Here's a video of a few in the group singing "For the Longest Time." Skip the chatter and the beginning and you're in for a treat.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Verb Spring Choir Concert
About two weeks ago, Verb hosted its annual Spring Choir Concert and it was so good! It should be stated that with the corporate work study program and extended school day, the boys barely have any time for clubs. As such, they all arrived to school at 6:30am, an hour before school starts, and gave up every lunch just to practice. Talk about dedication! The choir director, Mr. EJ, talked about exposing the boys to all generas of music, from Eric Clapton and Motown, to Rent and Phantom. Here is a video of Ashton Patt, a senior singing the ever popular Adele song "Someone Like You." I think this version is better, but maybe I'm a little biased... Seeing talent like this and from all the boys was a very humbling experience. Not only do I have NO musical talent (unless you count my uncanny ability to change lyrics to songs as they are playing!), but it just seems to break stereotypes of what it means to be a teenager from South Central, LA. Dressed up in his school attire of shirt, tie, and vest, Ashton gives a performance that any college a capella group should envy. I wish him the best!
Monday, May 14, 2012
Visiting the Prisoner
From the very beginning of JVC, my housemates and I were invited to attend a Catholic mass at the juvenile dentention center in Los Angeles. Needless to say, two weeks ago, we finally took up the offer. This center is a transitory place, as it holds youth until they appear for their court date. So, on a cloudy and cold Sunday morning, we drove to north LA and go the dentention center an hour early, just so we could gain security clearance. No pens, keys, cell phones, wallets, food, or anything that could be seen as a gift or contraband could be brough into the compound. After walking through three security gates with a guard, we arrived at the church which is at the center of the compound. We were told to wait out back as groups of youth marched silently with hands behind their backs, all in matching sweat pants and sweat shirts and each group was escorted by two guards. After all the youth were seated, females on left side of the church and males on the right, the group of visitors, about 15 of us, was invited to sit in the pews. I expected us to be sat near the back or seperated from the youth, but instead they saved us pews interspersed throughout the church.
Upon sitting closely to them, the first thought that entered my head was, MY GOD they are so young! I believe the age range is from 13-17, but some looked as young as 10. I wondered what they had done to put themselves in this position and how some were younger than the high schoolers I serve. Fr. Greg Boyle, of Homeboy Industries was the pastor and he led the service like noone else could. It was full of la jerga (slang) and anecdotes of homeboys and homegirls that he has worked with all of his life. There was an aura about the service that we were in the midst of a living saint, yet no matter how saintly, he is so intimitely connected to the gritty and harsh realities of life that his homilies contain just as many "DAMN hombres!" and "tough shit chicos" as you'd hear on any street corner. Fr. G met the youth where they were, in all of their imperfect and tough realities.
So where did this mass leave me? Well, just sitting in the pews was such an act of solidarity that I've never experienced before. In all things, there is so much of an US vs. THEM mentality and I subconcsiously carried this with me thinking there was no way they'd let us sit among detained youth. However, there we were in the pews, and my weekly mass was being celebrated by the incarcerated youth, replete with tattoos on the arms and neck, as he read the first and second readings. I was listening to him. It was powerful to be in the pews, as a sinner and someone who is trying to do better, just like all the boys and girls there. Sure, some have done horrible things, but as Fr. G said during mass, people are more than the worst thing they've ever done. When it came time for the sign of peace, Fr. G said to just say peace to the people on the left and right of us (so as to keep order during the mass), but I couldn't resist. I turned around to the youth who were behind me to wish them peace, just as they did for me. I realized that they are just kids, and since some will be released in a few weeks, they could be just another kid waiting for the bus, essentially going from a prisoner "THEM" to a young citizen on the bus with me "US." I imagine that they crave human contact and to be normal and accepted again. Even though they got caught and justic is needed, to know that when they get out, they can put it behind them and be accepted again by a stranger must be a powerful thing to look forward to.
After the mass, I was paired with Ruben, a middle aged man who is studying to become a Deacon, to go and lead a faith sharing session on the gospel of the day. We went up to the room where about 15 boys gathered around in a circle and Ruben opened the discussion. While the theological discussion was fairly dry (the Holy Spirit is with you, just choose to do better when you get out, etc...) the most touching moments came from our discussion of Mother's Day. We had cards for the boys to write a letter to their moms, aunties, and grandmas. One of the boys opened up and said that the worst feeling in his life was seeing his mom in the courtroom when he was sent to dentention and he said he watched her heart break. He vowed to never do that to her again. Another boy announced he was going to court the next day to figure out his sentence, and he asked for all the other boys to pray for him. Here we are, a group of dentained youth all guilty of crimes including shoplifting, graffiti, assault, theft, etc. and yet they have the courage to ask for prayers.
I wondered, how can it be both ways? How can the criminal do horrible things and then a day later ask for prayers and seem close to God. I think the only way I can reconcile these two is having understand the lives of the boys I work with. Growing up in South Central LA is a life hazard. Some boys, just by being born, are already assumed to be future gang members. Their dads, uncles, brothers, and even some women are so entrenched in gang life, that an innocent youth is pulled into it. In order to be accepted by a family member or the neighborhood friends, a kid may have to do a crime. Others have parents who work 2nd and 3rd shifts, so without parental supervision or after school programs, they are sucked into a deluge of negative influences. I'm not trying to make excuses. Everyone has a choice, and yes, they mest up. But I'm trying not to judge because I don't know their reality. I never had to make the impossible decesions they do every day.
Upon leaving the prison, I was wondering how my visit was perceived that day. Did I have a goal? Was I supposed to deliver some inspirational speech to them? Would they feel like I was gawking at them as if in a zoo? Would I view them as a detached journalist or government employee? No matter how much I doubted myself, I found understanding when I thought back to the mass. This visit wasn't about me or them. It was about love. It was about sitting alongside them in mass, both praying for the same things and asking for strenght to navigate this difficult life. It was about providing an ear to listen to their thoughts and problems, just to remind them that they are still valued and listened to. We all crave redemption and acceptance for the hurts we have casued others in this life, and while I couldn't grant them that since they never wronged me, I feel just by being present, they can feel valued, understood, and can make a promise to themselves to do better.
the entrance
Upon sitting closely to them, the first thought that entered my head was, MY GOD they are so young! I believe the age range is from 13-17, but some looked as young as 10. I wondered what they had done to put themselves in this position and how some were younger than the high schoolers I serve. Fr. Greg Boyle, of Homeboy Industries was the pastor and he led the service like noone else could. It was full of la jerga (slang) and anecdotes of homeboys and homegirls that he has worked with all of his life. There was an aura about the service that we were in the midst of a living saint, yet no matter how saintly, he is so intimitely connected to the gritty and harsh realities of life that his homilies contain just as many "DAMN hombres!" and "tough shit chicos" as you'd hear on any street corner. Fr. G met the youth where they were, in all of their imperfect and tough realities.
So where did this mass leave me? Well, just sitting in the pews was such an act of solidarity that I've never experienced before. In all things, there is so much of an US vs. THEM mentality and I subconcsiously carried this with me thinking there was no way they'd let us sit among detained youth. However, there we were in the pews, and my weekly mass was being celebrated by the incarcerated youth, replete with tattoos on the arms and neck, as he read the first and second readings. I was listening to him. It was powerful to be in the pews, as a sinner and someone who is trying to do better, just like all the boys and girls there. Sure, some have done horrible things, but as Fr. G said during mass, people are more than the worst thing they've ever done. When it came time for the sign of peace, Fr. G said to just say peace to the people on the left and right of us (so as to keep order during the mass), but I couldn't resist. I turned around to the youth who were behind me to wish them peace, just as they did for me. I realized that they are just kids, and since some will be released in a few weeks, they could be just another kid waiting for the bus, essentially going from a prisoner "THEM" to a young citizen on the bus with me "US." I imagine that they crave human contact and to be normal and accepted again. Even though they got caught and justic is needed, to know that when they get out, they can put it behind them and be accepted again by a stranger must be a powerful thing to look forward to.
After the mass, I was paired with Ruben, a middle aged man who is studying to become a Deacon, to go and lead a faith sharing session on the gospel of the day. We went up to the room where about 15 boys gathered around in a circle and Ruben opened the discussion. While the theological discussion was fairly dry (the Holy Spirit is with you, just choose to do better when you get out, etc...) the most touching moments came from our discussion of Mother's Day. We had cards for the boys to write a letter to their moms, aunties, and grandmas. One of the boys opened up and said that the worst feeling in his life was seeing his mom in the courtroom when he was sent to dentention and he said he watched her heart break. He vowed to never do that to her again. Another boy announced he was going to court the next day to figure out his sentence, and he asked for all the other boys to pray for him. Here we are, a group of dentained youth all guilty of crimes including shoplifting, graffiti, assault, theft, etc. and yet they have the courage to ask for prayers.
I wondered, how can it be both ways? How can the criminal do horrible things and then a day later ask for prayers and seem close to God. I think the only way I can reconcile these two is having understand the lives of the boys I work with. Growing up in South Central LA is a life hazard. Some boys, just by being born, are already assumed to be future gang members. Their dads, uncles, brothers, and even some women are so entrenched in gang life, that an innocent youth is pulled into it. In order to be accepted by a family member or the neighborhood friends, a kid may have to do a crime. Others have parents who work 2nd and 3rd shifts, so without parental supervision or after school programs, they are sucked into a deluge of negative influences. I'm not trying to make excuses. Everyone has a choice, and yes, they mest up. But I'm trying not to judge because I don't know their reality. I never had to make the impossible decesions they do every day.
Upon leaving the prison, I was wondering how my visit was perceived that day. Did I have a goal? Was I supposed to deliver some inspirational speech to them? Would they feel like I was gawking at them as if in a zoo? Would I view them as a detached journalist or government employee? No matter how much I doubted myself, I found understanding when I thought back to the mass. This visit wasn't about me or them. It was about love. It was about sitting alongside them in mass, both praying for the same things and asking for strenght to navigate this difficult life. It was about providing an ear to listen to their thoughts and problems, just to remind them that they are still valued and listened to. We all crave redemption and acceptance for the hurts we have casued others in this life, and while I couldn't grant them that since they never wronged me, I feel just by being present, they can feel valued, understood, and can make a promise to themselves to do better.
the entrance“I’ve been in the system for 9 weeks, I’m here for shoplifting. My parents expect more from me.” - from a prison blog of a youth at LA's dentention center.
Commitment Day - hard work pays off for seniors
This past Friday, college guidance hosted its annual Commitment Day ceremony in which all the seniors announce in front of the school, their parents, and managers from the Corporate Work Study Program where they will be attending college this coming fall. It was so exciting to see all of their hard work this year pay off in a very tangible way - getting those big packets from schools with scholarships is very rewarding! Our students will be attending a number of schools, including Loyola Marymount (a Jesuit university), St. John's in Minnesota, Marist in NY, historically black universities including Fisk and Tuskegee, many Cal State schools and some community colleges.
One thing Verbum Dei prides itself on is that by graduation, 100% of our seniors have been accepted to a 2 or 4 year college. The most important thing is that they have options to choose from. It is the expectation that they continue on and that is the culture that has been created here.
As I mentioned before, this ceremony was in front of the rest of the school. I hope the underclassmen are inspired by the success of their peers and that they realize they will be on that stage in just a few short years...
Here is a video montage of all the announcements, enjoy! Notice at the end the response of the senior class when one of the seniors is touched by the moment and shows emotion on stage. Not only is it generally taboo for a black male in South Central to appear vulnerable, but all his brothers, both black and Latino went on stage to show him support. It was truly touching to see.... so check out the video below!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGRm_72NWNE&feature=youtu.be
One thing Verbum Dei prides itself on is that by graduation, 100% of our seniors have been accepted to a 2 or 4 year college. The most important thing is that they have options to choose from. It is the expectation that they continue on and that is the culture that has been created here.
As I mentioned before, this ceremony was in front of the rest of the school. I hope the underclassmen are inspired by the success of their peers and that they realize they will be on that stage in just a few short years...
Here is a video montage of all the announcements, enjoy! Notice at the end the response of the senior class when one of the seniors is touched by the moment and shows emotion on stage. Not only is it generally taboo for a black male in South Central to appear vulnerable, but all his brothers, both black and Latino went on stage to show him support. It was truly touching to see.... so check out the video below!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGRm_72NWNE&feature=youtu.be
Friday, March 30, 2012
Melissa visits LA - round 2!
This past weekend, Melissa came to visit me in LA over her spring break and it was such a great time together! Our first day, I wanted to show her downtown and how I could be savvy with public transportation. Thus, off to the bus stop we went! Armed with a cache of quarters and some single dollar bills, we power walked down to USC to catch an express bus to downtown. Within a few minutes, a bus rolled up that didn't match our number, but it looked to be going to the same place. I asked the driver, "this takes us to Olympic, right?" He responds, "Yep! Hop on board." I should have known trouble was coming when the machine on the bus wouldn't take our dollar bills. We were very short on quarters and Melissa and I were standing at the front of the bus not allowed to sit until we paid (mind you, the driver already took off so we were trying to keep balanced while looking for money. I found a nickel on the ground - whew! 5 cents closer to our goal. Well after plenty of struggling, this husband and wife were our saviors and broke the bills for us with change. Now that we finally were able to sit and relax until we got to downtown, I noticed something was wrong..... hmmmmm... look at all these foot massage stores.... and these signs I can't read.... and oh look! the sign that says welcome to.... KOREA TOWN?!?!?! Yep, we were on the wrong bus heading 3 miles west of downtown. Melissa and I got off and just decided to walk the whole thing in as it was nice out, and we just wanted to avoid any more bus mishaps.
The rest of our day went without a problem though as we went to the Grammy museum, had lunch at a famous local diner (french toast at 2pm? I think so!), relaxed in Angel's Flight park, and then toured the Walt Disney concert hall. It was a beautiful day downtown.
The next day we hiked to the Hollywood sign up in the mountains. It was very foggy but it kept us cool and from sweating too much! It was also nice just to get some fresh air by being out of the city streets. One thing Melissa and I hadn't planned in our itinerary was to watch the Billikens play in the NCAA tournament, but as avid fans, there was no doubt we'd make room in our schedules. We ended up going to a Buffalo Wild Wings and were the ONLY people in the bar rooting for SLU (much less, the only people who KNEW of SLU). We were playing Memphis and with about 5 minutes to go in the game, it looked like we were going to lose it. However, Rick Majerus worked his magic and we started pulling ahead. I yelled, GO BILLIKENS and received some weird looks and a few comments of "what the hell is a Billiken?!" I was just thinking to myself, a Billiken is a winner! That's what it is! Needless to say, we won our first tournament game in over 14 years and it felt good.
On Melissa's last day here we went to mass at Deloras Mission (the Jesuit parish of LA), and enjoyed the intimate feel and music. I also said a few prayers for God to show some partiality to his Jesuit basketball teams and bless the Billikens with a win over #1 seed Michigan State (kidding! sort of....) While the Bills lost that game, it went down to the wire and we only lost by 4 points. We had a respectable showing on national television and it made me proud to be a SLU grad.
Although it was fun watching the Bills, just having Melissa here to visit was the absolute best. We got to cook some meals for the community, she participated in spirituality night with us, and drink some beers and sangria to celebrate St. Patty's Day. Having her around just made it feel normal to have her with me with friends.
Below are some pictures from the visit and 'm already looking forward to our next visit to see each other!
The rest of our day went without a problem though as we went to the Grammy museum, had lunch at a famous local diner (french toast at 2pm? I think so!), relaxed in Angel's Flight park, and then toured the Walt Disney concert hall. It was a beautiful day downtown.
The next day we hiked to the Hollywood sign up in the mountains. It was very foggy but it kept us cool and from sweating too much! It was also nice just to get some fresh air by being out of the city streets. One thing Melissa and I hadn't planned in our itinerary was to watch the Billikens play in the NCAA tournament, but as avid fans, there was no doubt we'd make room in our schedules. We ended up going to a Buffalo Wild Wings and were the ONLY people in the bar rooting for SLU (much less, the only people who KNEW of SLU). We were playing Memphis and with about 5 minutes to go in the game, it looked like we were going to lose it. However, Rick Majerus worked his magic and we started pulling ahead. I yelled, GO BILLIKENS and received some weird looks and a few comments of "what the hell is a Billiken?!" I was just thinking to myself, a Billiken is a winner! That's what it is! Needless to say, we won our first tournament game in over 14 years and it felt good.
On Melissa's last day here we went to mass at Deloras Mission (the Jesuit parish of LA), and enjoyed the intimate feel and music. I also said a few prayers for God to show some partiality to his Jesuit basketball teams and bless the Billikens with a win over #1 seed Michigan State (kidding! sort of....) While the Bills lost that game, it went down to the wire and we only lost by 4 points. We had a respectable showing on national television and it made me proud to be a SLU grad.
Although it was fun watching the Bills, just having Melissa here to visit was the absolute best. We got to cook some meals for the community, she participated in spirituality night with us, and drink some beers and sangria to celebrate St. Patty's Day. Having her around just made it feel normal to have her with me with friends.
Below are some pictures from the visit and 'm already looking forward to our next visit to see each other!
Friday, March 23, 2012
Vulnerability
A few weeks ago for community night, my house watched an online video from TED talks on vulnerability (TED talks are a series of online lectures from professors, businesses people, thinkers, etc. on unique ideas and new concepts... check em out!).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCvmsMzlF7o
In this video, the professor of psychology states how she always wanted to categorize the world and to in essence 'figure people out.' However, as most would suspect, relationships and people are much deeper and spirited than can be described by the scientific method. In her research, she learned the value of being vulnerable and how this leads to being an authentic person. I'm not going to try and explain everything she says (the video is for that!), but I would like to comment on some experiences of vulnerability as it relates to my year in JVC.
I feel like living in community this year and treating my housemates like family has made my appreciate my own family more. I've had roommates in college before, and while those were great experiences, JVC house mates are not necessarily friends, but they are family. I honestly don't believe I would have been close friends with them if we were in a college community, but in JVC, we have to live together and support each other (I guess it's like you can't pick your family, right?!). So through this experience, I've learned the hard work and effort it takes to make connections and bring harmony to a home. At our orientation, our advisor told us that the opposite of love isn't hate, but indifference. I don't have to agree with my house mates on everything and we have our arguments, but the one thing we never try to lose is that commitment to one another in creating a supportive community.
This has made me realize and appreciate the work my mom, dad, and brother have put into my own family. Getting along with friends is easy, but our home is for our family - there is no "going home" from that. So, through good and bad, we've had to stick by each other and support each other. I've always known I've had the love and support of my family, but I guess I never realized the 'work' aspect of it. It's not always convenient to stay up through the night with me when I was sick, or drive me to countless practices and meetings, or waiting for me in the driveway because I was the last one in the car every morning. These are just a few examples of the way that in my good times and bad, convenient and inconvenient, my family has been there to support me regardless.
Wait, wasn't this blog post about vulnerability? right! So to bring it all together, I now realise that it is in our vulnerability that we are drawn closer together. To truly need someone else in our lives sheds the independent and self sufficient attitude that can isolate us from each other. Being vulnerable in front of another challenges the superficial and lets us be known and understood on a more loving level. I know that when I see my housemates talk about their struggles at work or in relationships, it gives me comfort in knowing that I'm not the only one that has difficulties as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCvmsMzlF7o
In this video, the professor of psychology states how she always wanted to categorize the world and to in essence 'figure people out.' However, as most would suspect, relationships and people are much deeper and spirited than can be described by the scientific method. In her research, she learned the value of being vulnerable and how this leads to being an authentic person. I'm not going to try and explain everything she says (the video is for that!), but I would like to comment on some experiences of vulnerability as it relates to my year in JVC.
I feel like living in community this year and treating my housemates like family has made my appreciate my own family more. I've had roommates in college before, and while those were great experiences, JVC house mates are not necessarily friends, but they are family. I honestly don't believe I would have been close friends with them if we were in a college community, but in JVC, we have to live together and support each other (I guess it's like you can't pick your family, right?!). So through this experience, I've learned the hard work and effort it takes to make connections and bring harmony to a home. At our orientation, our advisor told us that the opposite of love isn't hate, but indifference. I don't have to agree with my house mates on everything and we have our arguments, but the one thing we never try to lose is that commitment to one another in creating a supportive community.
This has made me realize and appreciate the work my mom, dad, and brother have put into my own family. Getting along with friends is easy, but our home is for our family - there is no "going home" from that. So, through good and bad, we've had to stick by each other and support each other. I've always known I've had the love and support of my family, but I guess I never realized the 'work' aspect of it. It's not always convenient to stay up through the night with me when I was sick, or drive me to countless practices and meetings, or waiting for me in the driveway because I was the last one in the car every morning. These are just a few examples of the way that in my good times and bad, convenient and inconvenient, my family has been there to support me regardless.
Wait, wasn't this blog post about vulnerability? right! So to bring it all together, I now realise that it is in our vulnerability that we are drawn closer together. To truly need someone else in our lives sheds the independent and self sufficient attitude that can isolate us from each other. Being vulnerable in front of another challenges the superficial and lets us be known and understood on a more loving level. I know that when I see my housemates talk about their struggles at work or in relationships, it gives me comfort in knowing that I'm not the only one that has difficulties as well.
highs and lows in college guidance
It is the season for college acceptance letters, and things are not as ideal as I would have hoped. Coming into this year, I was fresh off of my great experience at SLU and the Jesuit education I received there. There was nothing more that I wanted than helping to send a few of the Verb seniors to Jesuit schools as well. After all, they have good scholarships, inclusive communities, and match the Jesuit mission of the high school.
Because I loved my experience at SLU so much makes the fact that the students aren't getting into the private schools tough to hear. I've had a few students come talk to me in college guidance about how disappointed they were when they got rejection letters from SLU, Marquette, and Creighton. Frankly, their scores are just too low. I feel like I almost oversold them on the school though and now it has become a let down. I feel like I was too idealistic in the Cristo Rey model in that it can turn students who come in at a 5 or 6th grade level to be Jesuit college ready in 4 years. This is not to say that some students haven't done this and gotten into top universities, but naively hoped that all the students would. In fact, the acceptances that students have received to Jesuit universities are to Georgetown, Marquette, SLU, Loyola Marymount, and University of San Francisco. For these students, I am ecstatic that they have these to choose from. And for the students that don't have these schools to choose from, I have now learned to be ecstatic for them as well, because their own selection of state schools and community colleges may be just what they need to succeed.
For me, I am trying to be more realistic about moving forward with the students who are average and below average on test scores and GPA's. SLU was great for me, but maybe they need the community college route to have a smoother transition to a 4 year. Maybe they just aren't ready to leave home yet, or are expected to remain close to help support the family with time or supplemental income.
The thing that all the students have is the desire to succeed. Whether they go to a state school, Jesuit school, or community college, they are all excited to jump right in. I just feel that I have grown to be more realistic and learned that the perfect college experience for me is not and should not be pitched to everyone as their own perfect college experience.
Because I loved my experience at SLU so much makes the fact that the students aren't getting into the private schools tough to hear. I've had a few students come talk to me in college guidance about how disappointed they were when they got rejection letters from SLU, Marquette, and Creighton. Frankly, their scores are just too low. I feel like I almost oversold them on the school though and now it has become a let down. I feel like I was too idealistic in the Cristo Rey model in that it can turn students who come in at a 5 or 6th grade level to be Jesuit college ready in 4 years. This is not to say that some students haven't done this and gotten into top universities, but naively hoped that all the students would. In fact, the acceptances that students have received to Jesuit universities are to Georgetown, Marquette, SLU, Loyola Marymount, and University of San Francisco. For these students, I am ecstatic that they have these to choose from. And for the students that don't have these schools to choose from, I have now learned to be ecstatic for them as well, because their own selection of state schools and community colleges may be just what they need to succeed.
For me, I am trying to be more realistic about moving forward with the students who are average and below average on test scores and GPA's. SLU was great for me, but maybe they need the community college route to have a smoother transition to a 4 year. Maybe they just aren't ready to leave home yet, or are expected to remain close to help support the family with time or supplemental income.
The thing that all the students have is the desire to succeed. Whether they go to a state school, Jesuit school, or community college, they are all excited to jump right in. I just feel that I have grown to be more realistic and learned that the perfect college experience for me is not and should not be pitched to everyone as their own perfect college experience.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Natural Beauty!
I have noticed a few things of natural beauty in the past week. One of them undoubtely is the 2012 Dodge Caravan.... For our reorientation in San Jose, my JV house needed a car that could fit all seven of us, and this one was AMAZING! All my previous ideas of minivans (copious amounts of goldfish crackers on the floor, functional but unstylish body, and the golfcart engine...) were shattered! The engine was fast and economical and there was a surroundsound system complete with green accent lighting that lit up the roof of the van (dance floor anyone?). In all honesty, it was frankly just nice having all my housemates in one car together. Everyother time we have traveled before, there have been two cars, two playlists, two sets of 20 questions... so it was nice to finally have everyone on the same page!
On the way back from the retreat, we saw the other natural beauty of Sequoia National Park. Even though the two hour detour was actually a 6 hour detour, it was still worth the trip! After getting into the park, we drove 15mph on switch backs up the mountain as we ascended the additional 4,000 feet to the top. The red of the sequoias was so beautiful with the white snow on the ground and the air was so crisp! Here's some cool pictures:
On the way back from the retreat, we saw the other natural beauty of Sequoia National Park. Even though the two hour detour was actually a 6 hour detour, it was still worth the trip! After getting into the park, we drove 15mph on switch backs up the mountain as we ascended the additional 4,000 feet to the top. The red of the sequoias was so beautiful with the white snow on the ground and the air was so crisp! Here's some cool pictures:
Jesuits + Chevron = a small dose of social justice
Well I just got back from our ReOrientatino retreat up near San Francisco and the break from LA was very needed. Each one of our retreats focuses on one of the JVC values, this one being social justice. One of the speakers from the retreat is a layperson on the board of the California province of Jesuits, and he spoke about the financial investments of the society. In addition to just investing money for financial growth, they strategically target companies that they can implement new policies in.
For example, the California Jesuits became a major shareholder of Chevron a few years ago, and since this new relationship, they have used their influence to work with the company to improve it's human rights record. In the past, local militias hired through the company to protect its pipelines had harassed and murdered some locals living along the route, even though they were not a threat. Not that Chevron ever ordered this to happen, but the lack of oversight and guidelines at leaset put some share of instances like this on the company. However, Jesuit school alumni in the organization and the Society of Jesus representives to the board have spearheaded new efforts to face these regions directly to ensure the safety of locals and to also invest in the communities where Chevron has operations.
What struck me the most about this speaker was that he showed how working with businesses, instead of villifying them, can bring positive change for the marginalized. He said that public shaming of a person or company makes the people involved unwilling to work together over an uncomfortable and pertinant issue. This isn't meant to say that the shit should never hit the fan for companies (Enron anyone?) so that new laws are put in place to protect the consumer and average person. I believe he instead wanted to highlight a manner in which companies and individuals can rise to the daily occasion of acting both responsibly and ethically and how to address injustices from within as opposed to waiting for a whistleblower to take down the whole house of cards. It was exciting to see how the Jesuits and Jesuit educated people share a common mission that can be impliemented in a way that is obviously both protects human rights, and also makes good business practice.
Needless to say, this retreat provided many opportunites for me to focus on these issues and to learn from the other JV's who work with the underserved and vulnurable populations of immigrants, abused women, homeless youth, and minority students. The goal is to ask no just WHAT can I do to help these people, but WHY do they need my help. What structure in their job, country, or society has caused them to be in this position? I feel that by being on the "front lines" of working with the marginalized, I am learning the answer to the WHY. It is never a clear-cut answer, but I believe it comes down in some way to opportunity. By ensuring that people have an opportunity to succeed and invest in their skills and education, then hopefully less of my work will actually be needed.
For example, the California Jesuits became a major shareholder of Chevron a few years ago, and since this new relationship, they have used their influence to work with the company to improve it's human rights record. In the past, local militias hired through the company to protect its pipelines had harassed and murdered some locals living along the route, even though they were not a threat. Not that Chevron ever ordered this to happen, but the lack of oversight and guidelines at leaset put some share of instances like this on the company. However, Jesuit school alumni in the organization and the Society of Jesus representives to the board have spearheaded new efforts to face these regions directly to ensure the safety of locals and to also invest in the communities where Chevron has operations.
What struck me the most about this speaker was that he showed how working with businesses, instead of villifying them, can bring positive change for the marginalized. He said that public shaming of a person or company makes the people involved unwilling to work together over an uncomfortable and pertinant issue. This isn't meant to say that the shit should never hit the fan for companies (Enron anyone?) so that new laws are put in place to protect the consumer and average person. I believe he instead wanted to highlight a manner in which companies and individuals can rise to the daily occasion of acting both responsibly and ethically and how to address injustices from within as opposed to waiting for a whistleblower to take down the whole house of cards. It was exciting to see how the Jesuits and Jesuit educated people share a common mission that can be impliemented in a way that is obviously both protects human rights, and also makes good business practice.
Needless to say, this retreat provided many opportunites for me to focus on these issues and to learn from the other JV's who work with the underserved and vulnurable populations of immigrants, abused women, homeless youth, and minority students. The goal is to ask no just WHAT can I do to help these people, but WHY do they need my help. What structure in their job, country, or society has caused them to be in this position? I feel that by being on the "front lines" of working with the marginalized, I am learning the answer to the WHY. It is never a clear-cut answer, but I believe it comes down in some way to opportunity. By ensuring that people have an opportunity to succeed and invest in their skills and education, then hopefully less of my work will actually be needed.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Well into the spring semester, I've now started the next big project through Campus Ministry - planning the spring break immersion trip! Tentatively, I will be leading a group of 10 students with 2 other chaperones to Navajo Nation in southeastern Utah. I was put into contact with the office of service at USC, and they have been making a trip like this for years. Needless to say, I've crafted quite a few emails asking for their contacts and itineraries so I can work off of their format. While this is all good, I can't tell you how many times I've tried calling contacts, and numbers don't have answering machines or are disconnected! Emails? naw..... they use P.O. Boxes...... Regardless, since USC has done this trip for years for a much larger group, I know that our school will be able to handle it as well.
This past week the LA JVs have been offered so much free food and of course, we graciously accepted! For one of the events, the Jesuits in East LA invited about 15 of us JVs over for dinner. In my mind, I had envisioned a quiet dinner around a giant table in their house as they asked us about our work. Instead, we had brats, beers, watched football, and had a lot of laughs! Fr. Greg Boyle (of Homeboy Industires and author of Tattoos on the Heart) made a mean orange chicken dish and some of the best chocolate chip cookies too. Of many conversation topics, one was how celebrating the sacraments doesn't always go as expected. I realized I had the perfect example and I shared (at my baptism I believe I've been told?) how upon hearing the priest say "Do you reject Satan? and all his evil works?," Uncle Casey responded with, "YEP! I HATE THE GUY!" or something of the sort. As usual, Casey always knows how to draw a big laugh!
So starting this upcoming weekend is ReO, or reorientation, for JVC and we get to head all the way upstate to San Jose for the 5 day retreat. It will be a time to reflect at the halfway point of my experience, reconnect with others in the JV southwest region, and enjoy the fresh air and freetime outside of LA!
This past week the LA JVs have been offered so much free food and of course, we graciously accepted! For one of the events, the Jesuits in East LA invited about 15 of us JVs over for dinner. In my mind, I had envisioned a quiet dinner around a giant table in their house as they asked us about our work. Instead, we had brats, beers, watched football, and had a lot of laughs! Fr. Greg Boyle (of Homeboy Industires and author of Tattoos on the Heart) made a mean orange chicken dish and some of the best chocolate chip cookies too. Of many conversation topics, one was how celebrating the sacraments doesn't always go as expected. I realized I had the perfect example and I shared (at my baptism I believe I've been told?) how upon hearing the priest say "Do you reject Satan? and all his evil works?," Uncle Casey responded with, "YEP! I HATE THE GUY!" or something of the sort. As usual, Casey always knows how to draw a big laugh!
So starting this upcoming weekend is ReO, or reorientation, for JVC and we get to head all the way upstate to San Jose for the 5 day retreat. It will be a time to reflect at the halfway point of my experience, reconnect with others in the JV southwest region, and enjoy the fresh air and freetime outside of LA!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Christmas Break and Into the New Year!
Sorry to all my readers that it has been over a month since my last entry! Due to my lack of writing, there is now a lot to cover in this post!
One of the perks of working at a high school is I had the same Christmas break as I did when I was a student - 2 weeks! For the first part of my break, I flew down to Little Rock to see Melissa and her family. We went to her cousin's wedding, hiked around Mt. Magazine, and ate at the world famous Chicken-to-Go in her hometown. Melissa has made many trips up to Chicago to see me and my family, so I was very happy to be able to do the same for her.
The second part of my trip was spending 3 days in Chicago with my family and Erin and Aunt Mary. Although there was no snow on the ground, we made it feel like Christmas with plenty of game playing, story telling, and a wonderful Christmas eve dinner followed by presents around the tree.
The third part of the trip was then flying to LAS VEGAS BABY! This trip was sooooo much fun. My family rented a house off the Strip where extended family, Melissa, and Andrew's girlfriend Chrissy spent the week. We all took turns cooking dinner and festivities included a pool tournament and a talent show! Unfortunately, my rendition of the Utah County Song did not take the cake.
I think the whole family found a new passion in Pai Gow (or however it's spelled....) Poker. Being a little shy to risk my money, I spent the first couple of days placing five-cent bets at the slots. Then, I finally worked up the courage to sit down at a table, risk a bit more money, and play the $10 minimun bet. I sat down at the table, announced myself as a newbie to Vegas and to Pai Gow, and eagerly awaited my first hand. When I pulled it up, I wasn't sure what a good hand was, but my dad and brother's reaction told me that I had something good, and sure enough I won $30 on my first hand! However, this celebration was short lived as in the rush of the excitement of the win, I promply got a bloody nose and bled all over my luck-laden card playing hands.... game over.... Thank goodness I didn't win any more money though because who knows what medical emergency would have arisen!
This Christmas break was just what I needed though. It was so refreshing to spend time with my parents, brother, Melissa, Chrissy, and all of my extended family on both the Lee and Carnahan side. To wrap up this post, the following are brief memories and inside jokes with everyone who stayed in the house on my vacation:
Dad: IGUALMENTE!
Mom: "Erin, I want you to have a special Christmas and let's start it off with this awesome first gift!" Erin replies, "Uh, Aunt Abby, there's nothing in here...."
Andrew: aren't you proud of my inquisitiveness to the dealer about if the chips were made of clay?!
Casey: BEER ON THE WALL
Amy: late night hangouts around the island in the kitchen
Molly: that orange vodka.... whew!
Beau: don't worry, I couldn't hear you on the roller coaster!
Melissa: you made a great conceited, rich, and aloof woman ...i think you have a career in the soaps
Chrissy: thumb to the forehead!
Tim: thanks for offering me the chance to beat you in pool best out of three..... of five.... of seven.....
Katie: Chicken with peach and prunes... so delish!
Johnny: watching you with Casey at the Price is Right - is your left ear deaf from his cheering?
Grandma: I always knew you had a tenedor in your pocket ;)
One of the perks of working at a high school is I had the same Christmas break as I did when I was a student - 2 weeks! For the first part of my break, I flew down to Little Rock to see Melissa and her family. We went to her cousin's wedding, hiked around Mt. Magazine, and ate at the world famous Chicken-to-Go in her hometown. Melissa has made many trips up to Chicago to see me and my family, so I was very happy to be able to do the same for her.
The second part of my trip was spending 3 days in Chicago with my family and Erin and Aunt Mary. Although there was no snow on the ground, we made it feel like Christmas with plenty of game playing, story telling, and a wonderful Christmas eve dinner followed by presents around the tree.
The third part of the trip was then flying to LAS VEGAS BABY! This trip was sooooo much fun. My family rented a house off the Strip where extended family, Melissa, and Andrew's girlfriend Chrissy spent the week. We all took turns cooking dinner and festivities included a pool tournament and a talent show! Unfortunately, my rendition of the Utah County Song did not take the cake.
I think the whole family found a new passion in Pai Gow (or however it's spelled....) Poker. Being a little shy to risk my money, I spent the first couple of days placing five-cent bets at the slots. Then, I finally worked up the courage to sit down at a table, risk a bit more money, and play the $10 minimun bet. I sat down at the table, announced myself as a newbie to Vegas and to Pai Gow, and eagerly awaited my first hand. When I pulled it up, I wasn't sure what a good hand was, but my dad and brother's reaction told me that I had something good, and sure enough I won $30 on my first hand! However, this celebration was short lived as in the rush of the excitement of the win, I promply got a bloody nose and bled all over my luck-laden card playing hands.... game over.... Thank goodness I didn't win any more money though because who knows what medical emergency would have arisen!
This Christmas break was just what I needed though. It was so refreshing to spend time with my parents, brother, Melissa, Chrissy, and all of my extended family on both the Lee and Carnahan side. To wrap up this post, the following are brief memories and inside jokes with everyone who stayed in the house on my vacation:
Dad: IGUALMENTE!
Mom: "Erin, I want you to have a special Christmas and let's start it off with this awesome first gift!" Erin replies, "Uh, Aunt Abby, there's nothing in here...."
Andrew: aren't you proud of my inquisitiveness to the dealer about if the chips were made of clay?!
Casey: BEER ON THE WALL
Amy: late night hangouts around the island in the kitchen
Molly: that orange vodka.... whew!
Beau: don't worry, I couldn't hear you on the roller coaster!
Melissa: you made a great conceited, rich, and aloof woman ...i think you have a career in the soaps
Chrissy: thumb to the forehead!
Tim: thanks for offering me the chance to beat you in pool best out of three..... of five.... of seven.....
Katie: Chicken with peach and prunes... so delish!
Johnny: watching you with Casey at the Price is Right - is your left ear deaf from his cheering?
Grandma: I always knew you had a tenedor in your pocket ;)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)