A glance at Zakiya Lasley's calendar would paint the picture of one very busy student.
Mondays and Wednesdays are devoted to the Hamilton College Choir. "I've done choir all my life," she said, "and we're preparing songs for our upcoming international tour through Europe -- Vienna, Warsaw and Prague. The songs are written in German, and the notation is completely different than we're used to."
Tuesdays are for Tae Kwon Do practice. "I always wanted to take a martial art, and I got the chance to train in Tae Kwon Do here at Hamilton," said Kiya. In addition to rigorous training and testing to advance through different levels, she has become a leader of this organization. "Tae Kwon Do, more than anything, gives me a sense of 'OK, I can do this.'"
By the time Friday rolls around, Kiya is ready to relax and unwind with another club she leads, the Black Student Union (BSU). For a student who is "interested in a lot of different things ... checking back every week with the BSU keeps me grounded, playing a part in a tradition," Kiya said.
Kiya also works to plan major events and ongoing activities for BSU. She considers the last year to be a building year, where the members "appreciated the challenge ... of feeling like a unit." CultureFest and the annual Kwanzaa celebration, held right before Winter Break, bring the campus together with poetry readings, dance performances, traditional foods and spirituals, all to showcase students and their talents.
You might be wondering, what about Thursdays? "I leave Thursdays free for me," said Kiya. That's when she catches up on work for a double major in Asian studies and women's studies, and manages 25 students as a resident advisor.
"I don't think I'm overcommitted," said Kiya. "There's a personal element to working with a wide variety of students and clubs, so I'm receiving an education from my activities."
