The Gap Year

It’s second semester: sophomores and juniors are ramping up their studies for the SAT and seniors are burnt out from all the college apps. This is the time of year when we all feel the pressure of college.

In the United States, high school students are told that they must work hard during high school so they can at­tend a good college, receive a degree and jump into the work force. Society is increasingly focusing on the pressure to get ahead in school and preparing chil­dren for the future. However, what hap­pens to the individuals who don’t know what they want to do in college? What about those who don’t know where they want to go for the next four years? What about those who want to discover them­selves before they plan the rest of their life? The solution seems easy: take a year off.

In many countries outside of the Unit­ed States, students are encouraged to take a year to travel or explore new activities before enrolling in college. In fact, this break even has a name: the gap year. The gap year tradition started in Britain, where most high school seniors spend their sec­ond semester planning their trips to foreign places or finding out-of-the-ordinary jobs for the next year. A gap year is used to al­low students to explore other aspects of the world and their lives without responsibili­ties like keeping a job, raising a family, or maintaining good grades. According to British reports, approximately 28,000 Brit­ish students will take a year off before pur­suing a college degree.

Joe Sladen, a 20-year-old student from London, took the year off to travel the world with four other friends. Sladen and his pals traveled from Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Zambia, Namibia and Zimbabwe, spending time to teach elementary students in Africa. The time spent ended up being a worthwhile experi­ence for Sladen and his friends. According to Sladen, “I definitely learned more about the world and how to look after myself par­ticularly in more dangerous places.”

Similarly, 2009 Pres alum Caty Sarle took this year off to work on a farm in Spain and travel around Europe. Sarle was anxious about working in a foreign place. “I learned more about myself and how I fit into the world” She said, “Despite my initial tentativeness, the language barriers and cultural differences, I had connected with these people and found a new place of belonging.”

Today, many education professionals are seeing the importance of this year off, and suggest that it can be an invaluable ex­perience for a growing individual. Dr. De­nise Pope, who spoke at Presentation last month, mentioned that Harvard admissions officials like when students take a year off. Pope was right; according to University statistics, 50-70 percent of Harvard stu­dents took a year off before attending the school. Coincidentally, the graduation rate at Harvard is 97%. Many admissions offi­cers say that this extremely high gradu­ation rate has something to do with the high rate of individuals that have taken a gap year. The year gives them time to re­fresh, regroup and redirect their efforts towards school.

However, some college advisors do warn that the gap year is a slippery slope: students must be sure that they have a plan for the year off and sched­ule to enroll for school afterwards. Oth­erwise, individuals can spend the year sitting on the couch eating potato chips and may lose motivation to jump back into school. Most students who spend their time doing something meaningful find it easier to continue their higher ed­ucation. Sladen recalls, “I found it easy to get back into life at university but however fun it is it doesn’t compare to traveling!”

With these small precautionary tales aside, the gap year seems to be an ever-ap­pealing solution for American high school students who are burnt out by their senior year. With students in the United States al­ways in high gear there is little time to stop and smell the flowers. The gap year allows students to investigate themselves and the world around them. This time gives stu­dents valuable life experience and teaches lessons that are never taught in a classroom. Sarle adds, “I don’t have any regrets about taking a year off. However, it’s a choice you really have to make on your own. You need to trust yourself enough to know how to decide which is the right path for you.”

Spring Cleaning: What to Give Away

David Wolfe, one of the most revered fashion analysts, recently declared that trends are over. He went on the record saying, “Everything is in fashion!” Recently, the fashion world has been worrying less about items that are popular and focusing more on dressing for your body. Fashionistas are now choosing items from all decades: mixing ‘80s with ‘60s or ‘90s with futuristic. Therefore, if you are looking to clean out the clutter in your closet, don’t worry about the “out” items, instead consider the following:

• Start with the items that don’t fit anymore. Whether we want to admit it or not, our bodies’ change a lot during high school. Hence, anything that is too small or too tight should be the first thing to go.

• Think about cleaning out some of things that have been in your closet, unworn for the past four months. These items are probably not going to be worn in future.

• You might want to go through those items you’ve had for over four years. It is OKAY that you no longer fit into your 8th grade promotion dress. If the items do not have any sentimental value, they probably fit into one of the above categories and should be disregarded.

For all of the decent items you have cleaned out, you can make a dollar or two by selling them to second- hand stores. For anything else, consider donating clothes to shelters or community organizations.

Places to give clothes:

1. Crossroads: There are multiple locations in San Jose where you can sell your clothes. If you sell the clothes for cash, you will get less back than if you are to get a gift card back. They will, also, give you more for designer items and are more lenient on the wear and tear. They will accept anything with a label like GAP, J Crew, Banana Republic, etc. Beware: they are stingy; do not expect that much and do not expect to barter any more out of them.

959 W San Carlos St San Jose, CA 95128

2. Buffalo Exchange: Similar to Crossroads, you can trade or sell clothes at Buffalo Exchange. The company claims that most items go for about $15. It has a reputation for being a little less parsimonious than Crossroads. Any clothes that they do not buy and you do not want to take with you will be donated to a local San Francisco charity.

*for either store, call beforehand and see what they are buying at the moment, that way you can take your most applicable pile of clothes.

1210 Valencia Street San Francisco, CA 94110

1555 Haight Street San Francisco, CA 94117

3. Sacred Heart: If you are not trying to make a dollar off your old rags or they are too tattered to sell, consider Sacred Heart clothes closet.

1381 South 1st Street San Jose, CA 95110-3431

(408) 278-2160

4. Goodwill! Always a family favorite way of riding yourself of old, worn clothing.

3060 Almaden Expy San Jose,CA 95118

(408) 265-5692

Blog: Georgia Trip Updates

Day 3

On the last day of the trip, Sunday, the Pres girls joined thousands of social justice advocates at the SOAWatch vigil on Fort Benning Road. Thousands of people gathered on the road leading to the gates to protest and stand “presente” to the victims of SOA graduates. Before the vigil began, four people jumped the fence onto the fort in civil disobedience. These four will face jail time while none of the SOA graduates have ever been investigated for their crimes.

The vigil was more like a parade; each person comes with white cross which has a name of a victim written on it and each person has time to put the cross on the gate of Fort Benning. Because bringing a wooden cross on an airplane is a safety hazard, we made a paper chain with our favorite quotes. The parade marched in U-shape, along the sides of the street and the fence. While the crowd rotated around the fence, the thousands of victims’ names are read and the crowd responded with “presente” and raising their white cross. Vendors with organic-cotton t-shirts and political buttons lined the streets.

When we finally reached the gate, we hung our colorful paper chain with the innumerable white crosses on the gates of Fort Benning. After, I stood back and looked at the white-covered fence. Then, it hit me that each one of those crosses were not just pieces of wood; they were lives, lives taken for no apparent reason by men trained beyond the gates where I stood. At that moment I was overwhelmed with the reality of the proximity of the school, the representation of the crosses, and the numerous names being read in the background.  As I stood there in awe, something inside of me changed. I realized that this school is not something that cannot be ignored and that I was going to be the voice of the voiceless.

On my way home I reflected on the experiences of the trip. I recognized that I emerged from Georgia a different person. My heart and mind was pulled in so many ways over the weekend that I was transformed into a person of better faith and greater love.

Day 2

On November 21, we went to the first full day at the Ignatian Family Teach-In. The day started with a prayer led by the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, guest featuring your very own Grace Armstrong. Although I am no stranger to public speaking, it was an entirely new experience to lead 3,000 dedicated Catholics in prayer. Granted I go to a Catholic school, but I have never been baptized, nor have I been an avid church-goer. The adrenaline rush was of another degree, as I stood on the stage speaking to religious activists about finding the God within us and within our world. Afterward, I realized that there was no turning back; I am now part of the Ignatian family. The prayer was followed by a series of more student speakers and advocates calling for social reform. From my fellow students I realized that change really does come from one because, when the cause is powerful, one quickly becomes many. Each person in that room of 3,000 was one person striving to leave their foot print on the world. Each of those foot prints together create the stepping stones to change.

At the end of the day all of the 3,000+ people gathered for a closing liturgy. The altar was set as any other Catholic altar is set. The procession song was the same as any church hymn. The priest seemed the same as any Jesuit priest. However, the liturgy was not any liturgy. It was a Mass of hope, of love, of change, of true faith. The songs were sung in unison, in adoration, in spirit that I have never experienced in my 18 years of life. In one of the closing songs, “We are One Body,” the body of Christ was wholly present. Every single one of the 3,000+ people at the Mass were singing whole-heartedly. Many schools linked arms and swayed back and forth as Pres girls do when they sing the Alma Mater. The liturgy brought together a community of people from all over the world to bond beyond beliefs, borders, or words. This image will stick with me forever because never before have I seen a group of people so strong in their convictions of faith and beliefs. During this time, I was able to be “presente” to myself and the others in the auditorium; the liturgy was a rejuvenation and revelation.

Day 1

The first day of the trip we woke up and went to the Martin Luther King Jr. Center in Atlanta, Georgia. At the center we watched a video about MLK’s life and work for social justice. The video was interesting because it illustrated his life in the context of the other civil rights events. The video included many parallels between MLK and Gandhi. I never understood that MLK got much of his inspiration and nonviolent methods from Gandhi. From the video I realized that Martin Luther King Jr. was not just another activist but he was educated about what he was preaching. He was a man that studied what he preached and ensured that learned from others as much as he learned from books. The museum at the Center was filled with pictures of King and other civil rights activists framed by famous quotes of the decade. After, we were able to visit the birth home of Martin Luther King Jr. It was hard to believe that he had actually lived right there!!

We, then, traveled two hours to Columbus. In Columbus, we attended the opening for the Ignation Family Teach-In. For the evening we sat with 3,000 other people from all over the country to listen to the director of the Ignatian Solidarity Network, students working for justice and other activists. The theme of the Teach-In is “presente,” calling the community to be present to the voiceless. Therefore, each person brought their own story and perspective on how to be “presente” to the oppressed.

Stay tuned to see how the Teach-In progresses tomorrow!

Background

For the past five years Presentation has been going to Columbus, Georgia to attend the SOAWatch vigil. Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Operations, formerly known as the School of the Americas, is a military training school. Soldiers from South America come to the school to be trained by U.S. military personnel. However, in past, SOA graduates have been known to commit atrocities in their native countries, like the 1980 killing of Salvadoran Martyr Oscar Romero or the 1989 murder of six Jesuit priests, their maid, and her daughter. The vigil is held at Fort Benning to remember all of those killed by graduates of the School of the Americas/ WHINSEC. This year five Pres girls are visiting the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice and the SOA vigil to celebrate  the 20th Anniversary of the murder of the Jesuit priests. This year is the last year Presentation will be going on this trip because it is the last year the Teach-In will be in Georgia.

If you’d like to know more visit: http://soaw.org/