User:Ducttape

You'd probably remember me as the girl who had the duct tape dress on Halloween at LAN.1.10, but I am just another of those people who love CTY and participated in all the antics of the Alcove. I have been to CTY for 3 years, 2 at Baltimore and this year at Lancaster. I have to say that Lancaster Session 1 2010 was probably the best 3 weeks of my life. Baltimore kinda sucks after Lancaster. I nomored out this year after Session 1 and I will always love CTY. However, that does NOT mean that I have forgotten you guys, and I WILL be sending people voluminous care packages next year (and of course they will contain certain questionable products).

CTY Attendance History

SERV.JHU.2.08 - Instructor: Dr. Kenya Davis-Hayes - TA: Julie Ritchick
ETYM.JHU.2.09 - Instructor: Jon Pirnia - TA: Doug Fraleigh
COGN.LAN.1.10 - Instructor: Monica Pires - TA: Kyle Rodrigues (P.S. - KYLE IS THE MOST AMAZING TA)

Things I wish I could have said at Passionfruit

When I first came to CTY in 2008, I was the shyest person you could imagine. I had no self-esteem, I rarely spoke up in class, and I never went out to quad time (which, being at Baltimore, wasn't all that great anyway, even if you were social). But after those first three weeks, I had changed. I had met my roommate, who would later become one of my best friends, and I had learned how to interact in society and look at myself as an individual whose opinion mattered to others. My life had not been very stable outside of CTY, as I had been living overseas in Hong Kong for two years and I was about to move again, to Taiwan, so leaving CTY I was not only leaving those new friends, but the ones who I had come to love when I was in Hong Kong as well. Thus, when 2009 came around, I knew I had to return to my one safe haven.

In 2008, my dad had convinced me that taking Service Learning would benefit me more than taking another, more obscure course that I would have preferred. However, in 2009, I was allowed to pick a course that I wanted, and so I picked Etymologies. This turned out to be probably the second most life-changing decision of my life, as I loved every second of it and it made me realize that I really, really wanted to study languages and linguistics in college, and made me so happy to find something that I was very good at and liked. It also was the year that I discovered my passion for duct tape creations, after doing the Duct Tape Art activity one day. That year was a great year all around for making me more self-confident and happy with my life, but I was still sadly ignorant of CTY tradition, thanks to my being in Baltimore.

This year, 2010, was arguably the most epically life-changing year of my existence, as so many huge changes occurred in my life. The recession happened and I moved back to Maryland from Taiwan, went to a public school for the second time in my life, and my dad passed away in October. Because of all these factors, combined to equal a generally low motivation in life/school and unstable economic situation, it seemed unlikely for me to return to CTY for my nomore year. However, I somehow managed to scrape by with pretty good grades and our financial situation improved, so I got to return for my final year, and, determined to make it epic, I went to Lancaster.

Lancaster Session 1 2010 showed me how amazing the world could be. I loved every single one of the traditions and every part of the campus (even Schnader, as terrible as it was). The friends I made will always be remembered, and especially one amazing guy whom I will love forever. It was the sense of family, of belonging, and not being judged for being yourself that truly changed me and I will always try to bring CTY to the Real World and try to spread that sense of love and acceptance of everyone. CTY changed me, for better or for worse, and I wouldn't have it any other way. To quote someone else's Passionfruit speech, "CTY is like a shower; it's great for a while, but after too long you become a prune." So of course I will miss CTY, but my time is done and CTY has changed me enough to know who I am and cope with Real Life, and now it's time for someone else to experience it.

I love CTY, and I love the Passionfruit.