The Field

The Field

There is an empty field, in the heart of the Rockies,

The soil silky, the flowers vibrant in their hue.

The air smells of a distinct vanilla odor,

But there is an inexplicable presence that lays on the land.

They say the longer you stay in this meadow,

The more you feel connected to its nature,

The more you feel connected to its presence.

This is the place you feel the most alive.

I have ventured to this acclaimed field,

And it is not as remarkable as the story goes.

The drought-stricken plain has transformed to a rustic yellow.

The vibrant flowers wither away and fade from the spotlight.

There are three boulders that are dispersed across the vast meadow.

I perch up on the tallest one, overlooking the deep valley below.

I am at my highest of highs, the peak of my existence

But this feeling hits me, and pulls me back down to earth.

I think of the family I left behind, the memories, the faces,

All the little details that comfort me,

In my times of distress.

I then look at the breathtaking view presented in front of my eyes.

I know, in that moment, where my home is.

They say this field is magical and mystical in its powers.

I say that it leads me to my true home,

The place I can truly experience my journey through life.

Forging New Paths

After the death of Baba, Amir is left to embark on a new journey of independence.  The road represents the journey Amir will undertake without Baba at his side to guide him through life. Just like the path, life is full of twists and turns, and nothing is straightforward. The tree’s vibrant green color represents the joys of life that may not seem evident at first, but will motivate Amir to continue on in search of more happiness. His marriage to Soraya and the lessons he learns by interacting with Sohrab are joys that come from the depths of darkness, and that give Amir hope for a better future. The shadows that cover up much of the road show that Baba’s death will darken Amir’s life in the near future, but the light that illuminates the horizon show hope for a better future and one free of guilt and anguish. When says, "I'm going to miss him," (176) it shows how the shadows and the darkness of Baba's death will leave a lasting impact on Amir, but throughout the rest of the novel, Amir uses Baba's advice to better himself and redeem himself for his past actions.

Nigeria’s Fight for Educational Liberty

“They started shooting, shooting, shooting. They took our livestock,” she said. “They took everything and they left.” Matte Bama, a resident of her hometown Amchide, recounts the night Boko Haram raided her village, pillaging and looting everything in their path. But this sort of destruction and chaos has become the norm in a civil war-torn Nigerian countryside (Searcey).

Since March of 2014, over 900 schools have closed down in the Borno state of Nigeria, leaving thousands of Nigerian boys and girls out of school, thanks to the repeated violence and chaos caused by Boko Haram. Although dwarfed by other radical Islamic groups like ISIS and the Taliban, Boko Haram has caused mass-scale turmoil and destruction across northwest Africa, especially in Nigeria (Terror). After the infamous kidnapping of over 200 Nigerian girls in April of 2014, Boko Haram has garnered worldwide media coverage and has finally been put into the spotlight for its atrocious actions (BBC).

Boko Haram has come under severe scrutiny for its action against education, especially for girls, in Nigeria. Boko Haram loosely translates to, “western education is forbidden.” With its foundation built on strict Islamic teachings, this radical sect founded by Mohammed Yusuf had its ups and downs during its early years but turned particularly violent towards the end of Yusuf’s life and the start of his successor’s, Abubakar Shekau (UNICEF).

In recent years, many Boko Haram jihadists have targeted westernized schools in Nigeria with waves of violence, instilling fear in the many suburban communities affected by the violence. The Human Rights Watch director Zama Coursen-Neff describes the struggle as, “Boko Haram’s attacks on schools represent a new and reprehensible development since the group began its campaign of violence in 2009. Children and educational institutions should be left alone, full stop.” The conflict has led to the shutdown of thousands of schools, not only in the Borno state but nationwide. Many citizens have also begun to flee the war-torn country (GCPEA).

Apart from Boko Haram disrupting the current educational system in Nigeria, they are further creating turmoil by forcefully replacing in existing facilities their own Islamic schools. BBC reports that Yusuf had set up many religious complexes in Nigerian towns with the  goal of influencing residents at a very fundamental level into following his radical Islamic sects. Through an increasing number of Islamic schools, Yusuf planned to create an Islamic state under his religious ideals, similar to ISIS. Other than these religious institutions set up by Yusuf, recent reports have indicated that Boko Haram has begun building unregulated boarding schools for young impoverished Nigerian boys. The main agenda of these “boarding schools” is to have young minds memorize Quranic verses and completely entrench them in the teachings of radical Islamic clerics (Terror).

Although endless violence has been inflicted by Boko Haram across many communities in Nigeria coupled with widespread government corruption that has destroyed infrastructure and education for several generations, all is not lost for those young children who simply want to get educated for a brighter future for their families. In many small towns in Nigeria such as Maiduguri, motivated young men and women have taken up arms to protect the youth from the terrors of Boko Haram. These so-called Civilian Joint Task Forces have armed themselves with axes and machetes to protect their communities from the violence of Boko Haram and to get their children an education (Terror). There is no doubt that the current threat of Boko Haram is very potent but with help from outside aid and internal unity, Nigeria stands a very strong possibility of redirecting itself back on the progressive path of growth and development.

Work Cited

"Boko Haram Terror Stunts Education and Economy in Northeast Nigeria." World Review. Web. 08 Mar. 2016.

"Boko Haram Violence Keeping a Million Children out of School, Says Unicef." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 22 Dec. 2015. Web. 07 Mar. 2016.

"Nigeria: Boko Haram Targeting Schools." Nigeria: Boko Haram Targeting Schools. Web. 08 Mar. 2016.

Searcey, Dionne. "Boko Haram Falls Victim to a Food Crisis It Created." The New York Times. The New York Times, 04 Mar. 2016. Web. 04 Mar. 2016.

"The Rise of Nigeria's Boko Haram." - Al Jazeera English. Web. 07 Mar. 2016.

"Who Are Nigeria's Boko Haram Islamists? - BBC News." BBC News. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Mar. 2016.

水牛 (Buffalo)

"The creature halted, then heaved from side to side, trampling the muddy bed with vigor, as though intent upon crushing the submerged spectacles with it's hooves or the lurching ploughshare" (47).

"It was exceptionally long, and no doubt once belonged to the unfortunate buffalo responsible for breaking capital Four-Eyes's glasses" (105).

These two quotes relate to the symbol of the buffalo because of how Four-Eyes interacts with it. The buffalo symbolizes and illustrates an idea of coming to age, shown through its relationship with Four-Eyes. In the first quote, Four-Eyes is seen struggling intensely with the buffalo, with the buffalo trampling his glasses and whipping his tail into his face. The buffalo is dominant. However, in the second quote, time has passed and Four-Eyes is now returning home. The buffalo is slaughtered in celebration for his returning home, and almost like a trinket or trophy, Four-Eyes decides to keep the long tail of the very same buffalo that had trampled his glasses and caused him so much trouble so long ago. This shows the change in Four-Eyes and how he has now "come to age," and is now dominant over the buffalo. His more figurative "aging" has caused him to become more powerful over the buffalo. The buffalo acts as an obstacle for him, and his coming to age leads into his overcoming of the buffalo.

By Frank Zhou
Akhil Jakatdar
Caroline Schachter
Christy Torres

Flowers for the Conscience

Flowers for the Conscience

For every yin

there is a yang.

For every flower that blossoms in the dawn of spring

there is one that faces the touch of death.

It is not how the flower is in its state of being,

but how one interprets it.

The eyes, the mind, the soul.

They give you the opportunity to feel the Tao.

Eyes, the gateway to the outside world.

The complex mind controlled by the soul.

Gives perception,

the greatest gift to humans.

Perception is our connection to the Tao.

We seem to see only the yin or the yang of every situation.

A lively flower or the dull one.

One must see both the yin and yang

to feel the connection and the presence of the Tao.

It is only you, your conscience

that can lead you to this eternal Tao.

Not the blistering summer heat

nor the icy winds of winter

can change that flower.

Only you can.

How Real Are Our Memories?