Lady Liberty

Normally, I can tell whether the day will be good or bad by the feeling I get in the morning. This morning after the fire alarm in my dorm building I got the gut feeling that the day would be long and bad. However, today was an exception to my that feeling because even though my morning may have been hectic and interrupted, my day overall was great! Class was very in-depth and afterward I went to Staten Island on a RA Trip, both shedding light on liberty in the United States.

Today in class, we discussed what it means to have free speech and how it relates to the liberty protected by the First Amendment for citizens of the United States. As an open-discussion class, many ideas were brought up like how obscenities could be a form of free speech to why it is not a protected right to the Freedom of Speech Clause to shout "Fire!" in a crowded theater. It was a topic that I had not understood much until the class discussion and I definitely believe I took that right for granted. We looked at the types of Supreme Court cases that the United States government has gone against to interpret the Constitution and deliver the right of free speech (to a limit) and other principle liberties today. Interpreting the Constitution has been difficult since its creation but looking at a philosophical view to understand document has given me a better understanding of the Constitution and what it protects for U.S. citizens.

After class, I was looking forward to going to the Cloisters museum and Garden at five o'clock. Michelle and I waited for Denise, the RA chaperoning the trip, to arrive and when we headed toward the bus, we realized that the Cloisters Museum had already closed! (I mean, come on, it's a Friday night.) So, we stood outside campus going over a new plan and we ended up going to South Ferry Station with Denise, another RA Rachel, and Cameron a girl from California. Although the plans weren't what I expected, when we arrived at the last station on the number 1 subway, and I was so happy I had come. We boarded the ferry and had a beautiful view of New York and most importantly, the Statue of Liberty . Not knowing what to expect on Staten Island, we all disembarked the ferry to explore. Now, our curiosity has been fulfilled  since we explored and there is nothing to do there! It was a ghost town, even on a Friday night. However, we walked and took a few pictures then were headed back to the South Ferry Station at sunset.

A Staten Island gem

My day was a learning experience that for the most part symbolically involved what it means to be a free person in the United States, whether it be by seeing Lady Liberty, or through class discussion. After a conversation with a nice couple from Ohio on the ferry, I counted my blessings and made sure that I don't lose sight of what's important in my life: happiness, family, and freedom.  This week was exhausting, but I wouldn't change a thing and I hope I am bringing pride to my family who did not grow up with as many liberties and opportunities as I am.

Lady Liberty: a symbol of U.S. freedom