User:Ducttape

I'm not quite sure what to put here.I really should be doing my homework, but that's Ceriously Talented Youth for you. Well I suppose that people would most likely remember me as the girl who had the duct tape dress on Halloween at LAN.1.10. I have been to CTY for three years, two at Baltimore and my last year at Lancaster. I have to say that LAN.10.1 was probably the best three weeks of my life. Baltimore pretty much sucks after Lancaster. I nomored out this year after Session 1 and I will always love CTY. However, that does NOT mean that I have forgotten you guys, and I WILL be sending people voluminous care packages next year. And of course they will contain certain questionable products (don't worry, there won't be any peanuts).

CTY Attendance History

SERV.JHU.2.08 - Instructor: Dr. Kenya Davis-Hayes - TA: Julie Ritchick
ETYM.JHU.2.09 - Instructor: Jon Pirnia - TA: Doug Fraleigh
COGN.LAN.1.10 - Instructor: Monica Pires - TA: Kyle Rodrigues (WE LOVE KYLE!)

The Passionfruit speech I should have made

When I first came to CTY in 2008, I was the shyest person you could imagine. I had no self-esteem, I rarely spoke up in class, and I never went out to quad time (which, being at Baltimore, wasn't all that great anyway, even if you were social). But after those first three weeks, I had changed. I had met my roommate, who would later become one of my best friends, and I had learned how to interact in society and look at myself as an individual whose opinion mattered to others. My life had not been very stable outside of CTY, as I had been living overseas in Hong Kong for two years and I was about to move again, to Taiwan, so leaving CTY I was not only leaving those new friends, but the ones who I had come to love when I was in Hong Kong as well. Thus, when 2009 came around, I knew I had to return to my safe haven.

In 2008, my dad had convinced me that taking Service Learning would benefit me more than taking another, more obscure course that I would have preferred. However, in 2009, I was allowed to pick a course that I wanted, and so I picked Etymologies. This turned out to be probably the second most life-changing decision of my life, as I loved every second of it and it made me realize that I really, really wanted to study English, history, and linguistics in college, and made me so happy to find something that I was very good at and liked. It also was the year that I discovered my passion for duct tape creations, after doing the Duct Tape Art activity one day. That year was a great year all around for making me more self-confident and happy with my life, but I was still sadly ignorant of CTY tradition, thanks to my being in Baltimore.

This year, 2010, was arguably the most epically life-changing year of my existence, as so many huge changes occurred in my life. The recession happened and I moved back to Maryland from Taiwan, went to a public school for the second time in my life, and my dad passed away in October. Because of all these factors, combined to equal a generally low motivation in life/school and unstable economic situation, it seemed unlikely for me to return to CTY for my nomore year. However, I somehow managed to scrape by with pretty good grades and our financial situation improved, so I got to return for my final year, and, determined to make it epic, I went to Lancaster.

LAN.10.1 showed me how amazing the world could be. I loved every single one of the traditions and every part of the campus (even Schnader, as terrible as it was). The friends I made will always be remembered, and especially one amazing guy whom I will love forever. It was the sense of family, of belonging, and not being judged for being yourself that truly changed me and I will always try to bring CTY to Real Life and try to spread that sense of love and acceptance of everyone. CTY changed me, for better or for worse, and I wouldn't have it any other way. To quote someone else's Passionfruit speech, "CTY is like a shower; it's great for a while, but after too long you become a prune." So of course I will miss CTY, but my time is done and CTY has changed me enough to know who I am and cope with Real Life, and now it's time for someone else to experience it.

I love CTY, and I love the Passionfruit.