Poetry has long served as a vessel for human expression, giving form to the words left unsaid and capturing complexities that we cannot fully explain. In crafting my poem, my reflections turned toward the truth of our existence. Despite the immense…
CPL Spring Showcase 2026
There was a nervous and exciting energy in the atmosphere when we gathered for our annual Spring Showcase. While the CUNY Peer Leaders (CPLs) emphasized the collegial nature of the event, our CPLs always have standards for themselves, lest they…
How the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship Turned My Study Abroad Dream Into Reality
When I first saw the price tag for studying abroad in Milan, Italy, my heart sank. Between flights, food, and program fees, the total was a number that might as well have been a million for my family. I remember…
Art and Activism Tour with CPL and the Brooklyn Museum
On Friday April 10th, the CUNY Peer Leaders had a virtual meet-up that explored Art and Activism with our guest visitor Natalie Aguilar, Associate Manager of Internships and Supervising Museum Instructor from The Brooklyn Museum. During this tour, our students…
A Revolutionary Portrait and Writing Myself Into Existence
During our virtual tour of the Brooklyn Museum’s collection, Wadsworth A. Jarrell’s Revolutionary stuck with me more than any other. It’s a portrait of Angela Davis. But it’s not a normal, boring portrait. Jarrell filled the canvas with bright reds,…
Art, Individuality, and Collectivity
In our online tour, the aspect that truly caught my attention was the strength of art as an activist medium. Instead of viewing artworks simply for their aesthetic value, it felt as if each piece held an essential message to…
Art and Voice of ours
Art is what we always see around us, but we rarely appreciate what we find. I got a chance listening on background of artworks and what they truly represent from the Brooklyn Museum. The artwork that captured my attention most…
Hashmi – Art as a revolution: Reflection on a Brooklyn Museum Virtual Visit
On a recent afternoon, my CUNY Peer Leaders cohort gathered virtually via zoom for a guided experience led by Natalie Aguilar, a museum instructor from the Brooklyn Museum. The session, titled “Art and Activism: Text in Art,” invited us to…
Leading Differently: Redefining What Leadership Looks Like for Me
When people think about leadership, they often imagine someone at the front of the room confident, outspoken, and in control. For a long time, I thought that was the only way to lead. But as I’ve grown, reflected on my…
I Am Black !! (The Missed-Education of Levi Wise-Kenneth Catoe Jr.)
I am Black Like rhythm is Black! Beats by clicking, clanking through my veins: Pulse. Pulse. Pulse. Black I be Like night, But not temporary Nights be changing Back to days / Back to Black — My skin be Black,…
A Road Out and a Way Forward
During our virtual tour of the Brooklyn Museum collection, what stood out to me was the picture of For the Women’s House by Faith Ringgold. The mural shows how long the road has been for women. It’s amazing to see how much…
I Think, Therefore I Am…
The wind on the summer beach, The snow resting on the rooftop of the mountain peak. The fire burning in the Earth’s molten core, And the sun that rises from the East to claim the floor. I am the moon…
Restorative Justice in a World of Terror
Immigration Enforcement I was born in Brooklyn, NY, and raised in the Bronx. I am the granddaughter of immigrants and consider myself an immigrant. From my lens, anyone on American land who isn’t Native American is considered an immigrant. When…
The Circle vs. The Cage in a Climate of Fear
In the current climate of student led political movements and controversies, there is a recurring theme: ICE. It represents the freezing of speech, the cold bureaucracy of administration, and, more literally, the looming threat of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement). At our…
“Hope through Community”
What resonated from the circle keepers meetup was the genuine conversation about knowing our rights, standing on ground, and learning how to exercise those rights. Given the U.S. political climate, knowing our rights feels more important than ever. In the…
Silence, Fear, and the Power of Community
As an international student, this session with the Circle Keepers felt very personal to me. With everything happening around immigration and ICE lately, there is a quiet anxiety that many immigrant communities carry. I came to the United States three…
Safe and sound for you and your environment
I am terrified daily, and the issue that bothers me the most is security. I live in a large city so I have to walk around and move around the streets, and even when I am at home and stay…
Reflection on the Circle Keepers Session
This has been a good experience for me to get involved in CUNY’s Peer Leaders program, having learned about the role of Circle Keepers, and gaining an understanding of Restorative Justice and what it means for us, as members of…
More Than Rights: What I Learned from the Circle Keepers
I participated in a meeting with the Circle Keepers. On the surface, it was just supposed to be an information session. We learned how to safely handle an encounter with ICE and what our legal rights are. We practiced saying…
ICE eventually melts.
I enjoyed the meet-up with the circle keeper as their visit was beyond informative. Something that resonated the most with me is learning the difference between the Court warrant and ICE warrant. Because with today’s ICE officers they are beyond…
