0 0 8B The Statement Wednesday, January 27, 2010 PERSONALSTATEMENT GOING HOME BY FAISAL MASOOD Last year, while home in Pakistan during winter break, I stopped by my high school to visit old teachers and friends. I talked with some of the seniors there, just as they were preparing to finish the semester, almost ready to start a break of their own. They were preoccupied with many of the same concerns I'd had the year before - examinations, college applications, how they were going to spend their winter vacations. Seeing the familiar place, just as it had been while I was a student there, I. couldn't help but be overcome by a pang of nostalgia. I thought about the amazing moments I'd had, but, like any time I think back to high school, my thoughts drifted to the night of December 27, 2007, when Benazir Bhutto, the first female prime minis- ter of Pakistan, was assassinated. The walls of the gated community in Karachi, where I grew up, stand SECURITY, From Page 4B Joking aside, Raiford says the job has put a strain on some of his rela- tionships. "Your friends will call you when they're doing something and you find you can't go because you have to get up at 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. to go to work." Weekends, too, often pose a con- flict for Raiford because he works Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. His days off are Tuesday and Thursday. "It can be a little lonely at times," Raiford admits. "That's when things like Netflix, the Play- station and the television come in handy." For Raiford - who considers him- self a "relatively social person- the most interesting part of his job is the residents he encounters. Many stop to chat with patrolling hous- ing security officers but others are reluctant, instantly tensing up at the sight of a police officer. "A sort of hesitant nervousness comes about them because they don't realize our job isn't to prevent them from havingfun," Raiford says. But he says he can understand the feeling. "I have been the person playing the music too loud at 3 a.m.," between the residents and the reality that lingers outside the constructed dividers. We desperately erect arti- ficial barriers to give ourselves some sense of security, hoping that any mayhem will pass us by, leaving us unscathed as pandemonium rages outside. Having never really believed in the concept of gated communities, I've always frowned at the synthetic sense of security that comes with them. One may then excuse my slight amusement when this sham belief broke down the night Bhutto was allegedly assassinated by militants,j and the city of Karachi witnessed a complete collapse of law and order despite its constructed borders meant to protect against just such an occur- rence. When the news of the assassi- nation reached us, the community administration decided to turn off the streetlights, preferring to rely he recalls. Other times, he jokes, "I feel like a Tyrannosaurus Rex. People think if they keep quiet, I might not notice them." Raiford says he can relate to resi- dents, especially freshmen adjusting to life in college. "While they are making this tran- sition, I'm also in a similar phase, making the step from college life into the workforce," he says. "It hasn't been that long since I was in college and I know what it was like back then." But for Raiford, his role in the community extends beyond the con- ventional; description of a patrolling officer. "I try to make myself available for the students," he explains. "On occasion, some will stop by my office and talk to me about life and how they're coping with their newfound stresses." When the normally bustling cor- ridors empty over school breaks, Raiford admits the job gets a little less interesting and the buildings start to feel "creepy." "But when there's nobody around to hear you," he laughs, "you can sing. out loud without worrying about disturbing anyone." E on darkness rather than the walls to stay safe, hoping against hope that the rioters creating havoc just out- side the city borders wouldn't notice that beyond the walls lay more fodder for their Honda and Toyota bonfires, more windows to smash and more property to loot. "I went outside with my grandfather to inspect th smoldering shell of the fa car from the night before. Early the next morning, as I went outside with my grandfather to inspect the smoldering shell of the family car from the night before, the fumes still hung heavy in the air. Every electric pole was covered with BAGELS,_From Page 4B Holmes supplies bagels for all the University residence hall cafeterias, and inside the Mary Markley Resi- dence Hall he encounters his first human interaction since he departed the bagel shop's parking lot hours ear- lier. Setting his bags on a cold cement floor, Holmes surrounds them with red crates to alert the collectors of their location and prevent them from being mistaken as trash. While he does this, a woman peeks out of a set of double doors to say hello. Holmes doesn't see many peo- ple during his shift, but he says "everybody (I encounter) is friendly JANITOR, From Page 5B "There's a lot of liquor served," he says. The University ballrooms often banners of Bhutto's political party - the Pakistan Peoples Party - and the road was scorched where rioters had burned cars and rubber tires. The cool morning wind provided a feeling of serenity as if to heal the city from the horrors of the night before. And as I stood there, fearful of how the next few days would play. out in the wake of the assassination, an odd thought crept into my head. I couldn't help but worry about the fast-approaching deadlines for college applications. The seemingly trivial concerns about finalizing my application essays made an awkward contrast with thoughts of what the following weeks would hold for my country. But that is how I, and many others from le my country, have had i' to function. We per- severe in the face of adversity, refusing to 'llet the situation we find ourselves in bog us down. We move ahead and tackle the trivial issues in a nontrivial environ- ment. School would commence a few days later and I would soon be back to the usual business of homework and tests, college applications and essays. because you're all on third shift," he - says. Third shift is another term for the midnight shift, which, at Barry Bagels, lasts from about 11 p.m. until 7 a.m. As the early morning wears on, more of the deliveries are collected in person, and Holmes has a short chat with each recipient. The most person- al interaction occurs at Washtenaw Dairy. "The Washtenaw Dairy is sort of a i throwback store. It's my favorite place to deliver," he says. The sales manager there, Dave Hal- man, used to be a police officer and sympathizes with Holmes and other midnight shift workers because, Hal- man says, he has had many midnight serve as venues for faculty parties, weddings and bar mitzvahs, and the custodians frequentlyhave theirhands full cleaning up after these events. Beyond the occasional party or While I was back home last year, I decided to meet with the school librarian, Mr. Azeem. After the initial pleasantries, our conversation quickly turned toward the political situation, as it so often does in Pakistan. When our bitter rants were finished, Mr. Azeem sighed and simply said, "Life goes on." This is not an attempt to put on a sheepish grin and downplay the troubles of Pakistan when the head- lines sauntering across the news ticker mention a bomb that went off two miles from your house, or when you've had one of your cars stolen and burned during political violence. This is simply an attempt to show that reality for most of us in Pakistan is not the chaos that surrounds brief moments of normalcy, but rather, the normalcy that encircles sporadic tumult. If violence has forced its way into our lives over the past few years at the behest of a tiny minority stub- born in its desire to make a statement of hate and bigotry, then the hundreds of millions who go about their daily lives are also making a statement - one of resilience and determination in the face of hardship. U - Faisal Masood is a Business sophomore. rounds himself "I think there's sort of a connec- tion (between us) because he starts (his day) when I'm wrapping up. He's been a cop so he knows what we go through," Holmes says. Though Holmes' daily schedule is busy and serves as an obstacle to a normal social life and sleep cycle, he says he finds companionship with other third shift workers. His buddies at the store, various delivery recipi- ents and late night radio keep him motivated, but it's the routine that has made the work bearable. "I'm a creature of habit," he says. "I sleep for about two hours and then I go to class. It took a little while but it's set now." f stranded animal, however, Copp says the day-to-day cleaning of University buildings isn't the most exciting job. "It really is a no thrill," Copp said.E WHAT'S THE ONE THING TO DO BEFORE GRADUATING? The Statement is taking suggestions for its first ever Bucket List issue. Tell us what you'd put on your bucket list. Send your suggestions to calero@ michigandaily.com.