Table of Contents
Biography
Page 1
Western U
Page 2
Pitzer College
Page 3
Elders
Page 4
Chumash
Page 5
Scalpel and the Silver Bear
Page 6
Connections
Page 7
Take with Me
Page 8
Â
Hello, Pipeline 2013! It feels nice to come back to Pitzer for another year, especially when there are five other people I already know. My name is Alysha White; I am from the Diné Nation in Window Rock, Arizona. My mom comes from St. Michael’s and my dad comes from Ganado. I currently live in Albuquerque, New Mexico and go to school at Volcano Vista High School…Home of the Hawks! I am graduating in May 2014 with honors in organizations such as National Honor Society, Math National Honor Society, International Thespian Society, and Student Government. I am an auntie of two lovely little girls, Calisyana Brenda and Caleila Waniyetu; they are my loves and my life and being away from them has been really hard for me these past two weeks, but I know they are safe and sound at home, waiting patiently for me to return. I love movies and television…my favorite actors are Steve Carell, Jimmy Fallon, and Robert Downey Jr., and they have been my favorite ever since I was about six years old. My favorite show of all time is Saturday Night Live and my favorite movie of all time is Crazy, Stupid, Love. I enjoy watching and writing shows and movies because one day, I hope to become one of the producers behind the scenes. I really would love to go to New York University when I graduate high school and study film production, theatre production, and cinematic arts. I am very thankful to have been selected to return to Pipeline 2013 because I have made so many new memories and experienced so much these past two weeks that I would have never experienced if I hadn’t come this year. It was definitely a change, in terms of events, compared to last year, but I’m happy for that because it wouldn’t be as fun to do the same stuff over and over again.
This year, we got to go to Western University again and learn about Health Sciences on a more intimate level. It was nice to see Dr. Rega again (because we haven’t seen her since last summer) and meet Sean Wyman—who taught us all about phlebotomy. Plus, we got to go into the Cadaver Lab, which I didn’t go into last year because I wasn’t prepared. It was super cool and interesting to go into the Cadaver Lab because I got to learn about the human body up close and personal instead of reading about it in books. My favorite part of the visiting Western University was preparing for the Iron Chef Competition that would take place at Dr. Rega’s house. My group (Luna, Jasmine, and I) made Teriyaki Turkey Bowls, which was exciting because Dr. Rega taught me how to make my own teriyaki sauce. I really enjoyed Western University and the stuff we learned there, I honestly wouldn’t have learned any of the stuff we did if I hadn’t come to Pitzer Pipeline 2013.
This is my second time to Pitzer College as a member of Pipeline. When I came here last year, I had no idea of what to expect in terms of the environment and the people I would meet. As the two weeks flew by, I had experienced so much and met so many new people. The same goes for this year; I met new people, reminisced with the folks from last year, and experienced new things that had to do with my culture, medical sciences, and visual arts. I really enjoy being at Pitzer College because it is so calm and serene, plus, Los Angeles is only fifteen minutes away. A small campus away from the main city has never been my ideal college, but when I come here for Pipeline, I have a certain feeling that makes Pitzer comfortable. New York is still my ideal college location, but if I had to chose something smaller, I would definitely chose Pitzer, just because of the memories I made here and how comfortable I already am here. Â
Â
Three elders I got to meet this year are Rose Henry, Robertjohn Knapp, and Jimmy Blue Eyes. They have been with us the whole two weeks we were here and have helped us in everything we needed help in. All three are super nice and so sweet to talk to. Rose has been a blessing; she always has something new to teach us, whether it is something about her life, a lesson we learned, or something about our own lives. We were lucky to have someone like Robertjohn to lead us in morning ceremony this year. He always woke us up at 5:30 in the morning to either greet the sun or say a prayer for the day. I’m thankful to have done morning ceremony because I think it brought all of us closer to each other, especially when we would hug each other at the end of the ceremony. Before, we would just give a side hug, but now, as the program is closing, we give full on hugs and laugh, which shows how close we got during the weeks. And finally, Jimmy Blue Eyes; he, too, has been here throughout the whole program, helping whenever he can and telling us stories about his life and what he’s learned. He brings joy and smiles to all of us and was never afraid of saying what he was thinking. I am very thankful to have all three elders with us the whole trip; it has made me more comfortable with being away from home because I had people to talk to, to remind me of my family members back home. I wish them the best and thank them for all they have done for us.
Chumash was absolutely my favorite part of the whole program. I enjoyed every single minute of our stay over in Malibu and learning about the Chumash culture. When they welcomed us as we entered the village, I felt so loved. From that point on, I could tell how much love was in the air just by the way they talked to us and taught lessons to us. We slept in the Aps, made baskets out of Algonquian shells, and learned the Chumash language. Learning to surf was incredible and super scary! I was so scared to go out in the water, but I did, and the waves were perfect! I enjoyed being by the ocean for three days straight because I never get to see the ocean that often. I never went far out into the ocean before, and this time, I did. I went farther than ever before and I felt accomplished about that. The food was delicious!!! I can't stop thinking of the wonderful food they fed us over there! Not only would they cook from scratch, but also they would cook from love. They made sure everyone was happy, and we were. Visiting Chumash was an experience of a lifetime. I am thankful for going to Malibu and I know the whole Pipeline and the Chumash people bonded really well together. Â
Â
Growing up in Albuquerque, I was always proud of both my Native and New Mexican heritage. I introduce myself as a Diné Indian and always took an interest in my background. My dad’s uncle was a Code Talker in World War II, as well as my mom’s uncle. Every time my history class learned about the war, and spoke about the legendary Code Talkers, I told everyone about my grandfathers. I would even find a picture of one of my grandfathers, George Kirk, in my history books, which is cool to think that my own grandfather’s picture has been published for the world to see. Being a descendant of two Code Talkers makes me feel special because I now have the rare opportunity to pass their story down to future generations. It isn’t every day when a person’s DNA was passed down from two separate warriors of the Second World War. None of my family members are of Mexican heritage, but the fact that I live in New Mexico makes me feel that I am Mexican, just because it is so natural to me. The amount of chili that I put in my food has made me a Mexican inside…literally. There is so much about New Mexico that makes a person feel one hundred percent Mexican, when really, they’re not. My New Mexican culture is like a second nature to me, and when I visit other states with other cultures, I bring both cultures with me. I tell people who I am and where I come from, which makes me proud to be involved in both cultures. Even though I am not of New Mexican blood, I am still a part of that heritage because of how involved I am with their ways.
The friends I have made here are amazing. When I heard that Luna was going to be my roommate, I couldn’t have been happier! When I saw Brittany come up to the orientation table, I couldn’t help but give her a huge hug. I haven’t seen them in a year, and finally, we get to hang out for two whole weeks! I also got to meet people like Isabel, Jasmine, Jenna, Shea, Capryl, David, Addison, Robert, Lucas, and Eugene, as well as hang out with people from last year, like Michael, Nick, Kaleen, and Crista! The car rides were amusing, especially when we would all dance together and shake the car. I think that because of how advanced we are with technology, it made it easier for us to become friends; we always wanted each others’ usernames for instagram, snapchat, and other social networking sites. Sine it is my last year as a student at the program, I won’t be able to see everyone again, which makes me sad; Brittany and Luna are two of my best friends, and I can’t hang out with them anymore because of the distance between me and them. But I’m glad I got to meet them and all the other students here at Pitzer.
Pitzer Pipeline 2013 has truly been an amazing and unforgettable time. I learned so much and experienced a lot. If I was at home, I know I would not have had as much fun and I did here. I made so many crafts; my nieces will be fighting over who gets what. After being in programs like this for the past eight years, I have learned the college life and what to expect; I know about living in dorms, the college classes, and the feeling of being away from home. I now have seen California to know my way around. I know how to take care of myself and be independent. Even though it is hard to leave home and see my family walk away, I know I have to get away so I can live my own life. If I never went to any of these summer programs, I would not know how to deal with leaving home. I am proud that I came to Pitzer Pipeline 2013 for the last time and I hope that future students feel the same way I do. I hope to see my brother come to a future program, but in the meantime, adiós mis amigos.
Pitzer’s Native Summer Pipeline to College July 29, 2013-August 12, 2013