Our community partner at Once Upon a Time in Appalachia has confirmed our team’s safe arrival on Saturday evening. Since they’re off the grid, I’ll post any additional updates I receive.
Understanding Chicago
Because we are doing work in schools, we haven’t starting any direct service yet. We have been focusing on the culture of the city and the background of the Chicago school system (and others). Today, we watched a video that showed the problems that the American education system as a whole is facing. With such a demand for a good education, the competition to get into the few schools that can almost guarentee success can make or break a student’s dream to graduate and go to college. Tomorrow, we are heading to the. Northwestern University Settlement House to begin our direct service with students in the Chicago Public School system.
The Return to the Windy City
I was so excited when I found out that I was going on the ASB Chicago trip. As a Chicago native, the problems with poverty and the educational system really hit home. Coming into this week, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. It’s going to be really great getting to see different parts of the Chicago educational system and how they work. I came from a large high school right outside of Chicago and it will be really interesting to compare the different types of schools and the pros and cons associated with them.
The Adventure Begins!
Team Chicago is waiting to take off! I’m very excited to work with Northwestern Settlement, but also a little nervous. I think it will be enriching to see how education systems in different areas function differently, but also face similar challengers. My ASB trip last year focused on education in Newark, and my MOSAIC team last year also focused on education in Easton, so I’m excited to continue delving deeper into education reform. I hope I can hear from Chicago teachers about their experiences in the school system there and talk about the pros and cons of charter schools. Here’s hoping to a great week!
Trading in College Hill for Smoky Mountains
Only a good night’s sleep is left until Team Roots kicks off our ASB trip. I am so excited to start this adventure with everyone! After getting to know them a bit in the fall, I can tell it’s going to be a fun and great group! Our itinerary looks fantastic; each activity looks as interesting as the next. It’s hard to decide which I am most excited for! It will all be really new experiences because I’ve never done ASB before, never been down South nor have I interacted with Native American culture. But I’m ready for it! I’m ready to trade in a College Hill for some Smoky Mountains. T-minus 7 hours…
Going to Texas
The time has gone by so quickly, I can’t believe I will be leaving tomorrow! I told myself I would slowly start packing a week in advance. However, I did not even touch my suitcase until Wednesday. Even though I have done some traveling I have not been so far from home on my own. Also, this time I am not going for vacation or to just relax. This trip to Texas will involve lots of learning and great new experiences. The hardest right now is packing though. I’m not sure what I should take with me or what I would need and I do not have much room for packing either.
Although, the flight is early I’m excited to go to Texas. We will be right by the border and I have never been so far South before. I think the culture in the town is greatly influenced by its proximity to Mexico. So we won’t just be exposed to the Southern US culture but also the Mexican culture. I am very excited to compare the northeast suburban culture to this new culture that I will experience.
ROOTS!
What a great way to end this long winter break! I can’t wait to be on the road this Saturday heading for the Smoky Mountains in order to help out members of the Cherokee community while also getting some cool experience homesteading and removing invasive species. I’m also really looking forward to getting to know my teammates more over this next week and bonding over our service while also learning about the history and culture of the region. Ideally well get to spend as much time outside as possible as I’ve heard the area we’re going to is beautiful. I should probably start packing though because its getting pretty close to Saturday! Whoooo road trip!!!
Andrew We’re Still Waiting on that Board Stretcher…
Our group was at a house with a family of five living in a one bedroom house. The little girl that lived there was four years old and absolutely adorable. She was so excited to have us there it was hard to keep her away from the construction site. The owner of the house had a husband who recently passed away and was in dire need of a bathroom renovation. There are no words to truly describe the state of this bathroom. To say the least the little girl was afraid to go in there before we started working on it because she thought she would fall through the floor. It was a mess, and as we began demo on the bathroom we realized that because the house was so old we couldn’t salvage anything and had to strip all of the old floors, walls, ceilings, shower, and toilet – all of it had to go. This job was quickly becoming more complex as we discovered more and more of the problems that were lying under the floor. After carrying all of the rubble we collected from ripping apart the bathroom, we began the renovation. We were crawling around the muddy floors putting wood to support the new floor and laughing with the carpenters. It smelled awful in what was left of the bathroom but we still were having fun with our project. Perhaps the highlight of the day however, was when the carpenters decided to mess with Andrew. We were putting in support beams when the carpenter asked Andrew to go find something called a “board stretcher.” Andrew, who is clearly quite naive about construction work and tools, went looking for this thing for a good half an hour before asking for help from one of the other carpenters. Bob fortunately clued him in that no such object exists which then Andrew proceeded to realize that the carpenters and our group were getting a great laugh at his expense. He was a good sport about it however and we all laughed about it later that night. The other group’s day was boring compared to the things we encountered in our adventure today. I’m just kidding, their day was pretty sweet like pancakes. They built a house. Which is pretty cool I suppose…
ASB Newark, NJ 2013!
Hey all! It’s hard to believe it’s already the 5th evening of my ASB Jersey trip! Over the past few days, my team (“Team Rocket”) and I focused on doing demolition work at a church (and a bit at a house as well). It was a good learning experience for me, since I have never really done real physical work in my life. We were scraping dry wall off of walls, tearing down ceilings, ripping nails out of wood…I guess you might say we were beating up the building. It was a lot of fun once I got into it, and it was the kind of work where you got to see the results immediately after finishing it. The church and house we were working at had suffered significant damage during Hurricane Sandy, and I found it quite sad how even months after the incident they were still in shambles. However, it was good to know that we were making a difference by helping out. Of course, we wouldn’t have been able to get as much done as we did without having a great team! I never would have thought that so much work went into destruction!
Well, that’s just about it. Tomorrow we’re off to NYC for a free day, so the work of the trip is done. It has been great getting to know my teammates, as well as giving a hand to the Sandy relief efforts (they were really able to benefit from our help!). I wanted to do “something different” this spring break, and I’m glad that I signed up for ASB!
ASB Newark
Today was my third (and final) day of working at the Boys and Girls Club of Newark, New Jersey, and I am not looking forward to leaving. On the first day of the trip, I was a bit apprehensive. I’ve always been shy and I was worried about bonding with my team and making friends with the other volunteers. I was also nervous that I wouldn’t know what to do with the kids, or that I wouldn’t be able to hold a conversation with any of them. After the first day, all of my fears were relieved. The kids were fantastic, and I already felt like I was bonding with my Lafayette ASB team and the other volunteers. My patience was tested in more ways than one, but overall, it was a learning experience and a fantastic day.
During my second day, I felt like I really bonded more with the children. I saw some familiar faces and met some new kids. Overall, I felt more comfortable then I did the day before. I had a better idea of what to expect and got the gist of how the program is run. I was able to hold meaningful conversations with a lot of the kids and give them reassurance and positive encouragement that they didn’t seem to be getting from many other people in their lives. I got to talk to more of the kids who I hadn’t gotten the chance to speak with the day before, and by the end of the day, I had a nickname…”2 Chainz.” I got to play pool, paint in the art room, and get destroyed in multiple arcade games. I also felt more comfortable being myself and opening up to other volunteers, both from Lafayette and from other places.
Yesterday, I got the chance to do a different type of service. I spent the day on Staten Island doing Hurricane Sandy relief work through the organization Tunnels to Towers. The story behind the founding of this organization was truly inspirational. I spent the day putting up sheet rock for the walls of the home of an 82 year old woman whose home was completely destroyed by the storm. It was amazing to see the damage that was done. Windows were shattered, debris was still everywhere, and tops of miscellaneous houses were in others’ backyards. It was amazing to see the damage that was done and to hear stories about how little aid some families and individuals were offered. I’m very glad I got the chance to experience something a little bit different.
I am very sad that today was my last day of service. I absolutely loved this week. I’ve built so many relationships with people. I’m so glad I got to bond with the children and hear about their experiences. I’m also so happy that I got to know my ASB team so well and make friends with new people who I wouldn’t have met if it weren’t for this experience.