Incognito Transit

The Last Stand IV: Putting the kibosh on a series that was never meant to be

When I wrote the original “Last Stand,” I never intended nor expected to have it stretch over a series of posts. But the series needs some closure before I put the kibosh on it. So, this will be the last time that I make a post about API Cares. This is the time where the fat lady sings, and all the wild geese are cut loose from my house. And for a fitting reason. Changes are on the way at API Cares. Because the changes are still in the works, there is nothing much I can say about them publicly at this time. As far as my understanding goes, I do have the ability to discuss specific changes in-depth with any Pacific Islander leader or mentor on a one-on-one basis. What I want to focus on today is what accountability to Pacific Islander communities means to me.

I am FN@UW’s hardcore Twitch spectator

Last night was a very special night on Twitch. Instead of watching the usual gaming, YouTube, and Just Chatting antics, I along with other FN@UW members got to watch fan favorite Delia Gomez spit poetry. The only issue: I am apparently FN@UW’s hardcore Twitch spectator who knew how to give shoutouts on the live chat. So I offered to let everyone pile on it with a big message. It was a fun night.

You can watch the 56-minute broadcast here: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/677200786.

You can learn more about the Land Back event last night: https://www.facebook.com/events/602301884038519

I curated a playlist of Cr1TiKaL videos on Karens and white privilege

Karen became a hot topic in popular discourse since the coronavirus outbreak. But you have to remember: this stuff has been happening well before coronavirus. Therefore, I curated a playlist of Cr1TiKaL videos on Karens and white privilege. The coverage ranges from narcissistic YouTuber songs to the infamous Walmart outburst woman. From dǰ pišpiš to you, here is the playlist:

The Last Stand Part III: We’re on to you, API Cares

Last month, I wrote about the tokenization of Pacific Islanders at API Cares (a UW RSO) and offered my perspective on who’s actually doing the work of engaging Pacific Islander students in conversations on mental health and wellness. Joseph Seia, a well-respected Samoan community leader in south King County, created a stellar graphic that illustrates how allies can support Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.

Open Discussion: Can I be called a ‘xenophobe’ for sh**ing on TikTok?

Let me make this clear. I do not like TikTok. Moreover, I do not like short-form social media in general (e.g. Twitter, Snapchat). They never really appealed to my desire for wholesome content and analysis; are more susceptible to toxicity (read: white fragility); and I can’t keep up with everything that’s going on. I still don’t understand how my young peers maintain presence on multiple short-form platforms, but hats off to them, I guess.

Even the UW didn’t see this one coming

The United States have become a petri dish of serious ongoing epidemics from coronavirus to systemic racism—and now, xenophobia. Yesterday, the U.S. Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) announced changes to temporary exemptions that allowed international students on F-1 visas to take classes entirely online. SEVP basically put the kibosh on that exemption by making it impossible for international students to take a full course load online and remain in the U.S.

The worst course I have ever taken

Many of you don’t know, but my senior year at the University of Washington was quite tumultuous in terms of academics. Some of the courses I took last year were really terrible either because the instructor was egotistic, or because the instructor clearly didn’t bother to set up a consistent class structure. I plan to unpack that in a future post. But objectively speaking, those classes had decent content, and my experiences of completing them have taught me important things about myself and my communities. Today, we’re going to talk about a class that I think falls short in both areas.

I tested negative for coronavirus

What’s going on fellow bus enthusiasts and dǰ pišpiš fans? I still haven’t fully transitioned out of the academic realm. I wanted to share some news that I think is important for folks and communities around me to know. I tested negative for coronavirus. Now that I told you, let’s talk about what it was like getting tested and what the results mean.

Advice for First Year Students at UW – Pandemic Edition

I’m no expert on surviving online classes let alone the coronavirus. By the time that pandemic hit, I barely started writing my Honours thesis, and I knew I needed more structure to fill my free time and maintain motivation. It worked out well. I was able to co-create a wonderful (virtual) community with Indigenous graduate and undergraduate peers, and completed my 90-page thesis in time for (virtual) commencement. So, I hope you can gather from this anecdote the fact that my experiences with online classes are incommensurable with my peers’—and that my peers’ experiences are incommensurable with each other.

Bus Fanning During Wave II of Pandemic (Spoiler Alert – Don’t Do It)

I’m a fan of public transport far more than I am fan of fraternity parties. I think we can all agree that in this time of pandemic, riding buses is far safer than attending the fraternity parties that could balloon to at least 70 people at one time. But with the news of Washington State’s largest county having moved on to Phase II of the state’s “Safe Start” plan, and what some media outlets call the “second wave” of coronavirus in the U.S., there are a lot of mixed messages on whether it is safe to emerge from our homes and start doing the activities we love to do—including bus fanning.