december 15, 2000
i just got back from a dinner for my friend javier torres, who turned 23 today (note: please go to www.TheDJList.com when you get a chance and vote for "Javier Torres" as your favorite DJ. as of this writing, he was #254...IN THE WORLD, largely due to his own ballot box stuffing! but really, he is quite the accomplished turntablist. he's also available for your next social gathering that requires musical entertainment! visit: www.DJjavier.com). after dinner, me, javier, his girlfriend sofia, and joon-mo ok hung out a bit at Stanford, first at Casa Zapata (where javier used to be an RA) and later on at Ujamaa, where i lived for two years while i was in school.
although tonight's events gave me several different ideas to write about in this here journal, i decided i wanted to focus on one topic: ujamaa. besides, it's getting late and i wanna go to sleep soon!
UJAMAA is the swahili word for 'cooperative economics.' it's supposed to convey the idea of cooperation and unity in working towards a common goal. and it's also the name of the african-american theme dorm at stanford university. i was placed into ujamaa my freshman year, and although it was supposed to be a random assignment, i believe it was GOD blessing me in advance! simply put, i consider my two years in ujamaa (i lived there again my senior year) some of the best years of life, let alone my four years of college. ujamaa is the place where i began that subtle transformation from being a know-nothing kid to an adult. it's the place where i met some of my closest friends, developing friendships that will last the rest of my lifetime. it's a place where i learned - through real-world experiences - to stand firm and be proud of my identity and my beliefs, but humbly and respectfully acknowledge others' differences as well.
some of you might be thinking, "come on, P!!! i know you loved living in 'uj', but don't people experience this all the time in college, no matter where they live, or who they live with?" and i agree; many of the lessons i learned back in 1994-1995, i could have picked up anywhere else on campus. for me the big difference was this: no where else at stanford could i have gotten the richness of experiences and values as i did living in the environment ujamaa provided. living within the unique, diverse community of bright individuals there was a learning experience more valuable, perhaps, than any of the theories or equations i learned in the classroom; for i believe it is my time in ujamaa that has made me a more understanding and compassionate person than i could have become otherwise.
people today, unfortunately, become so comfortable in their own worlds that any sharing or exchange of ideas between 'different' people stagnates or, sadly, comes to a complete halt altogether. feelings and beliefs about others turn to prejudices and fears. even at stanford, i was often asked how i was holding up, "living in ujamaa!" as if i were stuck in some kind of socially oppressive, angry place. yes, it's true that our differences are real, and that the world we live in needs a whole lot of healing. ultimately, however, we are all god's children, and i hope we can all aim to live as such. we talk all the time about how different we all are (as i did in this journal entry), but in the end we're all in the same boat. ain't that ironic?
comments? questions? email me