Month: December 2015

Keane A.

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A year ago I didn’t know who Keane was. We had both been members of the Resident Hall Association and were familiar with each other through the weekly meetings and gatherings in Williams Village, but genuinely didn’t know each other. The last month of school something sparked between us and we became best friends faster than you can say hashtag Be Boulder. We bonded over our quirky love for Hilary Duff, laying out in the sun on the field in Williams Village and complaining about people who complain about life. Over the summer our friendship continued to grow as we stayed in touch despite both of our busy schedules. We mostly bonded over the fact that our families were smothering us. True story. As we came back to Boulder this semester, we have remained steady friends with regular lunches and occasional weekend shennanigans.

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Gabe R.

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Goob. I mean, Gabe. I met Gabe the fall of my first year at college through the Resident Hall Association and Williams Village Program board. Aka the two places where all the nerds and people who feel like they need to do something with their college experience other than study and party go to gather. His presence alone is a massive ball of contagious, positive energy that echoes off everyone around him. It’s easy to be happy around Gabe and his sincere goofiness. He doesn’t take life too seriously while also being completely serious that he is having the time of his life at all moments. It’s a beautiful energy to be around.

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Xia A.D.R.

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The first thing you should know about Xia (Chi-a) that you would never know unless you were fortunate enough to spend time in her enlightening presence is that this girl has style and pizazz beyond your wildest dreams. She is a cluster of energy, intelligence and whimsical fun that we often think we have to lose as we stop playing in the leaves and dressing up as princesses. Somehow she has bypassed this false ideology in the world that we have to grow up in order to show as an intelligent being and has merged all sides.

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Allen M

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A little over two months ago I embarked on a journey of seemingly minimal portions that has evolved (and continues to) to be one of the greatest things I have done to date. This journey that continues to unravel in profound ways was the path to becoming a yoga instructor through Corepower Yoga in Boulder. This is where I met Allen.

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Movin’ to Moab…Really Just College Roadtrippin’

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I went to Moab, Utah for four days with four friends and had an absolute blast hiking through Arches National Park. I had been to Moab when I was in eighth grade on a school trip where we camped in the park and learned about the ecosystem and have been yearning to go back ever since. Sometimes I forget how beautiful the USA is and this trip did more than a sufficient job of reminding me what a blessing it is to grow up and live in this country. What is particularly great about Moab (and the National Park system in general) is that you can do a lot with a limited budget and adventurous spirit.

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Ruined Forever: Colorado Roadtrip

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Amidst the rhythmic and chaotic circulation that we all sometimes find ourselves in, it eventually becomes essential to throw it all away, jump in a car and hit the road for a good old-fashioned road trip. This is exactly what I did with one tent, two friends and three days in the most beautiful state that I call home, Colorado. There is something about getting away from the city and moving into nature that allows time to slow and down and deeply moving and meaningful experiences to be felt. While I absolutely love the city life, there is nothing like being in the great outdoors. With minimum planning, we settled on a three day trip that would take us from Denver to Buena Vista, Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado Springs and back. It’s fair to say that we returned back to Denver wanting more of life on the road and inspired for the next adventure.

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Cruising Through History in Cambodia

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After some of the best days in Laos, we flew from Vientiane to  Phnom Penh, Cambodia where we immediately visited the Aspara Arts Association  for a traditional dance performance before going to our hotel for the evening. The next morning we were privileged to have Bou Meng, only one of two living survivors from the prison SJ31 where tens of thousands of people were tortured before being set to the killing fields. It was an honor to hear his story and candid remarks about his experience and how he moved on from it is educating the next generations. This man is my forever hero for overcoming the absolute worst of humanity and coming through to the other side of joy and compassion. I also purchased a few of his books for friends to read as his story completely moved me and shook me to my core. Humanity can be so cruel to each other. Bou Meng is also an artist, and this talent helped him survive in the prison until it was shut down, as he was commissioned to make paintings of the leaders.

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