a short entry:
we drove around yesterday to see where we'll be working.
The car rides were long and I was looking out of the van windows. At a red light we stopped in front of a middle school. It was very run-down, obviously Katrina stricken. There was a sign outside that said the school's name, which I don't remember, and "home of the wildcats," which I found amusing as it very much resembled my almamater's mascot. My eyes sleepily wandered over to the next sign, that said "School Opening Aug 18" I started wondering when they'd change the sign to announce something new, and then I imagined all the uniformed students trickling in and out of the school. Then I looked at the sign again and noticed what it really said: "school opening Aug 18, 2005".
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Starting to make my footprint
This week started off rough. We had to go on a three-day retreat that claimed to be in the woods but was adorned with paved roads and air-conditioned cabins (to the point of making me catch a cold). The first day was extremely long, and we weren't given a moment to breathe until 9pm. Before dinner we had just 10 minutes to sit down and finally relax before they forced us to play yet another group-game as the food was being prepared. I participated for a decent amount of time, and then I left the circle and started fiddling with my guitar on a neighboring deck. Some people joined me and we chatted and were bonding, and just as we started having a real conversation someone came over and told us to rejoin the group for the next activity. I couldn't refrain from expressing my frustration, but put down my guitar nonetheless. The activity, not surprisingly, didn't end up being important at all. In fact, it was the least organized we had yet experienced: we divided up into three groups and each group had to come up with its own game to play and then present to the entire group. I wanted to scream. To make things even worse, at 10 pm we were forced to go to bed. At 15, at art camp, we did not have a bedtime, but here, as an adult, I am forced to go to bed earlier than most go to bed regularly.
But it is over now, and today, our first day back, was wonderful. The morning was very productive as we brainstormed with our groups on possible projects and community resources.
OH! I forgot to tell you what team I'm on! I'm part of the program called Whole School Whole Child, where I will be acting as a teacher's aid during the day and producing after school programs, as well as developing community projects in and around the school. I'm very very excited. I have a wonderful team and team-leader, all very laid back yet motivated. I can hardly wait to get started for real!
Back to why today was good: In the afternoon we met with the board of directors for this region of City Year. I mentioned that I was disappointed with the lack of environmental consciousness and was wondering why there were no policies already in place. The response came that I could change the policies here in Louisiana, and maybe by next year they will be policy in all of City Year. After the meeting the manager of the Young Heroes program approached me to say that he and another corps member applied for and received a hefty grant last year for Baton Rouge to improve the environmental practices of the organization, and I should make a list of ideas I have as to how we could improve.
I came home oozing with ideas and sat for about 2 hours brainstorming. I got so excited that I wrote a mission statement too. City Year tells us that it is important that we leave a legacy both as an organization and as individuals. I have a hunch that this will be mine. I'll keep you posted on further developments.
Hope all is well on your sides of the world, peace and love,
Katerina
Here is a copy of the letter I sent the manager this evening:
Why Should City Year Adopt Eco-Friendly Policies:
It is imperative that City Year, as a socially conscious, idealist organization, adopt the following policies. The excessive consumption of Western society, especially of the USA, is the primary contributing factor to the global-warming crisis that has lead to disasters such as Katrina. Yet, the main reason for this over-consumption is simply ignorance of alternative practices.
If City Year makes it its policy to be as environmentally-friendly as possible in everyday practices, it will not only make a difference as an organization, but many corps members and staff will adopt such practices in their own lives. In addition, through an active policy, City Year can help spread awareness to the schools, children, and communities that we serve.
If City Year claims to be as socially responsible as possible, it is necessary to also be environmentally responsible and spread awareness. People need to recognize it is not only the responsibility of the government to prevent environmental disaster, but also of vital importance that individual citizens change their habits. It seems to me that this is exactly what City Year is all about.
Environmentally Conscious Actions to Implement at City Year:
• An anti-paper-towel policy/ a supply of rags and dishcloths
• No more Styrofoam!!! (or disposable plastic for that matter)
• The use of reusable/washable, rather than disposable, cups, plates, and silverware. Everyone could be given a dish and cup to use. In addition, corps members and staff should be encouraged to supply their own to reduce consumption further.
Another possibility would be to have a supply permanently at City Year, to reduce the possibility of forgetfulness of Corps members. In the event of a retreat or similar event, there could be a rotation of a clean-up crew to wash dishes in a water-conserving manner (one sink filled with water to wash, a second sink filled with water to rinse, thereby minimizing water-consumption via running tap-water or inefficient washing machines.) Having members participate in this would be a good way to help them learn to practice environmentally friendly habits kinesthetically.
• Reusable water bottles for all corps members, as a required part of the uniform, to reduce plastic-bottle consumption
• Brita or other water filters always available to fill said water bottles
• Re-usable water bottles for the children City-Year serves
• Use of eco-friendly detergent products, such as Seventh Generation.
• Minimized air-conditioning. It is understandable that there should be some, but it is entirely unnecessary to have it turned up so high that one has to bring a sweatshirt to spend the day inside when one would be sweating outside in summer-clothes.
• Signs or stickers by all light-switches reminding people to extinguish them when not in use.
→The eventual use of motion-sensitive lights that turn off when room is empty.
• Signs or stickers at all water faucets to remind people to turn them off while washing hands.
→The eventual use of motion-sensor faucets.
• Warm-air hand dryers in bathrooms
• Recycling bins next to all garbage cans to make recycling convenient
• Compost buckets at City-Year offices and in schools
• Encouraging City Year members to bring in their recyclable goods and compost if they are unable to implement such practices in their private homes due to cost.
• Education for all corps members about awareness of consumption and the benefits of environmentally-friendly practices, (especially as we are in Louisiana, people should be made aware that it is vital to adopt more modest forms of consumption if we are to slow-down global-warming and avoid more hurricanes)
• A commitment to, and regular use of the motto: “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” and an explanation as to its meaning.
• Portable dry-erase boards to replace the large post-it paper pads
• Boxes to put re-usable wastepaper (where one side is still blank), and the use of this paper whenever possible, (for example: in getting-to-know-you games, brainstorming lists, hand-outs that are not already printed double-sided).
• The use of as much recycled paper as possible
• The practice of printing all materials double-sided
• A reduction of unnecessary handouts-for example, the schedule. Instead of printing more than enough, print less so people who live together can share. Another, even preferable possibility (still using the schedule as an example,) would be to write it on a large and accessible dry-erase board, and if someone wants to copy it down for themselves they can do so.
• Re-use of all cardboard -from goldfish or any other boxes- for any signs needed etc.
• An annual Earth-Day (Earth Week!? Earth Month!!?) event
• A supply of cloth shopping bags at offices and in all vehicles. This would make the practice of not consuming plastic-bags visible to the public.
• The goal to use only bio-diesel or other forms of environmentally friendly vehicles when purchasing them in the future. Information on this can be found at: http://www.biodiesel.org/
• More thought behind where food is coming from.
In-organic food may be less expensive, but the pesticides that are used are extremely harmful to the environment. Furthermore, purchasing locally-grown food supports local farmers and discourages mass-production (which tends to lead to environmentally un-friendly farming practices.) Purchasing non-local food also reduces its nutritional value, and leads to more fuel-waste and CO2 emissions emitted during transportation.
• Every City Year corps member should plant at least 10 trees in order to graduate
But it is over now, and today, our first day back, was wonderful. The morning was very productive as we brainstormed with our groups on possible projects and community resources.
OH! I forgot to tell you what team I'm on! I'm part of the program called Whole School Whole Child, where I will be acting as a teacher's aid during the day and producing after school programs, as well as developing community projects in and around the school. I'm very very excited. I have a wonderful team and team-leader, all very laid back yet motivated. I can hardly wait to get started for real!
Back to why today was good: In the afternoon we met with the board of directors for this region of City Year. I mentioned that I was disappointed with the lack of environmental consciousness and was wondering why there were no policies already in place. The response came that I could change the policies here in Louisiana, and maybe by next year they will be policy in all of City Year. After the meeting the manager of the Young Heroes program approached me to say that he and another corps member applied for and received a hefty grant last year for Baton Rouge to improve the environmental practices of the organization, and I should make a list of ideas I have as to how we could improve.
I came home oozing with ideas and sat for about 2 hours brainstorming. I got so excited that I wrote a mission statement too. City Year tells us that it is important that we leave a legacy both as an organization and as individuals. I have a hunch that this will be mine. I'll keep you posted on further developments.
Hope all is well on your sides of the world, peace and love,
Katerina
Here is a copy of the letter I sent the manager this evening:
Why Should City Year Adopt Eco-Friendly Policies:
It is imperative that City Year, as a socially conscious, idealist organization, adopt the following policies. The excessive consumption of Western society, especially of the USA, is the primary contributing factor to the global-warming crisis that has lead to disasters such as Katrina. Yet, the main reason for this over-consumption is simply ignorance of alternative practices.
If City Year makes it its policy to be as environmentally-friendly as possible in everyday practices, it will not only make a difference as an organization, but many corps members and staff will adopt such practices in their own lives. In addition, through an active policy, City Year can help spread awareness to the schools, children, and communities that we serve.
If City Year claims to be as socially responsible as possible, it is necessary to also be environmentally responsible and spread awareness. People need to recognize it is not only the responsibility of the government to prevent environmental disaster, but also of vital importance that individual citizens change their habits. It seems to me that this is exactly what City Year is all about.
Environmentally Conscious Actions to Implement at City Year:
• An anti-paper-towel policy/ a supply of rags and dishcloths
• No more Styrofoam!!! (or disposable plastic for that matter)
• The use of reusable/washable, rather than disposable, cups, plates, and silverware. Everyone could be given a dish and cup to use. In addition, corps members and staff should be encouraged to supply their own to reduce consumption further.
Another possibility would be to have a supply permanently at City Year, to reduce the possibility of forgetfulness of Corps members. In the event of a retreat or similar event, there could be a rotation of a clean-up crew to wash dishes in a water-conserving manner (one sink filled with water to wash, a second sink filled with water to rinse, thereby minimizing water-consumption via running tap-water or inefficient washing machines.) Having members participate in this would be a good way to help them learn to practice environmentally friendly habits kinesthetically.
• Reusable water bottles for all corps members, as a required part of the uniform, to reduce plastic-bottle consumption
• Brita or other water filters always available to fill said water bottles
• Re-usable water bottles for the children City-Year serves
• Use of eco-friendly detergent products, such as Seventh Generation.
• Minimized air-conditioning. It is understandable that there should be some, but it is entirely unnecessary to have it turned up so high that one has to bring a sweatshirt to spend the day inside when one would be sweating outside in summer-clothes.
• Signs or stickers by all light-switches reminding people to extinguish them when not in use.
→The eventual use of motion-sensitive lights that turn off when room is empty.
• Signs or stickers at all water faucets to remind people to turn them off while washing hands.
→The eventual use of motion-sensor faucets.
• Warm-air hand dryers in bathrooms
• Recycling bins next to all garbage cans to make recycling convenient
• Compost buckets at City-Year offices and in schools
• Encouraging City Year members to bring in their recyclable goods and compost if they are unable to implement such practices in their private homes due to cost.
• Education for all corps members about awareness of consumption and the benefits of environmentally-friendly practices, (especially as we are in Louisiana, people should be made aware that it is vital to adopt more modest forms of consumption if we are to slow-down global-warming and avoid more hurricanes)
• A commitment to, and regular use of the motto: “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” and an explanation as to its meaning.
• Portable dry-erase boards to replace the large post-it paper pads
• Boxes to put re-usable wastepaper (where one side is still blank), and the use of this paper whenever possible, (for example: in getting-to-know-you games, brainstorming lists, hand-outs that are not already printed double-sided).
• The use of as much recycled paper as possible
• The practice of printing all materials double-sided
• A reduction of unnecessary handouts-for example, the schedule. Instead of printing more than enough, print less so people who live together can share. Another, even preferable possibility (still using the schedule as an example,) would be to write it on a large and accessible dry-erase board, and if someone wants to copy it down for themselves they can do so.
• Re-use of all cardboard -from goldfish or any other boxes- for any signs needed etc.
• An annual Earth-Day (Earth Week!? Earth Month!!?) event
• A supply of cloth shopping bags at offices and in all vehicles. This would make the practice of not consuming plastic-bags visible to the public.
• The goal to use only bio-diesel or other forms of environmentally friendly vehicles when purchasing them in the future. Information on this can be found at: http://www.biodiesel.org/
• More thought behind where food is coming from.
In-organic food may be less expensive, but the pesticides that are used are extremely harmful to the environment. Furthermore, purchasing locally-grown food supports local farmers and discourages mass-production (which tends to lead to environmentally un-friendly farming practices.) Purchasing non-local food also reduces its nutritional value, and leads to more fuel-waste and CO2 emissions emitted during transportation.
• Every City Year corps member should plant at least 10 trees in order to graduate
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
First week of Training
I just had to pause for a second and think whether tomorrow would be the third or the fourth day of training...the days are so long (tomorrow is the third). Yesterday we arrived at the NOLA (a.k.a. New Orleans Louisiana) office at 8 and drove an hour or so to Baton Rouge where we sat in a small room, classroom-style, without air-conditioning, the entire day. We had to listen to the history of city-year during the first half of the day, and the second half we had to read through chapters in the "Idealist Manual" that we were supposed to have read the night before (I'm glad I didn't know we had to read them). The one thing I did learn was that the program was started after failed attempts at lobbying for mandatory civil-service in the US, which is interesting because I had stated that I believe in mandatory civil-service when I was interviewed. Perhaps that got me the job... :D
Today was a little better; we didn't have to be at work until 8: 15, and training was in NOLA instead, so we also didn't have to endure the long car ride (we will again on Friday, at 6 in the morning...yay.) We started training with a leader-ship directions workshop, where we were given different personality clusters associated with North, S, E, W, and had to talk about their pros and cons. I identified as a South: caring about reaching compromise, satisfying everyone, people's feelings being more important than goals etc. I noticed that my group was both the smallest, compromised of only 4 people, and the only one that was entirely female. Really, I saw traits of everyone I knew of in all of the directions, but there are definitely tendencies. It was quite amusing because both Stephanie and I are quite quintessentially out direction, and we made jokes about our demonstrations of our typical behavior, (she is West, very organized and doesn't think outside the box easily...it was especially amusing that each of the four housemates identified themselves as a different direction. we have a well balanced house!)
We then did confrontation exercises, and yet another lecture on the history of Americorps and then finally lunch...In the afternoon the most interesting activity was learning details of the various programs. I'm leaving it up to fate what team I'm on, because while I think it would be most natural for me to be immersed in the entirely in-school program, based around tutoring and after school programs, I know that I would be challenged in ways that I need to be challenged if I participated in the other program because it would force me to organize projects and actively learn the nitty-gritty of organizing a non-profit organization. My conscience is pushing me to the latter, but I'll let them decide.
And that's all for now.
Cheers!
K
Today was a little better; we didn't have to be at work until 8: 15, and training was in NOLA instead, so we also didn't have to endure the long car ride (we will again on Friday, at 6 in the morning...yay.) We started training with a leader-ship directions workshop, where we were given different personality clusters associated with North, S, E, W, and had to talk about their pros and cons. I identified as a South: caring about reaching compromise, satisfying everyone, people's feelings being more important than goals etc. I noticed that my group was both the smallest, compromised of only 4 people, and the only one that was entirely female. Really, I saw traits of everyone I knew of in all of the directions, but there are definitely tendencies. It was quite amusing because both Stephanie and I are quite quintessentially out direction, and we made jokes about our demonstrations of our typical behavior, (she is West, very organized and doesn't think outside the box easily...it was especially amusing that each of the four housemates identified themselves as a different direction. we have a well balanced house!)
We then did confrontation exercises, and yet another lecture on the history of Americorps and then finally lunch...In the afternoon the most interesting activity was learning details of the various programs. I'm leaving it up to fate what team I'm on, because while I think it would be most natural for me to be immersed in the entirely in-school program, based around tutoring and after school programs, I know that I would be challenged in ways that I need to be challenged if I participated in the other program because it would force me to organize projects and actively learn the nitty-gritty of organizing a non-profit organization. My conscience is pushing me to the latter, but I'll let them decide.
And that's all for now.
Cheers!
K
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Welcome to your new home
I made it, and am writing the from my new incredibly comfortable European-plush top mattress with a fan blowing directly on me, as it has been all night because we rarely use the air-conditioning. My yoga mat is spread out next to me toward the opposite wall, where I have designated it to stay as my yoga-zone, adorned with a big ol' Om that I drew a couple days ago specifically for the purpose. Unlike last year, my necklaces are hanging from the bottom tacks of all my tapestries and on any knobs I could locate already placed around the room. my earrings, on the other hand, are just as they were, dripping from a mesh pencil case that I have propped on the wall. The house itself is great too. It is split directly down the middle with the rooms mirroring each other in each apartment, except that I have a tree out my window and the guy who has my mirroring room does not. Evidently, we have become friends with the neighbors and sharing a beer on the porch in the evening with them is already starting to be somewhat of a tradition. Until last night, that is, when my housemates and I went to Decadence, New Orleans' gay Madeiras on Bourbon st. It was scandalous, to say the least- never have I seen so many shirtless men who look right through me as I pass. It was good fun. We then progressed to a house-party and then finally, when poor Stephanie was already falling asleep, we drove home.
But on to work: on Thursday we drove to Baton Rouge for registration. It was basically a long session of paperwork that ended with us all putting our hands in the center and breaking on "an inspirational word," which ended up being "registration". where the inspiration is in that, I don't know. but so be it.
I'm already quite skeptical of the whole team mentality...or not so much the team mentality, because that is essentially what I signed up to participate in, but rather the superficial exercises (such as the closing exercise) that try to force a team spirit onto you. I will be enthusiastic about what I do and about learning from the people around me if I am enthusiastic about them, and doing team-building and trust-building games and practices, after having done it so many many times before, will do nothing but reduce my enthusiasm. As a child I would have been uber-enthused about the exercises alone, I used to love those things, but that might be exactly the problem. I have grown out of superficial communion. Except the game big-booty. you have to love that one.
And lastly, what have I been doing with most of my time since the actual program doesn't start until Tuesday? I've been reading Eat Pray Love and must insist that everyone reads it. I hope to finish it today. And last week I went to an open mic and my roommates insisted that I play, so I did, and was asked to play an hour slot on Monday, so at 9pm my time send positive vibes in my direction please. I've also watched a lot of movies, such as the sound of music and breakfast at Tiffany's, and I've done between half an hour and and hour and a half of yoga every day...hopefully when my regular routine sets in I'll still have time for all these things...I might have to do an alternating day schedule, kind of like my face-exfoliating scrub.
And on that thought, I'm going to go brush my teeth and then make myself a smoothie or something.
til next time
cheers!
But on to work: on Thursday we drove to Baton Rouge for registration. It was basically a long session of paperwork that ended with us all putting our hands in the center and breaking on "an inspirational word," which ended up being "registration". where the inspiration is in that, I don't know. but so be it.
I'm already quite skeptical of the whole team mentality...or not so much the team mentality, because that is essentially what I signed up to participate in, but rather the superficial exercises (such as the closing exercise) that try to force a team spirit onto you. I will be enthusiastic about what I do and about learning from the people around me if I am enthusiastic about them, and doing team-building and trust-building games and practices, after having done it so many many times before, will do nothing but reduce my enthusiasm. As a child I would have been uber-enthused about the exercises alone, I used to love those things, but that might be exactly the problem. I have grown out of superficial communion. Except the game big-booty. you have to love that one.
And lastly, what have I been doing with most of my time since the actual program doesn't start until Tuesday? I've been reading Eat Pray Love and must insist that everyone reads it. I hope to finish it today. And last week I went to an open mic and my roommates insisted that I play, so I did, and was asked to play an hour slot on Monday, so at 9pm my time send positive vibes in my direction please. I've also watched a lot of movies, such as the sound of music and breakfast at Tiffany's, and I've done between half an hour and and hour and a half of yoga every day...hopefully when my regular routine sets in I'll still have time for all these things...I might have to do an alternating day schedule, kind of like my face-exfoliating scrub.
And on that thought, I'm going to go brush my teeth and then make myself a smoothie or something.
til next time
cheers!
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