I got around to checking my email a little after noon yesterday. I scanned the subject lines for the most attractive. These two caught my eye:
“Congratulations! You have won BABASONICOS tickets from Losanjeaous!”
“You Won Tickets to Attend Babasonicos’ Concert tonight!”
For a few seconds, I wondered why Losanjealous sent me two notice emails and then I remembered that I’d entered a contest earlier in the week with La Banda Elástica. Dude, I’d just gotten quite lucky… twice!
A conversation between me and my almost 14-year-old cousin on Saturday during our other cousin’s baby shower.
Stephen: did my mom tell you about my birthday party on the 21st?
Me: yeah.
Stephen: are you gonna come to my party?
Me: yeah, I’m pretty sure I can make it… Is there anything you want for your birthday?
Stephen: oh, you don’t need to get me anything.
Me: but it’s your birthday.
Stephen: yeah, but birthdays are not about presents, that’s what my parents taught me.
I was initially baffled by Stephen’s response. What 14 year old kid these days does not want birthday presents?
But then I remembered my 8th birthday party. My tía Patty and her husband showed up without a present. I was a brat/mocosa back then, so I went to her and asked, “what did you bring me?”
Oh man, she put me in my place.
I told tía Patty what her son said. She wasn’t surprised.
“Iván and I taught him that birthdays weren’t about presents. He knows that if people come to your birthday party, that’s enough because they’re there celebrating with you. If they want to bring you a present, that’s okay, but you shouldn’t expect a gift.”
I like Stephen and tía Patty’s attitudes.
I ran in to one of my old students, X, and his best friend yesterday. They both graduated last year, were science students and were quite involved on campus.
I counseled X during his first and second year when I was director of MEChA Calmecac, a counseling and mentoring program for UCLA students. Our goal was to raise the graduation rate for Latinos, which was quite low in comparison to other groups when concerned MEChistas began the program in the late 1980s. The director position was my first (and only) full time job. It was extremely challenging, but I loved counseling and working at the Community Programs Office, which is full of bright and talented student leaders. Calmecac led me to graduate school where I decided to focus on retention and persistence issues for Latino students.
While working at Calmecac, I realized that I wouldn’t get to see my work come to fruition. After counseling my students for two years, I’d be off to graduate school and would no longer be there to help out. But I never really left. I stayed at UCLA and kept in contact with some of my old students. They’ve all since graduated.
Yesterday, X and his best friend, brightened up an otherwise dull day. Not only did X remind me of a great time in my life, he also said something that made me feel like I did something right. He explained to his best friend, “I used to have to meet with Cindy every other week because I was on academic probation. And now look at me, studying for the MCAT.”
X takes the MCAT on May 31st. I hope he kicks ass.
I just got through eight days of serving on a jury — my first time!
La Pregunta: How do you feel about jury duty? Have you ever served on a jury? What was your experience like?
I celebrated my release from jury duty yesterday afternoon by eating a delicious brownie and finally talking about the trial. As you might expect, I hated being silenced about my experience and the trial.
The trial revolved around four 20/21 year old Latino defendants charged with gang loitering. One defendant was charged with a second count for violation of a gang injunction. Both crimes are misdemeanors.
According to the prosecution, the four defendants (plus two others) were members of a gang near LAX. On November 17, 2007, they were loitering at the corner of a park. The sheriff’s deputies who detained them and also testified witnessed them throwing gang signs, showing off their tattoos and calling out their gang’s name. They did this with the intent to establish their dominance in that neighborhood and publicize the gang. This caused non-gang members to be intimidated. The defense countered that some of the young men were (a) not active gang members (or were never jumped in), (b) all four of the young men were not at the park on that afternoon, (c) the young men were arrested at different locations in their neighborhood (not in a group), and (d) the district attorney’s office and sheriff’s department targeted these young men as part of a current push to enforce gang injunctions. After a couples hours of deliberation, we found all four defendants not guilty. I don’t think the guys were angels. If I saw them on the street in a group, I’m sure I’d feel intimidated and avoid them too. However, the prosecution’s case and the evidence didn’t get us past the standard of reasonable doubt so we returned a verdict of not guilty on all counts.
Continue reading
Lotería Chicana 