A DJS Journey

  I’m Syd and I use they/them pronouns! A handful of y’all know me as one of the dCenter advocates but I have a few points of connections throughout the PLU community such as ASPLU and Womxn’s Ultimate Frisbee. As a dAdvocate I have the opportunity to show many sides of myself and through this piece, I hope to share a more intimate piece of myself as I layout elements of my DJS journey.  7 Lessons 2020 Drilled Into My Head As a preface to any BIPOC that might come across this, a lot of what I process in this piece relates to my growth as a white person, so if you stop reading now that’s totally fine. As for the white students and staff that might be viewing this I invite specifically white students and staff to reflect on my 7 takeaways from this year in the context of their own whiteness.  This year has been R.O.U.G.H. On a level of shared experience, we are all tired. Tired from the earth hurting more now than ever from the climate crisis. Tired from the continued blatant violence, a

Hi Everyone! My name is Vanessa (she/hers) and I’m a senior this year working on a major in Computer Science and a minor in Mathematics. I’m from Vancouver, Washington where I was born and raised. In my free time I like to hike or golf with friends and family!   My Decision I once stood sound Eyes open wide My feet firm on the ground  I was hopeful for the future With my mind wide open But no sooner that I set foot out my door  Were my dreams slowly broken It started in middle school where I was easily influenced I was made to believed microaggressions were only words They were never heard coming from me  But the people I called “friends” would say them so freely “Asian”, “Hong-Kong”, “Bangkok”, to name a few  These were the only names I was ever called in school  My name didn’t matter once the new names came around  I was made to laugh and told not to make a sound For if I said anything or voiced my discomfort “Dude, it’s just a joke don’t get so butt hurt” With being so young and wan

  My name is Cassie Duren (They/Them), and I’m a second year student majoring in music and Gender, Sexuality, and Race Studies. I work as a CAVE Community Advocate and something I’m really passionate about is looking at the way queer identity interacts and transforms - and is transformed by - other identities such as race and disability. Where I Come From I spent most of my life, and all of my life as  I can remember it, living in the same small town before I came to PLU. I went to a small elementary school named Evaline, where I was the fifth generation in my family to go there, and was part of a graduating class of seven. My family lived on five acres of land purchased from other family members for a family discount, in the house of  great-grandparents I never met. My extended family owned the forty acres of woods around us, which I spent hours exploring as a kid before much of it had to be logged; learning that many of the trees around us had a disease that was killing them was not

      Iakwe from Dorine Laura Youngstrom Karwon. A proudly strong Marshallese and Kosraen working with the Diversity Center. As a dAdvocate, she has been learning how to craft and use her voice by connecting with those who help and support her to establish her journey in DJS. She is a second year here at PLU, majoring in Business with the hopes of concentrating in Finance or Accounting while pursuing to study in the Legal Field as a Lawyer. Although working from her second home on Oahu, Hawaii with all the chickens interrupting zoom classes. Working remotely with the time difference does not stop her from showing up to learn more and connect. There is always room for improvement, and as a Navigator by heart, she is ready for more excursions. Which, also, includes taking lots of pictures of nature and food. Cheers (:       The English translation of the title means “The young Marshallese boy”. This story is a historical event that took place in the Marshall Islands. However, it is being

  Hello DJS blog readers! My name is Andres Pedro. I am a 3rd  year student at PLU studying Biology with the intention of majoring in it. I come from the beautiful bike riding and rose loving city that is Portland, Oregon. I spend most of my free time currently (which has been frequently due to this pandemic) with my cat named Heath or listening to music.  I have learned recently that as a person of color racism works in ways in which we can’t always see. Sometimes, racism doesn’t affect us directly. Regardless, as person of color I should stand up for others who are being affected by racism.  Last late spring/early summer racial tensions were high due to the killing of George Floyd; it had me wondering what my place in the matter was. It was not my responsibility for me to speak on the matter but simply aid in fighting for a better future. To reiterate, I can not speak for the black community because I am person of color but it is my responsibility to speak up against the injustices

      Kasey is a third year student majoring in anthropology and religion, and trying to fit in a French minor. She is also a Cave Community Advocate and you can join her in Tuesday morning’s Lute Masterclass sessions. When she isn’t in school she can be found hanging out with her dogs, reading, or working on an art project.      I have been doing organizing/activism work in some way/shape/form for over a decade now. I am also chronically ill and a chronic over-committer. This particular combination of traits means that I am usually exhausted and overwrought. In this moment we are living through, when so much is on the line, and so much is out of our control, when those of us and our friends and loved ones with minoritized identities face nearly daily assaults on our rights and our lives, it is easy to lose yourself in the struggle. It is easy to put yourself last while you focus on all the important work that needs to be done, all the fights that you want to be a part of. So I want

      (Left)  Hi! My name is Lilly Bulski. Pronouns she/her/hers. I am from Tacoma, WA. I am a social work major. I see my future career in social work doing something that uplifts people that are mistreated and not supported by "the system. My family is from Jalisco, Mexico. (Right) Hi! My name is Stephanie Hernandez. Pronouns  she/her/hers. I am a third year nursing student. I  live in Auburn, WA. My family is from Chihuahua,  Mexico. Viva Chihuahua! I love my culture and am  more than happy to share it with you guys!          Dia De Los Muertos, translated in English as Day of the Dead, is a  three-day celebration that honors the passing and life of your loved  ones with many aspects of celebration including putting up an ofrenda,  meaning altar in English. This celebration is practiced every year,  starting on October 31st and ending on November 2nd. This event is  not meant to be a mourning occasion but instead a day to celebrate  along with your loved ones who have passed th

        My name is John Mejia, I am from Olympia, WA and use He/His pronouns. Being the son of two immigrant Latinx parents, I take great pride in where my bloodline comes from and the character which it has given me. I find great importance in people being proud of their culture and diversity, especially in a time when that kind of pride is being shunned down.                                                   *photo of me^*   Jean-Michel Basquiat      Jean Michel Basquiat is one of the most well known and impactful artists which we know today in the year of 2020. Jean Michel was an artist who began his career in New York by doing graffiti and tagging his work as “SAMO”. Later on, Jean Michel would go on to become a pioneer of neo-expressionism and primitivism. Being raised a young man of Hatian and Puerto Rican descent, Jean Michel made sure to include the madness and struggle which came along with his life of being poor and Afro-Latino in America.       Being raised by a hardworking