The Amazonian Fall 2016

Mu Sigma Upsilon Sorority, Incorporated

Heritage

Inside What is the SJC? Upsilon Royale Poetry Series

Fall 2016

Mu Sigma Upsilon Sorority, Inc. National Governing Council 2015 - 2017 Josie Rios Haumea National President

Dear Sisters, What a fantastic convention we had in Atlantic City this summer! There were so many memorable and inspiring moments and I hope each of you left feeling hopeful and motivated. Looking forward to this coming year, there are lots of exciting things on the horizon for MSU.

Lorimar Santiago Concordia National Vice President Arlene Oviedo Amazona National Secretary Kathy Otero Mosaic National Treasurer Lillian Sierra Founding Mother National Officer of Membership Sylvia Vigo-Smith Founding Mother National Assistant Officer of Membership Davina Lopez Lazuline National Officer of Expansion Karimah Prescott Siksika National New Chapter Advisor Jennifer Rencher Siksika National Historian Ashley Brevil Haumea National Officer of Communications

One thing that I have come to recognize in my years as a sister is that we serve an incredible sorority. Together we have a platform and a voice that can be used to develop and encourage the minds and lives of young women. We cannot take that opportunity for granted. Each of you has worked hard to nurture and care for your chapters and this organization. You have brought us to this point. Other sororities could only hope to have a fraction of our success. This means that we can’t afford a single sister to be on the sidelines.

We need you to participate, lend a helping hand and support each other through the good and the bad.

With that said, I am excited to be your president for another 2 years, and as always I hope that all sisters will feel free to contact me at any time with questions, concerns, criticisms, praise for our wonderful committees and boards, or anything else that I need to hear or can help with.

On behalf of your National Governing Council, thank you to all of you for your contributions, small and great, to MSU. Every one of our sisters helps to make this organization a productive, diverse, and stimulating community for women.

Monifa Ellis Zaona National Step Director Carolina Velasquez Aretias National Officer of Community Affairs

Josie Rios NGC President 2016-2018

Ashley Hill Haumea National Programming Chair Yessica Martinez Miakardia National Officer of Retention

Mu Sigma Upsilon Sorority, Incorporated was founded on November 21, 1981, at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ as the first multicultural minority Greek letter society in the nation.

Danielle Smith Amazona National Officer of Risk Management

Founding Mothers Eve Bracero, Lillian Sierra, Karinee Candelario, Ruth Gonzalez, Sylvia Vigo

Inside this Issue 1 What is the SJC? 3 Upsilon Royale 6 Sister Profile: Patricia Lee-Hruska 8 Cover Story: Heritage 11 Poetry Series

The Amazonian Official newsletter of Mu Sigma Upsilon Sorority, Inc Editor Ashley Brevil National Officer of Communications

Editor’s Desk Dear Sisters, To all the sisters who contributed past and present to the publication of this newsletter, thank you! As life changes for all of us, I know it can become increasingly difficult to stay involved and aware of all the things going on in our organization.

This newsletter alone give us real life examples of all the things sisters all around the country are doing to embody our three goals. We hope that you enjoy this issue of the Amazonian and look forward to seeing what you all have going on in the near future.

Ashley N. Brevil, LCSW National Officer of Communications

Contributing Writers Madeleine Yakal, Nysa Chapter Patricia Lee-Hruska, Amazona Chapter Tunisha Crews, Amazona Chapter Mariah Brown, Samara Chapter Gerilee Rosado, Emeritus Chapter Gladys Elias, Kimimela Chapter Saira Ayala, Genesis Chapter Stephanie Maldonado, Haumea Chapter Design & Layout: Sabrina Colón, Dhyani Chapter On the cover: Madeleine Yakal with the Ifugao Archaeological Project The Amazonian is published three times a year. Send inquiries and submissions to: Communications@MSU1981.org www.MSU1981.org PO Box 7728 North Bergen, NJ 07047

TO WRITE LOVE ON HER ARMS twloha.com

Social Issues

What is the SJC? Tunisha Crews & Mariah Brown

MSU is and always has been a revolution. We stand as the first multicultural sorority—something that had never been heard of. As part of our goals, we are devoted to being active in the university and community. The Social Justice Committee (SJC) aims to do just that. The SJC is the rekindling of that revolutionary spirit of the organization that is geared at educating the community when injustice occurs. We stand to challenge the status quo, and be a voice for those who are far too

often silenced. We will examine the facts in case of sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, ageism, etc. We want to be the example. To quote Ghandi, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” We know that we do not speak for all of the organization, and that opinions and points of view may differ. That’s ok. Our goal is to foster healthy conversations where all voices are heard. We can be respectful and agree to disagree.

The SJC functions under NGC as

a subcommittee. The committee came up with some guidelines to help us stay true to reason for our existence.

Mission Statement: The mission of the MSU Social Justice Committee is to serve as a voice for individuals affected by injustice. We seek to encourage and promote solidarity and justice in our efforts to be of service to universities and communities.

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Vision Statement: Our vision is a community composed of justice, peace, equity, and sustainability for all. As an entity of Mu Sigma Upsilon, the SJC aims to be a diverse committee , working cohesively across the nation. As a multicultural organization, we believe our common vision, leadership, and dedication to our communities will help cultivate positive change and growth.

Objectives: I. To continually educate and inform sisters and our communities about social justice issues.

II. To provide educational resources for sisters of MSU and our community members about social justice issues.

III. To provide opportunities for sisters of MSU and members of our communities to become active through campaigns and volunteer opportunities.

IV. To provide safe havens for sisters of MSU to express their thoughts on past and present social justice issues.

V. To foster and spread a continuing sense of remembrance for those affected by social injustices throughout our sisterhood and the public.

VI. To reinforce the public’s obligation to remember injustice among minorities.

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You are probably wondering as a sister what can you do? The SJC has been working hard to take social justice from being this obscure construct that is not only confusing, but causes tension in conversation; and change it to practical everyday thinking. We would love to see our sisters staying engaged in current issues. A lot of topics that are considered social justice may not directly affect you, but it will most likely affect one of your sisters.

As a multicultural and diverse organization we want to be our sister’s keepers.

We have been brainstorming and planning ways to help and to aid the engagement we are calling for.

We are planning to have webinars; a database of Social Justice related programs; and interactive

#ThoughtfulThursdays in which we will start discussions on social media platforms to get us thinking.

One initiative that we have worked on is a Diversity Pledge. It was created by NGC and revised by members of the committee to reflect the mission and goals of the SJC and to make it more inclusive of all injustices. We hope that you will all take the time to read and take the pledge, and to actively try to make changes in your day to day life.

Click here to see the full pledge.

We hope this gives you some insight into our initiatives, and we hope you will join the revolution.

UPSILON Royale Gladys Elias I don’t know exactly what I was expecting out of my first convention, but I know for sure it was a much deeper experience than I thought it would be. I really did not realize how enveloping the sense of sisterhood would be and how much fun I would have. I would guess that every sister who went could tell you some story or another from that weekend. As much fun as there was, there was a lot of learning involved too. I applied for the Sponsorship way back in May in hopes that attending convention would help me in my future leadership positions within

my chapter and eventually beyond that. Today I am still drawing on the lessons I heard at convention and also sharing an inside joke from that weekend with my sisters.

Atlantic City, complete with bad beaches, will always hold a special place in my heart as my very first convention ever.

One thing that I was especially excited for was the fact that I was going to see some of my line siblings for the first time! Not only was I a solo for the Kimimela Chapter but also the entire District VII, so I was definitely anxious to be able to say “LINESISTER!.” Living so far

from my closest line siblings (in Philadelphia!) Convention was definitely the perfect opportunity to be able to reconnect with sisters (and brothers this time) that I am not able to see too often down in Florida. Another crazy thing that I couldn’t really explain was just the utter sense of family I felt the entire time. I would walk into a crowded room and realize that every single woman present was a sister.

Whether or not we knew each other we both represented the same organization and I found that to be the coolest feeling ever. I wouldn’t say it’s like the feeling when you first cross, but it’s really close!

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However, in the midst of all the fun that I had in AC, I did learn a few things from my sisters. There was a workshop, taught by our own sister, Iris Mendez, on sisterhood that really put some things into perspective for me. Especially one phrase that went something along the lines of “Sometimes the best way some sisters can help is by offering suggestions and as sisters we should accept it.” As a super excited neophyte I tend to jump right into everything and have at times felt like sisters were not putting in the same effort as I was.

With Iris’s workshop it put into perspective that the level of effort I can give will not be the same as the level of effort someone else can give. I think now, as president of my chapter, I especially recall this often as I delegate and set things up with my chapter. I learned to work with my chapters abilities instead of against them in order to maintain the greater sense of sisterhood. So far I’ve found that giving sisters that space actually makes it easier for them to take on more responsibilities in the future.

Another workshop that I recall on a lot is the “Clock Building vs. Time Telling” workshop. The biggest thing I took from it was the fact that “Traditions,” though important, have a way of holding progress back. Times change and the structure of our organization has to be flexible enough to keep up. Coming back to my chapter and eventually taking on my role as president, that idea has stuck to me. I try to keep an open mind to new ideas and not be afraid to try previously unsuccessful ideas; even if it is “not how it has always been done.”

mindset I needed to be able to come back to my chapter and run for president as a neo and eventually take on the role. Convention was a blast! Everyone knows how Upsilons get when they are together, but it was also informative. I only really talked about two of the hand full of workshops that happened at convention, so imagine all the other things I was able to pick up on. Even on my student budget you know you’ll find me in New Orleans next summer!

Coming to convention gave me the

The brother’s ambitions

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Gerilee Rosado I was in awe meeting some of the founding fathers and trailblazers of LSU at this year’s convention. Man, do they really define smooth. Not in their moves (although they had them when salsa was playing) or their clothing, but in their minds, demeanor, and education. See, my grandparents on my fathers’ side, as typical Puerto Rican as they come, raised me. So, with no offense to the comparison of age, these men reminded me of my grandfather.

They reminded me of my dad, my tios, every man that had a part in raising me. They really made me feel proud of my heritage and culture all over again.

It was great bonding with them, listening to their stories and hearing the pride in their voice. I loved seeing the excitement in founding fathers eyes, for the future, watching them bear witness to the fruits of their labor still expanding and observing the younger generation of LSU staying true to brotherhood and betterment; such gentlemen and revolutionaries indeed.

and character could only be overshadowed by 1 thing: the sisters. If we all thought the brothers embodied smooth, effortlessly- these WOMEN were the epitome of sophistication, with two prime examples that stood out against the rest. The poise from our National President, Josie Rios and founding mommy in attendance, Sylvia Vigo, was unparalleled. Josie’s representation of the organization could only be categorized as 1 thing: sincere. With her knowledge of the business but more importantly to what degree she held the sisterhood and our interactions as sisters to aid in our organization’s development, not hindrance. The National Governing Council as a whole really delivered with leading by example, especially our chair and co-chair for convention, Ashley and Carolina. Clearly, all their hard work along with LSU’s National President and Vice President and the 2016 convention committee, paid off.

I was also lucky enough to room with a founding mother and NGC members from both spectrums of the early and more recent eras and there were no borders, just sisterhood. We bonded, we laughed, we shared experiences and ideas for our sorority. I saw a founding mother arrive straight from the airport, with no rest from traveling, Thursday night and greet members from both organizations with the same enthusiasm as she greeted everyone who approached her throughout the weekend.

I saw founding mother be ‘nervous’ about public speaking yet still managed to have upsilons mesmerized with every bit of advice that she shared on our

Upsilon History panel. I saw a founding father arrive with a pen and paper to our keynote speaker’s presentation, eager to take notes on how to improve our organizations.

We had 294 upsilons registered for the entire weekend; with well over 330 upsilons there by the time Sunday came to say “See you later.” What a time to be present, with perspective, drive and fire, to take advantage of this platform, to engage in conversations with members from all years, to better both organizations on our journey of growth.

There’s beauty in everything and it’s our duty to cherish that beauty and allow that to be the driving force of our relations with our organizations and each other. The politics and what we don’t understand can get really ugly and it’s our responsibility to ensure it doesn’t tarnish our bonds or fire.

Seasons come and go and I’m hopeful that our season to work together under this capacity comes again, soon. So we could continue to be great in presence, in action, and in character, together…

Siempre Unidos.

Saira Ayala A year and a half ago, I decided to reignite my baby blue and white flame. The thought came over me that I really missed the sisterhood and I had to contribute back to the organization somehow. I began with attending my chapter’s 2015 winter retreat during which I decided to become active in hopes of working my way back into the swing of things. The following semester in

Fall 2015, I decided to get further involved by becoming a Big Sister.

I’m a strong believer that things happen for a reason, and having my second Little Sister after 8 years was no coincidence. She and I were meant to be connected and this to me was sign of hope that my flame had not died.

Therefore, 2016 came and yet again God had another blessing in store for me. In March, the National Governing Council (NGC) notified me that I was the winner of the NGC sponsored Alumnae registration to convention, Upsilon Royale. I had applied with hopes that NGC would grant me the opportunity to attend and assist me in reigniting my flame for the sisterhood.

My experience at convention was wonderful and I recommend that any sister who hasn’t done it, to do it! My experience included: Participating in the workshops Listening and learning Creating a personal goal to take back and apply in my district or chapter Introducing myself often— and reintroducing myself again with a smile Jumping around tables at lunch and briefly getting to know the people at the table Making connections or reconnections from sisters outside my chapter/state Having fun Drinking plenty of water

The schedule of events was jam packed so finding time to eat dinner and rest was tricky, but doable. I attended 5 sessions: My Sister’s Keeper, Walking the Tight Rope: Alumnae Involvement in the Undergraduate World, Knowledge is Power: Utilizing Your Resources and Networks as Leaders, Upsilon Family History PaneI, and Health and Wellness: A Better You. All the workshops provided valuable information and were varied for undergraduate or graduate level sisters. I also attended the icebreakers such as Upsilon Family Feud and Networking Bingo, the National Meeting, as well as the Awards Banquet, the BBQ Beach Party, and all the nightly social events. Even though, the convention only lasted three days/ nights, it seemed much longer as I enjoyed each and every moment.

I feel extremely blessed for the good fortune of revitalizing relationships with women from my past and strengthening relationships with women in my present which is something I can anticipate into my future with MSU. I want to thank the convention committee for being visible and available at the workshops or during transitions, for maintaining optimism and a positive morale throughout the events, and your commitment to constructing a convention that had both relational and educational purposes. I want to thank NGC for the privilege of attending convention, for the unexpected honor of being the award recipient for Alumni Achievement in Academia 2016, and for being a contributing factor to my renewed spirit in MSU. Thank you!

And lots of laughing.

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Sister Profile Alumna

What significant contributions have you made to your chapter, University, or Community?

What are your goals outside of the organization and how are you working towards them now?

I studied Administration of Justice, which is better known as Criminal Justice at many schools. In my last year at Rutgers University, my professor selected me and another student to attend a “juvenile rehabilitation versus detention” conference at the NJ Law Center.

In attendance were attorneys, public administrators, lawmakers and community stakeholders. I was able to directly contribute to the larger community in our state for improved and expanded juvenile rehabilitation options versus locking these minor offenders in detention facilities. I was representing Rutgers on paper, but as with everything, I am a Mu in all I do.

Like most people, my goals focus around family, self-development and career. I wish to raise a happy family. My husband and I actively raise our children to be intelligent, respectful, honest and compassionate. We teach them the high importance of happiness in life but that everyone’s definition of happiness is different. They know that not everyone in the world holds the same traits, and we live in a very diverse world with many different cultures and ways of life.

Why did you choose to join Mu Sigma Upsilon?

Patricia LeeHruska Amazona Chapter Fall 1998

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The values of the organization and the multicultural foundation really drew me in. The community I grew up in was pretty monochromatic.

I wanted to be part of something extremely diverse that encouraged me to develop into a strong sophisticated lady and in turn help others do the same.

What is your most memorable part about being a sister of MSU? I cannot lie...I had so much fun in college as a sister! I cannot begin to narrow down the memorable times I had as an active sister. I was everywhere at once, surrounded by sisters and brothers that I loved. Life happens, and I am settled down a bit with a career now and a family of my own. The experiences and memories made because I was a sister, though, are irreplaceable.

I am constantly striving to be the best I can be at everything I do.

Everyone knows it is exhausting to actively maintain and improve your mind and body. I figure since those are all you are given in this life, you might as well not sit around and waste them away! I recently took an active role in growing my creative side by opening a handcrafted jewelry shop online via Etsy. com. I have always had a creative view of the world. I love to write, sketch and create. I love textures, patterns, shades and hues..and the combinations that are possible with them. I am fascinated by the gems and metals that I can use to design, create and handcraft amazing pieces of jewelry. You can find my pieces at www.etsy.com/shop/ CrackedHaloDesign.

Career-wise I am happy doing what I love, so I have met my goals there...plus something has to keep me financially stable!

Tell us about your family life and career.

I am married to my soulmate and best friend, and we currently live in

New Jersey. We have three beautiful children at three different stages in life, which makes every day quite interesting!

I have worked in three different agencies within the federal government for the past fifteen years. My role now is managing the training program for the 250 employees in my current agency. I assess the training needs of our employees; develop initiatives to speak to these needs and work to close performance gaps; design,

implement, facilitate and evaluate all parts of our training program.

How has being a sister of MSU impacted your life?

I am who I am, because I am a proud sister of MSU. I grew up in a pretty sheltered home. Bit by bit, my experiences as a Mu have molded me into the woman that I am today. Pledging taught me to always stay strong and to never give up. Serving as the Social Chair for Amazona chapter while

I was in college taught me valuable networking and communication skills. The love of the sisters and brothers that I have crossed paths with have exposed me to cultures that I may otherwise not have known about. Being a sister has not only made me more aware of various ways of life but to also be a more tolerable person. The bond within the Upsilon Family has also directly impacted my career, as I have worked side-by-side with many brothers of LSU throughout my career.

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Heritage Madeleine Yakal

“Wow, I’ve never met an archaeologist before.”

That’s usually the number one thing I hear when I tell anyone about my work. Whether I’m on an airplane, at a party, or in an uber, the response in usually the same.

To most people, “archaeology” is a buzzword for all things mysterious, adventurous, ancient, and intriguing. And don’t get me

wrong – I’ve done some amazingly crazy things during fieldwork, from cave spelunking, to outrunning landslides, and hiking across massive mountains.

To me, however, “archaeology” brings several other words to mind: Heritage. Ethnic minority groups. Community engagement.

Culture preservation. Identity.

Being half Filipina, I used to feel

uncomfortable identifying as an American Filipino; however, it was impossible for me to blend in with the majority of white students at my elementary school. Years later as a college undergrad, I was struggling even more to fit in with my fellow students at SUNY Oneonta, a small liberal arts college in upstate New York. I took a chance and enrolled in an archaeological field school in the Philippines so that I could see more of the world outside Oneonta.

I wanted to find anything that could help me identify with some small part of my Filipino heritage and cultural tradition.

Fast forward four years to 2016: I completed my fifth field school with the Ifugao Archaeological Project (IAP) in Ifugao, a province in the Cordillera region of the Philippines. I was a National Science Foundation graduate research assistant. I am now beginning my second year as a PhD student at UCLA with the

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anthropology department, focusing on Philippine archaeology. This summer, the project (headed by Dr. Stephen Acabado of UCLA) investigated highland responses to Spanish colonialism. Ifugao is a mountainous rice farming region considered “unconquered”

by Spanish colonial forces and isolated from other polities.

Current Philippine textbooks follow the belief that that famous rice terraces are thousands of years old, predating any Spanish influence. However, the IAP research proposes a younger date for the rice terraces, much closer to 300 years old instead of 3000 years.

Intensification of rice is indirectly related to Spanish pressures on population movements. My specific research explores burial goods, namely beads of Chinese origin retrieved from infant burials in Ifugao. These burial goods can help us better understand Ifugao trade networks as well as social ranking and access to exotic materials.

I’ve attended the field school every year since it first began in 2012. It’s hard not to get attached to the place, the people, and the experiences I’ve had that have shaped who I am as an academic, and as a person. Fieldwork isn’t easy.

Living with limited running water, intermittent electricity, scorching heat, and unfamiliar foods makes most American students break down, including myself. I was still an outsider there. I was still the “American” because I was half white and raised in New York, and everything was new to me.

But I learned there is widespread racism in the Philippines, and ethnic minority groups like the Ifugao are struggling to maintain their heritage in a curriculum that does not acknowledge the many different cultures across over 7000 Filipino islands. The IAP has sought to change current textbooks to include Ifugao in elementary curriculums, and directly involve the community in the preservation

of the rice terraces and Ifugao traditions. Many sisters of MSU are very aware of the issues regarding the acknowledgement of indigenous peoples in the Americas, such as renaming Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day. My goal is to bring awareness of the same issues that exist in other regions of the world, particularly the Philippines. We are all dealing with the same issues, with similar goals. The multicultural aspect of our organization has been an integral part of my drive to work in the Philippines and to share my research and experiences with others.

If I learned anything from my archaeological field schools, it’s resilience. The resilience may be heavily fueled by pride, but I learned a lot about humility too.

Feeling like an outsider made me try harder to be included. I ate every food offered to me, from chicken heads to pigs’ blood. I ate The Amazonian – Fall 2016 | 9

with my hands off banana leaves.

I did the excruciating hike to the secluded waterfall, twice. I pulled all-nighters to make sure my presentations were complete. When the water was out, I showered from a pipe in the street with everyone else. I drank rice wine and danced the traditional Ifugao dances. I rode on top of Jeepneys. I accepted I’m not really an American Filipina.

I’m mixed race, and that’s already something to be prideful about.

I’m an archaeologist, and my goal is to work with communities to make sure they have access to a culture and tradition they can

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have pride in. I’m also a sister of MSU, and I’m committed to sharing my research and educating the public on the work I do for cultural heritage. We are currently accepting donations to help build and sustain the Ifugao Prehistory Gallery in Kiangan, Ifugao, to share and maintain the Ifugao culture for future generations.

“Archaeology” may bring up a few different images, but to me, it’s a tool to access the past, present, and future of the many cultures across the world. I’ve taught many students through my work

in the Philippines, and watched them all experience the place through new eyes like I did. I’ve taken my experiences back to my undergraduate campus and my chapter, where the push for diversity is an ongoing struggle. I always love meeting new people and telling them I’m an archaeologist, because it’s one more opportunity to share my work, my passion, and a small part of myself with others.

Poetry Series

Dear you Gerilee Rosado

I care for you. Beyond why or how you may think I do. I admire and believe in you, and all of your amazing potential. I see part of me in you and I want to protect you.

I want to be around for your growing and be a part of your life. Why? Because I care for you.

This is not limited to how we met and those circumstances. It's beyond and beside that. Regardless of wherever our relationship takes us, I care for you as an individual and I will love you.

Yes, maybe our friendship was introduced because of how we met but my innate nature to defend you definitely didn't stay or develop because of it. Me caring for you is separate. I want you to know that and believe it.

I want you to know that I only have your best interest in mind when I talk to you, about you. That, I only wish and pray for the best for and of you- even if it doesn't include me. My love for you isn't about me. I love you- and You is the key word in that phrase ... I. Will. Love. You. As long as, for always, you're you with me.

Not exactly how I met you because people are going to grow and develop. But, if you stay true throughout that, you're only going to get more amazing and I'll always be around, to support you, motivate you and most importantly care and love you ..

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You Made Me Stephanie Maldonado

You’re the Oliver Stone to Scarface Mario Puzo and Francis Coppola to Godfather parts 1, 2 and 3.

You wrote perfectly scripted lines You knew the horror film worthy characters of my past so you plotted my future with enough climaxes to make me look past the jack ass backwards ways you manipulated love You’re a puppeteer So I gladly gave you my heart strings Blindly giving you the opportunity to twist me, turn me, tie me into what you saw fit I became your play thing Pinocchio to your Geppeto Only my nose didn’t grow with every lie Cuz in my mind Every moan, every sigh, was filled with passion You implied that I was fashioned from your rib to perfectly fit at your side So when you tossed me aside I’d still feel your grip Lightly dangling as if directing the symphony of our interactions I became your composition You little by little played the right cords Till I got lost in our music So lost in the music I never noticed you muted Our harmony till it was just noise Just aimlessly crashing cymbals Symbolic smoke signals I was too deaf dumb and blind to find worth listening to Because I became your pawn Never good enough to be considered your queen But I wasn’t looking back so I couldn’t see You were like a parasite

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Starving my insecurities only to fill me with your own I was your host Catering to your appetite till you were so full of my decadency You acted as if I made you sick So I’d bend over backwards to make you better till I bent myself out of shape I broke out of my cycle I bled to paint your hues Black and blue covered You Were my Picasso And I became your broken up and reassembled abstraction Molded by the fists of a sculptor The Beautiful Mind to your Akiva Goldsman My prior delusions only made for a better story So I’m cutting the strings straightjacketing me to your worktable Ripping myself from your side I’ll no longer be your peasant These marks were my medicine I’ve cleansed myself of your essence I’m not a blank canvas for you have your way with I’m a masterpiece A classic screenplay, A beloved child’s toy, I’m the missing piece to someone’s puzzle The perfect sonata to someone’s ears The front line I’m the satisfaction to someone’s cravings I’m a masterpiece, And I’m thankful.

You made me.

La Isla Del Encanto Stephanie Maldonado

La isla del encanto Not yet united with the place we call the United States But in a state enough to be branded a common wealth.

And our wealth lies in the currency of culture.

Rich in the curvature of our lips And the way our hips twist to, well anything.

The rhythmic sways of the palm trees Mimic the smooth ways of our tongues Whether we're cantando la borinquena Or calling you a "cabron", You'll know where we're from.

Boricua de pura cepa, Con bomba y plena coursing through our veins Since the days when slaves couldn't worship at St. James.

Tsunamis and hurricanes threatened to drown us, The government attempted to gag us, Pero La Fortaleza, El Castillo del Morro, and El Castilla de San Cristobal were built too strongly.

From Xiorro to Boliva, Valero de Bernabe to de Las Mercedes Barbudo, We know, that we won't be silenced.

We're more than an island you vacation to in the summer.

Under the bright sun and lush sands Is a land tainted by your wars.

Yes there’s an economy struggling, But there's an artistry thriving.

Un jardin florido con gente como Miguel Algarin and Maria Bibiana Benitez Dayana Torres and Oscar de le Renta Eddie Benitez and Willie Colon Elvis Crespo and Sonia Sotomayor Hiram Bithorn and Roberto Clemente

Emilio Navarro and Jorde Posada Felix Trinidad and Jose Ferrer Miriam Colon and Rita Moreno Rosie Perez and the rest…

Our blood boils with the heat of history.

We'll never be just another star on your flag Complacency wont be sewn on our backs Matter of fact, We're more than 3500 square miles of land, So you can have that.

Who we are lies in the crooks of our spines, In the shine of our pigments, In our minds.

The way we walk to the sound of timbales, Talk with the sharpness of claves, Y bailamos, Como si los hermanos Morales were still here.

So don't fear.

They can claim us, But they'll never break us, Our African infused roots can't be straightened by American Irons.

We won't be chained like the slaves once dragged through our ports because we've infiltrated every coast of our captors.

With our poets and actors We've flooded your ears and stages.

We've made our faces characters in every venue From basketball courts to court rooms.

So for those who think statehood is the end of an era, Pretty soon we'll have Obama, Clinton, and Bush saying "Que Bonita Bandera" The Amazonian – Fall 2016 | 13

Mu Sigma Upsilon Sorority, Incorporated

35TH ANNIVERSARY

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