Fond Moments of Sophomore Year

I have been so blessed to be acquainted with such wonderful individuals while attending BYU. I lived in room 108 of the Regency Apartment Complex just south of campus. I may be biased but this room proved to be the best of all Regency. I lived with five other wonderful girls: Rachel, Krista, Elise, Brenda, and Katrina. I shared a room with my twin sister Rachel whom I love ( If you dont have the privilege of knowing her, I wrote about her in my description of my family). We previously lived with Elise and Krista our Freshmen year. We liked them so much we wanted to live with them again. We all were delighted to be assigned to live with Brenda. She is wonderful and we couldn't have asked for a better roommate to add to our nucleus of four. As for our sixth roommate, she is currently engaged and soon to be married so we didn't see much of her but Katrina was very nice for the brief moments we saw her.

Krista. She is one of a kind. If there is a mediator in our apartment it is her. She has the amazing ability to relate and get along with anyone. She is spunky and fun. Talk about speed. She is fast at any task she is presented with. However, her most apparent speed ability is running. She runs anywhere and everywhere. She recently ran her first marathon. She ran such a great time she qualified for the Boston. Though if you ask her she will humbly say she likes to run but we all know better. Kris lives every day to the fullest. I am constantly amazed by her energy and desire to become the best she can be. I love her.






Elise. She is beautiful there is not doubt about it. She has porcelain skin and gorgeous auburn hair. She also knows how to do the best eye makeup I have ever seen. She is tender and knows how to comfort those in need. She is truly a nurturer and will become a wonderful mother. One unique quality about Elise is her passion for wildlife and nature. She thoroughly enjoys animals of any kind. Last year she bought cat food to feed the stray cats on campus (haha we love her). Elise is kind-hearted and truly strives to do what the Lord would have her do. I look up to her for her ability to be so grounded and independent. I love her!

The Many Faces of Brenda. Brenda is a wonderful contribution to Regency 108. We absolutely adore beautiful Brenda. She loves cats and her missionary Ryan. She is a Lord of the Rings guru. Brenda is simply the most expressive person I know. She can speak solely through the use of her eyebrows. She also has a fun, quirky sense of humor we cannot get enough of. However, one thing about Brenda is that she refuses to be in pictures. We have tried the sneak attack approach but nothin. The few rare moments she smiles...it is truly priceless!

Harry Potter Midnight Showing!

St. George Road Trip!!!

The Lamb Room. A nice couple let us stay at their house while we enjoyed St. George. We were all lucky enough to sleep in this room covered with every stuffed toy lamb ever made. Bonding!

Oh what happens when we get lost in Zions National Park...we stop to take a picture by a sweet looking, pumpkin covered truck.

A little Angels Landing.

We got a little tired by the end.

On the way to St. George Daniel Wade taught us how to "chip surf." Ya girl!

There is no story. I just love this picture thats all.

Triathlon baby! First, Second, and Third-"The Terrible Trio"

Our apartment's walls were oh so bare and uninviting... so we brought out the markers.

Hot Springs. Reminder: never wear flip flops to venture a rocky hike.

Smile! I love Brenda and her beautiful pink shades.

HAHAHA Krista's little ball of joy.

Curl till you Hurl. I was never the beautician.

Good Morning Gill. I said GOOD MORNING GILL off to school.

BYU FOOTBALL GAMES!

This is what we spend most of our time doing into the wee hours of the morning...looking at each other and laughing. This is one of my favorite hobbies and I will miss these pure moments with my beautiful, hysterical roommates.

Meet Tristram Jones!

Meet Daniel Wade Jones.

The Jones'.

This semster could not be complete without including Tris and Dan Jones. There is not a better picture to summarize how fond I am of these two boys. Witty, hysterical, charming, and did I say HYSTERICAL. These two boys have really taught me the importance of living every day to the fullest and finding joy in life. Random St. George road trip, skinny jean shopping, 80s rock band, donut runs/smuggle into the library, glowstick dance, triathlon, halloween half marathon, and most importantly doing absolutely nothing but laughing are some of our many adventures during these past few months. I adore them in every sense of the word.

Meet the Fam!

The Jackson Gang

I just love this picture so I had to put it in. We love babies!!! This is one uniting quality among all my sisters. Is it ironic we found a darling little boy at Chitzen Itza...I think not!
The Jacksons consists of girls, girls, and more girls.

The man of the house. Padre. Paps. Daddio. He goes by many names but he is and forever will be known as the studly father of the Jackson clan. He is definitely outnumbered but never complains about the high amounts of estrogen echoing throughout our house. He is hard working and continuously strives to better himself. Self motivated is an understatement. He loves inspirational quotes, movies, and stories. He is supportive to my mom and family. I love and hope to marry someone with similar qualities as my Dad.
My beautiful mother M'lisa. My sisters and I are all the result of her diligence and hard work. She is the woman I strive to become. She is currently working three jobs at the moment to help support my family. She enjoys nature and being active. Her wisdom of social work and life in general continuously pours out and enlightens us all. I love her and her free spirit. She lives life with a passion I hope to one day possess. I am proud to call her my mother.
Rachel Alexandra Jackson. My identitical twin sister of 19, alomst 20 years. This picture captures her beautiful nature and love for others. There is nothing I could say to truly express how highly I think of Rach. She is truly beautiful and pure inside and out. She is hard working and enjoys learning new things. She is currently studying social science and music to be a teacher at an inter-city high school. I love her and her ability to reach out and lift other people. She is very musically talented and sings like an angel. This past year she has really been a strength and leader to me as she always encourages me and pushes me to reach my full potential. She is strong and will change the world I am sure of it. I love her and am so excited to be be going to Jerusalem with her in nine days. I am truly blessed to be paired with such an incredible friend.




My wonderful sister Hannah. She is currently Senior Class President at Layton High School. She is trendy and spunky. Spontaneous is her middle name. She is constantly teaching me how to be more adventurous not only in style but in life in general. She loves to play and have fun. If anyone wants to have a good time she is the one to call. Love her.

Eliza Jane Jackson. She is the youngest child of the family. She is adventurous and full of energy. She is a dog guru (ask her any question I dare ya). Her passions involve family bonding, friends, friends, and did I say friends. She is great at volleyball and is currently passionate about wearing neon spandex. Although I always look at her as my little sister, she is quickly becoming a beautiful teenager I know many will look up to.

Ouelessebougou

This here is my mother and my three adorable sisters. My family and I had the opportunity to volunteer at a nonprofit organization known as Ouelessebougou last Saturday-thanks to Kathy Oviatt.
When most people hear this word, "Ouelessebougou," they give one of two looks, a) a blank stare or b) a sour, more disgusted response. What in the world can this atrociously long word mean? This long almost nonsensical word in English is an African region located in Mali, West Africa. Ouelessebougou, in this reference, is a non profit organization established in order to raise money for this region and other neighboring regions in Africa. The money raised at both the silent and live auctions will go toward creating better educational systems, clean water, disease prevention, and housing supplies.
Money cannot buy happiness but it can provide wonderful opportunities to those who currently are in need. A little donation can go a long way to bless many generations. If not money-time. Time is something we can all give. Coming from a poor college student, time for me is the ultimate expression of sincere love and gratitude.
For more information about this program, please check out this website. It can change your life, I know it has changed mine.http://www.ouelessebougou.org/.

Bondage

Many refugees are currently living in refugee camps in various locations across the world to avoid the dangers within their homeland. This camp from the photograph is in southern Lebanon. The camp is called Burj el-Shamali. It is one of the most poverty stricken camps in Lebanon. In 1948, the formation of the state of Israel forced many individuals to leave their homes and settle in this camp. There are more than 20, 000 refugee living within its walls. I would suggest venturing to see more pictures through this given site at the bottom of the page to get a better look at the residing tone of the camp. The homes are made of zinc roofing and have little or no plumbing. The water supply is sparse as well as the overall income.
I remember making forts with my little cousins in my grandma’s yard. These shelters that are housing families are not much more protective or secure than the playhouse we made from random scraps found along the dirt roads in Arizona.
It is so difficult to comprehend the amount of trials these individuals wake up to every day. Though the refugees all started with different histories and backgrounds, they are now connected and forced to live in a degrading lifestyle.
These camps such as Burj el- Shamali contain a wide variety of individuals and families. The elderly in the refugee camps wait patiently to return to their homes, many still possessing the keys to enter. On the other hand many Palestinians have never even been to Palestine because of their life years spent within the camps. However, they all have a similar desire to lead healthy, successful lives. These camps are restricting growth and prosperity among the many citizens who have previously known their rights.


Works Cited:

"Burj el-Shemali Refugee Camp: A Photo Essay." Gallery 2. Photos du Centre des médias alternatifs du Québec - CMAQ, 2005. Web. 17 Mar. 2010.

Website:http://photos.cmaq.net/v/burj-el-shemali/?g2_page=3

Colored Feathers

It was through brown paper turkeys and Elmer's glue that began the foundation of my perception of the first thanksgiving. Throughout the years more information has been contributed to my basic knowledge. It was in American History when I learned more about the mistreatment of the Indian tribes living in America before the English settled.

Many Indians continue to suffer. Although a majority of the Indian culture has been destroyed from America it continues to prosper in Mexico. For two decades the Roman Catholic priest have ralied among the Indian tribes to raise awareness for Liberation. Eventually a rebel army was raised (non of Indian descent) known as the Zapatista Army of Liberation. Since 1994, Mexico has struggled with this divergency among the population.
One unique quality of the Zapatista army is they prefer to be nonviolent. It is more of an awareness battle and struggle to gain more rights and freedoms than to spread violence. This army consists mostly of rural indigenous people. However, there is a wide variety of supporters from urban areas as well.
The affects of discrimination are still influencing the lifestyle of many cultures. It is ironic that we look down on other countries for the way they treat their inhabitants, when in reality that is how we began our settlement in America. The battle for liberty and freedom never ceases to end. As Americans we can learn from the past to help those currently suffering around us.


Works Cited:

Photo by Sebastiao Salgado. "Migrations: Humanity in Transition.""Zapatista Army of Liberation." Wickipedia. Wikimedia Foundation , 2010. Web. 11 Mar. 2010.

Ebullience!

Photograph by Sebastiao Salgado

Joy!

Joy to me is the sun this week.

Joy is the rejuvinating feeling after a long run.

Joy is blasting Celine's music out the car windows.

Joy is being two days ahead of the homework schedule.

Joy is the smell of nailpolish in the summer breeze on the patio.

Joy is my twin sister and I laughing ourselves to sleep in our wooden bunkbeds.

Joy is my family.

This photograph expresses pure joy in itself. These weary refugees have been dropped off from a camp at Nyaminthuthin to go home. What is home? Many of these young children have grown up in refugee camps their entire lives. Home is that wonderful place mentioned in the stories of their parents. After this bus ride, many will continue their journey home by foot, trucks, and boat across the Zambeze River.

Mozambique is known for its "mobility." This country possesses more than 53 significant border posts linking many landlocked countries such as Zimbabwe and Zambia. This location creates an increasing flow of migration (IOM). The amount of displaced individuals and loneliness is very apparent in such a country as this one. However; some are lucky to experience the journey of traveling home to the joyful memories of the past. The bus ride is just the beginning.

You can never experience joy when you have not known sorrow. Refugees more than anyone know the true meaning of joy!

Works Cited:

"Mozambique." International Organization for Migration: the migration agency. Web. 3 March. 2010.

Mexico City, Mexico

I remember being young without a care in the world. My sisters and I would look like little "orphans," as my mom would say. We would dress ourselves and do things that are most appealing to the mind of a 6 year old. Being outside was the epitome of enjoyment. Whether making fresh mud pies in the dirt field across the street or playing cops and robbers around the yard; entertainment and joy as a child never seemed to be difficult to find. However, when I look at this little boy all I can see is an expression of exhaustion. He comes into a life where he must learn independence and survival skills at a very young age. In this picture, the effects of a violent wind storm have destroyed the electrical lines. Often houses such as these were hooked up to the electrical lines illegally in order to avoid an electricity bill. Every day seems to bring a new adventure and often trial to overcome.

Works Cited:

Information and picture from Sebastiao Salgado's book, "Migrations: Humanity in Transition."

Book Review of "Left To Tell" by Immaculee Ilibagiza and Steve Erwin

The barbarity that humanity enters during the Rwandan Genocide is unbelievably heartless and demeaning. I have never read such disturbances in my life. The selfishness and pride of the two tribes, Hutu and Tutsi, demolished Rwanda in as little as three months. However, it is through the depths of despair and outrage when we as readers are able to witness the inner strength of individuals like Immaculee Ilibagiza. It is in the tiny space of a Priest’s bathroom occupied with seven other women where Immaculee begins her spiritual journey to rise above the terrors overtaking her land and loved ones. Her goodness overshadows all of the desparity and heartache. It is her dedication to God and the love of her people that create such a unique, humbling experience all mankind can learn from. Although many do not go through this type of holocaust, the qualities she gained through this experience should be shared by all. This book has a uplifting insight toward the idea of forgiving those who wrong in the most unimaginable ways. It is a book of humility. The inner strength she possesses throughout this story spreads to the reader and is applicable in all circumstances of life.