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Edwin Herrera’s letter from college

Posted on October 31, 2016 by Sonoma Valley Sun

edwin-reyes-head-shotBy Edwin Reyes Herrera

Edwin, now in his first year of college, was The Sun’s student reporter last semester.

Being at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota has felt like a vacation. A productive vacation, with classes, extracurriculars, and settling in. I wake up excited every day, and to me, that feeling is success. Yet it feels impossible to describe all that is going on, all I have seen, everyone I have met, and all the experiences that are beginning to shape who I want to become.

My life at Mac started in my residence hall, Dupre, on the fifth floor. Dupre Five has the reputation of being the most social, which has been true so far. My floor is residential, which means students in my first year seminar are placed together. As a result, we all are very close because we have a common class. I love all the friends I have made so far; they make me feel like I can be myself at all times. I need to start taking more pictures with them, or at least create a social media account so I can show them off.

I’ve had the opportunity to take advantage of the liberal arts aspect of Mac. I am in a physics class, a media class that studies critical theory, an economics class, and a Hispanics course that studies the development of Mexico and Brazil. The best part of my classes is they are all small – 20 students or less — which has given all of us a chance to develop a relationship with the professors. As a matter of fact, my Hispanics professor, Ernesto, invited me and other students in our class who will not be going home, to his house for Thanksgiving.

The extracurriculars on campus are extremely easy to join. I am already a part of The Mac Weekly, the school’s independent newspaper, and WMCN, the radio station on campus, where I have an hour show with my new best friend (from Oakland) called “Sam and Eddy Get Jazzed”. We play jazz music and frequently talk about things that “jazz” us. I’m also in the Admissions Ambassador program, and the varsity track and field team. And I work at the bed and breakfast on campus called the Briggs House. I do my homework while I do the normal household chores for our guests.

Apart from classes and student organizations, I enjoy random activities. Every Monday I participate in a Zumba class and on Wednesdays I go to a yoga class. There were two school dances in the first month with International and African Music themes. And for the students that want to have a safe and sober night, a program called Mac@Nite hosts various activities on weeknights. The first one we had was themed “Under the Sea,” and we had hula hoops, noodle wars, and a station to decorate shells. I am also hoping to become engaged with volunteering opportunities in the Twin Cities next semester.

As far as exploring the Twin Cities, I still have much to see. Public transportation is smooth and convenient, which has made it easy to see the state fair, Target Field and Target Center and get very close to the Mississippi River. My friends and I are planning trips to Chicago, Madison, and Milwaukee to visit other friends during our Fall Break and Thanksgiving. The great thing about being a college student in Minnesota is that everything is subsidized — bus tickets, plays, professional sporting events, concerts.

For all of you that might be worried, I absolutely love the weather. Students that have lived in the surrounding states get a joy out of a California student getting excited about rain and thunderstorms. What makes the weather nice is its unpredictability. I expect to feel the same excitement when the snow hits campus.

I have not felt homesick yet. So far, every day is a new experience and a new opportunity to have a great time doing different things. I call my mom every Sunday, but it is still hard to explain all that I have been doing for the past month. There is so much I want to share, and I hope I can stay connected to everyone from home as much as I can.

However, it might not be such a bad idea if I never go home again. I enjoy my independence, my new schedule, and being exposed to many new people and experiences. I had my sights set on the Midwest since the beginning of the college process. My friends jokingly say I am fulfilling my “Reverse Manifest Destiny” because I knew I wanted the Midwest to be my new home. It has been very exciting to live in a city and to learn about a new culture and environment. I have been considering staying in the Twin Cities over the summer for an internship to maximize my time here.

Interestingly, I sat down with Brian Rosenberg, the president of Macalester, in his office after I met him during Orientation. He said he wanted to meet with me because he too lives in Sonoma. He had been following me through newspaper articles published about graduation, Senior Awards, and the Boys and Girls Clubs, after he knew I had committed to Mac. We spoke about the plaza, The Springs, all the great restaurants, hiking trails, and SVHS.

Even after I left, Sonoma is still with me. It looks like Sonoma isn’t too far after all. Even though I was ready to move, I will never forget the village that raised me.




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