It's Time

Martin Luther King once said, “And now through our moral and ethical commitment we must make of it a brotherhood. We must all learn to live together as brothers - or we will all perish together as fools.” Hello Class of 2012, our time is finally here. College is an experience that only comes once in a lifetime. It’s the transition from being a teen to becoming an adult. It’s the place to find your inner self and grow as an individual.  When a person in a high school, its like an experiment to figuring yourself out, exploring a new environment and ultimately preparing you for the future. When you get to college, it’s putting that to the test. You’re put into reality and it is your decision to figure out what you want to do with your life.  

I experienced and encountered many things within my service learning class that I took this semester. I learned about issues and stories of individuals going through many struggles. Before taking this class, I did not know about many of these events and occurrences. I was also able to understand a community where many don’t have as many opportunities as others and are doing their best to keep themselves up. I learned what the meaning of connection and community meant and how they intertwine. The only way I was able to fully understand these concepts was through experiencing these communities and talking to individuals that have gone through or helped others deal with this. Experience is key.

Many people go through life not even realizing half of the things that occur in this world. They think the problems they deal with are the worst but they don’t even consider people who go through actual struggles trying to make sure they can afford a place to live or food to eat. We were all given an opportunity to do something with our lives. We have the chance to become what we were all working towards. It’s that time to face reality and be what you want to be. Congratulations Class of 2012.

higher education

to my graduating class of 2012, you have done what most people cannot do. you have gone for higher education, a right man has , but that he chooses to avoid. you are the next leaders of the worlds, the innovators, the designers, the creators. what you do from here on will determine the fate of man kind. you , with your experience can decided whether you want to help thy neighbor, or let him lay where he falls.

Not as a student of Dominican, but as a student of life. your goals and aspirations will guide what you do with your selves. but as a wise ethics teacher once said, what you do does affect others, you can save the life of one, or that of a thousand. you can help your self or you can help the world.

with your high education you now have the ability to decide. to decide how you want this world to be. to be a fine community where each person helps each other, or the kind where you fend for your self. do you want to take the way of discovery channel, educating and entertaining, or do you want to go the way of MTV telling people you can be successful in life by being a moron. you have obviously chosen the right path by going to school. but remember a wise man once said “Just think of how stupid the average person is, and then realize half of them are even stupider!”

Keep the Memories Alive

Graduating Class of 2012, we finally made it!  From our first days here together, we began to learn new things, most of the academic things probably forgotten, but the memories we've made and the life lessons we've learned will always be remembered.  Think back to your first few weeks in college and what your life was like back then.

Now, think of any experiences that you have had throughout your college experience that have changed your life in some way.  For myself, I was able to volunteer at Bahia Vista throughout college for some of my classes and I learned just how much people, especially college students, are affected by technology and how that affects our connection with one another.  So the point of that is put your iPhones down, get off Facebook, and pay attention to my speech.  But really, look around you, at your friends and classmates.  How many of them do you really know?  I hope that during your college experiences, you were able to meet people and experience things that have changed your outlook in a positive way.

So take all of the memories and the friends that you have made and take them with you into the next chapter of your life.  Whether you're going to medical school, getting a job right away, travelling, or just relaxing, don't leave the good behind.  Take it with you and remain connected, not just through technology, but remember the importance of personal, real connection by meeting up with your friends and classmates and keeping your relationships alive.

Good luck graduating class of 2012.  I hope the best for all of you!

Proud to be a College Graduate

(I actually wrote this speech a few weeks ago as I was one of the candidates for Senior Class Speaker). 

Good morning esteemed trustees, faculty, staff, families, friends, and of course, to my fellow Seniors.  Today, we are going to be college graduates.  From the day I moved into Pennafort Hall my Freshmen year, I instantly looked forward to meeting my fellow classmates. I look out upon you all, and four years filled with eventful memories begin flooding back.  I start recalling Fanjeaux Student Union socials, club meetings, mass every Sunday with Father Bob, home games at Conlan and on the field, jazz concerts, dance recitals, and school dances.  I think it’s safe to say that the deer have walked most of us to class at least once in the past four years, or maybe even chased you if you weren’t so lucky. 

No matter how you got to Dominican, whether you entered as a Freshmen, transferred from another school, or decided to go back to school and applied under the Pathways program, you decided that this school was the precise choice to help foster your goals and aspirations.  During our time here, we have each, whether consciously or unknowingly, filled at least one of the four pillars of the school.  You have each earned the title of college graduate through these pillars.

Here’s a break down of what I mean exactly…

It is only at Dominican where study remains the core of the institution.  That’s the whole point of school right?  We memorize every single PowerPoint slide that our teachers posted up on Moodle hoping that it will all be on the upcoming exam worth 40% of your grade.  Well, Dominican takes it a step further with the small teacher to student ratio here.  We are awarded for our studies by forming special bonds with our teachers, and possibly job references for life.  If you were even luckier, your professor may have secured a job for you after receiving your diploma today.  Regardless of what your plans are after today, you have received and taken advantage of a well-rounded education, and you all worked diligently to receive a baccalaureate degree.  

It is only at Dominican where service is seen in many shapes and forms.  Some of you may have participated in a Service Learning class, traveled with Campus Ministry on an Alternative Spring Break trip, supported a cause sponsored by your academic department, or been a leader on the Ambassadors, ASDU, the Sienna Leadership Team, or PSAAC.  Your participation in these activities has made these respected organizations sustain and thrive.   Maybe some of you started your own community service club with your friends or academic department.   For those of you who have done this, know that your work has not gone unnoticed and that you have made an impact on Campus Life.  The service each of you has provided to this school is what makes Dominican, Dominican.  This institution saw to it that the service you partook in would enrich and give you a worldly perspective once you enter the real world.  Whichever one it is, each of you has represented Dominican proudly to our neighbors, Marin County, and the rest of society. 

It is only at Dominican where community actually means something.  Even if you leave here today not remembering the name of someone you always passed by on your way to class, the familiarity of their face reminds us that we are a close-knit community.  No one is a stranger once you enter the Dominican vortex.  Behind every research project that was assigned here, there was a professor, classmate, mentor, roommate, or friend cheering us along the way.  With any club sponsored bake sale outside of Caleruega Dining Hall, there was a student who would happily donate a dollar for a delicious treat, despite complaining how much their tuition is.  This is also the kind of place where you’re invited to dinner at President Marcy’s house one day, and administer her flu shot in the Nursing Assessment Lab the next, which I had the pleasure of doing so during the Fall Semester.  We may even see some of you Ambassadors moving on up in the Dominican work ladder as counselors recruiting new potential students.  Now, all these things are what I like to call keeping it in the family. 

It is only at Dominican where I can reflect happily about my time here.   This university has given each of us opportunities that we probably couldn’t get had we opted for a larger school.  What I have always admired about our class is that we are filled with go-getters.   I look forward to our class reunion, and re-meeting you all, whether you become a successful businessperson, a wonderful educator, a nurse in a magnet status hospital, an award-winning performer or world-renowned artist, a flourishing journalist or radio jockey, a researcher for a respected company like the Buck Institute, a traveling activist, or a Masters’ student enhancing your already multifaceted Dominican baccalaureate degree.  

Rapper Kanye West once proudly stated that he was a college dropout.  Well, no offense to Kanye, but today, we are outdoing him.

Dominican University of California, Senior Class of 2012,

we have all rightfully earned the titles of college graduates!

Final Goodbye

Hello, my name is Tiffany Phan and I'm honored to be selected to give your final speech before you all go off to your own journey and begin a new chapter. As I may ask for a brief moment where you guys can think of an experience back during your years in Dominican where it impacted you the most? Now ask yourself this, was it something that was out of the ordinary? No matter what your answer was, I know for a fact that it was something unexpected, where someone or yourself went out of the way to develop it. 

Communication to yourself and to the people around you is essential. To get connections, we must communicate, to develop knowledge, we must communicate with others, and then pass it on. It's just like a repetitive cycle over and over again. Now the question is, what do you do with that communication? Would you just tap the person's shoulder in front of you and share it, or would you go out and make a change of what you hear? Relatively to you, my graduating class of 2012, through the years at Dominican, and the knowledge and experiences that you gained, what will you do with it as you move forward ahead into the next chapter of your life? Nurses, are you going to fold your patient's beds just like you did in lab ten million times? Psychology majors, are you going to judge your patient's problem and what their implementation should be through the processes of what you learn in your classes? Dance majors, are you going to remember the four basic posture moves in ballet? What are you all going to do with the knowledge you gained? Will you just stop absorbing more than you already know? My advice, don't. The more you communicate to others, the more you will pass your knowledge and gain some new perspectives as well.

This is my small advice to you, Graduating class of 2012. I hope you all cherish your memories here at Dominican, and will prosper well into your new life. Thank you!

Commencement 2012: Making a DIfference from the Inside-Out

Growing up, we are all instilled with morals and values that we learn from a young age. Whether it be through family, inter-personal relationships, religion, or social institutions we gain a sense of self-concept that influences how we perceive ourselves and how we see the external environment. There is no same path that any one of us have travelled to get where we are today, yet it is true that we have all gone through the process of forming self-concept which are our internalized perceptions that is what makes us unique, and is also what makes us similar to others.

As we continue to progress in our lives, most of us hold strong to the values we’ve had ingrained in us. Our values are relatively stable over time and to some extent are resistant to change, yet there are some experiences in which we may question our morals and reform our vision of self-concept. This shift in self-concept has been something that has happened to me as a student of Dominican. You see, through my participation in service learning I’ve had the chance to connect with hidden communities in our society, listen to the voices of those who whisper within our community, and understand where they come from, and in doing so I have come to question my perceptions. I have learned that my previous interpretations of the external world in regards to these faceless communities have been somewhat ignorant to the fact that we must make our road towards the future by listening to the voices of the nameless, the invisible, and the title-less people in our community. I have become more aware of the fact that there is no power greater than a community discovering what it cares about, and the reality is that, we should first care about each other above and before anything else. 

During your years at this institution, think of a time when you have also challenged your own self-perceptions. It’s something that ironically calls for your concentration to come away from your own sense of self, which is a challenge on its own, yet this way we can see the world for what it really is. Here at Dominican we have been led by leaders who have given us the tools to re-sculpt our self-concept, and in doing so we become the leaders of the future. Leaders who can show compassion and remorse for others, leaders who understand that wisdom is available in the people of our communities, and leaders who can ultimately contribute to the globalization of resilient communities.

Graduation marks a time of special transition for us as we come to acknowledge the past and seek to look forward to the future. We can finally rest assure knowing that the leap of faith we made to come here four years ago has paid off, and now we set foot into a wider unknown. Be confident in the tools you have to re-sculpt yourself in this timeless world and congratulations for making it here today!

-- Taki

The Other Side of the Spectrum Comencement

 Graduating class of 2012, congrats! You have put in the effort for the past four years of your life to get this degree, now you're here. It is important to take into consideration what you have accomplished, the long hours of studying, the countless exams, and the frustration that comes along with it all was worth this moment, this feeling. The relationships you've gained may be the most memorable thing you take away from your experience in college, and that is a good thing. The relationships you have chosen shaped who you are and how you finished your time here.
As you step forward into each of your lives, remember this: no matter where you go, know there is someone just like you on the other side of the world spectrum. By this I mean that for every privileged person with hopes and dreams to become something of themselves, there is a person who is not as privileged with the same types of dreams. You are privileged to be here, you put in the work, you deserve to climb the ladder towards your perception of success. Growing up I was raised in a comfortable household in which it was never a question of whether or not I went to college, it was more of an expectation. Through community work I have learned that for many individuals, it is an achievement in itself. Some of the individuals I worked with were working towards being the first in their families to graduate high school.

Although this experience was a major culture shock to me, I leave my experiences with you and hope you can use them to your advantage. Remember when you step forward to accept your degree, that you have fulfilled the privilege you were given. I congratulate you again and wish you the best in all of your endeavors!

Commencement: Class of 2012

To the graduating class of 2012, congratulation!! You have made the amazing and grueling journey through college where you have learned how to be an adult. Through this journey, you have built bonds with those who will forever be with you, overcome obstacles that you never thought you would get through, and most of all you have accomplished and dominated all those classes that you thought would be the death of you. 

This is the time, a time to celebrate, cherish, and honor one another for completing your degrees with flying colors. Take a mental image of this proud moment, as you walk across the stage to hold once and for all that diploma that you have been working for since you were 5 years old. As each and every one of you has worked for your individual goals, you find yourselves sharing this one moment together, united as the class of 2012.

As you end this journey and start a new one, remember all that you have taken from Dominican. Those life lessons that your teachers attempted to drill into you, those memorable moments where you learned from a big mistake, and most of all remember the times you have shared together. As Martin Luther King once said "The wind of change is blowing, and we see in our day and our age a significant development." Class of 2012, I invite you to accept that change and embrace every opportunity that comes your ways as you enter this next phase of your life. Congratulations, Class of 2012.

Commencement for a community

College is a time when students discover what they want to be, who they want to be, and who they really are. It is all the experiences in college both inside and outside of the classroom in which we discover the answers to these questions. Sometimes it is the experiences where we learn mostly about others that help us to discover ourselves and determine who and what we want to be in life. As Martin Luther King once said, “We must all learn to live together as brothers - or we will all perish together as fools.”

Through my experience with service learning I was able to better understand the community around me. I was also able to step back after serving the local community and analyze the meaning of a community and my place in it. One cannot just assume what a community needs and go help the community solely based on that. One must become part of the community interact with its members and listen to what they have to say. This is how someone can discover the most about a community and also about themselves.

Sometimes people believe that they cannot be part of other’s communities that each community is like a kingdom with a mote around it and even if they make it in they will never actually belong there. From my experience I have found that stepping into another community and interacting and really listening to its members does allow you to become part of that community, discover its strengths and culture, and also discover more about yourself and how you fit in that community. “We tinker. We invent. We dream and we imagine and we make believe until its time to go out there and build the world we dream” (Wheatley, Frieze 59). As a community people can put together strengths and challenges to solve issues and make dreams come true.

This class is a community with its members all having different strengths to contribute to its success. We have made it to the end of one of our journey and another will soon begin. Together we will all help to shape the future. Congratulations class of 2012. 

Text/Service Prompt: MLK, "Remaining Awake"

Foster's and MLK's speeches demonstrate narrative differences similar to those that you found between Super Sad True Love Story and Daisy Miller. Just as you found shared themes in those two texts, these speeches, while delivered 40 years apart, share many similarities in terms of the message. They both challenge the audience, the graduating students, to be awake and aware, to resist the default setting,  the status quo, to think and act reflectively.
Oddly, it is King's older speech that notes the ways in which technology has made our interconnections more visceral:

Now it is true that the geographic togetherness of our world has been brought into being, to a large extent, through modern man's scientific ingenuity. Modern man, through his scientific genius, has been able to dwarf distance and place time in chains. Yes, we've been able to carve highways through the stratosphere, and our jet planes have compressed into minutes distances that once took weeks and months. And so this is a small world from a geographical point of view. What we are facing today is the fact that through our scientific and technological genius we've made of this world a neighborhood. And now through our moral and ethical commitment we must make of it a brotherhood. We must all learn to live together as brothers - or we will all perish together as fools. This is the great issue facing us today. No individual can live alone; no nation can live alone. We are tied together.

     Drawing on this point and others that both MLK and Foster make in their speeches that coincide with the CLQ's guiding questions, write your own (very) mini "commencement" speech (3 paragraphs). What would you say to the Graduating Class of 2012? You can use the more formal rhetorical style of MLK or the seemingly casual style of Foster, but formulate it carefully. Think about metaphor, story within a story, referencing a scholar or thinker. Yours will be a short speech, so think first about the one point you want to make and how you will illustrate it though at least one of each of the below:

•  course readings (see the way that MLK cites John Donne, Buber, Tillich etc)
•  experience in the community (one insight from your time in the community--see the way that Foster tells story within his narrative)
• metaphor (both make much use of metaphor)

Have fun--you have made it to your final blog post! And think about this as either an opening or a conclusion or an outline for your final paper. You can use it.

Walk Out, Walk On, Walk Together

1.

I feel that the theme of Intervention which was highlighted in the WOWO narritive of Greece can relate to my service learning experience at Canal Alliance. On page 182, the word intervention is define as "interruption an action that breaks a pattern and opens up new possibilities". This relates to Canal Alliance because the goal of Canal Alliance is to aid those in need that live in the Canal and to help educate the children of those in need in ad effort to "interrupt" and break the cycle of poverty.  Canal Alliance is only possible with the help of many and it reminded me of  "The Great Toilet Paper Debate" as found on page 173. In this short story about alternatives to toilet paper the solution/s were found by by everyone who is involved in the story and an alternative would not have been found had the group not worked together to make a point of finding an alternative. I feel that this is true of Canal Alliance as each member of the organization plays a role in making a better future possible for those that the organization helps.

2.

Just like any non-profit organization the Goal of Canal Alliance is to help and aid its clients. To break a cycle of poverty and create opportunities for those that may not have them otherwise. Canal Alliance helps those who live in the Canal District in San Rafael, California. It is special because it goes beyond simply providing aid. it teaches and provides the tools needed for self-betterment, for a brighter future.

3.

When Reading the WOWO Narrative "From Hero to Host" as based in Columbus, Ohio I felt that the overall World Cafe' and Art of Hosting Idea reminded me of something that Carlos' from CYO mentioned a lack of during my interview with him. Carlos says that "there seems to be a lack of cohesiveness and communication between Canal residents and organizations as well as the organizations themselves"  I feel that the different organizations that serve the Canal may be asking the wrong question, just like the people of Columbus were in the healthcare story on page 202 of WOWO, "Phil said, In all the forty years I've worked within the health care system, I've never been in that question (Have you ever been involved in a conversation about the purpose of the health care system) and I've never heard anyone ask that question." I feel that the organizations of the Canal may be asking the wrong question about the purpose of their organization and feel that if they did ask that question that different organizations would have a more cohesive approach when catering to the needs of Canal residents. 

The Paradox of Transacting and Giving, Eventually a Host

We Transact, But Want to Give

Although Canal Alliance is a non-profit organization and has the framework of wanting to be a ‘gifting’ organization, of which it definitely displays in some aspects, they also have developed some characteristics of a ‘transacting’ organization. When I think about the kids at Canal Alliance and their goofy, energetic attitudes, I have had the thought similar to “How do people without material things, with very few resources except themselves and each other, create such happiness?” (p. 156) in the sense that I know the kids live in impoverished situations and homes, yet they still have moments of joy and cheerfulness. I also notice the generosity among some of the staff and students who never show characteristic of jealousy or competition, but simply “enjoy each other and encourage each other” (p.156). I feel that deep-down I know Canal Alliance and the people who work there have good intentions or started with them, but with time, money, and power some people and possibly the organization itself has gotten caught up in the “culture of Homo economicus” (p. 154). The bargaining, bribing, threatening, and paradox of consuming (p. 154).  is ever-present, and not surprisingly so and it is a part of our culture and times, but is often unnoticed as a infectious mode of acting and interacting. Even as I reflect on my own service-learning at Canal Alliance, I have fallen into the selfish questioning, of “what will I get out of this?” and/or put conditions on my ‘gifts’, even though I know that I have also wanted people “to simply have it.” I have wanted recognition, approval, and appreciation, which goes to show the drive within me to act in competition and self-interest. I notice this with other volunteers and staff at Canal Alliance. I do not want to judge or ‘hate’ them for it, as I too have these faults, but I do wish the conversation and awareness could be brought up in dialogue. We all yearn for “creating relationships of immeasurable value” (p. 158).

A Host Indeed

The comfy room on the second floor of the mansion was lit with morning light and warmth. Although the walls were bland and the furniture awkwardly placed, the grand redwood table by the window felt like I was sitting in a secure dining room in a house. Alexandra walked in smiling and extending her hand graciously. As we sat with the intention of the official, recorded interview, we began engaging each other in friendly conversation to get to know each other. As time passed we had talked about ourselves and our own lives, but also about the Canal, the project, and our experiences with different community members and leaders in the Canal. Soon, two and a half hours had flown b y, and we hadn’t even started our interview. As we both noticed the time, acknowledged enjoying each others company and stories, we decided to get back on track. We began the legitimate interview, but as Alexandra spoke, even her intellectual, judicious answers were cordial and honest. “I think my piece, my strategy is to really get involved with community and really gain their trust and this is huge for me. My strategy is to be able to listen to the story, gain a community residents trust, and be able to help them access their resources and have their voices heard at whatever level they need.” Throughout the interview and our conversations, Alex constantly referred to her ‘clients’ and Canal residents as equals, who deserved the development of trust and friendship. As she is a service provider and works to ‘help’ people though, I wouldn't simply consider her a friend to many, but a host within the community.

In reflecting on my newly-developed relationship with Alexandra, and comparing my personal conversations with her to the interview transcription and Walk Out, Walk On, I realize just how much she embodies a “leader who journeyed from hero to host, has seen the negative dynamics of politics and opposition that hierarchy breeds…and has instead become curious” (p. 212). In her past, Alexandra has worked for many different organizations and groups within the Canal and outside and could tell stories for days about corruption, power, and privilege and yet she still holds a completely non-jaded view about the canal residents and people in general. She still continues to do the work she so obviously loves. “They [hosts] used their positional power to convene people, not tell them what to do” (p.212). Alexandra implicitly revealed her abilities and generosity to extend her hand to people by encouraging them to speak their minds, to say what they want and need, and to just listen to their voices. She is a host indeed and one that I admire and respect greatly.

We Gain Friends Through Communication and From There We Create a Connection

A theme that connects to my service learning, MCCS, would be from Greece. The theme would be friendship because in Greece, everyone seems to have a duty in their schedule that they would need to do everyday, but at periods of the day, they would gather together and help each other out. One quote that really grasps my attention was “ These conversations are intense, sometimes tearful, sometimes jubilant. We don’t agree on everything, and sometimes the differences are hard to bear. But the quality of our friendship allows us to go as deep as we need to go, exploring some of our most closely held beliefs” (168). The reason why is because at MCCS, each kid has their own story and background that portray what their daily routine is, but going to the school, they al have the same schedule which means friendships are essential to have. This in a way would motivate them to lean through hard times with each other, and create not only knowledge but friendships as well.

Welcome to MCCS, here you see students in green shirt uniforms, and “gangster” expressions. However, don’t let their physical appearance make your final judgment of them. Underneath it all is a kid lost in hope of getting out of this environment and having a positive life. They would all come here individually from schools all over the Marin County, and an incentive of going through their workload is the friendships and bond they create among each other. The connection they all have is that there was a reason why they come to this spot in their life, either fighting in school, or skipping classes, or even being pregnant. Whatever the reason is, they all can relate and a judgment at the end of the night that was made previously in the day seems to disappear.

I think another theme from the United States WOWO story is communication. “Most often, as different link and connect from table to table, a collective intelligence becomes evident’ people feel a sense of unity, direction, and appreciation for everyone in the room” (192), describes the communication that Matt felt he wanted to keep progressing to the WORLD CAFÉ. My interview with Human and Health Services was all about how communication to the Canal Alliance was key. We needed to go around and ask the families what they were missing, and what they think we can do better. Together we create unity, and understanding. Just as Ohio, “they developed new kinds of partnerships with local organization that reconnect schoolchildren to local food and support urban agriculture and local farmers “(193).

Observation and Reflection

1/2. “And yet, our community was certain that we couldn’t get done what we needed to get done in less time.  Because what we needed to ‘get done’ was to weave the fabric of our friendship deeper and tighter so that learning could flow more easily through our network.  We knew we have enough common interests…to trust that we each would initiate the conversations and experiments we most needed to have.” – page 162 of WOWO. The quote here reminds me of Bahia Vista, and the theme of diligence comes to mind.  These kids always put their minds together when they want to get something done, a common trait seen in the Greece narrative. 

Observation: The kids came rushing into the school kitchen, excited about what delicious meal they were making with Karen that day.  They quickly sat down in their seats awaiting instructions.  Karen informed the class that they would be making pizza that day.  She passed out the recipes, and together, the kids were determined to make the pizzas as fast as possible.  They banded together, agreeing to what they were each assigned to do, whether it was to cut up the tomatoes or roll at the dough – each student did so without question.  They had one common goal, and it was to bake and eat that delicious home made pizza. 

3. “Leaders have critical work to do to engage people and redistribute power.  The leaders we’ll meet in Columbus didn’t get out of the way; instead, they’ve used their power to create the means to engage people and communities in solving their own problems.” – page 190 of WOWO.  Leadership, clearly, is a theme from this narrative, and it applies to the interview I had with the Mr. Rodriguez, the principal of Bahia Vista. 

Reflection:

A Champion for the Kids

Mr. Rodriguez goal as principal is to bridge the gap between the students of his school and their families and the rest of Marin County.  He is a strong advocate for the Canal Community, and he seeks to provide them opportunities to grow.  Under his leadership, the school has gotten in touch with many programs, such as the SF Food Bank and Playworks, to provide these said opportunities.  The WOWO narrative about Columbus, OH in the U.S. shares a similar trait.  On page 191, it is exclaimed, “In October 2009, the Mid-Ohio Foodbank relocated to its new head quarters: a gigantic former mattress outlet that moves 33 million pounds of food per year onto the tables of Central Ohio’s hungry citizens.  The Food Bank’s President and CEO, Matt Habash, greets in the lobby to walk you through the building.”  In this instance and the work of Mr. Rodriguez, both situations show how leaders strive to better their community.  Mr. Rodriguez strives to providing the necessary resources, and Matt Habash utilized resources to better his company in order to benefit Central Ohio.  

Themes throughout...

I noticed a correlation between the theme of money, in India, and Karen's cooking/gardening class at Bahia Vista.  I have noticed that many of the children that attend Bahia Vista do not come from wealthy families.  In fact, the majority of them come from poorer families, who most likely do not live comfortably.  However, Karen and all of the other faculty members do not treat the children and parents differently because of their financial statuses.  Instead, I noticed that the community members at Bahia Vista feel very welcomed and are supported by many of the faculty members at Bahia Vista.  This type of environment allows people who are not financially comfortable to feel safe and welcomed when in reality, if they step out of the Canal or Bahia Vista even, they may not be accepted.  

You will be taken on a journey to an elementary school in the Canal district of San Rafael, California.  Bahia Vista, the elementary school, provides a wide range of education to students in grades K-5.  At Bahia Vista, there are many faculty members that sacrifice and give a lot for their students.  You will be taken to a cooking class and gardening class led by a supportive and optimistic woman who allows students to open and expand their minds.  From looking at the outside of the garden, you will see a wire fence, with fabric hanging all around every side of it.  This fabric is there to help the garden grow, unrestricted and unharmed by the winds.  Upon entrance of the garden, you will see many plants, strawberries, fennel, broccoli, and more, all planted and grown by tiny little hands.  All of the work put into the garden is done by children at Bahia Vista and Karen, who has been cut for funding for her class.  Yet, the garden remains.  

The theme that relates to First5 Marin, that I chose, was flexibility and availability in the narrative from Greece.  First5 works as a funding organization and needs to be flexible upon where they spend their money and how they spend it.  Although they would like to help more people, they are focused on children ranging from ages 0-5.  The people at First5 know what they're doing and get as much done as they possibly can to help people in need, especially children.  They help families care for their children and proivde teaching to them as well, so that families can be proactive in the health and well-being of their children berore something happens, that they may not be able to afford. 

My community

A theme I noticed from  the WOWOs is that  money is ruling the world it defines some people and it is a driving cause for others. I see this connecting to the tax aid service learning in the essence that money is defining the people who come in as low class since they make less than 50000 and that is what tax-aid uses as a cutting board to get rid of people who just want their taxes done for free. how ever there is no judging at tax-aid, BIG deal you made enough money to just live off of, doesn't make them a bad person.

The bay area is home to many different people, all different in many ways. From where to they live, too where they're from, to even how much they make. All of these factors go into the communities, they define the standard. We at tax-aid don't judge on where you're from or race or age, we come together to help the community. Making new friends and helping all the people is in its own way rewarding.

I found a connection between Greece and my Health center interview, it was about helping families become families before anything could make them dysfunctional. And in the interview they mentioned the center was getting information from every body on needs and what would benefit their community, just like they did in greece.

From Taki: Themes that flow throughout

The theme of ‘regaining control of the self’ is identified within the narrative related to the Shikshantar, Indian community and is a theme that links to my community partner, MCCS.
Through the reflection narrative style, which is meant to stimulate your own personal reflections, we can examine this theme and how it links to my community partner by taking time to explore the aims of MCCS and how these aims correlate with the philosophical foundations of the Shikshantar community.
Just like any educational system, the overall goal is to empower the students and prepare them with the educational background in order to fulfill their potential. The special thing about the County Community School system is that there is even more of an effort to employ a curriculum that can support these students to get back on track with their academic pathways, but it also goes beyond that.
We saw that in Shikshantar, Gandhi’s concept of “swaraj” is the main ingredient to the wealth of philosophy that flows from this place, and is an ideal that involves “a genuine attempt to regain control of the ‘self’...It is swaraj when we learn to rule ourselves” (WOWO 132). To me, this concept deals with the fact that we as humans are searching for ourselves, and participate in our life journey to find ourselves and gain empowerment through our experiences. I believe that in doing this we restore individual power to ourselves and this is something that I see illustrated at MCCS. The idea that this schooling system is set up not only to improve the academic standings of the students, but even more so this program attempts to empower students to regain “self-respect, self-responsibility, and capacities of self-realization” (WOWO 133). This leaves the question, how can you also contribute to the on-tracking of these students? They need just as much support, if not more, in order to gain the true sense of themselves, and be given the chance to do that through empowering education and positive social interaction.
Another theme that I identified in the Columbus, Ohio narrative was the theme of ‘new direction.’ In the sense that, as revealed in the narrative, “the Earth needs a new operating system, you are the programmers, and we need it in a few decades” (WOWO 188). My take from this is that the scarcity of many human resources is becoming more and more apparent, everything from our past has more than well caught up to us and as a result we need to employ new operating systems in order to save our planet. It isn’t impossible.
Using the observation narrative style we will take the time to explore this theme and how it is illustrated in the interview that I conducted with Omar Carrera from Canal Alliance. The theme of new direction calls for “leaders in some of America’s largest institutions - health care, academe, government - are changing how they lead” (WOWO 189). This same concept of new leadership and new direction can also be seen in the interview, as Omar reveals “we are really changing internally here, returning power to the people from the community and helping them get the skills that they need to be the voices of the community and direct policy makers, and we have the role of just facilitating it.” He shares that Canal Alliance is taking these new measures to change its current operating systems in order to best provide to the community. This is because in the past, programs have been created as a result of what Canal Alliance leaders think that the community members need. By employing this new direction, Canal Alliance will create problems based on the needs of the community and these needs will be expresses from community members themselves. This new operating system of Canal Alliance is an attempt to ultimately restore power to the people of the Canal, as is the operating system that the U.S is undertaking in order to empower people to take charge and make changes for the better of this world.
-- Taki Te Koi

Immersed in Service Learning

The narrative that I chose to relate to my service learning partner was the narrative of Greece. I found a theme of flexibility in this narrative. Canal Alliance is not a perfect organization, I have yet to come across a non-profit organization that is perfect. They do not have adequate resources nor enough funding, but each individual is dedicated to helping the people of the Canal community. They have to be flexible with the fact that there may be hardship with the individuals seeking help and I saw similarities with the narrative taken place in Greece. "Because what we needed to "get done" was to weave the fabric of our friendship deeper and tighter so that learning could flow more easily through our network." p. 162. 

You are about to be taken on a journey in an area affected by poverty and many pre-judgements. In this area there are a number of organizations that provide aid in the areas of job security, health care, food, home security and more. This area is a small section of a city in San Rafael, CA known as the Canal. One of the main non-profit organizations, Canal Alliance, provides all of the services that an undocumented or documented individual would need. The part of Canal Alliance that you will be immersed in is the learning center, located in a side alley on a rural street in the middle of the neighborhood. Walking in to this alley there are buildings on each side. On the right, there is the back entrance to the business and legal aid center for Canal Alliance. On the left, there is the entrance to the learning center at Canal Alliance. Entering this learning center, you are immediately approached by a set of stairs. Up the stairs there are offices and hallway that leads to classrooms. In the middle of these classrooms there is a meeting room with a projector meant for video showing and sometimes isolated tutor time. In one of the classrooms there are a group of 15 high school students chatting and working on homework, supervised by a mentor. There are 3 more classrooms that have middle school students in them, working on homework, also monitored by a mentor, however there are a number of tutors who are helping these individuals with their work. This part of the organization is in operation from 3 to 6, Monday through Friday. 

The narrative that I chose to relate to my interview with that of India. My interview was with an individual from the WIC center in the Canal. I related this narrative to the interview as soon as I read the reflection from Deborah. She mentioned that she had pre conceived notions of what Shikshantar, and when she visited the area she saw that all the activity that was going on was driven primarily by the values and morals of the individuals in the community. I related this to the way my interviewee talked about her experience with the Canal. "It may be unsettling to discover how little is required to help, however there are many organizations who still don't have enough resources to provide  for those who need it". 

Cognitive Intervention Connection

Mckenzi Kerrigan

A theme that I found in the India narrative that connected to my service learning and community partner was that surrounding the idea of money (from growth to sufficiency). “Natural goods have a limited time to be consumed before they perish. Money is nonperishable, therefore seemingly infinite and immortal, it is an abstraction that defies both life and the limits of our mind, but defines our culture. And we are trapped in it” (WOWO 148). At Tax Aid we do not let the number on W-2s or other income forms define the client. Often money can consume a person and their thoughts like described in the India narrative, but at Tax Aid in the Canal our community partner tried to create an environment in which this was not true, but a place where people felt accepted and comfortable in sharing information like their income with strangers.

Reflection: In Marin there are a lot of wealthy communities and people and sometimes ones that aren’t can be looked over easily while everything else happens around them. This does not mean that those communities are any less lively or rich with culture as the others are. “We want to be professional and efficient in getting clients their tax returns.” This was the main goal of all the volunteers at Tax Aid. However our community partner also helped us to step back and realize that numbers aren’t everything. We were also there to make connections and interact with a community that can often be misunderstood because people do not take the time to immerse themselves in the culture and with the people there.

A theme that I found in the Greece narrative was that of intervention for solving problems. This relates to the interview that I conducted with a service provider because she worked in health care in the canal and described her work contributing to the community’s physical and mental health. This center serves all different gender, ages, nationalities of people in the Canal community because it applies to any one in need of health care.  Not only physical but psychological or mental health care is available “We have mental health services for children as well as adults and adult beneficiary programs” (service learning interview). “Cognitive interventions” (WOWO 170) can be just as important and significant toward making sure a client is healthy as physical can be.

4/14/2012


I chose India to relate to my service learning experience. I chose this because I found a correlation  between the food processing as a community all together which is what we do at Bahia Vista. On page 136 you can see an image of the community making food together which reminds me of the service we do with Karen. "Whether making fuel chips, soap or soil, mixing gobar gets you back in touch with the natural world. The Shikshantar team is like family-they eat, play, work, and invent together" (pg. 136). I find the connection to Bahia also through the work we do in the Garden with Karen and the children. We are so often involved with internet and media that going out to the garden brings us back to our natural roots as well and reminds the children that there is time to relax and be with nature. As with the Shikshantar, it is also a way to bring us all together as a community and connect. Being in the garden or cooking is a relief from school for these kids and they are able to be together, enjoy each others company, and connect with one another.


I found a connection between Greece and my Parent Service Project interview through the connection of families helping each other. As the members discuss their annual Art of Learning Centering they talk about family. "We think of one another as family-as 'family of choice' rather than of origin-and for ten days, we will live, cook, work, eat, play, and dream together, learning from one another how to build the world we wish for" (pg. 165). I found the connection here when discussing with Jenny Ocon from PSP about if residents were hesitent to talk about what they wanted out of fear and she explained "Because we do help families get into these leadership roles that they are taking, it’s almost like families helping families. It is less about trusting us and families helping each other." This reminded me so much of the Greece chapter because as I continued to read I found that many of them seemed to be families helping each other out and growing that connection between one another through aide. As Jenny explained many of the residents in the Canal work with her program and end up taking those leadership roles in the community and then they begin to take action by speaking to members of the Canal themselves. Instead of outsiders coming into the community, it is other community members asking their fellow neighbors about issues and solutions. This reminded me of this section in the Greece chapter about relying on one another and being all together and working together as a large extended family.