As 2016 comes to an end, I look back at the time I have spent living at ISH, as an American graduate student at JHU SAIS, and have a few lessons to highlight upon reflection.

Never judge a book by its cover (which means do not pass judgment on someone before you’ve gotten to know them); instead have a conversation.

One of the benefits to living in a house like the International Student House is that there are so many opportunities to have conversations. If it’s a study break in the TV room, during a shift at the front desk, or in the Great Hall after an event, ISH provides many open spaces to get to know the other people living in the house. When I say never judge a book by its cover, it is because I have discovered the various, challenging and exciting journeys that my ISH peers have taken and lived prior to residing within these walls. As a New Yorker with family from the Caribbean, it is oftentimes assumed that I am actually an international student, and sometimes I do not deny or correct people who make the assumption because I was raised in a home that spoke three languages and I have traveled and been intrigued by international affairs from a young age. Through living at ISH, it has allowed me to expand on what truly makes someone “international” and how one can find commonalities through differences; and one of the great ways to get there is through conversations.

It is important to educate but also to encourage others to educate themselves as a form of self-awareness.

Looking back on my childhood, where I grew up in Harlem, NYC, it is funny how often I have to persuade fellow ISH residents who are traveling to NYC that staying at an air BNB in Harlem is NOT actually dangerous. At ISH, I have seen that the influence of media, stereotypes and misplaced humor (satire) is what forms the opinions and perspectives of international students who have never lived in the United States before (or even those who have). One day, after a night out at a lounge with my friend from Trinidad and Tobago, we stumbled upon a conversation between one of our friends from the Netherlands and a fellow from Andorra. In the conversation, the Andorran was questioning the appeal of Beyoncé and wondering about why there was such a stir about her “Formation” performance at the Super Bowl. As an outsider looking in, it was encouraging to see our friend from the Netherlands explain the social challenges and racial tension that was at the forefront of US news. Our friend also kindly suggested that the fellow read a book that they had found in the ISH library and laid out that they would be open to discussing it further if they had questions. From this experience and many others, I continue to see that it does not matter where one is from in the world, it is a universal truth that we can all learn from each other, and after the recent US elections, this is a lesson that is true now more than ever.

Distance has nothing on true friendship.  

This past summer, I interned for 10 weeks in Barbados and following my time there, I made it my mission to visit my closest friend from ISH (shout out to Ari!) who is from Trinidad and Tobago. Seeing her, after weeks of separation, was as if not a day had passed when we had not been sitting in her room and talking for hours. I truly wish long distance relationships with significant others were as easy as long distance friendships (am I right?). As I sat in my room watching the results of the US elections this fall, the first people to contact me were not my parents, but actually my former roommate from France (hi Mylene!) and another of my friends from South Africa (hi Zinhle!), who messaged me with their thoughts and wanted to talk immediately. Leaving ISH and living in another country, in today’s day and age, does not mean that you lose your connection with your friends. This past Christmas, I received and sent warm wishes to friends all over the world ranging from Canada to Italy and I know that there are ISH reunions happening in different parts of Europe for the New Year. As I look forward to 2017 and to finishing my last semester at JHU SAIS I cannot imagine living somewhere else as a graduate student in DC, and that is because of the experiences that ISH has fostered for me.

Covenant House Sleep-out Reflection

by Vanja Lakic

I can’t recall when I became a dispassionate passerby. Hundreds of street walks ago it must have just happened. The cliché panhandler, after all, is any city’s token, much like the corner Starbucks. Distressed faces and bodies wrapped in soiled covers have long failed to induce my sincere heartbreak. Because it isn’t me, and it isn’t those I love most. Because my wallet doesn’t supply infinite dollar bills to every pleading voice I hear. And so, my aloofness, what I imagine resembles a trotting saddlebred with blinders on days when I speed-walk to work, is likely the reciprocal cliché to those who call the streets their home.

On November 17th, when the overnight temperature dropped to 45 degrees with a light breeze, I slept outside with Greta Geilhardt and ISH board member, Linda Harper, through Covenant House’s annual event that brings awareness to homeless youth. Except, well, that I couldn’t sleep for a single minute. The concrete proved ruthless, and my feet refused to warm up. Sounds of chatter, whizzing cars, screeching engines, and heavy vehicles that sent shock waves through the ground, made my night a tossing and turning match. I should mention that we had security watch over us all night — not so much a luxury afforded in the real world. At around 2am, with three hours left to go before the Covenant House “wake-up” call, I began to feel aggravated and stuck, with no choice but to endure the remaining hours. How can somebody go through this for nights and days? Nobody should have to.

Without luck shutting my eyes, I began to observe my passerby; the vehicles speeding along New York Avenue. Almost always I noticed their heads turn in curiosity at the sight of rows of homeless-looking bodies sprawled outside Covenant House. It occurred to me that they couldn’t see my face. They didn’t know anything about me; my age, where I grew up, my family’s background, my dreams, my hopes, my failures, worst struggles and fears. To them, I was that cliché homeless person buried under layers of clothing inside a sleeping bag. And every single day, I am them, the dispassionate passerby.

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments counted 8,350 homeless individuals in the District of Columbia this year, a rise of 14 percent from 2015. The increase is attributed primarily to a spike in family homelessness, many of whom are teenage parents. It is an estimate at best because, as I learned, homelessness comes in unaccounted for types such as couch surfing. We listened to a panel of young men who endured lives of poverty, abuse, neglect and violence that led them through the doors of Covenant House. As one speaker pointed out, he continues to wear the label long after he ceased to be homeless; a stigma that has taken him time to admit and accept. The most striking revelation for me that night was how swiftly the youth agreed that mentorship is the greatest gift the community can give them. In fact, it is less about the lack of resources and money, than it is about the inability to see a path out.

“If you give me a $1000, and I don’t understand what that $1000 dollars will do for me, I’m going to the corner store for ice cream,” one of the speakers said.

It turns out that my treacherous five hours on the concrete was nothing compared to a man who spent five years on the streets with his young son when he lost his job after the Bush administration. He is well-spoken and tough-looking but his voice began to crumble as he recalled the days when a kind stranger provided food and came to check on him and his son, every single night. It’s only by God’s grace that they both survived, he said. My intuition was to ask what drove him to homelessness after his government job, and for so long. But, I didn’t, and it doesn’t matter.

As is often said, talent is universal but opportunity isn’t. I saw that through the energy, ambition, and humility of the young men who spoke to us. They exude the type of strength and maturity only earned by overcoming life’s toughest trials. Shaun, a lanky athlete who dreams of a basketball career in the NBA was forced to drop out of high school. He is now completing his education with the help of Covenant House, is involved with basketball through the Alternative Education League, and hopes to inch closer to the NBA with the possibility of an athletic scholarship. “I’m still chasing my dream, and won’t give up now,” he said with fervor that gave me goose bumps. Jeremiah, a single dad, wants stability for himself and his young son, and hopes to set aside money for his son’s future education. Another young man is excited by the prospect to earn a business degree and one day become a corporate executive.

My early morning that followed the sleep-out felt much like I had pulled an all-nighter. Which, essentially I did. Linda Harper kept me optimistic by earlier reminding us how comforting it feels to come home to a hot shower. That ability to walk away from a nightmare and live in safety and warmth again isn’t a given to each person, yet it’s safe to say that each person desires that escape. Covenant House told us to carry on with our day without taking naps to experience what it’s really like to hypothetically have to interview for a job or try to play a sport while depleted of energy. It hadn’t crossed my mind before how excruciating it must be to try to ‘seize the day’ under consistently compromised sleep.

As I walked to work that morning, I noticed a woman pamper her plumb toddler outside a French patisserie on Connecticut Avenue. She was well-groomed and nicely dressed taking caution to wipe away her crumbs that trickled onto the child’s jacket. It had reminded me that the night before I saw a woman whose ankles were exposed because her pants were too short and her sneakers tattered. She carried a young girl, with chubby cheeks and gaping eyes of despair that mimicked her own. If there is such a thing as the lottery of birth, one of these children has already lost.

It’s easy to deduce homelessness as a product of poor life choices, and the lack of hard work. But we don’t all start on an equal playing field. Few excel despite all odds. Most get left behind in a social system that wasn’t created to help them. I have no illusions that there is a silver bullet to eradicate an age-old and multi-layered problem such as homelessness. But, I have learned from some of the young men that there is tremendous healing power in ditching assumptions, breaking down social divides, and taking a chance on somebody without expecting something in return. As the house that cultivates future global leaders – those of us who will one day craft public policy, push the boundaries of science and technology, establish society’s laws, and yes, have the political clout to elevate a broken class – there might lie too much potential for us to be the dispassionate passerby.

Have you noticed? It really is December and  the holidays  are in full swing! Soon, it will be Christmas Day. Here at ISH, signs of the season are now all around. For some, December 1 rang the bell for that final season of “all-nighters”- exams are around the corner. For others, it’s the season for cider and ice skating, for Christmas Carols.

For many of us, it’s truly a mix of both.

Personally, the first of the season came and passed almost unnoticed, as final papers really seized the monopoly on my attention. But luckily, the team of ISH makes sure the Christmas Joy is sizable in the House! Piece by piece, seasonal spirit has appeared: First, there was fir green in our lobby, then above our entrance door, now fairy lights in the garden- we even have a Christmas bell above our door. What can I say? It’s classy and beautiful. Above all, no matter what we’re up to- be it exams, the end of year rush at internships or a much-loved trip to the Messiah concert, ISH decorations bring a smile to our faces.

Some evenings, one of our residents plays the piano in the great hall- and marvelously, too.                With the Hall all lit up by fairy lights, a Christmas tree standing by (soon to be decorated) you easily find yourself stopping on that downstairs run for coffee to take in that beautiful holiday atmosphere.

Soon we’ll be having our Christmas party, including tree decorations and a Secret Santa gift exchange.  Oh, and just wait till exams are over.  Ten days from now, celebration will be in order. And my roommate Meg and I have already decided: We’ll be sharing the joy with Christmas carols all day long! So, beautifully, Christmas is coming to ISH.

 

T’is the season. With it comes, inevitably, a string of farewells, making it bitter sweet. Many beloved roommates and partners in crime for games of pool, heated debate, shopping trips and study parties will be leaving the house before Christmas. What can we say? It’s been a blast, this year. No matter if we spent two months or six, or even 12 together- great friendships have been built, oh priceless moments shared!

No matter where we go off to in the world, our time at ISH-DC will always connect us. Reunions and visits are already being planned.

To those who are leaving: Be blessed, take care! And until we meet again: Here’s to friendships’ beautiful beginnings at ISH.

There are plenty of perks to living in Washington. For a graduate student of international affairs, access to the world’s most pronounced political scholars, pundits, diplomats, and public officials is, by far, the utmost advantage. Over the past month, I had the chance to listen to a lecture by Professor Francis Fukuyama on corruption and state building, attend a lively and light hearted discussion by former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright on her lifetime career journey, and greet the Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi when he visited my school to speak about populism and global affairs. This is only a sample of the kind of opportunities we have in a given month.

Amidst the networking events, expert discussions in nearby think tanks and centers, film screenings, happy hours, reunion parties, and career treks, this city holds the highest standards for whoever is looking for an interesting discussion on politics and international affairs. In fact, the biggest challenge that I found myself facing in my first two months in Washington has been to balance these events with my graduate school obligations. Thankfully, what I learn in my classes – whether it’s power sector reform, strategies for resilient cities, corporate finance or public private partnerships – allows me to engage in a deep level of analysis to make sense of the trends experienced by different regions of our world.

My final year of graduate studies in Washington has thus far featured enriching conversations and ample perspectives on issues that I care about. What I hope to better focus on, going forward, is taking a step back and reflecting on how I could apply these perspectives to inform the impact that I seek to create in my personal journey. I look forward to seeing what the next few months unfold, and I will surely provide updates in future blog posts.

Particularly around meal time at ISH, you could travel around the world by going around the room to talk to housemates.

Enter our dining room around 7 pm and pick any table to find yourself sitting with fellows from Germany, Brazil, Malaysia, India and Russia. Or maybe you pick another, with fellows from Canada, Sweden, Thailand or South Sudan.

As you sit down, you’re first of all with a group of friends. Most of us here at ISH quickly come to live as that (see my last blog post).  ‘How was your day?’, or ‘Did you figure out that essay you were writing?’, and so we exchange how we’re doing and like at many other tables, we talk about the news, the latest Washington Buzz…

And then, amazing me every time, you find yourself, as I’ve found, in a lively debate, concerned reflection, a humorous clash on topics bigger than that:

What makes a good policy maker? How can we engage more people in democracy? Has ‘the West’ got it all wrong on this idea that our political model of democracy, justice and human rights is a good measure for all?

Just in the first few weeks, I’ve had challenging conversations with Jonathan, who has now become a cherished friend, on the outside-view of Western democracy, on what these ideas can mean to people in Africa- and how we may need to rethink our talk about them. Together, we’ve explored what democracy means to us and how Western ideas may have lost credibility around the world.

Similarly, my friend Melissa and I have enjoyed exploring what it is that makes the #blacklivesmatter debate in America so heated, why patriotism and discrimination are still at the center of clashes here and just how people could come together through empathy to appease the debate.

We found this issue so important that we kept coming back to it for days as we met around the house: coming home from school, doing household chores or sharing dinner.  Our conversations went long into the night, but it meant so much that a lack of sleep was well worth it!

This Monday night, Patrick, who’s Hungarian, and me (from Germany) explored the differences in people’s views on the EU’s refugee challenge. How eye-opening it was to really appreciate where we disagree. Our chat will continue in search for common ground.

These conversations were not academic, but shared, compassionate explorations of what people around the world are concerned with.

When I enter the dining hall, I can be certain to leave with some inspiring thought from my ISH house-mates. When I leave, it’s with a better understanding of our world’s diversity. And this continues: in the great hall, on the stairway, in our TV room. At any point in time. this house is abuzz with conversations.

Now, what if you just want to joke around or watch a comedy? There’s plenty of that too! What if, at breakfast, you seek the quiet company of just a coffee or need some last-minute cramming? We can all relate- and will leave you alone as you wish.

The point is: If you are wondering about some issue in the world, history, journalism, the state of American democracy in this election, or say … the cultural significance of Star Wars ….

Whatever it is, rest assured: You’ll find partners in crime for meaningful, beautiful conversation here at ISH.