Global Vantage Issue 11

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GLOBAL

VANTAGE

ConflictGlobal Journal Project A Shared Voice ISSUE 11 || AUTUMN 2015

Life and the Troubles15 streets of BelfastOn the Theme - Page 2

Hostage in IranImprisoned by KhomeiniOn the Theme - Page 5

Riots in UkrainePhotos from the frontlines

On the Theme - Page 6

Moving an NFLFranchiseOvercoming sports conflictExperiences - Page 26


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Editor’s Note

In our basic, elementary learnings of cre-ative writing, we are taught to present con-

flict in every scene. We are taught that conflictis action, and only with action can we inter-est our audiences. Beyond even this, we aretaught that conflict must always be resolved.In growing up however, we learn that conflictis much more than that. Even with just 17years behind me, I know this well.

My recent experience of conflict lay in regardto my personal beliefs and my loyalty to fam-ily. My father was a Lieutenant Colonel in theMarine Corps, and although I have grown upa politically attentive and outspoken liberal, itwas not until this year that I consciously feltcaught between my allegiances.

This year, after an in-depth study of the 2003conflict and Iraq War prior, I have decided tono longer decry the war. I refuse to dishonorwhat my father and others like him have donefor this country. I believe that our perspec-tive in hindsight is far different than it was onSeptember 11, 2001 and that those who haveswitched their position on the war may haveforgotten this. At this time, we can do littlemore than learn from it.

BY CAITLIN BOWEN, PRS 2016, EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Conflict is a natural experience, and whetherinternal or external, it is something we willall endure. In choosing “Conflict” as the themefor Issue 11, we recognized the current situa-tion of not only our world, but also ourselves.In doing so, we decided that conflict is notinherently bad—its goodness or badness de-pends on how it is handled. We explored dif-ferent outlets from which our authors couldshare their relevant experiences, and in doingso worked to create one of our most diverseand interesting issues yet.

In its conception, we recognized the strengthin both words and in photography, specifical-ly as a means of expression for thoughts andfeelings often difficult to express. With photostories from Ukraine, Vietnam, and Mali, weprovide more personal perspectives to issueswidely publicized but not known intimately.

In an exclusive, anonymous interview with awoman born in Northern Ireland, we are ableto explore the Troubles through the eyes of achild. By narrative and reflection, the inter-viewee considers not only the conflict itself,

but also explores its influence on her life to-day.

Beyond our “On the Theme” section, moresubtle, complex conflicts exist. Articles byTheodore and Evangelia Laliotis discussgrowing up in Greece during the Italian andGerman occupation. Although they are abouconflict in the most traditional sense of theword, the Laliotis’ stories are enhanced bypersonal narrative in which they analyze anddiscuss the divides that formed within theircommunity and reflect on how they wereshaped by these experiences. In a less traditional realm of conflict, Jim Bailey, formerExecutive Vice President of the ClevelandBrowns and Baltimore Ravens, recounts over

coming conflict in the sports world. Bob Harris discusses overcoming unfamiliarity, whichhe sees as the modern-day traveler’s biggestchallenge. And Geri Portnoy describes herpassion for peace and the potential for usinglessons from yoga to resolve conflict.

It is with great pleasure that we present toyou Issue 11 of Global Vantage.

Staff

Editorial Staff: Business Staff: Editors-in-Chief: Brian Chekal, CCA 2015 Chief Executive Ofcers: Peter Lillian, CCA 2015 Nicholas Marr, PRS 2016 Anthony Oliverio, PRS 2016Executive Editors: Caitlin Bowen, PRS 2016 Chief Financial Ofcers: Gabriel Piscitello, PRS 2016 Colin Loyd, CCA 2015 Jonathan Prvanov, PRS 2016Layout Director: Mina Fardeen, PRS 2016 Chief Operating Ofcers: Sam Dutt, CCA 2015Web Editors: Derek Albosta, PRS 2016 Vincent Wang, PRS 2016 Garrett Conway, PRS 2016 Marketing Director: Lauren Lipman, PRS 2016Editors: Anurag Aiyer, PRS 2018 Staff: Adrian Agresti, PRS 2017 George Biddle, PRS 2018 Ziad Badr, PRS 2017 Patrick Bjornstad, PRS 2018 Adam Bell, PRS 2018

Gavin Conway, PRS 2018 Dana Carney, PRS 2017 Weston Corbeil, PRS 2018 Alex Gorman, PRS 2016

Mina Fardeen, PRS 2016 Keara Keitel, PRS 2018

Katy Laliotis, CCA 2017 Kyle Ramsay, PRS 2017 Noah Larky, CCA 2017 Jack Uchitel, PRS 2018

Liana Merk, CCA 2017 Zachary Weber, PRS 2016 Tanner Muirhead, PRS 2016 Connie Yu, PRS 2018

Beckett Quinney, CCA 2015Nicholas Rosetta, PRS 2018Rahul Saripalli, PRS 2016Vincent Wang, PRS 2016

Faculty Points of Contact: KGSA Journalism Club Staff:CCA: Tanner Kortman Liaison: Asha Jaffar, KGSA ([email protected]) Production Advisor: Istabua Hamza, KGSAKGSA: Richard Teka Human Resources Advisor: Habiba Andeyi, KGSA ([email protected]) Marketing Advisor: Beaturice Awino, KGSAPRS: Christopher Burman ([email protected])


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ON THE THEME

EXPERIENCES

ACROSS LONGITUDES

POETRY

COMMENTARY

The World as 15 Streets: A Child’s Perspective of the Troubles , interview by Gabriel Piscitello A Gi rl in the Slums by Rachel Stacy A Hostage in My Own Country by Hossein SalimiViolent Clashes in Kiev by Jerome SessiniConict in Mali by Ferhat Bouda

Growing Up on the Island of Rhodes During World War II by Evangelia LaliotisGrowing Up in a Greek Village During World War II by Ted LaliotisKeep the Dream Alive by Jim BaileyWhat We Take for Granted: Why I Spend New Year’s Eve Around the Wor ld by Thomas Dixon

The East Meets the West: An Interview with Sandeep Das by Vincent WangStrength of a Woman by Cynthia AmondiThe Girl by Gloria MwanigaI Am Immaculate by Immaculate WanderaKibera and Its Problems by Zubenda Bakari

Changing the World Means Being Changed by Bob HarrisNature Decit by Andrea JuskaitisOriental Express by Paola Núñez SolorioThe Yoga Formula for Dealing wtih Conict by Geri Portnoy

Divided by Rachel WellsThe Best Place to Be by Gladys MasistaThe Plant and the Women by Warda Yusuf

ISSUE 11 || AUTUMN 2015

Inside GLOBAL VANTAGE

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NEWS & UPDATES 58Social Action Project Update by Anthony OliverioThe Last Word by Liana Merk

(On the cover) An Orthodox priest blesses protesters at a barricade. Photo courtesy o Jerome Sessini/Magnum Photos. Photo story on page

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PERSPECTIVE

STRUGGLE

PERSECUTIONUPRISING

COMPLEXITY

The interviewee discusses daily life and the separate cultures of the Troubles.

Rachel Stacy considers problems in Kibera, Kenya and the importance of hope.

Hossein Salimi recalls his imprisonment in Iran following Khomeini’s rise. Jerome Sessini’s photos capture the recent riots in Kiev, Ukraine.

Ferhat Bouda shares his experience photographing life in Mali during the conflict.

On the Theme: Conict

The World as 15 Streets:

A Child’s Perspective of the TroublesAN INTERVIEW BY GABRIEL PISCITELLO

Editor’s Note: Due to the sensitive nature of the content of this interview, the interviewee has chosen to remain anonymous. The inter-viewee was born in 1963 England to an Irish Catholic father and an English Protestant mother. Her mother died of meningitis in 1964,leaving her father and grandparents to care for her. The interviewee’s family moved to Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1969, where she liveduntil 1974 when she joined her father in Birmingham, England (who had moved there a year earlier). While she lived in Belfast, theethno-nationalist conict known as “the Troubles” was at its height. Between 1968 and 1998, nationalist disputes between the union -ist and republican populations of the territory resulted in violence and increased societal tension. While not inherently sectarian, theconict elevated religious tension among Protestant unionists and Irish Catholic republicans across Northern Ireland, the Republic ofIreland, and the United Kingdom. The interviewee now lives in San Diego with her family. The following is an edited transcript of ourconversation:

Can you describe the area that youlived in?I lived in a central area of Belfast. The street

that we lived on was called Hillman Street,

and it was in between two primary, arterial

roads. One was a Catholic main street and

the other was a Protestant main street.

The Catholic street was called New Lodge

Road, which was a hub of activity for the

Irish Republican Army. Opposite that was

a Protestant main street called Duncairn

Gardens. It was a highly populated, inner city

area and a b ig activity point for the Troubles.

During the height of the conflict, whatwas daily life like for you and yourfamily?

At the time, I would not have said that I was

there during the he ight of the conflict. I saw it

through the eyes of a child as I started living

there at six or seven and stayed there until I

was 11. My perspective was very much based

on 15 streets. That was my world. Although

there was a lot of activity from the British

military (British soldiers were present 24

hours a day––they were armed, wore bullet-

proof jackets and would travel down the

streets that we lived in throughout the course

of the day, going from doorway to doorway)

the soldiers would sort of have a friendly

relationship with the community that I lived

in, but it was always a hostile relationship

from our side. When a soldier would say toyou, “Are you alright there?” or, “How’s your

bike?” you were not supposed to speak to

them or interact because of the community

pressure. You were told as a child not talk to

soldiers.

Everyday life did not feel any different from

living here [San Diego] because, in a way, you

do not know what you do not know. I did

have an experience that made me realize that

life was different in Ireland than in England

when we first arrived [in Belfast]. I traveled

over with my father and my grandparentsThe house that we were going to be renting

was not ready, so we stayed with family that

was just a couple of doors down from us

There were about ten family members there

to welcome us. Partway through the gather

ing, as the grown-ups were having a drink

and the kids were having lemonade, I heard

this popping noise. All the doors were closed

one of the family members that was playing

the piano stopped, all the lights were turned

off, and everyone had to lie on the floor.

ON THE THEME2

Children in Belast during the 1970s. Photo courtesy o Jerey Blankort.


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remember laughing because I thought, “Why

are we all lying on the floor?” It was just this

bizar re situation, and I remember thinking,

“It’s a game.” Then I suddenly realized that thewindow at the end of the room had a board in

front of it. I asked my grandmother, “Why is

the boarding up there?” She replied, “That’s

so they don’t break the windows.” There was

obviously some sort of firefight that went on

outside, so we all had to keep our heads down.

After that stopped about 40 minutes later, we

all got up and star ted playing the piano, all the

lights went back on, and it was as if nothing

had happened. That was my first night there,

and that was when I realized that things were

different in that respect, but overall, it just

felt very normal. I do not ever rememberfeeling afraid or intimidated in all the time

that I was there.

How did the conflict impact the waythat you interacted with your commu-nity? Furthermore, did you have anyrelationships with Protestants, andif so, how were these affected by theturmoil?

I had absolutely no contact with the

Protestants. You could never have any

contact with the Protestants. I knew the

word “Protestant,” but I had no idea what it

meant. Likewise, I knew that “Catholic” was

a religious term, but I did not understand thedifference. All I knew was that there were

very clear, segregated areas where we lived

and where somebody else lived. You were

never allowed to cross the line and go into

a Protestant area. Many of the Catholic and

Protestant areas of Belfast had lines of demar-

cation based on where the soldiers would

put a checkpoint. For example, immedi-

ately across the street that I lived on was a

Protestant area, Duncairn Gardens (the main

arterial road that I spoke about earlier), and

there was a checkpoint with a turnstile where

the soldiers would check anybody going inor out of there. Now, it used to be that there

was not very much activity because it was

between a Protestant and a Catholic area, so

it was more to manage the break between the

two areas. In a lot of the other checkpoints,

you would have a Catholic area where they

would just do a stop-and-search. You would

just be walking down the street and they

would stop you, look in all your bags, search

all your pockets, and you had to comply. I

am sure that they probably had a similar sort

of thing in the Protestant areas, but I do not

know for sure because I never actually went in

a Protestant area. It was drummed into us tha

as Catholics, you did not cross that line; that itheir area and this i s ours. Well, you might be

able to cross the line if there was not a check

point, but you would be taking your life into

your hands if you did. Not to mention you

probably would not come out the other side.

You were saying that because you hadan English accent, going to school wasvery difficult…

It was difficult because the English were seen

as the enemy if you were a Catholic. The Irish

Republican Army (the IRA) wanted a freeIreland and wanted to be free of the monarchy

in England. As a Catholic child being dropped

into school, it was a really difficult situation

for me because I was viewed as the enemy

It probably took about six months for me to

drop my heavy English accent and be broad

It took about a year to be accepted in school

Students there ostracized me and were suspi

cious of me. I was bullied, but I learned to

stand up for myself. I used to say, “I’m a

Catholic like you are!”

Children in Belast during the 1970s. Photos courtesy o Jerey Blankort.


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How old were you when you realizedthe magnitude of the conflict and itsbroad influence on world history?

Probably about 25! When I see on televi-

sion the terrible conflicts [going on in the

world], at first I think, “Oh my God, those

poor children!” But children are so resilient.

I was about nine years of age when we would

run five streets away from where I lived to anurban park. There was one par ticular instance

when we were playing we heard gunfire

about 10 streets away. Then you would hear

the sound coming a little bit closer. When

the shooting was, perhaps, on the next street

over, we would say, “Okay, let’s go!” and run

back home. I think those sorts of memories

remind me [of the magnitude]. When I see

the photographs now in the newsreel, I think,

“Hold on a minute, I was in that park!”

How did growing up in a war zone

influence the decisions that you havemade throughout your life?

It helps put things in perspective. It is now

that I am an adult and a parent that I under-

stand [the magnitude of the conflict]. It has

affected my life because I now have a greater

understanding of how the human spir it, tenac-

ity, and will to live can overcome a lot. We are

very resilient, children in particular.

Are there any specific anecdotes thathighlight your experience with theconflict?

There are two experiences that stand out. I

was around nine years old and playing ball

with a couple of other children in the street.

We saw a line of people outside one of the

houses. We were all just giggling and joined

in the queue, waiting, not knowing what it

was all about. We walked into a room where

there was a box that everyone was standing

very somberly. The box was an open coffin

for a young man for whom they were having

an open casket ceremony. I do not remember

anything about him except that he had a suit

on and his hands were clasped together andholding rosary beads as though in prayer. Also,

I noticed that hands were slightly discolored.

As I came up closer to him, I could see that it

looked like there was a hole in his hand that

had been filled, and he was almost painted. He

was about 18 years old. This young man had

been very heavily made-up, and he had br uises

on his face and on his hands. I had never seen

a dead body before. Afterwards, I remember

speaking to my dad about it. I was quite a lot

older then and he recanted the story to me

of what happened. The man and his girlfriend

were going to church and they were caught

taking a shortcut that Sunday morning. They

should not have been going down a Protestant

area, and they were badly beaten. The young

man was crucified while his girlfriend was

murdered. A couple of months after this

incident, we were playing and I remember

looking at the Protestant side. I remember

seeing a queue, just the same as the queue that

I went into on the other side of the street, and

I have no doubt that one of the paramilitary

organizations had done the same to some of

the ones over there. That family was victim-

ized as much as the other side.

I also remember one instance from when I

was 10 years old. I was playing in the park

I mentioned earlier with my friends and we

heard gunfire. We started running from the

street that went from New Lodge Road to

Duncairn Gardens. I ended up running down

a street on my own. There was a heavy amount

of gunfire and the soldiers were doing their

patrol. As I was running as fast as I could

along the street, there was soldier not too far

in front of me. I remember glancing up and

seeing this woman right on the other side o

the street pull out a gun. The soldier that was

in front of me came around, and she shot him

in the head right in front of me. I was liter

ally 10 feet behind him, and it lifted him up.

As he landed on the ground in front of me, a

woman in this grocery store grabbed me just

threw herself on top of me. After the gunfire

ceased, the woman had a white flannel with

which she was just wiping my face as I was

crying. Later, when I was home and sitting

in the bath, the water in the bath just turned

red. It was completely filled with blood and

I realized that I was covered in this soldier’s

blood. It was a surreal experience, and the

next day I got up and went to school.

ON THE THEME4

Solicited by Pacific Ridge Schooleditors

Children in Belast during the 1970s. Photos courtesy o Jerey Blankort.


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Violent Clashes in KievBY JEROME SESSINI


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UKRAINE. Kiev. February 19, 2014.Anti-government protesters clash with police and hold barri-cades in Euromaidan Square. Photo courtesy o Jerome Sessini/Magnum Photos.


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UKRAINE. Kiev. On February 20th, unidentiied snipers open ired on unarmed protesters as they advacnedon Instituska Street. According to an oicial source, 70 protesters were shot dead. Ukrainian riot policeclaimed that several policeman were wounded or shot dead by snipers as well. An unoicial source saidthat snipers opened ire on the police and protesters at the same time in order to provoke both camps. Photocourtesy o Jerome Sessini/Magnum Photos.


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UKRAINE. Kiev. February 19, 2014. Anti-government protesters remain mobilized against riot police and hold barricades in Euromaidan Square. The day beore, at least 18 people were killed,including seven policeman. Protesters launch molotov cocktails with a makeshit cannon. Photocourtesy o Jerome Sessini/Magnum Photos.


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UKRAINE. Kiev. On February 20th, unidentiied snipers opened ire on unarmed protesters as they advancedon Instituska Street. According to an oicial source, 70 protesters were shot dead. Ukrainian riot police claiedthat several policeman were wounded or shot dead by snipers as well. An unoicial source said that snipersopened ire on the police and protesters at the same time in order to provoke both camps. Photo courtesy o

Jerome Sessini/Magnum Photos.

ON THE THEME10


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UKRAINE. Kiev. On February 20th, unidentiied snipers opened ire on unarmed protesters as they advancedon Instituska Street. According to an oicial source, 70 protesters were shot dead. Ukrainian riot police claimedthat several policeman were wounded or shot dead by snipers as well. An unoicial source said that snipersopened ire on the police and protesters at the same time in order to provoke both camps. Photo courtesy o

Jerome Sessini/Magnum Photos.


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ON THE THEME 15

UKRAINE. Kiev. February 19, 2014. Anti-goverment protesters clash with police and hold barricades inEuromaidan Square. Photo courtesy o Jerome Sessini/Magnum Photos.


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Conict in MaliBY FERHAT BOUDA

During my previous travels to NorthernMali, I would first fly into a neigh- bouring country on the border and try to

find passersby who could help me cross the

border. Most of the time, these people were

drug traffickers or were selling cigarettes, gas

or weapons. They were Africans trying to get

to Europe. So, I’d often leave by myself. I’ve

never been hired by a magazine and I have hadto pay for everything myself.

But I didn’t have a choice because there was no

other way to get into northern Mali and I had

the obligation to show what was happening in

the region! It’s often very risky to leave with

these people––the biggest risks are the kidnap-

pings that happen in the region!

But to take the series of photos shown here, I

left from Bamako. It’s the only trip I’ve made

with a colleague, a fellow photographer. I went

with another person to share the expenses. The

trip by taxi, or “fixeur,” costs a lot of money in

areas of conflict.

We arrived in Bamako and it was the first time

I was able to return to Kidal since the begin-

ning of the conflict. I’m interested in this

conflict because I had worked with the Berbers

and the Touaregs, an ethnic branch of the Ber-

bers. It was also my goal to work in the area. I

wanted to continue working with the femaleTouareg fighters with whom I had started to

work during my first trip.

Why Kidal? After the French Army passed

through at the beginning of 2013, the Islamists

left northern Mali.Timbouktou and Gao were

won back by the Malian army. Of course, the

French Army and the MINUSMA (United Na-

tions peacekeepers) were present at their side.

But the Touareg rebels (The National Move-

ment for the Liberation of the Azawad) share

Kidal with the Malian army despite the fact

that they are enemies. The rebels are in a “re-

stricted” zone, while the French Army and the

MINUSMA maintain peace in the city between

the two enemies and keep the Islamists away!

I am interested in Kidal at this time because I

want to see and document the lives of civilians

in this conflict zone. Unfortunately, it’s hard to

do this in a time of war! Most of the time we

have to choose a side, either the rebels or the

Malian army!

It took us almost 10 days to reach Kidal, eventhough it’s a trip that normally takes three

days. When we got to Gao, we had to stay

there because the route was dangerous and our

driver didn’t want to run the risk of traveling

with just us.

We tried to travel with the U.N. peacekeep-

ers and the French Army, but unfortunately

nobody wanted to take on the responsibility of

travelling with us because on the road in Mali,

anything can happen! The only option that was

left for us was to wait for the Malian army con-

ON THE THEME16


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(Above) A picture o a road in Kidal. Photo courtesy o Ferhat Bouda.(Below) MINUSMA military at the entrance to the city o Kidal. Photo courtesy o Ferhat Bouda.

ON THE THEME18



The conlict has had proound consequences on the lives o children in Kidal. Photo courtesy o Ferhat Bouda.


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Pictured here are the Touareg rebels’ barracks. They do not have the right to go out with arms. Photo courtesy o Ferhat Bouda


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(Above) Ater having heard a gunshot, a MNLA rebel prepares himsel in case o an attack. Despite their coninement, the rebelsare always in an alert state o mind. Photo courtesy o Ferhat Bouda.

The French Army patrols the streets o Kidal. Photo courtesy o Ferhat Bouda.


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Growing Up on the Island of RhodesDuring World War II

Experiences ADVERSITY

RESOLVE

ADVENTURE

Evangelia and Ted Laliotis discuss their childhoods on the Island of Rhodes during World Wa

Jim Bailey recounts overcoming conflict in the sports world.

Thomas Dixon explains his adventures on New Year’s Eve around the world.

BY EVANGELIA LALIOTIS

History tells us that wars begin, mostly, for expan-sionism, and so did WWII. It resulted in the devas-tation of many countries, the loss of lives, and immea-

surable human suffering. At its the end, there were no

winners.

I was born on the Island of Rhodes––it is part of a cluster

of 12 islands, the Dodecanese Islands, located on the

Eastern part of the Aegean Sea. The Islands were sold

by the Byzantine State to the Knights of St. John in the

year 1303. In 1522, the Ottoman Empire conquered

Rhodes, and in 1912, following the Italian-Turkish war,

the Dodecanese Islands were given to the Italians by theTurks as part of the war settlement. Thus, the Islands

became an Ital ian terr itory.

I feel rather special as my island remained Greek in its

spirit, beliefs , language, religion, and customs after so

many centuries of foreign occupation. It was a struggle

for my ancestors to survive financially and to remain true

to their Greek ethnicity.

My parents learned how to cope with adversities from

their parents and their parents from their own parents,

and so on. In order to survive, they had to learn to keep

a low profile, they had to be friendly and accommodatingto the different occupiers, but at the same time, secretly

they observed our Greek Orthodox religion and our

culture. The Greek Orthodox Church played a major role

in the successful preservation of our Greek-ness through

so many generations.

When WWII came to my island, we already knew how to

live with very little and how to make additional adjust-

ments. I remember how little I had as a tiny child. No

toys, no dolls, no new clothes, not much to eat. But I also

remember how loved and secure I felt in my home. My This record player was the only source o entertainmentin the Laliotis household in Epidaurus, Greece.

“History is philosophy teaching by example.”- Thucydides

EXPERIENCES 23


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numerous friends shared similar experiences

to mine. Our older siblings read books to us

and taught us how to play with seashells, round

sea pebbles, how to explore the surrounding

small hills and collect snails, oregano, wild

fruit, and other fun things essential for our

survival. When the bombings started, first

by the English because we were under Italy,

and then by the Germans as they wanted to

occupy our land, it was a very scary time. Itwas equally scary when the German army

occupied Rhodes. The Germans took all

the food from the markets in order to feed

their army. They imprisoned and killed many

local people. For about three months, famine

was widespread and people in the cities died

due to lack of food. By then, we were living

in our country home and my parents were

selling all the jewelry and other precious

possessions for a loaf of bread and a piece of

meat so that us kids could survive. The Red

Cross and UNRRA (United Nations Relief

and Rehabilitation Administration) came and brought various food essentials that averted

total loss of life on the island.

As we all know, one of Germany’s objectives

was to eliminate Jews. Rhodes, being at the

crossroads of trade and commerce between

East and West, had a substantial Jewish

community living there for many centu-

ries. When the Germans came to Rhodes

and started rounding up Jews to send them

to concentration camps, my father, taking a

great risk, and against my mother’s advice as

she was concerned about her children’s lives,provided refuge to a Jewish family until they

were able to obtain secret passage to Turkey

via a fishing boat. If the Germans had found

out what my father had done, our lives would

have been in great jeopardy.

At the end of WWII the Dodecanese Islands

were finally united with Motherland Greece.

The official ceremonies of the annexation

took place in April of 1947. All the inhab-

itants of the island from the various villages

came to the City of Rhodes where the Greek

flag was raised while everyone sang the Greek

National Anthem. We were all kneeling in the

streets and crying. This was an overwhelm-

ing experience that still brings awe and tears

to everyone who was lucky enough to have

participated in this extraordinary event.

Finally, the Islands became par t of Greece and

we became Greek nationals.

What were the effects on the life of a little

girl that lived and witnessed so many adversi-

ties? It is difficult to forget the sacrifices that

my parents made so that my older sister and

I could feel secure, warm, and not hungry.

It is wonderful to look back and remember

the loving home that my parents made for us.

They taught us a lot. But the most important

lessons were to always be careful and to honor

and preserve our religion and culture. The

responsibility for the survival of our race fell

on us. I believe that I became a flexible, resil-

ient, and hopeful person. I can adjust well to

changes and I believe that with hard work I

can reach the goals I set for myself.

I left Rhodes as a young woman and came

to the United States to study and meet my

uncles and aunts and my numerous cousins. I

got a degree from UC Berkeley, and became

a Social Worker in medical settings. I was a

good Social Worker because I knew what it

felt to be deprived, to be scared, to constantly

having to make adjustments and surviving

with only the bare essentials. I taught my

patients and their families how to best deal

Solicited by Canyon Crest Academyeditors

with their problems and how to best access

their resources and strengths. It took a lot of

hard work and commitment on my part to

bring positive changes to their lives.

I was blessed with the love and the values tha

my family instilled in me. In turn, it is with

this that I made a good life for myself, and

with my husband.We raised our children here

in the United States and made a good loving

home for them.

(Above and below) The decaying roo tiles o the Laliotis house.

Evangelia Laliotis worked as a nurseat a hospital in Los Altos, CA or many years. She currently lives in Los Altoswith her husband Theodore. The two othem continue to be very active mem-bers o the Greek church and the Greekcommunity in their area.

EXPERIENCES24


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Iwas born in a rural farm and grazing area ofSouthern Greece, part of the Peloponnese re-gion. It was just before Greece was attacked and

finally succumbed to the fascist forces of WorldWar II. At that time, Greece, a mountainous

Mediterranean country, had a weak economy

mostly consisting of land farming, livestock rais-

ing (sheep and goats), and fishing in the Medi-

terranean.

Greece was drawn into World War II by being

asked to surrender to the Italian fascist forces

on October 28, 1940, after much of Europe had

already been invaded and captured by the Ger-

man and Italian forces. The German and Italian

aggressors felt that Greece would easily surren-

der, but they forgot the resilience and historic

heroism that Greeks had shown from ancient to

medieval and modern times, resisting and fend-

ing off many aspiring conquerors.

Thus, when the Italians asked Greece to sur-

render to their forces, Greece answered with a

resounding “no.” When the Italians attempted

to invade Greece, they were driven back by

the heroic Greeks on the mountains of Western

Greece; the Italian Army was almost thrown in

the Adriatic Sea.

This unexpected Greek Resistance caused a sig-

nificant delay in the schedule of the fascist forc-

es. They were required to pull back, regroup,

and try again with the German Army in the

spring of 1941. This delay of plans proved to be

significant in giving time to the Western Allies

to organize and eventually beat the fascist forcesand win World War II.

The Laliotis family consisted of about ten re-

lated households with homes at the foot of a

small mountain near a natural spring and a small

church sanctuary to serve our religious needs.

The mountain is where the flocks of sheep and

goats grazed and they were herded by my uncles

and older cousins. The majority of our olive

trees populated the mild hillsides. The farm-

land in the small valley below the mountain

was where we cultivated and grew wheat, corn,

and vegetable gardens for feeding our families.We also maintained chicken coops for eggs and

meat, as well as stables for our horses, mules,

and donkeys (which were our work animals

used in farming). Thus, we had our meat from

our livestock and chickens, the olive oil from

our trees, the bread from wheat and corn, and

our vegetables from the gardens. We also hunted

for wild game on the mountain. That is what we

lived and grew up with. We basically produced

everything we needed to live on.

World War II was a major disruption to our

quaint village life. As a young boy around 5 yearsold, I remember the German and Italian soldiers

would raid our homes as they also needed food

to live on. There were no grocery stores to buy

food from so they would loot our households for

bread and olive oil; they would take our chick

ens and any other food items we were stocking

for our needs.

The war encouraged the emergence of traitors

among our communities. The weaker people in

our communities were tempted by the German

and Italian soldiers to become “informers” in

exchange for favors and preferred treatment. I

was very disappointing and painful to see one o

my uncles become such a traitor and provide in

formation to the soldiers about assets of friends

and relatives that they may have hidden in places

away from their homes in order to protect them

from the soldiers. The worst part was that his

actions were not something he was doing inconspicuously but he was openly walking around

with the soldiers and leading them to the vari-

ous hideaways. He was enjoying the power and

advantage he had over the community. When the

war was over and the soldiers left, this uncle

who we had nicknamed “the traitor”, disap

peared to another part of the country because he

knew that he could not survive in the commu-

nity. We knew where he was living, but none o

the relatives wanted to go after him because they

felt that “self exile” was enough punishment.

Greeks are notorious fighters by their very ownnature because of the many conquerors and

predators who pursued Greece from the ancien

times through medieval times and even recent

history such as WWII. As a result, Greek Re

sistance fighters who did not accept the domi

nance of the soldiers, organized themselves and

took to the mountains. While they lived in the

mountains, they were able to obtain arms, and

they conducted raids on the German and Italian

soldiers in any way they could. Sometimes they

would ambush soldier contingents and some

times they would make nightly attacks on their

compounds. The Germans, in particular, were

very vengeful and would respond by committing

heinous crimes against innocent local communi

ties. Luckily, such reprisals did not take place in

my village or the surrounding villages. One o

the worst reprisals occurred in the city of Ka

lavryta, at the heart of Peloponnese, where the

Germans gathered all males age 13 and older

about 500 of them, lead them to a remote loca

tion away from the town, and machine-gunned

them. Only 13 of them survived.

Growing Up in a Greek VillageDuring World War II

BY TED LALIOTIS

This wall inside the Laliotis house contains portraits o the entire amily.

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Ted Laliotis is a technology executiveand entrepreneur in Silicon Valley. Heis currently the President o Laliotis & Associates, a sole proprietorship in the

ield o venture capital and entrepre-neurship. He is an IEEE Fellow, andrecipient o the Ellis Island Medal oHonor.

Solicited by Canyon Crest Academyeditors

The saddest thing was the occasional violence

and physical harm to members of our families

if they resisted the looting by the soldiers. For

that reason, in order to protect us, our parents

would frequently move the children to spend

the night under tents in the valley, away from the

homes, if there was evidence that the soldiers

may be coming on a given evening.

The occupation by the German and Italian

armies lasted until about 1945 when the West-

ern Allied forces, including the United States,

were able to defeat the Fascist forces and free up

all of Europe, including Greece.

It was about that time (1945) that I started at-

tending grammar school. The school was lo-

cated at the larger village that was located about

two miles away from our homes. My cousins and

I had to walk about one hour in the morning to

get to school and about one hour in the after-

noon to get back home.

Most children from our village and surround-

ing area did not attend high school after gram-

mar school as the nearest regional high school

was about 30 miles away in the larger city. After

grammar school, most children would stay and

work in the farm along with the rest of the fam-

ily.

My father, rest his soul, who had also served in

World War I (circa 1918-1922) was a visionary

who had decided that he would work harder and

seek the necessary funding to provide his three

sons with high school as well as college educa

tion at any cost. He even had to sell some of hi

farm land to provide funding for our education

I was the youngest child in the family, but both

my older brothers and I had to leave the house at

the village at the age of 12 years old in order to

go rent a room in the larger city 30 miles away

We went to high school there, and then afterhigh school, moved to Athens, which was 100

miles away, for college. My two older brother

did exactly that. One became a school teacher

and the other received a degree in mathematic

to eventually became a meteorologist. I did no

have to go to college in Athens. I was fortunate

to be invited and f inancially sponsored by my fa

ther’s sister, who had immigrated to the USA a

an early age and was living in San Francisco, to

come and attend college in the USA. I gradu

ated from UC Berkeley in 1964 with a degree

in Electrical Engineering. I met my wife, also

a foreign student from Greece while at collegewe got married in 1966, and the rest is history.

Graiti on a wall in the city.

Keep the Dream AliveBY JIM BAILEY

This article recounts my experienceswith football, but it is not necessarily afootball story. It is a story about the pursuit of

dreams. It is about the passion to succeed andenduring the agonies of failure. My subject is

football, but it could just as easily be music,

art, science, literature, or anything else that

can inspire the pursuit of dreams.

As a youngster my life was consumed by

sports. If I wasn’t playing sports, I was watch-

ing them––football, basketball, baseball,

hockey. Anything that involved athletic ab ility

and competition, I was involved. In high

school it became apparent that my best sport

was football, so that is what I concentrated on.

I studied the game and worked very hard at

improving. I played well enough that I earned

a scholarship to play football at Florida State

University.

At Florida State, however, it became obvious

I was not big enough, fast enough, or skilled

enough to play at the college level. I had to

face the fact my football career was over. I did

not lose my love of the game but assumed I

was consigned to being a spectator for the rest

of my life.

I graduated from Florida State and went to

law school at the University of Michigan. After

law school I joined a law firm in Cleveland,

Ohio and devoted my energy to the practice

of law. Except for playing some basketball and

softball in the evenings, my involvement in

sports was limited to weekend viewing.

Then one day, the senior partner at my

law firm threw a small file on my desk and

told me to handle the legal work involved

Inside that file was a brief Memorandum

of Understanding signed by the mayor o

Cleveland, the owner of the Cleveland Indian

Major League Baseball team, and Art Modell

the owner of the Cleveland Browns National

Football League team. My firm represented

Mr. Modell, who had agreed to take over and

renovate old Cleveland Stadium, which wa

EXPERIENCES26


29/64EXPERIENCES 27

the home of both teams.

My job was to form a new company to lease

the stadium from the city and, in turn, lease

it to the Indians and the Browns. I was in

heaven. I was back, importantly involved in

sports. Not just any sport, but football! And

not just football, but the Cleveland Browns!

It was the first team I had ever seen play and

the team for which I had always rooted. And,as a bonus, I got to work with a Major League

Baseball team too.

Then, reality set in. The business of sports

is hard work. The people involved are, by

nature, very competitive and very demand-

ing. An agreement reached at 6:00 pm was

expected to be documented and on a desk

at 8:00 the next morning. The guy who had

to create that document didn’t have much

time to sleep, and I was that guy. But even

so, I loved it. I loved the fast pace. I loved

the challenge. And I loved working with thecharacters involved, especially my client, Mr.

Modell.

That transaction was completed in time for the

Indians home opening game in 1974. I contin-

ued to represent Mr. Modell as he undertook

massive renovations of the old stadium. As

walls were broken open, the condition of the

building was found to be much worse than

imagined, requiring a significant amount of

unanticipated structural repair. Regardless,

Mr. Modell lived up to his renovation obliga-

tions and the stadium was gradually updatedand upgraded to keep it in usable condition.

As that work wound down, the need for my

legal services grew less and less. As I began to

devote more time to other clients, I assumed

my heady turn through professional sports

was drawing to a close. Then, out of the blue,

Mr. Modell approached my senior partner and

said he had decided to hire a full time lawyer

for the football team and asked permission to

offer the job to me. Permission was granted,

and I readily accepted.

So, I became vice president and general

counsel of the Cleveland Browns. For my first

few weeks on the job, I had almost nothing

to do. My office was crammed into what had

been supply storeroom. I began to think I

had made a huge mistake. I couldn’t imagine

that Mr. Modell would continue to pay me

for the small amount of work I was produc-

ing. Then the dam broke. I don’t remember

what triggered the change, but seemingly

overnight I went from having nothing to do

to working 12 hours a day.

As time went on, I was made the Executive

Vice President of the Browns, responsible for

all the business, financial and legal operations

of the teams. In effect I became the number

two person in the organization, second only

to Mr. Modell. I directed a staff of more than

100, obtained and managed all financing for

the team, and negotiated player contracts. Ialso was responsible for all the team’s stadium

and facility contracts and arrangements.

In the mid 1980s, we were able to assemble a

group of players and coaches that carried us

to the Conference Championship game (the

final step for qualifying for the Super Bowl)

three out of four years. Even though we didn’t

make it to the Super Bowl, we were coming

close and the future looked bright. During

that time, we encountered several diffi-

cult business situations, but we were able to

resolve them and concentrate on building and

maintaining our football team.

As the 1980s turned to the 1990s, the tide

began to turn. As our football team began

to falter, our business operations also faced

new challenges. Because the Cleveland

Indians played 82 games a year in the stadium

(compared to just ten games by the Browns)

the Indians were our primary tenant. Butas other Major League baseball teams were

able to secure glamorous new ballparks

the Indians became dissatisfied with the

antiquated Cleveland Stadium. They mounted

an effort to have a new ballpark built just for

the baseball team. In reality, they needed a

new ballpark to remain competitive with

their opponents. But, they also represented

a vital economic component of our stadium

operations. Their departure would leave Mr

Modell with no financial means to recover

the millions of dollars he had invested into


30/64EXPERIENCES28

rehabilitating Cleveland Stadium.

The city of Cleveland and the business

community recognized these factors. They

concluded the Indians needed a new ballpark

but recognized the economic damage Mr.

Modell would suffer. They also recognized

that Mr. Modell would be compelled to

oppose a new Indians ballpark to protect his

financial interests. In order to obtain Mr.Modell’s support for a new ballpark, the

mayor, the city council president and var ious

civic leaders committed to “take care” of the

concerns of Mr. Modell and the Browns af ter

the Indians’ needs were satisfied. Mr. Modell

agreed.

The Cleveland community proceeded to put

together the financing for a new ballpark.

Surprisingly, they also decided to build, and

did build, a new arena for the Cleveland

Cavaliers basketball team. Completing this

spending frenzy, they also built the Rock andRoll Hall of Fame and a science museum, the

latter two in what had been the main parking

lot for the Browns at Cleveland Stadium.

While all this new construction was going on

for others, Mr. Modell learned that the upper

deck of Cleveland Stadium was undergoing

an irreversible deter ioration that would cause

the stadium to become unsafe for occupancy

within five to eight years. Because it takes

three to four years to build a new stadium,

the community’s commitment to “take care”

of the Browns needs escalated from a merefinancial adjustment to the necessity for a

new or substantially rebuilt stadium for the

Browns. Otherwise, the team would be left

with no place to play within the next five

years.

We embarked on a protracted period of

negotiation with the city of Cleveland. I met

regularly with officials and pursued a course

of resolving the situation for the Browns. We

engaged architects, contractors and building

experts to come up with a viable solution.

A plan for the complete renovation of the

stadium was developed, but the mayor had

promised to spend money he did not have.

City council expressed its opposition to the

project. The county officials had no interest

in participating, and had suffered their own

financial reverses that would have precluded

any contribution from them. The governor

of Ohio deemed it a “local problem” that the

state could not help solve.

Faced with financial ruin and literally becom-

ing homeless in our own city, we were forced

to look elsewhere for a solution. We found that

solution in Baltimore, Maryland. Baltimore

had lost its NFL franchise 13 years earlier

when they were unable to meet that team’s

stadium needs. In the hope of luring a new

NFL franchise to Baltimore, the Maryland

Stadium Authority had conducted a lottery

to fund a new stadium. The money was in the

bank. After working with Cleveland for yearsand never receiving a proposal, it took only

40 days to negotiate and sign a deal to move

the Browns to a new stadium in Baltimore.

The move was completed and the Browns

became the Baltimore Ravens.

It fell primarily to me to conduct all these

negotiations both in Cleveland and Bal timore.

While it was exciting to be involved at such

a high level, it was emotionally draining. The

Cleveland Browns had been my team since

childhood. Our family had lived in Cleveland

for 25 years. Our children were raised there,all of our friends were there, and all of that

was suddenly ripped away. We became par iahs

in our hometown. The passionate fans of the

team knew nothing of all the broken promises.

They knew only that their team had forsaken

them. My dream job had become a nightmare.

But we had no time to lick our wounds. We

had to establish our team in a new town.

There were people to hire and to teach about

our systems. There were new fans to cultivate.

There were stadium designs to be completed

and construction projects to be undertaken.Temporary stadium arrangements had to be

made. Practice and office facilities had to be

procured and readied in short order. And

moving and housing had to be arranged for

all our staff from Cleveland. It was hectic, but

we pulled it off and began the 1996 football

season in our new city.

Subsequently, Cleveland was shocked into

finding the means of constructing a new

football stadium and was awarded a new

team. We left the team name and colors

behind and the new team is now known, once

again, as the Cleveland Browns. The Ravens

have adapted to their new city in Baltimore

and have produced successful teams.

Four years after the move to Baltimore, my

time with the team came to an end. When one

takes a job in professional sports, it is impor-

tant to realize that such jobs often come to

an end. It is an intense and hard-hitting

business. Having seen co-workers try to hold

onto their jobs after they became ineffec-

tive, I swore not to do that myself. After the

ordeals of the failed negotiations in Cleveland

and the re-establishment of the franchise in

Baltimore, after suffering the acrimony o

former friends in Cleveland, and after accli

mating the organization to its new city, I felt

my time had come.

Once again, just like at Florida State many

years before, my football career was overMy football dream had finally ended. Or

so I thought. After consulting on sports

related projects after leaving the Ravens,

was approached to become the president

of a new organization known as the United

States Football League (USFL). The oppor

tunity to get back in the game one more

time––to revive the dream––was too tempt

ing. I accepted and have since been working

to create a new professional football league.

The USFL will not attempt to compete with

the NFL in any way. Rather, our objective isto provide an opportunity for young footbal

players to develop their skills and prepare

them to advance to the senior league. We

are guided by a board comprised of severa

former NFL executives with a passion for

providing a second chance for players who

sought to play in the NFL but fell short. We

understand their dream and are motivated

to help them pursue it. We have dreamt it

ourselves. Maybe we still do. Our slogan i

“Keep the dream alive.”

Jim Bailey, who played ootball atFlorida State University and earned alaw degree rom the University o Michi- gan, was the Executive Vice Presidento the Baltimore Ravens and ClevelandBrowns. He is currently involved withcreating the United States Football League (USFL).



31/64EXPERIENCES 29

What surprises us the most when we go somewhere wehaven’t been before?For me, it was a matter of what I had “taken for granted” before myfirst time out of the United States, only to discover that I had beenmistaken during said trip. Ever since, my deeply passionate curios-ity about “just what I happen to be wrong about,” has lead me toattempt to travel around the world such that I may spend my NewYear’s Eves in a new country each year.

Now, I had written previously about my New Year’s Eve trips forthe American Humanist Association (AHA). The article I wrotefor them, which came out in 2013, was titled “New City, NewPeople: A Humanist’s Travels on New Year’s Eve” and may beseen at the following link: http://americanhumanist.org/HNN/details/2013-12-new-city-new-people-a-humanists-travels-on-new-years. The purpose of this article is to expand on that AHAarticle by elaborating on what I have gained from these trips, whatI have been surprised and/or comforted by, and what I hope willcome to me from continuing to explore the world in this way.

I do encourage readers to see that earlier article as in it, I describemy rationale and motivation for going on these tr ips. In brief, I willshare here the rules I attempt to follow when on these trips, as Ihad shared them within that aforementioned article:

1) I am trying to challenge my notions, my preconceptions.2) The trips should be for a new country, a place where I have never

been before at all.

3) It does not matter if the people in the country tend to celebrateNYE (of December 31 to January 1) or not.4) Pragmatically, it must be a spot which is considered “safe enough”for me to visit.5) I try to bounce between parts of the world, year-by-year.

It’s these “rules” which have guided how I have traveled. Given thatI had been in school throughout, I could not afford such a trip eachyear. Also, I had almost died in 2010 when I was hit by a car, whichI have shared extensively about elsewhere. Rather than feelingforced to follow my goal of seeing the world, I will admit that “lifehappens,” and so adjust my expectations for travel with it. I do alsoattempt to carry such a sense with me on my non-NYE trips, suchas when I had been a middle school teacher in South Korea, when I

had joined in an archaeology camp in Belize, and when I had made it toBarcelona over one particular summer. I am fortunate to have been ableto see the world, and continue to feel ever more fortunate given how Ihad almost died, possibly leaving much “unseen.”

It is also my feeling of connection to others that has inspired me to havethese tattoos, on my left and right arms, respectively, of the text “Let’slove each other” in both English and Korean (see above).

And so, without further ado, just where have I been for NYE?

Taiwan for NYE2005 (or, “the one which opened my eyes,” photo below.)

As I noted in the AHA article, I had been so surprised by what had nothappened. I had been (culturally) shocked to learn that NYE was notcommonly celebrated by people there, meaning that there would beno celebrations, no fireworks, but rather my own mind had lit up uponlearning that I could be so wrong about what “expected behavior” may

be. I paused and wondered, “Just what else am I taking for granted?” I just had to take the “steps” to find out. “Nowhere” for NYE2006? (Actually, this one may have been in NewYork City)

This may have been one of the years where a “student budget” wouldonly allow so much, or perhaps my idea of spending NYE in a newcountry each year had not yet formed.

What We Take for Granted: Why I SpendNew Year’s Eve Around the World

BY THOMAS DIXON


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Japan for NYE2008 (photos below)

My time in Japan was spent across a number of cities: Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, & Nara. It was there that I could see “Kinkakuji” and sleep inside a“capsule hotel,” and have tasty tofu.

England for NYE2007

With a ticket to London, I was able to experience what had been the “best NYE of my life” for many years, capturing this following photoin the process:

EXPERIENCES30


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Canada for NYE2009 - Toronto was there for me, in a sense that I was glad to be there for it. I felt comfortable there. I will admit that I had been surprised by what I spotted while riding the subway once. I also had spotted statues of women on crutc hes in an ar t show. (Photos below)

“Nowhere” for NYE2010? (It was in Washington DC, maybe?)

At this time, I was a premedical student, and so this may have been one of the years where a “student budget” would only allow so much,and I had already been to NYC.

NYE2011 & NYE2012 (The background photo shows me almost dying after being hit by a car)

I missed two years of this type of travel, as I had almost died when a car hit me while I was on one of my runs on November 22, 2010. Myrecovery took a long time, and resuming these trips was an important benchmark in my recovery that led me to feel I had control of mylife once again.

EXPERIENCES 31


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Netherlands for NYE2013 (photos below)

This trip may be “my favorite” thus far, perhaps unfairly so, as it was my first NYE trip post-accident, and so I felt that I could have this aspect omy life “back” again. I have actually been making the distinction, when people ask me “Which trip was the best?” of noting between “best NYEnight” vs. “best trip overall”. For “night,” UAE has since set the current world record for fireworks, and so that “takes the cake.” For “best tripoverall,” I’ll tell you “Amsterdam.” It may be that I had felt the most comfortable/relaxed/carefree there, I suppose.

United Arab Emirates for NYE2014 (photo below)

I was fortunate enough to catch the “world record” for fireworks with this trip, and to have been inside of the current world’s tallest building,

the “Burj Khalifa.”

EXPERIENCES32


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France for NYE2015 (photos left)

My last trip, prior to this article, had me placed firmlyin Paris, France. Paris “hit” me in more ways than one. have a great story now about my hand getting smacked

by a secur ity guard at the Louvre. What happened?Well, I was standing with many others in front of theMona Lisa, and while I appreciated seeing such animage, I was more fascinated that so many people weretaking pictures of it. I mean, aren’t much better qualityimages of it available online? Also, won’t people believe

you if you tell them you were there? If they don’t, wilan image (which could have been taken by anybody)convince them? So, my “inner psychologist” turned“on,” and I thought that the people taking such imageswere more interesting to me than the Mona Lisa, and soI started to record video via my phone and slowly turnaround such that I faced the crowd/mob. Once a guardnoticed my recording others, he actually smacked thehand holding my phone, such that my video jostled a

just that moment in the recording. Such is a story whichalmost by itself justified my taking this trip.

Parisians did not smile much, and my Paris friends hadindicated to me that such is their cultural norm not to,such that my picture with the guard is likely his biggest

smile possible, and my fake screaming is with othertourists.

I was beside myself after I had returned shortly before the Charlie Hebdo attacks, noticing that whereI had stayed was walking distance from their officesI reminded myself that such is a reason for me tocontinue these trips––when tragedy hits a specific areait’s no longer “out there” to me, but rather it’s “familiar” and so I may feel a sense of connection that I continueto develop as I grow.

Thomas Anthony Dixon Jr. earned his Masters o Educationat Temple University in 2014. Since almost dying when hitby a car on 11/22/10, he has resumed his New Year’s Evetrips by being in Amsterdam or NYE 2013, the United Arab Emirates or NYE 2014, and Paris or NYE 2015. Hisdigital memory app, ME.mory, is currently in beta-testing or iPhone and Android, with updates at http://me.mory. jumpbuttonstudio.com/. Thomas may be reached at https:// www.acebook.com/thomasanthonydixonjr.

EXPERIENCES 33

Solicited by Canyon Crest Academy editors


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Across LongitudesINDIA

KENYA

KENYA

KENYAKENYA

Sandeep Das offers insight into his life as a traveling musician and philanthropist.

Cynthia Amondi writes about being taught and inspired by an extraordinary woman.

Gloria Mwaniga urges action to confront the hardships faced by women in Kibera.

Immaculate Wandera illustrates the importance of determination in her life.Zubenda Bakari analyzes the myriad issues in Kibera.

The East Meets the West:

An Interview with Sandeep DasBY VINCENT WANG

What was the deciding factor thatcaused you to pursue music as acareer? Why did you choose to pursue

the tabla?The first reason is a funny one. I used to getinto trouble at school as an eight-year-old bytapping on the desk or tapping my foot onthe floor during class. One day, my teachercalled my father and told him he needed totake me to a doctor because I was constantlydisturbing the class. After considering thisfor a while, my father decided that it was mygood sense of rhythm, as we listened to a lotof music at home and local concerts. Also,

because my father was a government official,

many musicians would stay at our house. Myfather had seen that I could tap and keeprhythm pretty well. So thankfully, instead oftaking me to a doctor, my father got me myfirst pair of tabla drums. It was my father’spremonition, or his vision, that there wasnothing wrong with me and that all I neededto do was learn music. I still remember thesmell of the first instrument I got and howI would wait for school to be over so I couldgo home and practice. I used to love playingsoccer and flying kites. But ever since thetablas came, all I wanted to do was practicethem.

The decision to pursue music as a career camemuch later. My father took me to one of the

biggest tabla maestros and by the time I was15, I was playing with some of the mostfamous Indian musicians in the world. Forexample, my debut was with Ravi Shankar,

which is almost unthinkable nowadays. Ilearned from one of the masters and contin-ued my education––I went to high schooland college and received my bachelor’sdegree in Honors English literature. Themoment of my decision came when I quali-fied for personal management. The dealwas to pick up that selection and continuecollege for personal management, or togive it up then and there. I called my fatherand told him that I qualified for personalmanagement, but did not know if I shouldpick that up or continue with music. He

ACROSS LONGITUDES34

Sandeep perorms at the Rhythm o Lie Concert.


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said, “Now that I have guided you, my son,the time has come for you to make a decisionabout what you want to do.” This decisionwas very difficult, so I called him back againfrom a payphone in Bombay and told him togive me some tips––I was confused. After along conversation, I decided that I would loveplaying music more than anything else. My

father said to not worry, follow my heart, anddo what I wanted to do in life. That is when Idecided to give up my academics completelyfor a year and to try music only. So, the planwas to move to Delhi and try music full-timefor a year; if it works out, great, and if it doesnot, then I would give music up completelyand fall back on studies. That is how my

journey star ted. Eventually one concert ledto another, and before I knew what happened,I was a professional musician.

What makes you so passionate aboutmusic?

I am doing something that I enjoy. No one isforcing me to do it. I do not have goals set bysomeone else; no one is tell ing me, “You haveto achieve this, do this, and complete thisfield.” I think the biggest point is that once Ihave the instrument out, nothing in the worldcan divide me from it. That is the biggestdriving factor: what I do gives me happinessand gives others happiness. Once you startplaying professionally, you play with differentmusicians in different places, and you learnso much. You meet people who teach younot only about music, but also give you new

perspectives of the world. For example, beforeI started playing in Azerbaijan, I thought it was

just a small country in the world and I wouldnot care much for it. But now, if there were to

be an earthquake in Azerbaijan, I would caregreatly because I have a friend there whom Imet through music. Similarly, when there isa fire near San Diego, I care because I have a

friend whose family is there for which I reallycare. Those are things that give me the inspi-ration to keep striving for success.

Why did you move to the United Statesfrom India? Are there any impactfulexperiences you have had while transi-tioning between cultures and societies?

There is more than one reason for my move tothe United States. One was definitely music.I am primarily an Indian classical musiciantrained to play Indian classical music. Thoughmy first tour to the United States was in 1990,I would play Indian classical concerts and go

away so much that I would turn off Westernclassical radio stations and I had no idea whoYo-Yo Ma was, even though I had played withhim numerous times. I only played Indianclassical concerts because I came from a reallydifferent background; however, once I wasexposed to a different form of music thanksto the Silk Road Project of Yo-Yo Ma, I wasinspired to keep collaborating with differ-ent musicians such as Keyhan Kalor andSujahba (an Indian sitar player). That is whenI received my first Grammy nomination.Musically, I started learning and seeing things

in a completely different way. I saw that byliving in India, it would be very difficultfor me to pursue learning about differentperspectives. I could live and die just beingan Indian classical tabla player, or I couldtake it to the next level and play with differ-ent musicians from around the world. I hadto think about making it to a place where

collaboration with others was importantand emphasized. I also started playing withlarge Western-style orchestras, ensembles,and other groups of non-Indian musicalstyle. The travel situation was also gettingmore and more difficult whenever I neededto leave the country to perform withothers. All these factors prompted me tothink “If not now, when?” So, I decided togive it a shot and move to the United States.

The second reason is that, having visitedthis country in 1990, I felt that this was acountry in which I wanted my kids to grow

up, a country where they could get a trueworldly perspective. It would have been myfourth and final year performing with theensemble as an Indian musician, so I feltthat I would rather try moving to the UnitedStates. If living there did not work, then Icould always move back. I did not want todie lamenting about what I could or shouldhave done. I always try to live my life––likeevery freelance musician should––going bymy gut feeling. I think it was a gut feelingthat moving was something we should try, Ishared the idea with my wife and children,and here I am.

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Sandeep working with children as part o the Silk Road Outreach Program.


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As for impactful moments, I have been cominghere since 1990, and I would actually say the

biggest change was for my children and wiferather than for me. I think their experienceswere more concerned with leaving India. Butfor me, it was easy moving to a new home

because I already had fr iends around me frommusic.

In regard to this issue’s theme, Conflict,were there any social conflicts that youhad between Indian and Americancultures since you moved here?

I would say that the United States is anamazing society, but one of the funnierexperiences I had about social conflicts wasactually about getting health insurance and acell phone when we first moved here. It wasinexplicably difficult compared to what I hadimagined because for everything I neededto get, I needed a Social Security number.However, the Social Security Departmentvery clearly says not to even inquire about

it, and that it will be effective once youhave lived here for 12 days. The dilemma wefaced was that I could not have my family andchildren here without health insurance. Sothere I was: wanting to move to this country

but not ready to have my family enter withouthealth insurance. That was a unique situationin which the right hand did not know whatthe left hand was doing.The other conflict I still remember was

buying a cell phone. When I went to buy acell phone for my wife and me, they askedfor a $2,000 deposit because we did not have

a credit history. I really had to fight that, andI said, “Your damn phones don’t cost $2,000so it’s not worth it.” I remember these situa-tions where I really had to fight to get healthinsurance and a cell phone for us, which weresome of our most challenging experiences.Other than that, I think this country andsociety is very open compared to trying to dosomething simi lar in India. For one, the school

system was completely different. When mykids went to school, they had never studiedin the United States, so there was no conceptof Advanced Placement or Honors classesat their schools in India. In India, the onlychoice was to do well and study all the samesubjects at any given time. The way teachersin the United States responded to that andhelped them understand the new system wasunique, and we all appreciated that.

My wife also had an especially uniquemoment. Living in India, she had never seensnow. She never thought that trees would shed

all their leaves just before it started snowing.So, the first time I was driving her from theairport to home, she was very sad to see thatthe entire city did not have any trees withleaves. That really affected her and she onlytold that to me a year later. I felt sorry forwhat she must have gone through psychologi-cally at that time. That just goes to show howdifferent cultures and geography can reallyaffect someone.

Your organization, Harmony andUniversality through Music (HUM),works to “promote global understand-

ing through musical performance andeducation:” Could you explain thework you do with HUM and what youintend to accomplish with it? For whapurpose did you develop this organiza-tion? What stage is the program in nowand how have people reacted to it?

I primarily started HUM because, musicallyI felt that it was limiting to be a traveling

professional musician but not be acquaintedwith knowledge and understanding oglobal music and global musicians. Whawas being promoted to India in the name of“world music” was not world music at allIt was supported by big companies, but was

basically really bad music. I was with Yo-Yo inChicago playing at the Millennium Park onceand I came to the realization that Yo-Yo hadgiven us this beautiful experience of the SilkRoad Ensemble that brings different culturesand peoples together through music. I askedmyself, “What am I doing to bring this experience forward?”

At the time, my answer to myself was dissatisfactory. I felt that I was not doing anythingto bring this idea forward, and I was justtrying to have great time and learn lots ofnew things but in the end, I was just going togo back to India and not do anything about itSo that was one thought, and coupled withwhat was going on according to me musicallyand especially with exposure to music fromoutside of India, I felt that I had a huge sourceof amazing musicians and friends that I should

bring to India to give Indian people an idea

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Sandeep in concert.


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of what good world music is. In the process, I could also expose theyounger musicians to this experience––when I was 15, 16, and 20,I never had the opportunity to even hear musicians of this caliber. Iasked myself how it would feel if I were able to do something thatwould allow youth to hear and work with these fabulous musiciansand learn from them. If I were do something like this in India andif other musicians could do this in China or Iran, maybe 10 or 15years from now millions of people can get together and do something

to carry forward the amazing idea that Yo-Yo gave us. So these ideascoupled together were some of the biggest driving forces.

Then, I suddenly felt that just playing music and bringing in musicianswas not good enough. So, I started to look for underprivileged butmusically talented children, and I found three visually impairedchildren who were super talented. I brought them in and theyperformed with us in the first concert. I promised myself and thecrowd that this event would not be a one-time affair, that I wouldmake sure to help the kids continue playing music. I am very proudto say that last year, we partnered with a German firm that is helpingus to run the first Indian national scholarship for specially disabledchildren to help them learn Indian classical music. The three visuallyimpaired children are learning Indian classical music, two girls are

currently learning folk music, and one boy is learning the tabla. Irecently was able to introduce them at a Delhi concert, which was avery successful performance.

Based on your experiences as a musician, what do youbelieve the meaning of success is in life and society?

Definitions of success are personal matters for everyone. I see artistswho, according to the world, are very successful. Yet, I have knownthem personally and some are unhappy and insecure. They are notcontent with what they have, and they are always worried about whatsomebody else has. I think I have been very fortunate from day onein that I have been successful in many ways. I always feel that if Iam satisfied with myself after a concert, I am successful and happy.

In respect to what the New York Times may write about me or whatpeople may say about me, I think that every human knows right awaywhether the work they have done was great, good, or average on anygiven day. I think a measure of success is what you feel inside youwhich is very important. And, groups of supportive people can help––as long as Indian classical musicians and music lovers feel that I am adecent tabla player, I am pretty happy. As long as I feel that I am tryingto give the best to my children, and that they are happy, I am success-

ful. The same goes for my wife and friends––if a majority of my friendsthink that I am a decent guy, I will be happy.

In the end, something like HUM or what Yo-Yo is doing with Silk Road becomes top priority as we grow old. It is not just about playingconcerts or making money, it has to be about something more than oneperson. I think that I am fulfilling that part of my life with HUM. If am able to change the li fe of even one child for the better, like a studenwith Parkinson’s that plays the tabla, I would call that a success. I amnot worried whether my neighbor knows me or not, or how famous am. I will be the happiest man on the planet if I am able to positivelychange the lives of others and to bring happiness to myself and othersaround me.

A Grammy-nominated Indian tabla player, Sandeep Dashas composed and played or Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road En-semble. Inspired by the Silk Road, Sandeep ounded anorganization, Harmony and Universality through Music, in2009, which is comprised o world-class artists whose goalis to promote global understanding through musical per or-mance and education.


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Strength of a WomanBY CYNTHIA AMONDI

In the great walls of Nairobi is a city called Kibera where women live––strong women who go through a lot of hardship but still stand upto fight. They are women who strive to exist even though the world pushed them around. We have extraordinary women in Kibera but onewoman stood out for me: Sarah. Sarah is a great example of the women fighting hard to make Kibera and the people living there happy.

Sarah has faced a lot of disheartening problems in her life. She was married and blessed with three children, and all of them go to school. Sheis a single mum to say the least; even though she lives with a husband, she is the bread-winner of the family. She wakes up every day to look for

work and hustle––that has been her life.She is my neighbor and she has inspired me to keep working hard in school because she wishes she had been in a school and become educated.She dreams the same for her children and is hoping to one day be able to send her kinds to university. She does not depend on her husband toprovide for her. She would rather sit in the sun and work than subject her kids to torture. She has taught me to not let the world define you.

She may not be rich, educated or very influential but her life is what inspires me. She is a fighter and a brave person who the world brought toteach me. Women learn from each other but I am lear ning from the best. The strength of Sarah has saved me and I will become an exceptionallystrong woman if I work hard and try not to repeat the mistakes that Sarah made when she was young.

The GirlBY GLORIA MWANIGA

Some of the communities in Kenya discriminate against kids. Girls have been denied the right to an education. In many societies girls are

forced to get married because very few see the need to educate a girl.

The society engages girls in some illegal activities which are very hurtful, making some of them lament that they think that the world has leftthem alone. They ask, “Why have we been left alone?”

Girls are mostly known to face many more challenges compared to boys. During their menstrual cycle they lack sanitary towels to use. Somecommunities send girls away during their menstrual cycles and come back after they finish the cycle. Some societies also force girls to stopschool once they hit their adolescent stage because they feel you are already a woman and should get married.

We need to protect and help those young girls because women are powerful and they can bring more to the society and help people. We womenare made in such a way that we see the world differently. There is a lot we can do and there is a lot we can offer.

Women are the mirrors of their communities and they can offer help to the people. I am grateful for institutions like KGSA that help girls inareas where women are less appreciated. There are several organizations that help girls and help them see their worth. We hope one day that

societies will appreciate girls.

Women have and will have the potential to change communities. We have the power and the strength to bring change and it will only come if weare given the opportunity to be educated. Kibera Girls’ Soccer is an example of the things that make me see women will one day see their worthWomen will one day all be educated and become leaders. We believe anything is possible. Let us stand for women and girls.

KSGA students and graduates at KGSA’s ninth anniversary event.

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I Am ImmaculateBY IMMACULATE WANDERA

Just as one of the heroes I feel more than happy to call myself one of them. I will callmyself an iron. An iron because I have accomplished one of the many things I neverdream I would achieve. My name is Immaculate and this is my story. After completingmy primary education my parents did not have money to send me to high school so Iremained home while the rest of the team that I completed primary school with wenton with their education.

We had a neighbor who to take girls to Nairobi for work––it was mainly house workand I would got to Nairobi to be a house help. I had to choose between going toNairobi and keeping the hope––the hope of one day being in school––alive. I traveledto Nairobi, to a place that I later knew as Kibera, one of the biggest slums in theworld. The family that I was acquainted with was a happy and a very loving and caringfamily––they gave me hope and strength. Unfortunately they had expected to meea mature girl, someone who was not as little as I was at that time. I worked for thewhole year as their house help and I saved some money while working, knowing thatit would be my school fees. I never knew a school called Kibera Girls Soccer Academythat helped girls who could not afford to pay school fees.

Fortunately, one day, the man that I was working for as a house help saw the potentiain me and went ahead to ask the head of Kibera Girls Soccer for a permission to take

me in as a student. I got in. That was the best day of my life. I could not believe it. Iused my savings to pay my registration fees and small things to use in school like bookand pencils. Since then I work as I go to school and, I give thanks to Kibera Girls soccerAcademy for everything. My dream of being in a school was made true. I am now abouto complete my high school education and I am very hopeful I will get great grades andget admitted to go to college.Pictured above are KGSA students Sophira,

Warda, and Tima.

Kibera and Its ProblemsBY ZUBENDA BAKARI

K

ibera is the second largest slum in thewhole world. Being the second largest

slum in the whole world does not mean thatthere are no problems affecting us. There is amyriad of problems that affect us as the peopleliving here. These problems range from poorhousing to security. Many people living inKibera have unpleasant houses by which youcan find two or three people living in a 3’ by6’ house. It is very shameful that childrenare using the same room as their parents.The other problem is the increase in crimerates. Due to lack of money children are notcontinuing with their education because of alack of resources. The people living in Kiberaalso encounter a lack of water.

People are affected so much by what is goingon and we hope that with enough pressure,the government will come back to Kibera andhelp the people living there because it is theirresponsibility. As a resident, I am doing mypart of working hard to better my communit

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Global Vantage Issue 11