Embedded Files
Introduction
DLF
The Dalai Lama Fellows (DLF) Program at CU Boulder is a one-year leadership program that involves learning a curriculum focused on meditative practices, self-awareness, resilience, and compassion. The program teaches leadership through the lenses of compassion, contemplation, and community. Being in the fellowship program requires implementing an individual project that can help our local community and that is focused on a subject that is personally meaningful.
My Project
For my project, I created a website that is a compilation of different Housing Resources for students looking for housing, specifically off-campus housing after freshman year. In exploring housing resources for CU students in Boulder, Colorado, I found that existing online resources to be scattered and lacking depth on crucial issues. Motivated by the value of these resources, I developed a website as a centralized hub for housing information. It covers topics like when and how to start housing searches, utilizing tools such as Ralphie’s lists, and managing relationships with roommates. Additionally, it delves into living alone as a student, subleasing processes, emergency housing resources, and local living ordinances, aiming to simplify and enrich the housing search and living experience for the CU community.
Why My Project is Important
This "one stop shop" for off-campus housing resources for students is important due to Boulder's reputation for high living costs, limited housing options, and poorly managed properties. Recognizing these challenges, I aimed to create a user-friendly website that consolidates all available housing resources from CU and the city of Boulder. From a student's perspective, this website not only benefits students but also their parents by providing a central hub of information to navigate Boulder's housing market. This project is particularly crucial for those who, like myself, struggle to find safe, affordable housing, options in Boulder or who are struggling with different housing related issues (including: getting expensive deposits back after move-out, break-ins, leaks/flooding issues, etc.). While not everyone may struggle with housing related problems, I wanted to create a resource for those who do and also have it be a resource to answer even non-boulder specific questions on topics such as subleasing, commuting, roomates, etc.
About Me
This past year was my senior year at CU Boulder, where I just graduated with a degree in Business and an emphasis in Marketing, alongside a minor in Art History. At CU Boulder, I spent my time in extracurricular activities such as being a Peer Mentor at Leeds, The Diverse Scholars Program, being in a Co-ed Professional Fraternity, and also working different part-time jobs within the business school.
A significant event in my life that has made me who I am is when my mom was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer when I was 14 years old. She bravely fought for three years, during which I moved in with my sister and later, with our neighbor Deanna, who became like a stepmom to me. Through Deanna and my time living with her and her family, I discovered meditation and Buddhism, which helped me through those hard times.
Why I Chose to Focus on Housing Resources
Boulder's housing scene isn't without its challenges, a lesson I learned firsthand during my freshman year. As I ventured into off-campus housing, terms like subleasing and housing insurance became daunting. I was overwhelmed by the expensive costs of off-campus housing and struggled to find something I could afford. Sophomore year, more significant challenges ensued. I experience break-in while I will still home during Spring Break and it shook my sense of security. Additionally, the cold and blaming response I received from the property management added insult to injury and made me feel helpless and scared. Moving to another house the following year, I hoped for better, but faced neglect from a different property management company. Here, I experience a month without a functional bathroom that they only partially gave compensation for. Then, flooding of 10 inches of water throughout the apartment about 4 months later damaged my belongings and meant having to find an alternative place to stay while wrapping up the end of spring semester. Additionally, the management continued to neglect the flooding situation and left the water in the apartment for 3 days, making it uncomfortable to live in for the rest of the lease because of the damp smell and feel that the water soaking into the wall left.
These experiences ignited my passion for helping my peers facing similar housing crises or lacking parental support. The kindness I received when facing these struggles deeply shapes my goals; I'm eager to give back, supporting others just as I've been supported. These experiences drove me to create resources so others don't feel as hopeless and scared. While the University does offer many resources for students facing challenges in these areas, it sometimes hard to find and not always comprehensive in all areas, so I wanted to help compile information to make it easier for students looking for these resources.
Dalai Lama Fellows Experience
Fall 2023 - Spring 2024
We had weekly DLF meetings during the Fall semester and then monthly meetings this Spring Semester. We began each meeting with a meditative practice usually led by Shubham or sometimes we would listen to meditations led by Jinpa or other audio meditations. Then our meetings would go into talking about the material and ideas from the modules we were assigned for that week/meeting. Each meeting would usually end with talking about our projects. Outside of our weekly/monthly meetings, we also met individually with Serene Singh, who helped us with our projects.
Throughout our year in the fellowship at the Crown Institute, we went through many different modules focused on enhancing our understanding of self-discovery, social innovation, and leadership. Throughout all the modules, we developed essential skills and gained insights that not only prepared us for social innovation but also equipped us with tools to be mindful, compassionate leaders.
We began by setting a solid foundation in the first module, where we delved into the basics of the program and learned about self-discovery through personal journey exercises and a S.W.O.T. analysis for our project. As we continued through the modules, we explored the idea of identity by reflecting on how our lives, families, and cultural backgrounds shape who we are. We did an exercise on recognizing and enacting personal values, which guided us to identify and affirm our core values, helping us direct our energy toward meaningful causes and navigate the complexities of social innovation.
In subsequent modules, we focused on cultivating mindfulness, enhancing our emotional awareness, and applying these skills to effective leadership. We learned to improve our focus, understand the power of pausing before reacting, and how to bring mindfulness into our decision-making processes. We also developed a deeper understanding of self-compassion through readings and practical exercises, recognizing it as crucial for our well-being and our ability to care for others. This prepared us for further discussions on empathy and the role it plays in leadership, enhancing our relationships and effectiveness. One of the profound lessons came from exploring the intersection of compassion and power, where we learned to navigate power dynamics thoughtfully and equitably, acknowledging the complexities of individual identities. Finally, in the later modules, we tackled the challenges of making decisions and facing uncertainties. We learned to embrace uncertainty by staying true to our values and using a balanced consideration of our thoughts, feelings, and actions to navigate life's complexities with confidence.
Meditation practices
How what I learned this year connects to my personal project:
The meditation techniques I learned this year during my fellowship really made a difference for me, both in my personal life and in my project work. The self-reflection exercises, in particular, boosted my awareness of others, guiding me to pinpoint the key topics to focus on for my project/website. As I continued with my meditation routine over the year, I noticed I became calmer and more reflective, which made it easier to organize my thoughts and handle my project more effectively.
Assembly/India Trip Lessons
I was unable to attend the Assembly in Virginia last summer, but I had the extraordinary opportunity to join the India Trip this semester, a journey that will forever be an amazing memory that changed my life. Our adventure spanned a week, beginning with our arrival in Delhi before we embarked on our transformative voyage to Dharamshala. The initial days were filled with profound discussions on leadership, compassion, and insightful lessons about His Holiness the Dalai Lama, priming us for our two meetings with him. When His Holiness entered the room on the first day, a surge of overwhelming emotions overtook me, evoking tears of joy that flowed freely. His presence radiated happiness, leaving an unforgettable imprint on my spirit. The following day, our interaction with him was punctuated with laughter and jubilation, painting the room with an aura of sheer bliss. After our incredible encounters with His Holiness, we engaged in reflective sessions with Jinpa, delving deeper into our learnings. As the week unfolded, we explored various sites, including the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts, a Nunnery, and a Tibetan School, each adding to our already profound experience.
Reflecting on the journey, two key lessons resonate deeply within me. Firstly, the Dalai Lama's poignant reminder of our shared humanity struck a chord, emphasizing our common origins and the universal need for nurture and care. This revelation, elucidated by Jinpa, transcended mere biological connections, underscoring the imperative of unity within our communities. Despite my personal struggles with parental relationships, His Holiness's teachings on oneness illuminated the abundance of shared experiences among us, igniting a newfound passion for community service within me. Secondly, our visit to the Nunnery unveiled a profound insight into the joy of devoted living. Witnessing the nuns' unwavering contentment in their daily rituals of meditation, learning, and reflection echoed the infectious happiness embodied by His Holiness and the monks. Their radiant spirits served as a poignant reminder of the transformative power of inner peace and purpose. In essence, the India Trip transcended geographical boundaries, leaving an indelible mark on my consciousness and instilling a profound sense of compassion, unity, and purpose within me.
Prayer Flags Seen on Kora Walk to The 'Dalai Lama Library'
We were welcomed with Traditional Khatas upon Arrival
Cultural Show at Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts
Prayer Flags and Prayer Wheels Seen on Kora Walk
DLF Project Overview
Boulder Housing Resources Website
How information for the website was compiled:
To gather content for my Website, I began by reviewing the University already existing housing related resources to identify any gaps. After collecting their existing information, I refined it and supplemented it with additional details. These additions were based on my personal experiences, insights, research from articles, social media posts, blogs, and various online sources. Next, I organized this compiled information into separate pages for easy navigation, which is detailed below
Website Content:
A page about myself and why I created this website (a shorter version of this presentation)
Tips and tricks on how to start looking for off campus housing . Some of the tricks listed : Establishing a budget, deciding on housing preferences, starting early, using multiple resources when looking, attending and using housing fairs and other resources that CU already provides, how to tour properties, checking landlord and property management references, and how to apply.
Other topics covered on this page:
‘Living in Boulder’ section: information on off-campus housing, CU owned housing like bear creek apartments, graduate and family housing, and residence hall options for non first year students. Their is also information on CU’s off-campus Housing and neighborhood relations resources
‘Where to look’ section: this section includes information on the different property management companies that are popular in Boulder, information on CU’s ‘Ralphie List’ Online platform, and information on other platforms for housing search.
‘What is Cosigning?’ section: This section provides information on what Cosigning is, the purpose of it, responsibilities of a cosigner, qualifications needed to be a cosigner, and the legal implications of being a consignor. I included this section because a cosigner/guarantor is needed for most leases in Boulder if you are a student. When I was signing my first lease, I was blind sided bu this and am so grateful I had someone in my family willing to be my cosigner. Thus, I thought it was necessary to provide resources about this so my community could have more information and be prepared for this.
‘How to find people to live with’ section: This section is about finding people to live with when you're moving out of your college dorms. It talks about different ways you can find roommates. One way is to ask your friends if they want to live with you. Another way is to use the internet to find people who are also looking for roommates. You can use websites like Ralphieslist, Facebook groups, Roommates.com, or Craigslist to find them. You can also post on your social media accounts to see if anyone you know is also looking for roommates. Lastly, you can attend events at your college that are about housing. These events can help you meet potential roommates face-to-face and talk about where you might
‘Deciding between rooming with friends or people who are less familiar to you?’ Section: is about helping you choose between living with friends or living with people you don't know as well. It gives you the good and bad sides of both options to think about. Remember, everyone's friendships and experiences are different, so this list is just to help people think about what might work best for you! I compiled two pdfs with information on both sides using research on articles, blogs, and other online resources. The pdfs are provided in this section
‘Topics to discuss together’ section: This section is about all the important things students and their potential roommates should talk about before deciding to live together. It covers a lot of topics to discuss, like talking about where you might want to live with your potential roommate, who gets which room, what to do about guests, and even things like shared items and internet usage. It's like a guide to help make sure everyone is on the same page and feels comfortable living together.
‘Made a Mistake and Need to Get Out of it?’ section: This section talks about what to do if you find out that the person you thought would make a good roommate might not be the best fit after all. It suggests having a respectful and honest conversation with them about your feelings. The paragraph gives tips on how to prepare for the conversation, like thinking about reasons and choosing the right time to talk. It also advises being gentle but clear when explaining your thoughts and listening to what the other person has to say. If things get too difficult, you can always seek help from a neutral mediator. Finally, this section encourages you to see the experience as a chance to learn and grow.
This page talks about the pros and cons of living alone versus with roommates while in college. Living alone gives the resident personal space and control over their environment, but it can be more expensive. On the other hand, living with roommates is cheaper but may mean sacrificing some independence. Ultimately, it depends on what the person values most and what fits their budget and lifestyle. The second part gives specific cost information for living alone in Boulder, Colorado, highlighting the financial aspects to consider.
This page talks about subleasing, which is when someone on a lease lets someone else take over part or all of it. The page talks about how subleasing It's handy if you need to leave your place temporarily or if you don't want to stay there anymore. The page also goes over that there are two kinds: short-term, where you come back, and long-term, where you don't. The page also has a separate sections that go over other information on subleasing.
This page tells students why safety and security are important in Boulder. It mentions that even though Boulder has low crime rates compared to other cities, there are still risks, like property crime or natural disasters. It also talks about issues students might face in older houses and gives tips like locking doors, checking peepholes, and having important safety conversations. Additionally, it suggests securing doors with deadbolts and investing in smart security devices like Ring Doorbell Cameras and smart locks. Finally, it advises being vigilant, reporting suspicious activity, staying informed, knowing emergency exits, having emergency contacts, and getting renters insurance for protection.
'Boulder Living Ordinances' Page:
This page tells students to be mindful of Boulder ordinances to avoid getting fined. It mentions rules like not leaving indoor furniture outside, keeping yards free of trash, and knowing the limit of people who can live together in one house. Additionally, it talks about clearing sidewalks after snow, trimming weeds and grass, and not using fireworks. The paragraph also advises on properly disposing of items upon moving out, avoiding open alcohol containers in public, and being cautious about noise complaints and loud parties. Finally, it warns against public urination and suggests checking for any ordinance updates and seeking more information on Boulder ordinances through a provided website.
This page tells students about commuting resources for off-campus housing. It mentions that commuter students live off-campus and travel to the university for classes. It highlights the benefits of living at home, such as cost savings, family support, and comfort. It also mentions alternative housing options in nearby towns like Superior, with lower living costs and a community atmosphere. Additionally, it explains exemptions to the freshman year dorm requirement and considerations for commuter students, such as transportation and time management. Finally, it provides tips for staying on campus all day and making the most of the college experience.
THANK YOU
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