Fall 2009 Orientation Leadership Team

Name(s): Abigail; “Abby”
Hometown: Kerhonkson, New York
Current Major: Contemplative Psychology
# of Semesters @ Naropa: 6
Astrological sign: Virgo (sun)
Campus activities: Public Achievement; LGBTQIA group
Off-campus activities: Finding adventure outdoors, hiking, biking etc. I Volunteer with M.E.S.A. (Moving to End Sexual Assault). I love making new friends, clubbing/dancing, exploring new languages; meditating, Tai chi and Yoga.

I wish someone had told me this before I came to Naropa… that Naropa is a free hugs community! I am greeted by nearly everyone with a hug, whether I knew them or not! This was as a shock to me because I came from the east coast where being openly nice and friendly is hard to come by. So here at Naropa it was a wonderful chance to open up meet so many amazing people in the community.

Name: Angela
Hometown: Planet Earth!
Current Major: Environmental Studies
# of Semesters @ Naropa: 6
Astrological sign: Leo
Campus activities: tree hugger, permaculture advocate, Awakening The Dreamer facilitator, work study at the library, Americorps participant, performer/singer/clown/entertainer at every possibility
Off-campus activities: living and working at a transitional living facility for foster care teenage girls, making gemstone tree pendants and other jewelry, visioning a project called Bus The Change which will be a mobile school to share the Awakening The Dreamer Symposium and other curriculum to teach about the profound interconnection of all life, worshipping nature, loving my dog, surrendering to the Truth
I wish someone had told me this before I came to Naropa…    that meditation is not supposed to make you well-behaved, it is there to make you honest; and Naropa will only give you what you put into it; and that the student population is not nearly as diverse as it could and should be.

Name: Ann Hackney
Hometown: Atlanta, GA and Charlotte, NC
Current Major: INTD
# of semesters at Naropa: 7
Astrological sign: Leo
Campus activities: Naropa sports group, random SLP helper, Co-leads Full and New moon rituals
Off- Campus activities: herbal medicine, meditation, gardening, playing, walking down the creek, the healing arts, random debauchery and astute research
I wish someone told me this before I came to Naropa… Take the vulnerability of this place in strides, don’t leave when the magic is just starting, and trust the stages of dismantling parts of your ego and old self.

Name: Annie Davidson
Hometown: Kansas City, KS
Major: Environmental Studies
# of semesters at Naropa: 2
Astrological sign: Virgo
Campus activities: walking slowly and smelling the flowers, eating the deliciously yummy café food, and participating in a handful of random events such as Earth Day, Community Market and Full Moon Meditations.
Off-campus activities: hiking, making jewelry, biking, creating, buying local, playing with my partner and our dog, cooking, laying in the grass, star gazing and rainbow chasing.
I wish somebody had told me this before I came to Naropa: that there is a place for everyone and you don’t need to be any more than what you are- what you are is perfect and very welcome here. It doesn’t have to be how much you can “do”, and inevitable won’t be for everyone. So, come as you are, contribute what you will, and mainly just “be”.

My name is Betsy, I am a Colorado native. My current major is Contemplative Psychology with emphasis in Health and Healing, Somatic Psychology, and a minor in Religious Studies. I am entering my 5th semester at Naropa. I am currently working to start a diabetes support and outreach group for anyone interested in learning more about diabetes.
I am Scorpio (sun/ego), Sagitarius (rising/interaction with others) and my moon sign (soul) is for me to know and you to figure out!
I love to walk in the rain, bike, hike (notice the danger sign), and snuggling. I polish the wood floors at my house by putting on layers of old socks (recycling the lost laundry), cranking the party tunes, and getting a good run at it. I believe house work should be fun. My daughter tinks it's a play activity. I can be spotted on and off campus engaging in artistic activities (usually nocturnal) such as singing (which I also do while gourmet cooking) , art, and tending roses. I have an entrepreneurial spirit and owned a Belgian chocolate shop prior to attending Naropa. I am a diabetes advocate and life-coach.
Japanese floral arranging is NOT for the meek of heart. I hope you like reading and writing!  I have worked hard and played hard at Naropa. It would benefit any student at Naropa to ensure they have a physical activity to balance the time spent in studies. I look forward to meeting all of you and am excited that you have chosen Naropa.

Name: Chee Meng Xiong
Hometown: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Current Major: Naropa Core
# of semester at Naropa: 2
Astrological sign: Scorpio
Campus Activities: Student Union of Naropa, Diversity Officer
Off Campus Activities: Besides school I like to practice the art of gastronomy with friends. This art includes reading blogs about food, sharing recipes with friends, and eating. I live a hard life of a Foodie.  
I wish someone had told me this before I came to Naropa: that my beliefs will be tested and question to the core, and for the reason of dogma I will be ripped apart to rebuild again.

Name(s): Chrissy
Hometown: Streamwood, IL
Current Major: Psychology (writing and poetics minor)
# of Semesters @ Naropa: 4
Astrological sign: Leo
Campus activities: wandering about the library, watching my friends record music, bumming around the smoking section, napping on the lawn
Off-campus activities: reading short stories, writing poetry, reading at open mics, buying clothes I don’t need, meditating
I wish someone had told me this before I came to Naropa …that I could not imagine both the beautiful things I would experience at Naropa and the challenges I would face.  Naropa has helped me build my own compassionate understanding of myself and others.  At times, it  has also shown me how difficult it can be to face myself.  There have been certain times at Naropa where nothing makes sense anymore and the whole world seems inside out.  In order to really grow, I needed to have both the bright and dark experiences.

Name: Christian
Hometown: Altenrode, Germany (not far from Hannover)
Current Major: Interdiscipliary Studies (Peace + Environement)
# of Semesters @ Naropa: 4
Astrological Sign: Libra (Sun), Sagitarius (Rising)
Campus Activities: Subtle Activism Student Group (changing the world from the inside out)
Off-campus activities: loving what's around me; discovering the cultural uniqueness of the US; watching movies; walking up & down (also called hiking); Zen; Aikido; practicing subtle awareness; cooperating with non-physical beings; staying sane.
I wish someone had told me this before I came to Naropa...that at Naropa not everybody is equally committed to a spiritual path and ecological living; that people are here for many reasons and that this is good news.

Name(s): Danny
Hometown: Alhambra, CA
Current Major: Traditional Eastern Arts, Yoga Teacher Training
# of Semesters @ Naropa: 2
Astrological sign: Taurus (earth)
Campus activities: Treasurer, Student Union of Naropa.  Student Life Programming.  United Naropa.  Being an irreverent pill.  Team Asana.
Naropa Ninja Master.  Laughing at Nataraja's corny jokes.
Off-campus activities: master gardener and herbalist.  intern for boulder social services.  I make gourds into cool bottles, bowls, and ladles.  I love hiking and laughing with my partner Dana and sidekick Athena.
I wish someone had told me this before I came to Naropa... not everyone here has a sense of humor when you refer to the founder as The Great Chogie...  that the same ten people with master's degrees are all fighting over the same minimum wage jobs that I want.  The latter is mostly true about the economy of Boulder at large.

Name: Daralee
Hometown: San Antonio, TX
Major: Interdisciplinary Studies: Environmental Studies & Music
Semesters @ Naropa: 6
Sign: Cancer
Campus Activities: Trying to book experimental bands to play at Naropa, working at the Allen Ginsberg Library, living in the darkroom, and you will frequently find me hunting through the free box. 
Off-Campus Activities: Singing into electronic devices, co-founding the first lady centered experimental music festival, Titwrench, biking haphazardly through Denver & Boulder, watching films, discussing whales, platonic solids, and post-apocalypse imaginings, and creating space for radical/creative/musical/diy/exciting happenings!
I wish someone had told me this before I came to Naropa: In order to fulfill your desires you must create the context for them to blossom. PLEASE LET GO OF ALL EXPECTATIONS. Don't force it. Be ready to engage in an introspective manner, to be vulnerable, to be uncomfortable, and in the end, to grow. There is no right way. Root yourself somehow.

Name(s): Katy Parks.
Hometown: Beaumont Texas
Current Major: Traditional Eastern Arts
# Of Semesters @ Naropa: 4
Astrological sign: Cancer
Campus activities: Unfortunately, I have not participated as much I should, but I am getting over my shyness.
Off-campus activities: Working at Boulder Recreation Center with the EXPAND program (teaching disabled children gymnastics), dancing, gymnastics, laughing, texting, lounging, yoga, wakeboarding, shopping, mexican food, sushi, and movie nights!
I wish someone had told me this before I came to Naropa… Even a diverse school like Naropa has cliques. I have dealt with a lot of loneliness and comments because I don’t dress like most Naropa students, but I am here for my education.

Name: Kent
Hometown: Whittier (Los Angeles County), CA
Current Major: INTD
# of Semesters @ Naropa: 3
Astrological sign: Gemini (sun)
Campus activities: Naropa Sports Club; Naropa Curriculum Roundtable
Off-campus activities: snowboarding, hiking, biking, kicking back and watching movies, adventuring and exploring the joys of life
I wish someone had told me this before I came to Naropa … if you want to find a way to explore your passions and/or learn skills that will be valuable for your future, then be active in discovering the way to accomplish this on campus. people at naropa are willing to help if you seek them out. There are a lot of opportunities here. Go for it.

Name: Lauren Zwicky
Hometown: Orem, UT
Current Major: Contemplative Psychology, minor in Traditional Eastern Arts
# of Semesters @ Naropa:  6
Astrological Sign: Scorpio
Campus Activities: Capoeira Club
Off-Campus Activities: Capoeira, yoga, adventuring, hiking, drawing, fitting words together, bike riding, walking my two doggies, trips on the head map, and such.
I wish someone had told me this before I came to Naropa…make your own adventure and don't be afraid to put yourself out there. There are a lot of bold, outspoken people at Naropa which can sometimes be overwhelming...don't be afraid to engage. Take all the opportunities you can to be a part of the community but also remember to stay grounded and true to yourself.

Name(s): Mark, Marcus     
Hometown: Edwardsburg, MI
Current Major: Interdisciplinary Studies
# of Semesters @ Naropa: 4
Astrological sign: Pieces
Campus activities: SLP Student Group Coordinator
Off-campus activities: I love to ride my bike in town, through town and in the woods, while searching for the perfect IPA. When I am not doing that I like to hang with my girlfriend and friends just chillin. I love hiking and camping whenever I get a chance and I like going out on adventures of all kinds. I’m a street artist and activist that will help with any cause that I can agree on.  
I wish someone had told me this before I came to Naropa… that Naropa does not really meet up to what it advertises online and in the world. It truly is a place that needs work just like each person that attends does. The community is not as strong as it is portrayed, but finding friends within the student body, staff and facility is easier then you think. It is a place that makes you change and you will love and hate it all at the same time.  

Name - Ryan Hartman
Hometown - Hackensack, NJ
Current Major - Peace Studies
Number of Semesters at Naropa - 4 complete
Astrological sign - Leo
Campus activities - workstudying, Students for Peace and Justice, rabble rousing.
Off-Campus Activities - Hanging out with my wife and dog, walking, hiking, riding my bicycle, riding my motorcycle through the mountains, discovering new brews, legally medicating people, reading, writing, Students for Peace and Justice, standing in solidarity with the Orchard Grove Mobile Home Park, making sure people don’t get thrown out of their homes because they can’t afford to make a payment, attempting to stop weapons manufacturers from operating in my back yard, hosting a show on the local radio station, working on a local farm, supporting the only all-volunteer collective bookstore in Boulder…
I wish someone had told me this before I came to Naropa - that it’s not a strange eyed hippie filled, cake walk full of easy A’s. I was slightly afraid of Naropa because I thought it would be a bunch of “enlightened” hippies babbling about love. Instead I have made the best possible friends one can imagine, and – for the first time in my life – feel like part of a community. I also have written, read, thought, and discussed topics that I never dreamed possible. My entire life has been changed in two short years. However, it’s not all lovey dovey- there are people like me, people who are not politically correct at all times, people who have tattoos and ride motorcycles and get drunk (although not at the same time).

Name(s): Sherri Marilena Pauli
Hometown: Salt lake city, utah
Current Major: Naropa Core
# of Semesters @ Naropa: 3
Astrological sign: Taurus
Campus activities: I do a lot of stuff, but nothing officially.
Off-campus activities: checking out way too many library books from three different libraries (on minimum), adventuring, writing, reading, skipping, smelling things, listening to music, singing songs, gardening, learning about plants, walking, bike-riding, hanging out with my cat, watching movies- and the list goes on!
I wish someone had told me this before I came to Naropa… that after living and supporting myself for almost ten years since I last went to school I'd have to really listen deeply and learn how to let go in a whole hugely new way for this very different experience- and also- Boulder is a place where creating a community with others you encounter and can relate with is very important.

Name(s): Sherry (Threshera) Gobaleza
Hometown: Manila, Philippines
Current Major: INTD Major
# of Semesters @ Naropa: 8
Astrological sign: Cancer
Campus activities: Students of Color, Co-editor of Tendrel and Performance coordinator, World Wisdom Action Group, Ma Paya Pang Paraan (Filipino Martial Arts).  
Off-campus activities: Chinook Fund, Bead for Life, collaborations with Midnight Wind Collaborations: performances to raise social consciousness (all proceeds donated to Bead for Life).