. My university is dry campus. My roommate is from Peru, but he has lived in the US years. We both get along really well, and he respects my space and I respect his. There isn't much to guys which is a good thing because the last thing I'd want to worry about is drama. I've met his girlfriend a couple times, and they are great people. We go out to supper sometimes together in the commons, hit the gym and play xbox - typical things that guys do. It was awkward to use the bathroom the first week of school to do my business but then I learned very fast that nobody cared.. which is funny because there are actually conversations that go on in between the stalls with the guys when they're doing #2 (which I think is weird, and funny at the same time!) My hall has 300 students living in it, and yes the fire alarm has been pulled sometimes in the middle of the night but that's the college life right? I enjoy dorm life because I've met really great people and also not so great people (which provides you experience for life post graduation). These are my last years of "freedom," essentially, so I'm making the BEST of it.

The first day moving in, my side of the room

Roommate's side of the room

Looking out

Lobby

Lobby

I'm moving into apartments next semester with 4 different roommates so it should be fun and interesting :)

School involvement

 I wasn't much of a club person in high school. I was the kid who always did his work and was quiet, had a couple good friends but as I began my journey here at SDSU - I realized it's time to be free. Comparable to a butterfly spreading its wings, I spread my wings as well. I've been involved in many many clubs and events, as well as volunteer events. I went alone to these meetings, and met wonderful people. I had a positive attitude, and like everything - you get what you put in and if you're a positive person, you tend to draw in positive people as well.

The Buried Life came to my school! Hilarious presentation.

Some of the things I am involved in are:

1. University Program Council - I'm specifically on the volunteer service committee, which is responsible for volunteer events during the year. We meet once a week, and I plan on holding a position in this program as I manuever my way through freshman, sophomore, and junior, and senior status. There are different roles, such as special events coordinator but I hope to become a volunteer service coordinator one day. We reach out to the university through every way we can to get people involved. I was able to participate in "Adopt-A-Highway" with UPC with a group of 20 people split up into groups of 4. We cleaned a stretch of highway here in town, which was about 1-2 miles. It was a great experience to get to know and meet new people. We meet once a week, and I'm an active member.

2. Pre-professional health science club - We meet once a month. Health science majors such as dental, medicine, nursing, podiatry - are involved in here. We are planning a trip to Denver in January which I am debating whether or not I should go. We will be visiting a medical school and doing volunteer work with PROJECT CURE. 3 days in Denver with some free time - it will be great to go. I am thinking about studying abroad with one of my friends whom I met in this club during my junior or senior year in the summer. We plan to go to another country such as Africa to volunteer at a hospital, and this program is provided by the school but it is a bit expensive so there will be lots of fundraising that my friends and I will be doing.

3. Nursing Student Association - We meet once a month as well. I really have not gotten to particpate in much of the events that NSA holds because NSA tends to direct attention to nursing students in the nursing major already. For example, I was unable to particpate in a blood drive because I, as a pre-nursing student, do not have the proper skills to draw blood. Which makes sense, but it's great to put a face to my name. 

4. Hobo day committee - Hobo Days is an event which is comparable to homecoming. We have a large week of celebration with events on campus involving scavenger hunts, dances, music, and all that. Yes, we dress up as hobos. There was a parade, and this year was our 100th year of celebration so it was quite huge. The parade consisted of people from all organizations which celebrated with floats, music, confetti, and all that.

The Hobo Day Committee at the President's dinner the day before the parade

This was at one of the events during "Hobo week." Bum over - consisted of box house making, live concert, hobo stew. It was a blast!

5. College's Against Cancer - I am on the Logistics Committee. I work with every other committee to see if everything is going well, and if there is a problem we find the means and contact people to fix it. Relay for Life is our main event, and it will be great. We also will be hosting a 24 hour Relay next year in April in which I will look forward to. 

I dressed up as a chicken and danced in front of everyone driving by during a fundraising event. Nobody wanted to dress up as a chicken, so I was happy to! How many people can say they dressed up as a chicken and danced in front of strangers? Thought so!

 

6. State-a-Thon- State-a-Thon is an organization that fundraises for the local Children's Miracle Network year around. We celebrate our fundraising efforts in April with a 12 hour dance marathon in our large ballroom. We raised over $70,000 last year, but it's not the amount of money that really counts. The effort and feeling you get is beyond what money can provide. I am involved on the recruitment committee, in which I am responsible for recruiting people and spreading the word through whatever means; speaking at classrooms, helping out at recruitment events, etc. There are other committees, but we all work together and have meetings. We recently had a flashmob in which the morale song for 2013 was "shown" for the first time for students. The flashmob was a great experience and fun, we did the flashmob in front of the union and also inside the union during the busiest time of the day. It is my first year participating, but this program will be of focus to me during my time here at SDSU.  

Here is the front side of our shirt, isn't it awesome?

To raise money, we volunteer at concession stands for football games, go canning, or ask people for donations. I've raised 349$ so far. The goal for everyone is 100$, and it is slightly higher for Morale Leaders (the Moral Leaders are the people who encourage people to dance during the 12 hours of our dance marathon, I plan on being one next year). You get what you put into it, and I feel great knowing I am helping a family out there. I stand up for kids who can't, what will you do?

Here is my fundraising page if you are interested at learning more about State-a-Thon or consider donating to the Children's Miracle Network. Link- State-a-Thon   

Here are some videos.. my heart and body pumps for this event because it's a great cause!

2012 State-a-Thon

I hope everyone is doing well. I'll be checking out the blogs that I follow very shortly! I'll be trying to update more often hopefully. I will check in before the Holiday's.

Take care,

Anthony  

I'm sponsoring a child from Ghana!

Quick update..

I was browsing on facebook, and I read one of my friend's status post. Mind you, this friend of mine is a great guy who loves helping other people and so on. He is very involved in his church - which is 5 minutes away from where I live. He sings, volunteers, and all that stuff. All the things that I would be doing (minus the singing.. maybe!) He works in Wal-Mart. He is a real inspiration. We occasionally speak whenever we see each other, because I know where he works being the stalker I am. I'm digressing.. BUT.. his status update said: 

"Just signed up to sponsor a child through compassion. Feels spectacular"

I read that and I saw like.. what is "compassion"? Was he talking about the verb? Or something else? Being the nosy person I am, I decided to google it because something told me inside that I must "seek" this out. It's a weird feeling really. I just had to do that. It felt like a natural instinct. I stumbled upon a charity website designed to help children in areas of poverty. Skeptical at first, I began reading about the goals; and the missions of Compassion.  

Great curiosity filled my mind as I was eager to "know" what this organization is all about. As a child, I can recall myself seeing commercials on Saturday morning of children from different areas of the world displaying great poverty. Back then, I really didn't pay close attention to it that much and thought it was "just another commercial." At one point of my life as I was growing up, I felt sad for these children that I was seeing on tv. With great events happening in my life, I can now make a difference in the world one step at a time. Now that I am older and am making responsible choices such as working and getting an education; I feel like I can do something about that now. Realizing one thing is another, but taking action is another step.

I read more and more about Compassion. The growing curiosity began to fill my mind. I was afraid that this organization would be a scam because it sounded too good to be true. I did some google-ing and searching, and reading testimonials. 

At first, I was afraid that this organization would be a scam. This organization is far from it. Financial Integrity is one thing. 80% of expenditures go to program activities for the children. Seems legit to me! Check!

The mission statement of Compassion is

"In response to the Great Commission, Compassion International exists as an advocate for children, to release them from their spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enable them to become responsible and fulfilled Christian adults."

I know some people would read "Christian" and be like: "oh.. religious fundamentalists" but I am not looking at that at all. In a world where poverty is great, would you turn to religion to seek for help? If a religious organization is doing great things for a great cause, then it must be working. These children will be able to find inspiration through sponsors from all around the world. I have a heart. I'm only here for so long in the world, so why should I sit around and do nothing to contribute to this world?

I was convinced this was time. I read the testimonials. Some sponsors were retirees, some were college students, and some were even teenagers who all shared a common purpose: wanting to make a difference in life.

I knew it was now that I had to take action. If I wanted to change the world, and make it a better place - why would I hold onto something that is relatively "easy to earn" in this country? I'm talking about money. Sure, there aren't that many jobs out there that pay a lot but we make much more money than some of these families do in a month. I read several stories - some families earn less than 3$ a month working! How many hours of work is that - that these families do to earn that little? I'm pretty sure there aren't any labor laws regarding the kinds of work these people do, all I know is that it must be hard work... I can hold off on getting that fast food meal, junk food, or other necessities to provide the financial foundation to a child/or her family. 

 

Nobody deserves to go hungry, and unfortunately 963 million people from all over the world go hungry, and millions die each year from malnutrition or preventable causes of diseases, etc (source). A power from within filled me, and I knew it was time. I decided to become a sponsor. 

There were many options from choosing a child. I decided to set my criteria for who I would want to be my "child." The longest waiting was in my mind, and there was a category for that. I browsed through many, and one particular child popped out. I wanted to help all of them, but I knew I can only "afford" to sponsor one child right now. Her name is Rose.

Here is her biography:

Birthday:	April 30, 2005
Age:	6
Gender:	Female
Region:	West Africa
Country:	Ghana
Program:	Kuntu's Child Development Centre

Personal and Family Information:
Rose lives with her father and her mother. Her duties at home include running errands. There are 5 children in the family. Her father is sometimes employed and her mother is sometimes employed.

For fun, Rose enjoys playing house, running and playing group games. She attends church activities and Bible class regularly and is in kindergarten where her performance is average.

Please remember Rose in your prayers. Your love and support will help her to receive the assistance she needs to grow and develop.

---

She is beautiful, isn't she? What amazes me is that she is one of four children in the household - what things must be happening in that household! I grew up in a family surrounded by cousins, and two very own sisters of my own and I thought that was enough. Rose will grow up into a great person, I'm hoping my contribution will set her to get an education like I am and be the stepping stone for her parents and her siblings
.

Rose had been waiting over 200 days for a sponsor, and I am here to the rescue. I am feeling spectacular now. What is awesome is that she has the same birthday as I. If we all made some kind of contribution to the world, then there would probably be less poverty. I'm just glad that she and her family will have access to food, health care, education, and water PLUS maaany other things that we take for granted here in the United States. What surprises me is that she has so many people in her family, yet the average income for a person working in Ghana is under $3 a week. My support will help them, and I hope to do more charity work in the future when I get my education "done." One more thing.. I get to write her letters and she gets to write them too! I'm looking forward to her letters and I feel already great that I am helping out. $9.50 is what it takes. The amount of money per day is under a dollar fifty. Sponsoring a child will change a child's life forever for the better. It's not only the child's life that will be changed forever, but yours too. I know mine has already as this is one of the best decisions of my life. I will keep you guys updated on her. 

Good night,

Anthony