NEW YEAR NEW MEMBERSUPDATESThis month in KSM we celebrated the initiation of our three newest members and held our Spring rush, Life's Sweeter With Some Sisters! We also began preparing for some fun awareness and fundraising events for February, so keep an eye out! MEET THE SISTERS AMANDA ALVAREZ The reasons I joined KSM were to be more aware and educated on different cultures and traditions that people may have or celebrate. Another reason is I can have sisters who have the same passion to learn, develop with one another, and support each other as I do. I’m excited for different events such as World Hijab Day because I get to learn about the history and why people wear them along with help teach our MSOE and Milwaukee community.  MIRIAM JOHN All throughout high school I participated in various volunteer organizations such as Key Club and NHS and my church and to me there was nothing more fulfilling than giving back to your community and being able to help those in it. Along with growing up as a child of immigrants, my values aligned so deeply with that of KSM that I really felt that I needed to be a part of what they were doing here at MSOE. Now that I have been initiated I look forward to all the good that we will do in our community, such as fundraisers for the Australian fires, World Hijab Day, helping the Cathedral Center for the Homeless and most of all, growing closer to my sisters through all of these things and more.  RILEY HORNILLA I'm a freshman Civil Engineer at MSOE. I joined KSM because of the dedication to promoting multiculturalism, diversity, and acceptance in both the MSOE and Milwaukee community. The sisters were all so welcoming and kind, I knew immediately this was something important that I wanted to be a part of. As a new initiate, I'm so excited to help plan as many events as I can, take part in our service projects, share the values of KSM with other girls who may want to join, and call these amazing girls my sisters! LIFE'S SWEETER WITH SOME SISTERSSISTER SPOTLIGHT A traditional Hyderabadi jewelry set. The 7 seven strands of pearls are called satlada, the choker is called a jadavi lacha, and the earings are jhumkas. This month we would like to spotlight our sister Fatimah and her experiences traveling to India this past summer! Fatimah has been a member of KSM since 2018 and was initiated as part of the Delta class. She is so excited to spread cultural awareness with her story and pictures! FROM THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITIES TO THE CITY OF PEARLS At the end of last year, I began to go through moments that have occurred in the past decade. I think the thing which stood out to me the most was my recent trip to India. Here is a little background: I was born in Hyderabad, India in June 1999. I lived there for two years with my entire immediate family and most of my extended family and second cousins. I then moved to the States at the young age of two, almost fifteen days before the life-altering tragic event of 9/11. Since then I have made three trips back, my most recent trip was a decade after my time before. In this trip, I explored the great city of Hyderabad. Although my parents are very Hyderabadi and did a great job in raising us with our Hyderabadi culture, it was not the same experience as living in the city. I only wish I got to learn more about the city during my time there. What I do know is that it is one of the fastest-growing cities in India. Hyderabad, also known as The City of Pearls, is a city with a rich history and culture. Historically, Hyderabad was ruled by different ruling dynasties Mughuls, Qutub Shahis, and Nizams, all of whom contributed to building the city. Some monuments I visited were Chowmahalla Palace, Charminar, and Golconda Fort.  The grand ballroom of Chowmalla Palace Again, I am not educated enough to talk about the historical backgrounds of these places, but I can share my experience in visiting them. It was honestly breathtaking to witness such architecture and to imagine the events in history these places witnessed. Until now, these places still play a role in the day to day life Hyderabadis. Charminar is the oldest and biggest shopping center of the old city of Hyderabad. Other monuments are a reminder of what a great city Hyderabad was and still is.  A small bangle shop in old city The shopping we did has done enough damage that carries on into this year. Shopping was a unique experience. I would always walk down the roads and be in awe of the rich colors and intricate designs of the clothes. We would go into a small room and there would be more clothes then my eyes could see. Although shopping for clothes is enough in itself, shopping for jewelry was better. I know it may sound as though I spent my trip exploring and shopping around Hyderabad, however the biggest lesson I learned was actually about family. Family is just about the most complicated thing in anyone's life. And it was not any easier to handle in Hyderabad. I think I struggled with understanding how people perceive me and how blunt they could be. But I learned that what makes family family is not the blood relationship but rather the effort one puts in. I realized how much people cared about me when they would obsess over how I looked or what I wanted to do in my life. And an unfortunate fact is that not everyone cares about you and some people can even be toxic. I think my family, especially my mother, taught me to keep a good relationship, even when you have to be the better person. People say that the key to good relationships is communication, but I disagree.  Family picture at Golcunda Fort I think effort can go a long, long way. I think its effort that makes strangers turn into family. I am very grateful to have many people in my life that I am close to, some that I have just gotten closer to. My family, family friends, cousins, and KSM sisters, are people who have been there for me. I know especially for my sisters, I can tell them if I feel sad and they will cheer me up. As a Greys Anatomy fan, I like to believe I don’t have just one person, I have a whole damn village. And my village is not only in the States, but in Hyderabad as well. So here is my new year's resolution- check in on people and show the effort.
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