Before moving to the refugee camp, Andrés lived for two weeks with these refugees from Rwanda, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“To grow is to change, to go beyond oneself.” As Jean-Paul Sartre believed, every human feels a need to go beyond the limits of the human condition, to escape from contingency. Who we are is defined by what we do.
The spirit of sharing and serving the needs of others has inspiringly revealed itself time and again through the decisions our Cosmo residents and alums have made and will continue to make throughout their lives. Certainly students come to Cosmo with the desire to learn about other cultures; and no less certainly does the Cosmo experience strengthen and further develop knowledge, respect, and humanitarian reverence for all that is good in all of mankind.
We truly believe that nothing is more conducive to breaking down barriers of prejudice and fear than actually living and sharing with (fourteen) others from diverse cultures. The opportunities provided by the Cosmo Club are endless. As is life itself, in all of its glory and difficulties, so at Cosmo it is only natural that we find the kaleidoscopic and fulfilling manifestations of living together.
In addition to the fostering, through meaningful projects both small and large, of hope for the coming together of the whole world, daily life at Cosmo also provides a vital and vivid venue for shared conversations, discussions, and debates on all types of subjects and issues. Indeed, do we not learn, realize, and accept each other by talking? But there is far more achieved than just talk. Our residents, alumni, and board members have made, and continue this very day, to make important, generous, and concrete contributions to the world at large. We can mention here only a few examples of the realization of the Cosmo spirit.
Moussa Kone and Felix Autenreith traveled to the Ivory Coast and supervised the renovation of a school with funds that were raised through the Club.
Andrés Fernándes left Cosmo to attend graduate school at another University and now works as a project director for an NGO in Zambia. Andrés always talked about making a difference in the world. He was adamant about this goal. He now works daily to help organize and change conditions which will help the Zambian people live better lives.
Each of us is capable in some way to extend ourselves into the world and to join hands with the network of those who give selflessly of themselves in order to lift others up. Be it across the world, or across the street—opportunities arise daily.
Zhong-Ning Chen traveled to Tanzania and saw the great need of the orphans of those affected with HIV/AIDS. He came back to the US with a determination to help them. He joined hands with our Cosmo Thanksgiving Benefit project and began a fundraising campaign. He was compelled to do something concrete about the need he witnessed first hand. He made a difference.
The officers of the Cosmopolitan Club Board of Directors are all involved in various volunteer service projects in the community.
Lilia Peters, a retired nurse and community health professional, serves as a parish nurse through St. Patrick's Church. She and her husband Ron are actively involved in the administration and fundraising for an organization that helps young Philippine students.
Sujatha Purkayastha has a love of Indian music and has organized and worked to help bring a brilliant Indian musician to teach, perform, and share the Indian musical tradition with our C-U community. She has dedicated much time and effort to the Annual Rabindranath Tagore Festival over the last several years, in addition to working to create an annual Indian cultural celebration, called Taste of India, at the University YMCA.
Judith Gordon has developed numerous programs for Latino/a students at Edison Middle School. After-school guitar and drum classes were an outcome of her vision and desire to create a forum of expression for the minority student groups she mentors. The music programs are only one aspect of all the after-school activities she has developed. She created an international day, which is held each spring in order to expose the students to various cultural traditions and to help them celebrate their own diverse arts.
Our Cosmo residents pick up and deliver donated bread to the homeless each week. The spirit of volunteerism and outreach is an unwritten philosophy of the club. It shows itself through many acts of generosity.
We are making a difference every day. Through various acts and involvement we are shaping the world and making a statement for positive change. Every gesture, small or large, makes a difference, and everyone at Cosmo is important.
We actualize our own vision of our place in the world. We paint upon the canvas that is our life and paint our self-portrait through our choice of actions.