Journal Except: A Day in the Life

Name: Jermaine Myers (read my profile)

Year: Class of 2009

Previous Guest blog entry:

December 12, 2006: You Think You Know, But You Have No Idea, click here.

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4:13 PM.
Perched, like the true blue jay that I am, in my 4th floor McCoy abode, with my windows open to let in some fresh air, and the sounds of the city drenching my ears as cars and trucks lumber by below, I've been thinking.

It's a really sunny (and hot!) Monday afternoon, and this semester is almost over. I'm almost a Junior. I'm almost old. That scares me. It feels like I just stepped unto the lower quad for my first day of Calc. I, ready to take on Hopkins and ready to take on the world! And now, I (think) I'm ready to take on the world, and I'm old, but am I wiser? We won't think about that just yet (that'll probably come when I'm about to graduate, and I do a "Self-Reflection" piece for the Guest Blogs...stay tuned!).

I'm actually taking a little break right now; one of my few during this very hectic Monday/Tuesday schedule of mine, and instead of going out to hang on the beach with friends, I decide to just listen to some Marley and take a much-needed nap. After Physics II at 9:00, then Organic Chemistry at 10:00, then lunch, and a two hour history seminar from 2:00-4:00, I think you'd be tired too.

4:45 PM.
Now that I'm awake, I need to write this blog before heading off to Physics tutoring at 5:00, and then to the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA) General Body Assembly to represent Caribbean Cultural Society at 6:00 (I'm Mr. PR for CCS). The night, like always, won't end until around 1:00AM when my suitemates and I go crazy and berate each other (long story....you don't want to know). But, once again, I find myself sitting at my dusty old computer trying to capture the essence of the Hopkins experience. And, once again (you guessed it!) I am at  a loss for words.

I've been incredibly busy over the past two weeks doing this, and a little bit of that, that I'm surprised I'm awake right now (DISCLAIMER: These activities were all LEGAL...don't get any ideas). We actually had a surprise B-Day party for my friend Mireille last Thursday, and I went to D.C. on the same day, returned on the same day. But here it goes. I hope that, after my rambling's done, you'll feel ready to tackle the world too.

My thoughts as I walk to Tutoring: It's spring! Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know what you're saying. So what, right? Wrong! Believe me my friend, Spring is the apex of my existence at Hopkins (My roommate won't stop complaining about his allergies, though!). Let's see: there's Spring Fair, Common (you know, as in the rapper) is going to perform alongside my friend Njeri (or is it the other way around) who won Hopkins Idol last year. There'll be funnel cakes and elephant ears galore, and the weather seems to be holding up! But, that's all in two weeks, so we won't worry about that just yet.

I'm glad that I can actually walk to class without freezing my....my....my nose off for once, though. After being cooped up in our rooms for four months (what a treacherous winter!), it's about time that we all got a little radiant energy. To be honest, I think people on campus have been sun-starved for a little bit  too long. (I can see it in their eyes).

8:10 PM.
I'm going to Durban, South Africa for the summer. Although I'm a bit scared, the exhilaration of finally having the opportunity to work in Africa for a cause I care about has already replaced those feelings that you get at the top of the roller-coaster, when you're just about to plunge over the edge. My left arm's still sore from getting the recommended shots (Hep A, Hep B, Polio, etc.) for my trip, and I spent last Saturday renewing my passport at the Waverly Post Office (I walked back from the Post Office...that experience will have to be in another entry.)

Why South Africa? As you know, I was born in Jamaica, so I've always been aware of healthcare disparities in the world (believe me, some hospitals around the world don't even have potable water for their patients!). So, what am I doing about it?

I decided to apply for the Minority Global Health Disparities Research Training Program, coordinated by the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. The MHIRT program has research sites in Sweden, Australia, South Korea and South Africa, and is open to School of Nursing students, public health students, medical school students, as well as undergraduates. To be honest,  I wasn't chosen to participate in the Program initially, because they only nominate a single undergraduate student each year. But, someone fought for me, and I got the letter over Intersession while I was in Jamaica that I would be going to Durban!

While there, I'll be working with Dr. Oluyinka Adejumo of the University of KwaZulu-Natal on her projects dealing with adoslescent health and HIV/AIDS. (Did you know that roughly 1/5 of South Africa's adults are infected?) I didn't. I actually learned it from reading the Culture Gram for South Africa.

Although I never knew I would have the opportunity to do field work in Africa during my undergraduate years, I knew that if I came to Hopkins, I'd have the opportunity to do some type of research, whether in History or in Chemistry. I loved learning about South Africa's past in Dr. Shell-Weiss' Comparative Freedom Struggles history course last Spring, and now, I'll be able to see the stark realities of this country's present. And, I (think) I'm ready to tackle the world!

1:00 AM.
This day's been too long. It's time to go to bed and rest up for another bangin' day at Hopkins.

Comments

[Joel]

Hello,
I am from Linstead as well and very proud of you. My daughter has John Hopkins as her 1st choice for 2009. I would love for her to link with you for any helpful tip prior to her application.By the way, she has a passion of practicing in Africa upon completion! I would much rather her in Jamaica but her choice i will have to accept. She is currently away in Orlando for math competion. She is in a private school here in Florida and takes most AP classes.Where in linstead are you from? I taught math and science at Charlemont High school for a year.I am from Rosemount.

[JHU_Jermaine]

Hi Joel,

Thanks so much! You know I could never forget where I come from. Although I've lived most of my life in the States, my family hails from Time and Patience (Time An'). One of my sisters actually went to Charlemont way back in the '90s.

I'm glad that Johns Hopkins is at the top of your daughter's list; Hopkins is definitely the right place to be if she wants first-hand experience with research, clinical or otherwise. And although not that large, the Caribbean community at Hopkins is pretty close-knit, so you should have no worries about her forgetting "back home."

If you, or your daughter, have any more questions, or just want to stop by and say hi, don't hesitate to post on my message board page @ http://z14.invisionfree.com/Hopkins_Forums. (And since I am in the Caribbean Cultural Society, I can't help but make a shameless plug for our website: www.jhu.edu/ccs)

Take Care,

Jermaine

[Ash]

I'm also from Jamaica and recently got accepted to JHU! It was also my dream school but the problem is that now, I'm getting badgered because I've gotten completely unexpected offers from other top universities and I'm confused now as to where to definitely go.

Any way you could help me out? (I tried accessing the ask a question page on your page but can't seem to be able to). I want to study molecular and cellular bio or neuroscience and want to do pre-med.