Duke University | Baldwin Scholars Program

I enjoy a good hearty meal of rice and beans, preferably with a bit of hot sauce.

I was introduce to this dish's imppecable deliciousness through an organization that is close to my heart: Nourish International (http://www.nourishinternational.org). My experience with Nourish has influenced many of my views on international development and disparity.

I like letting experiences change me. I enjoy long distance runs because they are testing experiences and tend to lead to clarifying moments. I try and capture many clarifying moments with the new camera I just bought; I'm teaching myself how to take good pictures.

I love searching for and listening to stories that have not yet been told and voices that have not been heard. I believe independent media is key in helping keep governments and international actors honest and accountable. I am a Public Policy major and I love it.

I also love Durham. I have lived here since I was seven and I learn new things about it every day. I volunteered for Durham's Full Frame Film Festival for the first time this past spring. Every Duke student should see at least one Full Frame film before they graduate. This year I saw "Lucio", which was about a Spanish anarchist.

My own Spanish-speaking abilities are adequate. They improved significantly after traveling to Argentina the summer after my sophomore year with Nourish International. I've also been to India, England, Belize, and Russia (with my Russian FOCUS group). I was born in Pune, India but I have spent most of my life in Durham.

My parents are from two different religions and I consider myself part of both. I despise the human tendency to put fellow human beings in "a box" and I love the fact that the Duke Center for Race Relations (CRR) is trying to stamp this tendency out of all of us. Another experience every Duke student should have is to go through Common Ground, the CRR's retreat. Common Ground gets people to open up to each other over some deep issues.

I can be a quiet person but I love opening up to people and having honest and raw conversations. If you're at Duke or about to come to Duke, then shoot me an email. We'll get together and chat. Oh and I'll cook you some rice and beans.

I'll be traveling to Switzerland for a study abroad program during the summer of 08. If you wanna read a bit about my thoughts and travels, go to:

http://willtomeaning.blogspot.com/