Scholar’s Blog: Belize 2010

When I sat down to write about Belize, I found myself staring at a blank word document for over an hour. Not because of a lack of experiences, but an overabundance of memories and wonder. What could I possibly write about that could covey my unexpected love of this beautiful country and its culture?
Any thing I tried to write about sounded meaningless – the jungles enveloping us with vines and calls from unseen animals, the people ready to embrace us with open arms willing to allow us into their homes and families including our guide Fermin. The words barely even scratched the surface on how I felt.
There are too many indescribable experiences and too few fitting adjectives to properly explain what Belize was to me. The one thing that comes close is Big Rock. Dr. Lenz had told me that our group might not be making the trip there with our substitute faculty, Dr. Rubin and Dr. Michelmore, due to the dangerous trail down to the waterfall, but the professors decided to make the trip with us.
When we began the trek, I saw why Dr. Lenz had questioned whether we would be going to Big Rock without his guidance. There wasn’t a path with manmade and therefore secure stairs; it was essentially a cliff with worn rocks and tree roots as footholds. Towards the bottom there was a rope as a guiderail, but still it was perilous and difficult after a day of canoeing and exploring. However, when I turned the corner at the base of the tree line, it was well worth it. I was greeted with the most awe-inspiring vision I’ve seen to this day.
Even at a distance, the waterfall commands attention. There are two natural pools formed at the base connected by a sort of rock waterslide. Once I finally caught the breath in my chest again, I ran straight toward the water. It was an inescapable pull, as if a magnetic force dragged me to it. Before I knew it, I was in the pool, battling the current created by the waterfall. Stroke after stroke, I inched my way closer. Clinging to the algae-covered rocks, I pulled myself forward until I was seated directly under the falls, water cascading over my head.
In that moment, I felt a part of the world around me. A part of nature, of water and jungle. A part of the strong women surrounding me. A part of something bigger than myself. Whether you believe it or not, in that moment, at Big Rock in Belize with those women, the pieces of the world came together to form a puzzle that wasn’t a puzzle anymore. The world made sense. I was baptized that day with a newfound appreciation for life
The truth is, in Belize, I found myself.

This past Sunday, the scholars had the incredible opportunity to see the Pittsburgh Public Theater’s final performance of William Shakespeare’s “Midsummer Night’s Dream.” And what a performance! The stage was similar to the type of stage that the original production would have been performed on in that there was little separation between the actors and the audience. The stage was almost level with the floor and actors joined the stage not only from backstage, but also from hallways and once even through the rows of audience seating. The acting was also absolutely superb, and the play was simply a joy to watch. However, it was not just an enjoyable experience and a much needed break from studying for midterms and writing papers, but also a thought provoking play fit for the Chatham Scholars. “Midsummer Night’s Dream” includes a complex play within a play and an ending which on the surface looks like a comedic happily-ever-after, but has undertones of remaining conflict. I was left thinking about the intricacies as well as the beautiful performance long after I left, and I even got to keep one of the props, a leaf, for my own scrapbook



Sefi Atta, award winning Nigerian author, gave a reading to the Chatham community in the Welker room on November 5th. She was very down to earth beginning by telling the audience how long the walk was to the podium and that her trousers were falling down. Then Sefi Atta proceeded to read excerpts from her novel, Everything Good will Come. I thoroughly enjoyed the passages about her Nigerian character, and also her personal anecdotes. I was fascinated that she did not necessarily have an agenda and did not intend to send a message. “That is a prophet’s job,” Atta said. This is surprising considering the  issues which she confronts in her work, such as conflict between different cultures, Muslim women, and feminism. Instead of “preaching,” she finds herself writing about issues that she herself wants to discover. For example, being raised in a multi-religious family, she is tolerant, yet confused by religion. Through writing about characters who feel similarly, she hopes to gain some sort of understanding. Although Atta misses the regular paycheck and respect of having a “normal” job, we, at Chatham, are thankful that she quit her Accounting job in order to turn her daydreams into beautiful and eye opening stories.

In the blink of an eye, summer is gone, and it is three weeks in to school. While the break was an appreciated and well-needed opportunity to relax with friends from home and work, and actually get paid for the work I did (because face it, we need all the help we can get with those school loans), I was not disappointed to be back. I was excited to return to the faces and places I learned to love last year, particularly from the scholars program. Last year the scholars program allowed me to have classes with other people who wanted to learn just as much as I did. It provided me with the opportunity to see Marjane Satrapi and try food I never would have tried in my lifetime at Aladdin’s.

With a school as small as Chatham and a program as intimate as the scholars program, it is easy to get to know everyone in your year. However, the boundaries between classes seemed a visible barrier. This year, the scholars are breaking down that wall. The First Year Scholars Mentor Program began this year. Upperclassmen mentors were matched with their first-year mentees allowing for a mixing of the classes. This provided an opportunity for even more unity within the scholars program.

Personally, it gives me the opportunity to share my experiences (and yes my mistakes) and really the opportunity to create lifelong friendships. My “mentee,” Shelly, and I like to just have coffee and chat on Tuesdays. Having a mentor takes some of the confusion and worrying out of the first year and it creates time to relax and blow off steam. On Sunday the 20^th of September, we are having the scholars’ ice cream social which is another great opportunity to make friends, create unity – and let’s be honest – who can resist ice cream!