tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12477445135904244542024-03-20T06:39:28.469-07:00Life After Elon: Where Service LeadsChrissy Orangiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16963468184071141654noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1247744513590424454.post-63260918690918603142011-11-21T04:20:00.001-08:002011-11-30T03:58:23.675-08:00My Year as a Rotary Scholar, In ReviewMy time as a Rotary Scholar is winding down, much faster than I ever imagined. Luckily, I will be returning to Cape Town in January but in a way it is still the end of many things. For example, when I return i'm no longer an official rotary scholar, though I will stay as involved as I can. Also, most of my friends will be moving on as well so I will be starting over in many ways when I return. Therefore, I am stuck between this weird feeling of closure and excitement for returning home and then starting fresh when I return to the Cape in January. I would like to focus on some highlights of recent events and people i've found to be inspiring during my time here. <br />
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Firstly, I've been working with my old spanish teacher at Holy Innocents Episcopal School in Atlanta, GA (my old high school) to form a sister school (a long term relationship with a yearly exchange) with a school here in Cape Town. I struggled the first few months to find a school willing to spend the time on this, but things fell in to place in July thanks to a Rotary connection. For the last 5 months or so i've been working with the interact club at Groote Schuur High School in Rondebosch. The students in the club are extremely bright students, mostly women, from Eastern Cape, Cape Town, Namibia, and other areas of South Africa. I've had a great time getting to interact with him, giving them access to the blog they use to communicate with students in Atlanta, and scheduling a skype session for them to all interact. Finally on Monday we had our first Skype session! I was worried because you never can tell with the internet here, it is barely fast enough to have a decent conversation on skype on a good day let alone handle video for 30 minutes. But, everything fell into place and we had a great conversation. It is difficult to explain the positive and exciting vibe that took place. The students were all so enthralled with each other, and you could see that the young women here took pride in their cultures. This is often complicated here because of the political history surrounding race and different cultures. In addition, I think the students were surprised to see how much they had in common. Another highlight of this conversation was seeing the young girls react to seeing an American boy! They equally delighted to hear that he was in fact an American football player! Also, it was great to see how impressed the students in Atlanta were to hear the students speaking in Xhosa (one of the 11 official languages here, involving 3 different types of clicks). All in all I think they had a good time and were able to find similarities and differences in their lifestyles and cultures. These students here only know about American culture from TV and it is nice for them to get to find new pathways of communication with students in America. Below is a picture of the interact club communicating with the students in Atlanta. I am hoping that this is just the beginning of many more skype sessions to come! I can see the positive effect it has had already and i'm happy to have been a part of the initial stages. <br />
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I've also spent the last month doing research for my thesis. Again my thesis is looking at how different government departments and levels of leadership interact surrounding flooding issues in informal settlements. I'm looking at a case study of an informal settlement in a detention pond. Recently i've interviewed community leaders, and representatives from different city government departments as well as a representative from the disaster risk management department. I also was able to help my professor and some colleagues with a workshop for various government representatives about risk response. It has been a good opportunity for me to learn how various government departments function and collaborate around issues of risk and flooding. (pictured below). From my research i've also been able to get multiple perspectives about the various complexities of managing informal settlements. Working with city representatives and researching in the informal settlement of Graveyard Pond has definitely been a highlight of my time here. It has also helped me figure out what I might want to do next when I have finished my degree.<br />
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One story i'd also like to share is about a women who works on the corner of the street I live on selling the "big Issue". The Big Issue is a magazine that employs vendors from disadvantaged areas (mostly townships). I pass Cynthia often as I walk to the bus and we always exchanged casual friendly greetings. Recently I decided to stop and ask more about her. We talked for a while and it turns out she is in her 40s, is raising children, working at the big issue and has managed to get training in over 10 different areas of social work. She has certificates from workshops on sexual abuse, drug abuse, leadership, etc. She informed me that she has been working to get a bursary for the University of the Western Cape so she can study social work next year and get a degree. Because of her situation growing up whatever it may have been, she never graduated so she even worked hard recently to matriculate (graduate) and get a high school certificate. Unfortunately she was denied bursary because of her low scores. It is a tough balance here, well anywhere really when it comes to race, poverty, and education. But, Cynthia's efforts to get a degree and become a social worker so that she can move out of Khayelisha (one of the larger townships in Cape Town) and make a bigger impact is inspiring to see.<br />
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So, as I sit and reflect on my time here I feel as though my work is not done. I would like to formalize this sister school relationship if possible, continue exploring my research question, and hopefully get some experience doing some teaching next semester. I am hoping to work with another student to form a society where science departments send students into high need schools (mostly township and informal settlement areas) to do science education. This is a gap that definitely needs to be filled and I think it would be mutually beneficial to have different UCT students in schools getting kids excited about science. I would also like to help University of Cape Town formalize service learning a bit more through this society if it goes well. I am not sure what the next step will be for me, but i'd like to finish the work i've started here and then see where opportunities take me. All in all i'm grateful to Rotary International for sending me here to Cape Town and I look forward to returning after a few weeks home in the U.S. <br />
<br />Chrissy Orangiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16963468184071141654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1247744513590424454.post-86490048796635595472011-09-21T08:08:00.000-07:002011-09-21T08:08:42.042-07:00Winter in the Cape<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Winter here has come and gone, so i'm going to try and recap my whereabouts, projects, and experiences and take a bit of time to reflect on these. Since the last time I posted, classes have started as well as the thesis proposal process of my Master's. I 've become more involved in a few service projects but have still struggled to get a long-term project on the ground and running.<br />
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This semester started off with a bang. As soon as classes started, the whole thesis process really started to speed up. I was lucky to have found a PHd student who is helping me with my research. For those of you that are curious, I will be studying cross-scale collaboration and planning in an informal settlement here under the backdrop of adaptation and barriers to adaptation. This topic will allow me to be exposed to life in informal settlements, speak to community leaders of informal settlements as well as ward counselors and government officials, and really understand more about how these various actors interact. It hopefully will also bring positive government attention to this area. The informal settlement i'm researching was built in a detention pond, an area created for the drainage of stormwater, and therefore it is essentially an area that cannot be lived in due to the extent of flooding. Yet, there is a community of over 2,000 people living in shacks that constantly flood which results in a variety of issues i.e. health problems, destruction of property, etc. I have decided to try and have my Master's thesis at least contribute to a solution to this issue by putting a bit of pressure on the government to do something about it. <br />
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In terms of service, it has been difficult to go consistently to an organization to volunteer because my class schedule is constantly changing, which can be frustrating. I manage to go to a SEED garden in Paarl when I have free time (Schools Environmental Education and Development). SEED is an organization that sponsors gardens in schools around Cape Town in order to educate students about the importance of plants as well as provide some nutritional foods in the schools. It is a very interesting non-profit particularly for my field and I hope to stay involved with them especially as my time frees up. Also, in conversing with a friend I met through a study abroad program a few weeks ago i've been trying to increase exposure to volunteer opportunities throughout Cape Town through creating a website where people can go and see what non-profits are available. I was also looking at doing some workshops for non-profits to utilize short term volunteers with the help of a friend who has relationships with various non profits. It has been difficult though to tap into the University because there is not one set office for volunteering or really a structure to encourage volunteering outside the few organizations on campus. Therefore, i'm struggling to decide whether this project will be sustainable if there is not a system already in place. Hopefully though I will build on it, and someone will take it over in the future. I would love to see more South Africans volunteering, so i'm keen to at least start bridging the gap. I recognize though that it will be a long journey and may not end in a "success" right away. <br />
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Basically i've realized that things here take time, anywhere really, but here especially. Although I do want to have a consistent volunteer opportunity, i've also been looking for a way to fill a gap and have a more sustainable project that I can walk away from and feel that i'm not needed anymore but have contributed to a good cause. This is difficult though because to do this, a relationship needs to be built. Building relationships takes time, and a consistant schedule which is hard to comeby with full time grad school classes. Therefore these kinds of changes and projects always take time, and at the moment i've really debated on whether it is worth my time or if I will gain more from a direct project like volunteering for an after school program. I would like to contribute something that will stay beyond my time here, but I constnatly wonder if maybe direct service will be a better choice. It has taken me about 6 months to really understand this place - how it works, how volunteering works, the various undertones - in order to even identify the gaps. Now that i've identified the gap I am struggling to find people who will be here beyond me to help me with the project so that I can actually make it sustainable. I know that students and young professionals want to volunteer but can't find the opportunities. However, creating the platform for finding these opportunities, if done correctly, is a lot of work. So, i'm hoping that down the line I will find the right connections to make this work because I think it could really add some value here. <br />
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Another project i've been working on is creating a sister school with my high school in Atlanta and a high school here. I'm happy to say that it is now a work in progress. I'm excited by the opportunity to work with local high school students on a blog where they get to talk to students in Atlanta. It has taken a bit of time to lay the framework but things will start moving this week and hopefully the students will have a chance to interact over the next few months. It is a great project and I love seeing how excited the students are to be able to skype with students in America. It gives me hope that these young folks are so happy to share their culture, and eager to learn about others! <br />
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In other news, My dad came to visit me last week so I was able to have a vacation of sorts. We went to Hermanus to see Southern Right Whales, which was a fabulous experience. Then we headed to Knysna along the garden route where we did a canopy tour, visited a cat sanctuary, hiked around Tsitsikamma National Park, and went to the elephant sanctuary. It was nice to get out of Cape Town and see other parts of South Africa and some wildlife as well. Also, it was a magical trip and reminded me of all of the wonderful things this country has to offer. It's amazing how many different ecosystems exist here from fynbos to forest to coastal areas. <br />
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Well, that's life in my shoes at the moment. Just getting everything set up to start making progress, hopefully next time I will have more to report on!Chrissy Orangiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16963468184071141654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1247744513590424454.post-45265141102139342952011-08-05T03:39:00.000-07:002011-08-26T04:25:48.949-07:00Camp Hope<br />
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Most of my blog entries have summed up periods of time spent in Cape Town with explanations of the various activities i've been engaged in. This one however will focus on only 2 days of the last 5 months i've been here. Why? Because those two days happen to be the most influential, amazing, inspiring, and intense two days i've spent here. For those of you who know me, you know that I have a deep love and passion for camp. Day camps, over night camps, wilderness camps you name it, i've probably been a part of it at some stage in life. I dont know if it is the community atmosphere, the way kids respond to camp activities, the songs that are always sung in unison, or that it brings me back to my youthful days. Anyways, this weekend I had the opportunity to volunteer for a camp in Noordhoek, outside Cape Town, called Camp Hope.<br />
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Camp Hope was started by a Rotarian and suggested to me by a friend who is also another Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar. The camp is funded by the Rainbow Dreams Trust and is tailored to kids with physical and mental disabilities. This camp was for children who are partially sighted or fully blind. <br />
I've noticed that camps tailored to children with disabilities or diseases often have names with slightly exaggerated and often cheesy spins, but in this case Camp Hope was deserving of it's title. In only three days I saw transformation in not only the campers but the buddies (volunteers) as well. It was extremely powerful. <br />
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Going into the weekend I was told that I would be working with a woman who had been blinded at 18, only two years ago, and has had to readjust her entire life. She wants to be an accountant, and must relearn everything in order to matriculate (graduate) and also become an expert in brail. I was nervous as I had no idea what to expect. Putting myself in her situation, I think I would be quite frustrated, reserved, and may not enjoy a camp. It turns out, she is an extremely powerful and inspiring woman. She has definitely made the best of her situation, and I enjoyed every minute I got to spend with her. The activities she accomplished in the weekend alone were inspiring. She fearlessly tackled challenges such as rock climbing, goal ball (a variation of soccer for the blind), beading, relay races, tug of war, etc. The best part of the weekend though was seeing her bond with other campers her age with similar challenges. By the end of the weekend she had such amazing team spirit, it was wonderful to see her enjoying herself. <br />
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Another part of the weekend that was defining for me was dinner on Saturday night, not because I was starving by the time the braai was finished, but because everyone had to eat their food blindfolded. This gesture of course was to honor our buddies and feel what it is like to be in their shoes for a little while. I found it to be quite humbling, and what I remember the most was the conversation that arose from the activity. Being blindfolded quieted me down as I focused on finding my food that I had deliberately split up into sections. My buddy couldn't divide her food into sections, I thought. I then searched the table for my drink, and decided it wasn't worth it. I would have to eat my food without water. Once I got a bit more comfortable, I began listening to everyone around me. Everyone who was not used to such a disheartening feeling struggled to enjoy their meal. Though it was funny to hear the other volunteers spit tomatoes out, or pass their cup a direction in hopes of getting juice; I know it struck a cord in all of us. Not only did I get a small taste of what some of these campers experience on a daily basis, I was able to open conversation with my buddy about it. Firstly, I heard another camper say "what does it feel like to be me for a change" with an upbeat tone of voice, knowing that we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. My camper however began discussing how frustrating it can be, but how you take it each day at a time. There were so many things I wondered about like how it feels to have to rely on other people all the time, what happens if you end up alone somewhere how do you know who to trust, how do you manage on your own in your house, etc. Some of the questions she kindly answered, and others I kept to myself not wanting to overwhelm her. All in all, it was a lesson for me on her strength despite her misfortune and what an amazing person she is. <br />
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There are moments of every camp where I remember why I feel so connected to it. Strangely enough, when I think back through most of my camp memories they mostly have to do with music. In this case, I was able to witness a fantastic musical camp moment. For the talent show, one of the women in our group (fully blind from birth) came up with a very catchy tune about her time at the camp. She then played a few chords on piano to match it. A few minutes later, our group had written an entire song about Camp Hope. At the end of camp, we all got together and sang the new campe hope song, written by our camper. It was powerful. Something about this moment, made everything else disappear and I felt nothing but pure bliss.<br />
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For a split second I think we were able to make kids and adults who are faced with adversity feel normal, and that is a powerful thing. I recognize that a weekend at camp doesn't change their situation, and each of them will have struggles with their disabilities that we cannot imagine. But, there will be times when they can look back at camp and remember what they accomplished, the people they met, and what it felt like to have that community of support and hopefully they will feel lighter. even for a second..Chrissy Orangiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16963468184071141654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1247744513590424454.post-87508221624051834232011-06-17T03:27:00.000-07:002011-06-17T03:27:35.309-07:00The Fall in Review<span id="goog_1728674057"></span><span id="goog_1728674058"></span><br />
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Sorry folks for the two month delay! This post will be a summary of what i've been doing, and some of the things i've learned. The past few months have felt like a whirlwind of Rotary speeches, homework, and out of town visitors. It is basically winter here now so the weather has changed a bit and brought the rain and chill. It is amazing how the grey days can change how I feel about the city or be the perfect compliment to drinking tea and watching movies. The sunny days, though they are fewer and farther between now, always remind me what a beautiful place it is here. <br />
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Classwork, Research, and Field Trips!: Classes picked up the last month or so, so I've been researching and turning in assignments. I have also been working on finding topics for my research. At the moment, I am looking to work in Imizama Yethu, a township in Hout Bay that is experiencing sanitation issues and hence having issues with water quality. Other possible projects include working with this livestock farming community, assessing the amount of plastic waste in the creek beds in town, or exploring how townships decrease vulnerability to stormwater and flooding. I haven't figured out specifics, as i'm trying to find a niche within this topic that interests me, but those are some ideas at the moment. I had the pleasure of going on a field trip for class to the West Coast National Park. We learned about the issues facing Langabaan lagoon traditional fishers. The fishers have struggled to maintain their livelihood in the face of a Marine Protected area that prohibits them from fishing in a part of the estuary they have always had access to. We were able to meet with fishers, and National Park guides to hear both sides of the debate. IT was a good hands on example of how science needs to be integrated into social sciences. I am incredibly interested in this interface between science and society and greatly enjoyed getting to see it hands on in a local community. The place we stayed wasn't too bad either! We got to stay in a community based project called Duinepos which is a nice cabin style accommodation in the park. We had a nice braai as a class and got to experience the bush for a night. We also saw different types of buck and some ostrich, which are always a blast to see. <br />
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Rotary Talks: The past month has been filled with Rotary speeches and meeting different Rotary clubs. It began with the District Conference presentation which I had a part in planning. Our task was to present to Rotarians from across the district about who the scholars are, where we are from, and what we are doing here in South Africa. Our presentation went really well, and exposed me to various Rotary clubs across the country. Since then I have been invited to clubs and have greatly enjoyed meeting Rotarians. The opportunity to meet with different clubs has provided me with a great list of contacts for social activities, environmental work, and possible contacts for my thesis work. All in all it has been a great networking opportunity.<br />
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A Piece of Home: A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of a visit from my college roommate Bonnie and her friend Phillip from West Virginia. I was able to do some touristy things like wine tasting in Stellenbosch, fish and chips in Hout Bay, drive to Chapman's peak and shopping in Green Market Square (a local market in town). I was able to take them to a Rotary Club in Paarl and visit a township outside Stellenbosch where Bonnie used to volunteer. On our way back from Stellenbosch (thanks to modern technology and the lack of real maps in the car I borrowed) we managed to get incredibly lost along a dangerous area at night. (parents and friends, no need to freak out) This story is all to say that our friend Phillip stayed relaxed the entire time, while bonnie got extremely quiet and I began to freak out. I was confused that he didn't immediately understand the kind of trouble we could have been in. I realized later that the extreme wealth discrepancy can be avoided if you stay in certain areas of Cape Town, and therefore it is easy to not see the crime levels and extreme poverty that exist here. It is hard to explain the complexities and divides of living in Cape Town, and perhaps as I reflect on it more I will be able to describe it in a future blog post. But, I continue to be in love with the city, and intrigued by these aspects as well. <br />
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Speaking of crime, my Rotary Club of Roggebaai hosted a local writer by the name of Andrew Brown. His book, Street Blues, addresses the complexities of crime here in Cape Town that he has faced as a police man in the Reserves. He read a portion of a story he had written regarding his experiences responding to calls in various parts of Cape Town, and one township in particular. He was discussing the ambiguity of police work here, and how he struggles to remain neutral and not recognize the humanity in others. He spoke about getting to confront criminals and realizing that all of them are human. Part of his story described an interaction he had with a child in a township that reminded him of the struggles of being a policeman, and the difficulty of having to judge a situation in the moment. <br />
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In other news, it is possible that I will be working with UCT to develop a solidified Service Learning structure so that more students are encouraged to participate in service learning and those that do receive credit for it. At this point it was just a friendly request from my professor who is on the social responsiveness committee, but could be an interest project to take on. I am also hoping to get to work with outdoor education in some schools with an environmental education non-profit. In July my roommate and I are looking at traveling with some other scholars and friends in Botswana and Namibia. I hope to get to spend more time exploring other parts of the country as well as doing fun cultural activities around Cape Town.Chrissy Orangiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16963468184071141654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1247744513590424454.post-54778990435879787002011-04-01T05:14:00.000-07:002011-04-01T05:14:47.988-07:00A Few New Perspectives<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS4RyH9nwkQSITLnwGGqpurS7ksrmKGYBYRK7GSXiNaYuxygultzCqrwQe6RM5-u3Nhh1Er3cMFgmJleFTNv8ulbEhApmsE8VHYQ8PcIB80UnN90esWeXUnKehwKf_Uswk8lfrJicFEk4/s1600/P1010790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS4RyH9nwkQSITLnwGGqpurS7ksrmKGYBYRK7GSXiNaYuxygultzCqrwQe6RM5-u3Nhh1Er3cMFgmJleFTNv8ulbEhApmsE8VHYQ8PcIB80UnN90esWeXUnKehwKf_Uswk8lfrJicFEk4/s400/P1010790.JPG" width="400" /></a></div> <br />
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Last week I was able to have new experiences of Cape Town, giving me different perspectives of the city. I visited a few of the townships during a tour of a non-profit, road in the mini taxes, went to the Old Biscuit Mill local market, volunteered at the Cape Argus cycle tour, engaged in interesting class discussions, and had a nice dinner with my host family. Below are the details of my last few weeks, and reflections on what I have had the pleasure of seeing.<br />
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</div><div>ABALIMI BEZEKHAYA: "Farmers of Home" is a non-profit organization that I stumbled upon via my Rotary Host (thanks Terrence). The organization has been established for almost 30 years with the goal to alleviate hunger in low-income communities through sustainable and organic micro-farming initiatives. Abalimi means "the planter" in Xhosa, which is the main language in the communities that the organization targets. The farmers involved in Abalimi have traditionally been the elderly women of the community who are taught how to create and maintain gardens that will sustain them throughout the seasons and provide nutrition for their families. These women then hold workshops to teach other women throughout the townships how to create their own small plots. I spent the morning on Tuesday touring the large community plots, the training facility, and the Harvest for Hope shed (where the vegetables are brought to distribute to the community). It was a fascinating morning where I had the pleasure of meeting some of the head farmers in Nyanga and Phillipi (two townships outside of Cape Town). For those who are unfamiliar with this term, townships are low-income communities formed under apartheid government and therefore are primarily black communities. I was incredibly impressed by the organization for several reasons. Not only were the gardens large plots of land on previously abandoned waste land, but the director of the organization refuses to sell the vegetables produced to any individual or company who does not believe in the principals behind the organization. If you'd like to know more about the non-profit, you can check out the website: <a href="http://www.abalimi.org.za/">http://www.abalimi.org.za/</a>. The part of the project that i'm currently getting involved in is Harvest for Hope. I help pack boxes every week that are sold to people around the Southern Suburbs at various schools. The manager of the non-profit makes sure that all of the community members that buy the vegetables in the Harvest for Hope boxes understand where the food comes from and why it is important to buy locally. It is a fascinating organization and I look forward to telling many more stories. </div><br />
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UNDERSTANDING A NEW CULTURE OF SERVICE: In addition to seeing the projects Abalimi runs, I was able to have a variety of conversations that helped me understand the culture of service in Cape Town a bit more. When I first met the head female farmer in Nyanga, she shook my hand and asked me where I was from. I responded explaining I was from the states and would like to volunteer. She took my shoulder and said "you must date a white man, and bring him here with you to volunteer". Later, I asked the women who drove me back to my apartment why this comment would have been made. They explained that most people that volunteer here are foreigners, and South Africans at my age are not pushed to volunteer. It made me think about all of the systems in place in the U.S. that help promote our age group to volunteer for our communities. I realized how many various factors are involved with the service movement, and it changed my perspective from one of frustration to appreciation for the opportunities we are given in the states. It did however lead me to question Is volunteering linked to wealth and comfort? or Has the U.S. just included it in the system to a degree that provides more opportunities for young people to volunteer than in South Africa? Though the culture of volunteering is stronger for National residents in the States compared to here, I think the interconnectedness of the organizations in South Africa is something to look at. In conversation with various professionals in the service field at dinner one evening, I started to really consider how non-profits function here and network. On the whole, it feels much more like a giant network where everyone shares information and works together with less structure and hierarchical organization than many of the non-profits in the states. This seems to work very well here and provide strong relationships among organizations and in turn greater support for community members. <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsIFhSPisIheK0RHYfxSdOjCy5SPGP5QauF7U45I4ppo9-BkoxX9l55b5Ht_xmy6Ej-IL85pZqW28M94oECdouXVa8ebeqQu-w9u7IHrym0bWreNUZf8CH6aWBbANFDNxrvdD91yaeYug/s1600/P1010806.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsIFhSPisIheK0RHYfxSdOjCy5SPGP5QauF7U45I4ppo9-BkoxX9l55b5Ht_xmy6Ej-IL85pZqW28M94oECdouXVa8ebeqQu-w9u7IHrym0bWreNUZf8CH6aWBbANFDNxrvdD91yaeYug/s320/P1010806.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>TYPICAL SOUTH AFRICAN SATURDAY: On the lighter end of things, I have been able to see and do a variety of wonderful activities in and outside of Cape Town. Two Saturdays ago I had the pleasure of spending the morning / afternoon participating in "typical South African" traditions, some specific to Cape Town. It started with a Jammie Ride to UCT where I was picked up by some friends. Then, we jumped in a mini-tax, my first mini-taxi experience, and headed to Woodstock. For those of you that aren't familiar, mini-taxes are inexpensive, taxi-vans that take people to various parts of the city. They do not have the safest reputation, but they are accessible and inexpensive. At Woodstock we went to the Old Biscuit Mill which is this large market with all sorts of food. There were all kinds of different people there and so much to eat! I had a routi (typical South AFrican meal). A Routi is a type of curry wrapped in a warm tortilla, and it is delicious! We then grabbed dessert and headed to the waterfront (again via mini-taxi) where we ate our dessert on a boat ride around the harbor. It was a fantastic afternoon with very cool people who were extremely excited to share all of these South AFrican traditions with me. The next morning I volunteered for the Argus Cycle tour which is a famous bicycle tour around the Cape Argus. I met a lot of different people, and saw the cyclists off on their 100K journey. The following weekend I attended an all day concert with local South African artists where I could hear a lot of the music i've been listening to since my last visit. I also participated in a Rotary Event with the Seapoint Rotary club painting a fence around a park. It was a very nice community event with lots of kids, families, and people from all different walks of life. <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">For the weekend I went to Hermanus, which is about an hour along the coast (worth googling) for part of my vacation from university. I spent the weekend relaxing, walking along the coast and even got to Sea Kayaking! I had an awesome seafood lunch at Beintang's Cave which is a restaurant right along the coast. </span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgboCdJbCdxROOz29IIAuWjafVnayp8Hwbkzmwq-8ytfLahzSTNtYtdvcX7wMXMSK29eaJMB4ZaWf8jxKR1mjTnAMGk-zaieEiyB3w7L5vPxL2XW5Rcu53ZE-LHMvsdmS5ie67xxjY5XdQ/s1600/P1010845.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgboCdJbCdxROOz29IIAuWjafVnayp8Hwbkzmwq-8ytfLahzSTNtYtdvcX7wMXMSK29eaJMB4ZaWf8jxKR1mjTnAMGk-zaieEiyB3w7L5vPxL2XW5Rcu53ZE-LHMvsdmS5ie67xxjY5XdQ/s320/P1010845.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Yesterday, I went back to Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was in prison during Apartheid. I had been before in 2008 during a history and culture course and had the pleasure of returning with some friends who were visiting from the states. It is a very intense place to visit, thinking about all of the inequalities and torture during Apartheid government let alone hearing it from a past prisoner. It is indescribable the way this country has turned out after such a torrential time for most of it's people. Yet, the past is the past and you can see that it is behind them. It is fascinating learning about all of the leaders that were able to make the end of apartheid so peaceful. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ45a_DsNuJTJQ4m3pKzN_dzaDJcrDFTfumq5Cn2y3iK9Gmvd0oRMEY4EtXAFtW8zeqPS9_oElgNi_ZATtqn1Yl_0iz_1aKorBs76msRGPdrCqdpHbqO3cyJ4sFL2c2oF6wtkPwxWYCkE/s1600/P1010842.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ45a_DsNuJTJQ4m3pKzN_dzaDJcrDFTfumq5Cn2y3iK9Gmvd0oRMEY4EtXAFtW8zeqPS9_oElgNi_ZATtqn1Yl_0iz_1aKorBs76msRGPdrCqdpHbqO3cyJ4sFL2c2oF6wtkPwxWYCkE/s320/P1010842.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Chrissy Orangiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16963468184071141654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1247744513590424454.post-38950353593224929632011-03-06T06:58:00.000-08:002011-03-06T13:51:02.097-08:00Laying the Ground Work<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggZ3fxKtrGiR_CCRS7sX1GlWon9U7scyCFE-LkOjPNzVn40QazIf7TIhcpk6Bq69WXsgoJ_e5_MYTpxZj68HlpKTjJQ_83OjMZUOBlrx1s3kyMj2li_uVcbzmuqU8gugsQgkMDqGJwCtg/s1600/IMG_0291.jpg"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDE_YSVpk-grJCIyZu720-YszUt5Hscoaj82XxxCkgCkRhjwP8hahbv7M1wQUheQxf1vsfep0O9ygmrvKuGgeuamlo8oFLfSgh8TVasgvyfTRMfOzti5JyLs2ILudh9-yNKdWvIO-iRXI/s1600/33.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDE_YSVpk-grJCIyZu720-YszUt5Hscoaj82XxxCkgCkRhjwP8hahbv7M1wQUheQxf1vsfep0O9ygmrvKuGgeuamlo8oFLfSgh8TVasgvyfTRMfOzti5JyLs2ILudh9-yNKdWvIO-iRXI/s320/33.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580982983108892546" /></a><br /><div><br /></div>Two weekends ago I had the pleasure of spending the weekend at my friend's holiday house in Kleinmond, which is on the coast southeast of Cape Town. We spent the weekend braai-ing, hanging out on the beach, playing guitar and catching up. It was a nice weekend outside of Cape Town and I had the chance to explore a different part of the Western Cape. The scenery was absolutely beautiful. I've included pictures above of the scenery there and along the drive. The beauty of South Africa has not ceased to amaze me.<div><br /></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg50xuhCmtYMO_z4MJXK5NOyyOLwDnlLkz2npis0g2jiXDGPc-EeeB2DoS38LaITOEHiHgkoZTdQpzBdV7_yFs5t6G9eT7Nh07LX7YUFfxixvCILn02xxan5KVa7RF54jKQBW0LIFAv4oI/s320/25.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580984200631582050" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px; " /></div><div><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYlessvTjKlNBTahF9soAM25OY7JVepxBRQbVSzYEM296s8SUlAwcAq0ZoG9Q2UJW6IwvQGfz0AHGCGsyt6jv6B5RxazTgZY0Wpy69GNt4-LmfSeTKdhlDKS7ZcRZB4tINBLkmTlN2XvY/s320/30.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580983539708880818" /><div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>THE LEAP SCHOOL: My next project has been finding a service site as well as a possible sister school to do an exchange with my high school from Atlanta. I believe I mentioned in my blogs earlier that I had met a teacher from a school called LEAP. LEAP is a high school for students from low income areas where the focus is on Math and Sciences. In addition to classes, they have a life orientations course which provides time for each grade to get together and talk about issues relevant to their age. For example, the grade 12 students are working on college applications, CV's, and job applications. Each LEAP school also focuses on giving back to the communities in which the students come from. Therefore, there are two service projects per semester that the school participates in. Everyone at LEAP was extremely welcoming to Jessica and I. We were able to see every class in action, get a school tour, meet the principal of one of the schools, and sit down with the volunteer coordinator. They were eager to see how our service could focus on working at LEAP. The Principal wants to focus more on how students can understand their role in community service as well as increasing global understanding and community. It was definitely a good start for figuring out how I could make my time here count. As of right now though, i'm still working on building relationships with organizations and seeing which one will fit my skill set. I hope to meet with teachers at the LEAP school again soon and see if I might be able to help out in the classroom and with planning service projects.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>END POLIO NOW: One event that I had the pleasure of getting involved in through Rotary was planning Rotary International's Birthday on 23 of February. Each year on Rotary's birthday, district's around the world plan an "End Polio Now" screening on historical buildings. This year South Africa used the Cape Town Stadium to show their support for ending polio. Because</div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigdNYBBKsxEBSWrk-AlZctQUfLpM-tWgOBHMbGEkjE5J1r9AeBA5_pUtbBOA82VltA755dRGTf_dJNCtaB-LbPsF7WGOTCK7J0x0Q_nQ4F4ONXp-VFaJ1xuzNAMzcmYQBy6ltZYuxadsY/s320/184225_538756949738_14701722_31556140_7715208_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580986616493589314" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /><div> Polio only exists in 4 countries, and 1 of them is in the district, raising awareness is a huge part of the focus in this district. The other huge campaign that my District here was involved in was "kick polio out of Africa". This campaign sent a soccer ball around Africa gathering signatures and raising money to support the distribution of polio vaccines in Angola and Nigeria. In order to celebrate all of these efforts, the district plans the lighting every year so Rotarians around the world can see the "End Polio Now" lit up on the Cape Town Stadium. The event was small and consisted mostly of Rotary members but it was a nice way to celebrate Rotary's Birthday. </div><div><br /></div><div>HEALTH CARE: This past week i've become a bit more acquainted with the health care system here. Unfortunately, it came at the expense of my tonsils. I came down with tonsillitis last week, and luckily had a friend with a car take me to a Medi Clinic (like an Urgent Care in the states). Transportation, or lack there of, proves to be a setback in situations like this. Thankfully the people i've met here were extremely supportive and helped nurse me back to good health. Anyways, I had the pleasure of going to a Medi Clinic. It proved to be a very pleasant experience, though later I was told it is an upper / middle class hospital. The reason I mention this is that I walked in without my ID and with just my international insurance card. In turns out, here you can get any sort of medical care - a private doctor or at help urgent care centers - without having an ID and /or health insurance on you. I found this to be quite convenient, and realized that there is a bit more red tape when it comes to getting care at most places in the U.S. I also realized that in the states I never really had to worry about it, which got me thinking about what health care is accessible to those without insurance and how much it costs. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>TYPICAL DAY TO DAY: In general, i've been working on settling in and finding my routine here. It's easy to forget i'm not in America, but there are always the little things that remind </div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggZ3fxKtrGiR_CCRS7sX1GlWon9U7scyCFE-LkOjPNzVn40QazIf7TIhcpk6Bq69WXsgoJ_e5_MYTpxZj68HlpKTjJQ_83OjMZUOBlrx1s3kyMj2li_uVcbzmuqU8gugsQgkMDqGJwCtg/s200/IMG_0291.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581037858165865618" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px; color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; " /><div>me. For example, I'm getting used to hanging my clothes up on the clothes line instead of using a dryer, having the internet cut out every few minutes, watching rugby and cricket, buying electricity and cell phone air time, and relying on the mountain breeze to keep me cool during the afternoon instead of air conditioning. It's strange how many things come so easily in America that you don't even think about until they are inaccessible. It has been an adjustment working all of these things into my new daily routines, but it's all part of the exciting experience of being somewhere new. Living in Cape Town has a lot of perks. I spend a lot of my free time going to the beach, going to braai's with friends, and traveling around to various areas of the cape. I attend my Rotary club meetings every few weeks where I get to catch up with various Rotarians. This week i'll have the opportunity to check out another non-profit that builds gardens in townships. So, my goal here is to keep living in the moment, taking advantage of opportunities, and enjoying the people I meet along the way.</div></div></div>Chrissy Orangiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16963468184071141654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1247744513590424454.post-63013346521201639042011-02-16T02:57:00.000-08:002011-03-06T13:54:18.118-08:00Getting Settled<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl3bHjfG9XsKQbXNpOaCFMMxJBOhtGMZ6m-h3Hnxi4hmEySjcm_BvhD5MGbClCe0u2vM_MIUArOYwYIeu8W6NWt2c1AqSth8PAU5gXEC5jNBaZuL4QqxYNGuwrS4G6l7maMJo9AmPOkzY/s1600/P1010774.JPG"></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSuaqDr0n_zkolAfgUrS4aezYAhxYXh1b7j-ADuhvXwBSE3XsA8k0TYoDYzR2QvvZtUzA9RbYfuX-VIeV_a1uLtvg9hYPk03oU030Hz5gH6WzJUMLZ6PoANB37h-VJiyK8by3r5nGZYQw/s1600/IMG_0289.JPG"></a></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2X17E5Iv9P0cxq_MDsFHpnyWC4sBuSkNc4DpcNpvMO97e-nRAIqkqA4doJhq35MOgZ2G9SUXs1f0Hv2r9tjqF1ZYUNyQtptJ-vyzcvZkMXHyUUd1-x9jnwCgT5HiIVW48iA3D7f45wt0/s1600/10.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2X17E5Iv9P0cxq_MDsFHpnyWC4sBuSkNc4DpcNpvMO97e-nRAIqkqA4doJhq35MOgZ2G9SUXs1f0Hv2r9tjqF1ZYUNyQtptJ-vyzcvZkMXHyUUd1-x9jnwCgT5HiIVW48iA3D7f45wt0/s400/10.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574628517572748146" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Now that my preliminary blog is out of the way, I will do my best to spend a bit more time attempting to describe the city, my life here, and all of the cool experiences I’ve had thus far. Cape Town, on the surface, reminds me of most American cities. There is constant movement, different pockets of the city that have different vibes, and consists people from all walks of life. There are green spaces all around where I people can be found laying in the shade, or school students will be walking in their uniforms. Often times when I walk down the street from my apartment on Orange Street and watch all of the cars drive by (or run across the street to attempt to avoid the cars from hitting me even though the light has turned green), I become part of the noise and traffic. Wh</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">en I finally take a second to look up from the street I see the overpowering and mystical presence of Table Mountain.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">It not only reminds me that I’m in South Africa, but it reminds me that among the noise you can find peace anywhere.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">I believe this could be why I feel so connected to Cape Town, you can have the wonderful motion and life of a city with the ever present reminder of nature in the background.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl3bHjfG9XsKQbXNpOaCFMMxJBOhtGMZ6m-h3Hnxi4hmEySjcm_BvhD5MGbClCe0u2vM_MIUArOYwYIeu8W6NWt2c1AqSth8PAU5gXEC5jNBaZuL4QqxYNGuwrS4G6l7maMJo9AmPOkzY/s320/P1010774.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574640509768888770" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "></span></span></span><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></span></o:p></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Returning to Cape Town has been an interesting experience. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">On the one hand the transition has seemed effortless, and on the other, there are a lot of things that are still new to me.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Visiting a place for a few weeks, and moving there for a year allows you to see the place from dif</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">ferent perspectives.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Before, I got to know some areas of the city, a lot of the tourist spots, what </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">locals generally do for fun, and where the awesome shops are.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">This time, I get to take comfort in knowing those basic things, but also have to learn how various systems work.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">For example, getting set up with a cell phone, bank account, student ID card, etc have helped me better understand those systems and how they work in South Africa.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Attending University has given me a different perspective of the culture, as everything here moves a bit slower and information seems to be given no sooner th</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">an when you actually need it. Jessica and I managed to find a nice apartment in town, so we have been using the Jammie Shuttle to get to campus, and have been walking everywhere. This has also given me a new perspective of the city. As I get more comfortable, I hope to continue to go into new areas that I did not get to experience last time I was here.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSuaqDr0n_zkolAfgUrS4aezYAhxYXh1b7j-ADuhvXwBSE3XsA8k0TYoDYzR2QvvZtUzA9RbYfuX-VIeV_a1uLtvg9hYPk03oU030Hz5gH6WzJUMLZ6PoANB37h-VJiyK8by3r5nGZYQw/s1600/IMG_0289.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSuaqDr0n_zkolAfgUrS4aezYAhxYXh1b7j-ADuhvXwBSE3XsA8k0TYoDYzR2QvvZtUzA9RbYfuX-VIeV_a1uLtvg9hYPk03oU030Hz5gH6WzJUMLZ6PoANB37h-VJiyK8by3r5nGZYQw/s320/IMG_0289.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574639594850174834" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">In order to settle in here, I’ve tried to maintain my normal routines from home, and try out new things that are part of life here. For example, the first few days I tried to go without coffee because getting coffee here that isn’t instant proved to be a bit of a mission. I gave in after 2 weeks. After sipping my real cup of coffee on the balc</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">ony in the morning I realized that coffee is one way that I connect myself to a place.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">I have fond memories of times spent alone or with friends in places drinking coffee that somehow it helps me feel more at home. I also find that I like to explore plac</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">es before I get settled in them, and once I’m settled I often stick to my normal routines.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Therefore, I’ve made it my goal to jump into life here by experiencing new things with new people whenever the offer presents itself.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">I’ve also signed up for different groups on campus that are service related, and hope to get involved. In addition, i've joined a gym here that will hopefully motivate me to stay in shape. </span></span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRxY3hrn7d1oFkpjy60m2qg3Nsa0NR_iPg-H4DiakLGDjLX9OAjUFF4P4ByeFEd-gpA3fhv6jj9wKCCpeUP7W2P7s0ewwuqUl1_PYvW-U0IQEF_djOWbdg9TP-QV__Ugv9GTRAVS7Peh8/s1600/181769_538400144778_14701722_31549115_4497626_n.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRxY3hrn7d1oFkpjy60m2qg3Nsa0NR_iPg-H4DiakLGDjLX9OAjUFF4P4ByeFEd-gpA3fhv6jj9wKCCpeUP7W2P7s0ewwuqUl1_PYvW-U0IQEF_djOWbdg9TP-QV__Ugv9GTRAVS7Peh8/s320/181769_538400144778_14701722_31549115_4497626_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574634445041572274" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Within the last few weeks, My roommate and I have managed to partake in quite a few fun adventures.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">We attended the summer concerts at Kirstenbosch gardens where we had a picnic with friends and listened to a local South African band, Zebra and Giraffe.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">We went on a hike to a spring at Bain’s Kloof where we spent the day laying on rocks, jumping off of them, and swimming.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">The drive also provided quite the view of Cape Town.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">We met up with some of my friends on the beach to watch the sunset.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">We also had the pleasure of going to a braii (a BBQ with South African meats), which is a big part of life here, and one of the traditions I remember from three years ago.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">All in all I’ve found my friends (old and new) have been eager to show me the beautiful parts of Cape Town, as well as some of the more touristy parts.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></span><div><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAexiFQfxW3MsPQrImv156rlWT-s78maJVADN3eKnKN67xRJfxejXI36Lw7f6eXLbZ7iubHwaXx6LBjGerRft_DEDeltISdSOGuU3XEBSBnxOvFsrzv-akqsXmnSg-HszcHS18cCkcPps/s320/169064_538409715598_14701722_31549331_4424903_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574372917425880658" /><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">This week has been the start of coursework at UCT (University of Cape Town). I will be getting my master’s in the Environmental and Geographic Sciences department where I take coursework for a year and do a dissertation for 6 months. The courses I’ll be taking this semester are Managing Complex Ecosystems and Climate Predictability and Variability. I will only be taking class twice a week on campus, but it will eventually equate to about 40 hours a week of work. The courses will include lectures, fieldwork, and practical use of skills learned throughout the semester as well as exams, projects, and presentations. Once I get a better feel for the courses I’ll comment on them. In September I will be proposing a research project, and at this point I will be focusing on water conservation and management in the Berg River hopefully focusing on the community level.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Another fascinating part of my experience has been the conversations I’ve been engaged in with people that I meet. In general it seems that people here have a greater understanding of what is going on in the world, including America. At the bank the other day Jessica and I had an hour and half long conversation about what is going on in Egypt, the corruption in the South African government, Obama, September 11</span></span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">th</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">, the end of apartheid and the current wars. In talking about our government, I was able to appreciate the level of democracy we have, and how strong our voting system is compared to most other countries. It felt great to be able to have a conversation about politics and current world events especially from different perspectives. I have found that many people here have a higher level of awareness and are eager to discuss American politics and what is going on in the world with us. It’s been a great way to find common ground with South Africans, and point out what it is I like about South Africa while also appreciating how things are run in America. Without reinforcing stereotypes, or giving an extreme opinion, I’ve been able to connect with a lot of people here just by discussing tactics to improve the world and reflecting on history to learn from. To me, this is a large part of what the Ambassadorial Scholarship is about – opening doors through conversations, paralleling two cultures, and connecting with people over the desire to make the world better.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div></div>Chrissy Orangiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16963468184071141654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1247744513590424454.post-10253696499043469522011-02-15T01:16:00.000-08:002011-02-15T02:28:47.433-08:00From the South to South Africa<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbH01sY4ce3BenI1_ZFukTdwLztHPQiv7mEKGW1VIWe0ugyBay9-I9evFRRJV9yWqnA9YwPPqPGP0AxFKJDA6-u4CxPatQukYzdm2aD5efCPVqCcrCJnoDHAljfcfnBQTTkt9Sud5INRQ/s1600/180088_538246652378_14701722_31545513_1281839_n.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbH01sY4ce3BenI1_ZFukTdwLztHPQiv7mEKGW1VIWe0ugyBay9-I9evFRRJV9yWqnA9YwPPqPGP0AxFKJDA6-u4CxPatQukYzdm2aD5efCPVqCcrCJnoDHAljfcfnBQTTkt9Sud5INRQ/s320/180088_538246652378_14701722_31545513_1281839_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573861123328969378" /></a><br /><br /><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Apple Casual"font-family:";">It is difficult to describe just what it is that has been calling me back to South Africa. IF you know me at all, you know it has been about 3 years in the making.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This time though I get to experience the country through a Post-Graduate education program while being an ambassador for Rotary International.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>For those of you that do not know, Rotary International is a world wide service organization comprised of local businessmen and women who raise money and work to make change locally and internationally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Their biggest achievement is working to eradicate polio, which only exists in 4 countries now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>As a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar my role will be to participate in Rotary Meetings through my local club, speak at Rotary Clubs around Cape Town and South Africa, as well as participate in service projects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In addition, I will be receiving my Master’s degree in Environmental and Geographic Sciences at the University of Cape Town. My focus will be on water conservation and management through community outreach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Apple Casual"font-family:";">Anyways, that is how I got here to Cape Town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>My first night I arrived to meet the President of the District for RI as well as my host counselor, Terrence Matzdorff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Terren</span>ce and his family welcomed me with open arms, sarcastic comments (which if you know my family, is standard protocal), home cooked meals, and help getting set up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Immediately I felt like I was at home with the Matzdorff’s. They gave me tips on the city, showed me how to get back and forth from campus, took me to see apartments, and so on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I am forever grateful for their generosity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The generosity has not stopped at the Matzdorff’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I’ve found that my American accent has opened more doors than I had assumed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Even though most people do have stereotypes of how American’s act, most people who I’ve interacted with have been eager to help and I’m sure laugh at whatever silly thing I was asking about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It is strange how two countries that speak the same language, still have so many language barriers. In general though, I’ve been working hard to break American stereotypes, and find common ground with the people I’ve interacted with.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Apple Casual"font-family:";">Thanks to my hosts, and my roommate, Jessica’s hosts the first 10 days also allowed me to see various beautiful parts of the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We went to Kirstenbosch, which are the botanical gardens right under Table Mountain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Every Sunday there are concerts at Kirstenbosch, which I’m excited to attend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We went to Llandando Beach, being that January here is the summer - woo woo!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We were driven around the city to see various views, and walked around campus to get accustomed to where we would be attending Uni.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I also had a chance to speak at a rotary club and explain why I’m here, where I’m from, and what I hope to accomplish. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Apple Casual';">In terms of logistics, the first ten days involved a lot of running around trying to set up a cell phone, bank account, and get the money transferred to my bank account. luckily, Jessica happens to be a pretty organized person, and so we managed to get it all done (though our funding came a bit late so we had to improvise the first few days). However, it did help us get to know the city better, and how t</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Apple Casual';">hings work here. Internet is quite expensive, and capped so it's been a good experience getting used to things that seem to come so easy in America.</span></p><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rP26mpxSLH-i1vabjqiyzZbBJIT04RViGzVDn4UNYO2HrgoUH1480Z_ClMyssLfIEYEB0lkT9PjxeDzja8MiJ6Fy732ga98cAf37A0reseX_SBmdcM2-4AcQiQQwO4zo1tQsY8fz3MM/s320/180144_538217066668_14701722_31545088_5022880_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573851337262132194" /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Apple Casual"font-family:";">Through Rotary, I had the pleasure of attending Ray’s R</span><span style="Apple Casual"font-family:";">eunion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Ray is the President of RI, and happened to be a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar in Cape Town in the 50s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>At the reunion, I heard F.W. DeKlerk speak, as well as Frances Moloi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>F.W. DeKlerk was involved in ending apartheid government in the 90s in South Africa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He spoke abo</span>ut the issues facing our world, and what the solutions to various conflicts could be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He discussed the opportunities Africa would have in the future to become stronger, and more of a world power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Frances Moloi was an Ambassadorial Scholar to Harvard University and then became the SA Ambassador to India.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>His speech was focused on how much he learned from being an Ambassadorial Scholar, and how he took the time to talk to students from all over the world about conflict and conflict resolution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The Rotary Ambassadorial experience is what you make it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Moloi reminded me though of the purpose of the program, and inspired me to really make it worthwhile whether it be through service or just through conversations with people from all over the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It is important to remember how even small interactions can open up doors to new conversation, and lead to change whether it be change in perspective or attitude.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Apple Casual"font-family:";">My next step in getting set up here will be to establish my service organization of choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Word on the street is, there is an Outward Bound in Cape Town, so it’s only a matter of time before I’m knocking down their door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I’ve also been told of an organization that helps families in the townships make garden plots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In addition, I’m working on setting up a sister school with my high school from Atlanta.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Finding the right school is a challenge though, because Cape Town is set up much like Atlanta in my opinion (minus the beach).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The city is divided into sections, suburbs, and segments often divided by economic means and ethnicity. The main part of the city is much more integrated and reminds me of areas of downtown and Decatur. So I’m in the process of finding a good fit for an exchange program that will give students a different perspective than they are used to without re-enforcing stereotypes of Africa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I’ve been able to make some good contacts due to this, so it is quite exciting. On Monday I was invited to the Newlands Rotary Club meeting where young adults that are involved in Rotary were invited to come and talk about what their local school clubs have been doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>There were students there from a school called LEAP that gives students from low-income areas and troubled backgrounds the opportunity to get an education.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It was extremely inspiring to hear about all of the service projects the schools have been doing, and I hope to work on finding a way to partner with them in the future. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Apple Casual"font-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Apple Casual';"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Apple Casual"font-family:";">So that has been my experience so far.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Sometimes it is easy to forget that I’m in South Africa because Cape Town is such a huge city, and very industrialized and modern in many ways. It’s a strange mix between people that are connected, and still removed from the consumerism levels of America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In a way I think South Africa has gotten it right, but then again it’s hard to say if a society would change if they had the same access to all of the technology that comes to cheap in the states.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Chrissy Orangiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16963468184071141654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1247744513590424454.post-27068480957354449272010-03-06T20:22:00.000-08:002010-03-31T09:32:45.632-07:00Making Progress<div>The past few months of work have been a whirlwind of planning, networking, training, and collaborating. It took the first 6-7 months of my term to really figure out what I do (I know many of you are still wondering), what my daily tasks need to be, and what I can accomplish in the year I have been given. Now I finally feel as though I am getting things done, or at least setting other leaders up to be successful. Now that March has arrived, we will be traveling on a weekly basis all across the state, so stay tuned for road trip stories! This blog post will serve to update you all on what i've been attempting the past few months, and a bit of my own processing on where I can go in my last portion of my term. </div><div><br /></div><div>HERDING CATS: As part of my position as Network Team Leader, I was asked to apply to be on the AmeriCorps Member Advisory Council when I first began my term. The point of the council is to gather members from different programs and areas in the state in order to collaborate on projects and build stronger relationships. It was frustrating at first because most of ACMAC is filled with VISTAs, and there was not a lot of shared knowledge of AmeriCorps state programs. For many of you reading this, you are probably still stuck on figuring out what these acronyms actually mean. Basically, the organization was not quite serving its purpose, and many areas of the state were not represented. Therefore, I collaborated with a friend to work on recruiting members from different programs located on some of the more rural areas that do not get a voice. It may not be the most rewarding of jobs, but it landed me the position as the Co-Coordinator. Now I am responsible for granting money for Global Youth Service Day, and putting my words into action. It has been important to me to work on setting up systems that will allow for success even when i'm no longer present. This is one piece of my job that I felt I could at least affect for now, and possibly encourage some collaboration on the reservations. </div><div><br /></div><div>ITS ALL RELATIVE: Our first site visit brought me to Browning and Great Falls. Browning is a town outside of East Glacier on the Blackfeet Reservation. It is fairly close to Canada, and at the tail end of the tourism that booms in the summer from Glacier National Park. The campus we work with there is difficult to communicate with, but when projects occur they are extremely necessary. For our site visit, we set up meetings with members, the coordinator, and the team leader for early afternoon last Thursday. It was our surprise when we called to say we would be about 20 minutes late, and the coordinator responded with "oh shit". It seemed to shock us even more when we arrived on campus and realized that the buildings were empty. The coordinator met us willingly, but explained that the leader and members had left for Butte for a high school basketball game. We walked around the building, and realized that actually our coordinator was the only person left on campus. Frustrated and also slightly confused, we went along with the site visit the best we could. The campus was small, and did not have enough office space for a lot of the professors. Yet we had been requesting space for our AmeriCorps members to have a desk and a phone. I finally understood why communication had been difficult, and that there are major cultural differences that affect the work we do. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>FLOORS OF SERVICE: Yes, that's right, once again I have found a way to include the Service Learning Community in my daily life. Turns out I don't stop talking about my experiences with the SLC at Elon. Team leaders on several campuses have begun working with departments and university heads to set up service floors / houses on their campuses. There are a few smaller campuses that have bought into the idea of an SLC and will be looking into how they work on their campus. i've given my input where appropriate, but am thrilled that they are going to give it a try. I am doing my best to adjust what I know has worked on the East Coast with the given culture at campuses here in the West. I think passing on service learning communities is the best way I can leave something sustainable to be built upon over the next few years. </div><div><br /></div><div>So, I guess the lesson over the past few months has been that I have had to adjust my goals, figure out what I want to achieve, and work within the systems put in place here. Do I think that I can make a huge impact in just one year? No. However, I can do my best to provide resources and suggestions of how I think things can improve and create structures for these changes to be successful. Whether they work or not, is up to whoever takes them on in the future. In this business, with the short time i've been given, i've learned it is all about setting foundations for others to build upon and shape accordingly. </div><div><br /></div>Chrissy Orangiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16963468184071141654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1247744513590424454.post-87313643612221990852010-01-12T12:50:00.000-08:002010-01-22T15:34:47.827-08:00Apathy Inversion<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"> After spending a few weeks in the south, it has been a challenging to get my footing back here in Missoula. The sun doesnt shine too much, because the cloud cover creates a pocket over the valley. It's amazing how weather can affect the mood, and the culture of a place. There was even talk of someone crying over the inversion. I guess the lack of sunshine will do that to you. The beauty of the inversion though, is that when the sun shine's through you really feel the warmth it sends. </span></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />THE ROAD TO AFRICA: It has been some time since I began my quest to return to Africa. After forming a life in Montana, I became disconnected from the reasons that drove me to return to the Motherland. I was excited and honored after being nominated for a Rotary Ambassadorial S</span></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">cholarship, but after a year of waiting and no set plans it has been hard to imagine that the day will arrive that I get to actually board a plane. Although I still have yet to know which country I am traveling to "officially", I was pleasantly surprised by the energy at the Rotary training I attended in Greensboro last weekend. I must a</span></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">dmit the training exceeded my expectations, mostly because it is a difficult task to prepare 40 people with varying age and travel experience for a year abroad in countries that span the globe. I had spent so much time thinking about sitting in a room for 10 hours straight that I forgot the purpose of the organization and that everyone is united under the "service above self" motto. Training began for me when I was introduced to my Greensboro Rotary Club Sponsor, an established international business woman from Nigeria. My doubts subsided after meaningful and cheerful conversation with Chi about her philosophies of cultural experiences and all that my experience in Africa could be. The first few hours were a whirlwind of introductions to other fellow scholars as well as Rotarians from all over the Eastern U.S. It was a jam packed day of networking. The sessions themselves served to infor</span></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">m us of the logistics and the process that follows acceptance of the scholarship. We heard from returned Scholars from Europe, South America, and Africa. I was excited to meet scholars heading to the same district, so at least I have some spots picked out to visit. Mostly though it helped me realize what a great experience this can be, and how above and beyond getting an education I will be able to make an impact using a powerful organization.<br /><br />MY PIECE OF THE PUZZLE: I feel the most important piece of training for me was finding that strong passion I have had for returning for Africa, that has faded over the last few months. I haven't realized how disconnected I have become from my original desires to travel, learn under a new system, and make a positive impact abroad. How did just one night help me remind of this deep routed desire? Well, it started with an outgoing Rotarian. If you couple that with comedy, tangeable items, and inspiring sto</span></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhTv7E_zTGO4KPHla6J5Fbc-AFtiGLMwD-A2Y-7WNz6htf3R0S8iUp-yd-IS8qwN_xdZRtioynm9i_onqGgDy5UiLdw0GzLiXZ4UokWKkHjp9J3FoPDOhFj2rc_46xtArwujcSqI97New/s1600-h/75C9CBEF562C95EE914CDDCF8F4B1574.640.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhTv7E_zTGO4KPHla6J5Fbc-AFtiGLMwD-A2Y-7WNz6htf3R0S8iUp-yd-IS8qwN_xdZRtioynm9i_onqGgDy5UiLdw0GzLiXZ4UokWKkHjp9J3FoPDOhFj2rc_46xtArwujcSqI97New/s320/75C9CBEF562C95EE914CDDCF8F4B1574.640.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428926421171396306" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">ries you get something close to the feeling each of us left with after dinner that evening. John T, was the</span></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"> ma</span></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">n's name, and he told stories with fervor about how we have the ability as people to make change. He talked about the adversity he received abroad in the 80s, and how he m</span></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">anaged to break down those barriers. He showed visuals of all of the things Rotarians have managed to do abroad, and then he handed each of us a puzzle piece. I began hearing names of established politicians, writers, world leaders, and peace keepers - all of whom who were Rotary Scholars. During this speech I began thumbing over my puzzle piece, wondering if I would have to get up and miserably try to put together a huge puzzle with the other 70 people in the room. Then I heard him say, these people are all pieces of a greater puzzle (if you are an SLCer, then you understand my love for Legacies, and how beautifully they fit into inspirational speeches). What is your piece of the puzzle going to be? I'm not sure if it was the way he spoke, that he strongly believed what he was saying, or that he had spent most of his life doing service abroad and using the money of an established business organization to help end a widespread virus (polio). Nonetheless, when he got off the stage, I no longer thought of the next 9 months of paperwork, the year I have spent filling out applications and interviewing, or the times i've questioned whether this was the right choice. Instead, I remembered that above and beyond anything, I have a desire to connect with another culture, to understand things from a different perspective, and to serve by meeting the needs of the community I study in.<br /><br />APATHY VS ACTIVISM: Lately I have felt like there is no way to take action the way I used to be able to. At Elon, I felt that there was a certain unifying component of activism. Sometimes it was simple little acts like fasting shoes for a few days or walking on the grass not on the paths. However, when tragedy struck anywhere in the world it was a guarantee that students would be ready to act. I miss the days of walking through the Moseley Center and seeing tables, billboards, and signs of the countless causes that students were trying to raise awareness about or seek volunteers for. I often took for granted this environment, or at least did not stop to consider that this may not be the norm for most campuses. Here, as the inversion creates a pocket in the valley, it seems to also keep the culture inside. Missoula has so many non-profits and everyone in the community gives back to them somehow. However, the feel of UM and Missoula has not been the same in response to international tragedies. This is something that might have to do with the students, and the fact that we are in winter session or the way the school functions when it comes to service. IT has taken some time to get used to, and will take more work to get certain fundraisers going. I also feel as though I have let apathy overcome me a bit lately too. I'm not sure if this is due to not knowing where to commit my time or how to get involved outside of work, but I have not been as involved in the community as I had hoped after 6 months of living here. I have decided to work with the Missoula Rotary Club to see if there is anything they can do to raise money for Haiti. I have also committed to doing direct service with the Watershed Education Network, which will get me outside and more involved in the community. I have felt a bit of the effects of my own inversion, staying only in the office, and not making the most of the position ive been given in the community. My goal for the next 6 months is to really get out into the community, and stay committed to a few of these organizations. <br /><br />So the past 2 weeks of being back in Missoula have certainly tested my patience. It has been difficult not knowing where I am going and when I am leaving the country, but I think the waiting has been good for me. I also feel like Rotary got me hyped up to get involved before I leave, and make the most of my time in Missoula. I am working hard to get back on a schedule, and feel like my old, fired up, Elon self again. It is a hard transition back into the clouds and gray of the mountains, but I look forward to the sun shining again. The good news about winter in Missoula? Just when the inversion seems too much to handle, snow fall brings relief and takes the gloom out of the day. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span></span>Chrissy Orangiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16963468184071141654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1247744513590424454.post-26625977174942931132009-12-01T12:25:00.000-08:002009-12-14T12:19:22.601-08:00The Month of Giving<span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />After taking a week off of working for a trip home, it was hard to jump back into the day to day office work. It has been nice to be back in the land of mountains. Living in the valley keeps me fulfilled and grounded. The winter has definitely arrived; snow kept me company on my walk to work this week, and it was so cold that at one point one of my tears froze on my face! It is still quite magical though, and hopefully I will be able to brave the entire winter. Everyone is getting ready for Christmas, and I have been blasting my alternative Christmas mix throughout my house. It is nice to have snow and holiday spirit.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />WRAPPING UP THE SEMESTER: Work has simmered down a bit, and my responsibilities are all very future oriented. I am currently working on time-lines and getting the smaller details in order to start focusing on the major events I have to plan next semester. It is a strange calm right now, because normally I am used to final exams and having so much work that Christmas Break is a nice time to simmer down. Right now although I do have regular daily tasks, it just feels as though December will be the calm before the storm that the end of January will bring. I am working on starting a creative writing contest among members which I am excited about and hope will work out. In addition, i'm beginning to plan a training for leaders in February which is my next challenge. For now though I work 9-5 in the office. Mondays and Wednesdays I spend at the YMCA tutoring kids which is a blast. I've been looking for other tasks at work like shopping for the veterans our office has adopted, really anything that can get me out of the office for a while.<br /><br />A MONTH OF SELF IMPROVEMENT: This month I am able to focus on reaching some of my personal (non-work related) goals, and trying new things. I have committed to rock climbing at the gym once a month which has been a good way to challenge myself mentally / physically. I am also hoping to take a photography class in January so I can learn the basics of using a manual. Soon I might even pick up skiing to keep myself entertained and outside for the rest of winter. At night i've been trying to master my knitting skills. Although I have moments where I miss my friends and support system of Elon, I am extremely glad that I moved out on my own. It has been a challenge but a necessary one. In the few months that I have been here I have learned my strengths and weaknesses and really learned to appreciate who I am. I have built a support system here, though it is small compared to the one I had at Elon, it has made Montana feel like home. I am still looking to find more projects to do in the community, because I feel separate from it a lot of the times being in the office on campus. I guess that comes with most indirect service or office positions in any company. It has been discouraging at times to not be out in the community, but i'm doing my best to make the most of it all.<br /><br />WORDS FOR CHANGE: The good thi</span></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">ng about my position is that the guidelines are very "big picture" guidelines, so I have a lot of freedom to plan fun projects within those very broad guidelines. The challenge with this is that I sometimes lose sight of the smaller details, but I have been able to come up with a new creative challenge for members. I am about to launch a "Words for Change" competition where members can creatively express themselves and reflect on their service a bit more deeply. It struck a chord with the head of MTCC, so he has offered to fund the contest giving the winner an ipod and publishing the works in some sort of final product! The first step has been typing up a convincing announcement and being clear about guidelines. I'm pretty exc</span></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">ited about it, and it is something that will be mine which is pretty cool. Hopefully I will receive some quality submissions and maybe spark interest in a number of members all over the state.<br /><br />CHRISTMAS WISHES: The </span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDCgXdRYMSWcZK20peyLd_OCygX75W63BJ6VJafAZ-w16chpdQ4ZJWaT7Ghoj6PH6HLEZ00zVRmt2RqGmqhKZLDJ3YNBDIEXR32rMU1-7Fbrp86lmUAMFz47BuCe6VKtfiyEegKrkbuXI/s1600-h/winter+247.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 217px; height: 327px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDCgXdRYMSWcZK20peyLd_OCygX75W63BJ6VJafAZ-w16chpdQ4ZJWaT7Ghoj6PH6HLEZ00zVRmt2RqGmqhKZLDJ3YNBDIEXR32rMU1-7Fbrp86lmUAMFz47BuCe6VKtfiyEegKrkbuXI/s320/winter+247.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415153522760059474" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Campus Corps team at the University of Montana ran adopt-a-family / adopt-a-vet program where departmen</span></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">ts / students/ community members can adopt either a family or a veteran and buy presents from their wish lists. My office adopted 2 veterans which I got to take the lead on, so my co-worker and I spent a morning shopping for model cars, george forman grills, and clothes for these two men who made sacrifices for us long ago. It was a nice change. My responsibilities were only supposed to go as far as buying and wrapping the gifts, but luckily my roommate needed a car to pick up all of the gifts to be delivered to the Valor House. We loaded the gifts that completely filled up my forester. Among these gifts were some snow shoes for a man name</span></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">d Russell. Upon arriving and unloading, I saw an older man's eyes light up as he watched me carry a set of old wooden snow shoes. To my sweet surprise, I witnessed Russell discover his Christmas dreams had in fact come true. It was warming, but not all of the veteran's wishes were as easily fulfilled. The only thing on one m</span></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">an's wishlist was a purpose. I was happy that many people without the same luxuries as myself were able to receive the gifts they wanted, but there is more to be done. It was a bittersweet project that reminded myself and my fellow team leaders that gifts can be fulfilling but they aren't always everything. We wanted more than anything to give this man a purpose, but he had to settle for new clothes instead.<br /><br />FRUITS OF MY LABOR</span></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">: Finally I have something to show for my work, that you all can enjoy (should you have the time). I spent the last month working diligently on a newsletter to highlight as many projects and programs around the state I could fit in. It has finally been edited and posted on our website. If you want to learn more about the program, what the leaders I work with do, and what is happening with Campus Corps projects around the state you should check out the newsletter. Keep in mind that I was not a journalism major, so this newsletter format was new to me. Anyways, click the link to see the newsletter: <span style="text-decoration: underline;">http://www.mtcompact.org/documents/NewsletterFall09.pdf<br /><br /><br /></span><br /></span></span>Chrissy Orangiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16963468184071141654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1247744513590424454.post-66651701874809301642009-11-10T08:50:00.000-08:002009-11-11T12:30:10.294-08:00Self Directed Service<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-family:courier new;">Indirect service can seem monotonous at times, and is often difficult to see the "fruits of the labor". This makes staying motivated a challenge at times.<br /><br />CHALLENGING THE SYSTEMS: I've learned how hard it can be to make change, even when you know it is necessary. My goal has been to help leaders create systems in the offices that will provide more room for student leadership through service. I respect the leadership model of EV! and want to create similar models where they fit in at many of the campuses I work with. This seems like a feasible goal however there are so many factors that often prevent progress. Because of how distant I am from the actual offices, it is difficult for me to make change. This has been discouraging at times but a good lesson on the various levels that go into making a successful service-learning program. I have been experiencing a side of service-learning that I did not get to see as a student leader, and it has been an essential learning experience. It has made me push myself to decide if I would rather be in a more hands on position or if I enjoy having influence on the bigger picture of the program.<br /><br />ONE LEADER DOWN: Last week was difficult from a programming stand point because I had one team leader who quit Americorps. She called me first to let me know, which reflected her respect for our office. However, it is hard to lose a leader because it feels as though it reflects on me. It does prove that some Americorps postions are not for everyone, and so it is good to know what the job description is before signing up. This leader wanted to be more hands on, and less self directed. It also showed me that my support can only go so far before the college campus coordinators have to take over. Unfortunely not all offices have staff members as committed to personal development like those at Elon. It was difficult but i've used it as motivation to make sure that the remaining leaders are supported locally in addition to our office's support. <br /><br />STRUCTURAL CHANGE: The highlight of last week though is that i've been working with my boss to make some structural changes in the program. I am worried that perhaps i'm too ambitious with change, but we are going to try to incorporate VISTAs into the campus offices to see how they can build capacity and sustainable programs. Once again going off the North Carolina model, we will be experimenting with VISTAs in offices next year who want to develop their programs further. IT is exciting to know that i've been able to assist with the vision of Campus Corps, and it makes me feel as though my contributions will pay off. It is a sign that my hard work is working towards something, even if I can't always see the result. <br /><br />BACK TO THE OFFICE WORK: Next week will be our final site visits for the semester, meaning that I will finally be grounded for a while in Missoula. My next tasks will be planning a winter retreat / training for leaders which really excites me. I am also responsible for planning the spring member training, and we will be working with members to present to their peers. In addition to these major events I am putting together a writing contest for members to submit creative peices about the service they have been doing. The office work gets to be a lot and there are certainly days where I would rather be outside educating children but i've gotten the hang of the work and appreciate the lessons I am getting. I have really enjoyed the freedom to choose projects that I feel will enhance the program. It is nice to have a self-directed job with support from my supervisor. Turns out this kind of office work isn't too bad and I always remind myself where the work ends up - college students directly serving in their community. <br /><br />FOOTBALL WITH A 6 and 3/4 YEAR OLD: Unfortunately I have not been able to volunteer with boys and girls club because they do not have teens coming to the center. I waited it out and helped them as much as possible but there is not much to be done in terms of direct service. I spent the last week or two contacting agencies in search of a direct project with kids, which sounds easy, but was actually quite difficult. FInally i stumbled upon a YMCA article so I jumped on the opportunity and went to the Y on Monday. the facility is by the old fairground so there are a few buildings that kids can do homework in, and a huge field. I spent the afternoon playing football with a "6 and 3/4" year old which was extremely refreshing. He was a fast one, and at one point asked me to stop going easy on him, which was embarrassing b/c I was pretty much running as fast as I could. Needless to say it was a great time and I look forward to going there weekly. IT is surprising how hard it was to find a site that needed me and could give me somthing to do, so it's nice to now have a project to do after work. <br /><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-family:courier new;">I guess the moral of this post is that i've learned to really believe in what I do, what many of us do, which is promote active citizens. So yes, the indirect office work is challenging at times but when I hear college students talk about how meaningful their experience has been it doesnt seem so monotonous anymore. Ive been lucky enough to gain the hands on service i've been craving at the YMCA where I volunteer weekly playing with kids. The rest of the time I spend doing behind the scenes work, but it's no less important. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span></span>Chrissy Orangiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16963468184071141654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1247744513590424454.post-78150405560749998182009-09-28T15:34:00.000-07:002009-10-07T15:39:38.805-07:00Building Engaged Citizens<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CCHRIST%7E1.ORA%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CCHRIST%7E1.ORA%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" 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5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 6pt;"><i><span style="font-size:12pt;">“Don’t worry about what the world needs. Do what makes you come alive and do
<br />that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”</span></i><span style="font-size:12pt;"> — Howard Thurman<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">BUILDING ENGAGED CITIZENS: This weekend was the Building Engaged Citizens conference for all of the Campus Corps members and Vista members that belong to Montana Campus Compact. In words that anyone outside of Montana can understand, it was orientation for college students that get AmeriCorps money to serve in their communities. My role in this hectic compilation of college students from universities all over the state was planning, facilitating, and lending my couch to the various VISTA's that stayed in Missoula over the weekend. Like many anticipated moments in life, I spent more time and energy planning for the conference than actually attending it. The weekend seemed to fly by and now remains in my memory as a whirlwind of new faces, behind the scenes tasks, and tons of icebreakers. It was exciting to see everyone in one place and get to have a somewhat leading role in this.
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<br />DEFINING SERVICE CONTROVERSY: I seemed to stir up quite the controversy with the "defining service" activity (Elon Vols folks, you all probably do this in your sleep now) but boy did we have some heated conversation. This activity is designed to really make people define what service means to them, and help them consider their own service ethic. For those of you that are unfamiliar the activity asks participants to rate different proiects on a scale, such as giving blood, donating money, voting, and joining the armed forces. In reality with 80 AmeriCorps members, it creates a heated conversation and deep debates. I saw this as a positive thing, because it got people discussing their definition of service and forcing themselves to really define what service means. It also proved how passionate people are about service and what it means to them. However, the debate left a bad taste in many people's mouths. I am a firm believer that this is where people learn the most but as a leader it also puts me in a tough spot because now we have unhappy participants. All in all it went well, and I guess there's nothing like a little bit of controversy to get people reflecting on their personal values.
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<br />HAPPENINGS ON HIGGINS: After the seven day work week I took Monday off to sleep and be mindless for a day. This led me to "liquid planet" (my favorite coffee shop) in the afternoon where I was able to enjoy the weather and be on the internet at the same time. I love walking around town in the afternoon because there are so many people out on the streets sipping coffee, writing, playing music, or reading. It is great to get to interact with strangers, and people watch. I ended up spending a good bit of the afternoon speaking to a man living off the disability allowance, who admitted to being an alcoholic. He opened up to me about all of his problems, what he wants from life, and how he got to where he is. It was a strange conversation, mostly because of how off guard I felt when a stranger wanted to speak with me. I've become so accustomed to tuning out my surroundings and having that "city" mindset of not interacting with anyone that I forget it's ok to interact with new people. It amazed me how open to sharing he was and how easily he admitted his problems. I wanted to help him, but listening felt like the only thing to do at that point. Needless to say, Brian has been on my mind all week and i'm glad I had the chance to interact with him. It's one of those moments that felt like I was in the right place at the right time. What does this have to do with my service or building engaged citizens? It made me realize that the "service" we provide on a daily basis through AmeriCorps should not end there. Instead it should inspire a certain mindset, where talking with a community member and giving of ourselves is part of our lifestyle and personality. It is the smaller aspects of "service", the subtle everyday deeds that really make us an engaged citizen.
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<br />HATS AND SCARVES: I have realized what "seasons" really mean as the cold begins to set in, and I find myself wearing a scarf, hat, and north face in my office. Winter is no joke out here, but i'm enjoying the change in season. Today is first Friday where I will be going down town to the art museums sipping free beverages and looking at new works of art. There certainly is a lot of culture to the town, and I'm excited to see all that arises from the winter here.
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<br />Well it's Friday afternoon, so it's time to go.. Tune in next week to hear about my weekend at an ACMAC (Americorps Member Advisory Council) retreat.
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<br /></span></span>Chrissy Orangiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16963468184071141654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1247744513590424454.post-62791510677279873292009-09-23T14:01:00.000-07:002009-09-29T10:16:36.278-07:00From the Classroom to the Community..<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />BACK TO THE CLASSROOM: Last week I was invited to speak in a class about the beauty of service, and opportunities that students can find at UM. Most of the students looked at me like I was crazy(teachers of mine, i'm sure you've seen this look from me at some point in your career). I wasn't sure if I captured any of their interest outside of their required service hours. It was tough to judge what inspired them and what just went over their heads considering all of them gave me blank stares. I also caught half of them studying for the quiz they had next (something I was g</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">uilty of on many occasions). I tried being engaging by asking questions but most of them had zero desire to speak up. Many of them did end up seeking out service opportunities, so it was successful. It also helped me define why I am in the service field, and how I got here. I traced it back to the car wash I helped arrange after 9/11 in high school, and the fast I did to raise money for Haiti (See Mr. Deal your persuasion techniques weren't lost on me) . I hadn't realized how much these things made an impression on me until I really traced the origin of my service days.<br /><br />FOOD STAMPS, THE BEGINNING OF A HEALTHY DIET: I received my food stamps in the mail the other day, good times. I couldn't believe how relieved I felt! It's a load off to have some help with food, and the ability to really buy healthy food. I've added fancy foods to my grocery list. That night my roommates and I went to get my first food stamp use and we bought ice cream, gingerale, and jelly beans. I promise my blog will not include a list of every item I purchase each time I use my food stamps, this time it just serves a purpose. It struck up conversation between us (all Americorps members) about what people experiencing poverty should be able to purchase, and whether or not sweet foods should be included. Then we thought about why sweets should only be a luxury for the rich, and if they should be sold at all.. We got distracted by the deliciously flavored jelly beans and the brisk fall evening, but it was certainly an interesting topic to think about. It posed another topic regarding class division that i've thought about now that i'm living at the poverty line.</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjyswiBkom_YL3hueZxpJv7Er1RpQAepvmfaGD2DJMck9g0SYg-qpAZ0KXX7jQQFYQe7eSdbIXioDu3KsVHXjakWKtpjEvTFGzVtCgqAm8xBiD7r5Ba3T2384kxUXQC7MeEafS8B6zV3A/s1600-h/photo-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 196px; height: 260px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjyswiBkom_YL3hueZxpJv7Er1RpQAepvmfaGD2DJMck9g0SYg-qpAZ0KXX7jQQFYQe7eSdbIXioDu3KsVHXjakWKtpjEvTFGzVtCgqAm8xBiD7r5Ba3T2384kxUXQC7MeEafS8B6zV3A/s320/photo-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386939385277961602" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />TREMONT STREET BED AND BREAKFAST: On a lighter, less reflective note i've spent my week preparing for the Building Engaged Citizens conference coming up this weekend. Not only am I fan of the name, because its pretty powerful, i'm excited to get to meet all Campus Compact members and facilitate a few training sessions. It has been a lot of work, and much of the responsibility of planning and compiling resources for this training has fallen on me. When you live with 3 other AmeriCorps members (making 6 people in the house total) this also means a house full of service related visitors. This weekend will be even more packed than usual, with a total of 6 extra visitors throughout the weekend. We have turned this into a chance for a pot luck though so that will be a nice change of pace, and we've all come to terms with the fact that our already crazy/chaotic house will take on a bit more character. Overall our Tremont Street house has proven to be quite an ideal living situation. It is a blast having so many roommates with a passion for service yet each with different interests. It has also made meeting people in Missoula a bit easier.<br /><br />STRUMMING BASS-ICS: The other project i've been up to lately has been developing an after school music program at the Boys and Girls club. I went to visit last week and they have a music room full of acoustic, bass, and electric guitars as well as drums, a piano, and a recording studio. It's a pretty sweet space, and i'm allowed to use any of their resources at any time. My roommate Dan and I spent a few afternoons going around and getting donations for the guitars, tuning and cleaning the instruments, and making the space ready for our lessons. We will be teaching lessons weekly for 12-18 year olds in our own unique style - I have yet to figure out what that means. It will be a great chance for me to play music, work with kids, and get out of the office for a bit. Thanks to Sarah Garnitz (my beloved old roommate from Elon) we have chosen "Strumming Bass-ics" as our name for the lesson - dont worry Sarah you'll get a shout out on our CD sleeve when all of our kids are famous musicians. I'm sure i'll have more stories to report on this weekly. I have a feeling I will be learning more than the kids, but hopefully some pretty sounding tunes will result from our time.<br /><br />All in all life here is pretty much as busy as it has been anywhere (minus my month of couch sitting in Atlanta this June). I do find myself enjoying evenings without homework to explore different hobbies, sit on the balcony with friends, or go for a bike ride around town.<br /></span></span>Chrissy Orangiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16963468184071141654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1247744513590424454.post-78361622919997813872009-09-18T08:40:00.000-07:002009-09-29T10:11:07.111-07:00Food Stamps and Toilet PaperSEPTEMBER 11: This year was the first September 11th National Service day. There were several projects where leaders set up a moment of silence in the community. Other projects were developed to write to soldiers, or collect materials for the homeless shelter. Overall, Campus Corps was pretty successful with their projects despite the crunch for time all of my leaders felt. I got to participate in two projects, 1 collecting toilet paper for the food bank in Missoula and the other collecting recycling in communities in Dillon. The toilet paper drive seemed to be more successful when people understood what they were donating for. Most people would just walk by our sign and explain that they didnt' need to buy any toilet paper. We spent most of the afternoon trying to explain to customers what we were doing, that we weren't selling toilet paper, and that the food bank was in need. Direct contact and explanation helped, and we collected 800 rolls. It was a small project but was good to be doing service out in the community, getting to interact with all sorts of people in the grocery store (including running into an alumni from my small private high school in Atlanta - small world) and getting to deliver the toilet paper to the food bank. The other project I participated in was picking up recycling in the community in Dillon Montana which is about 2.5 hours from Missoula. The volunteers filled the huge communal bins with recycling, and collected a large amount of food for the shelter. My truck of volunteers was discouraged by the lack of recycling we picked up, but I had a good conversation with them about why people in Dillon don't recycle. I definitely thought that Montana would be ahead of the game when it came to recycling, but most communities don't know that they have recycling if they do. Overall the project was a success and members (the college student volunteers) were talking about what they want to do in the future which was exciting for me to see.<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcm4AbACRZTWEiZ0vpcE9O7pRxGw7G9qTTCxEU0Pj-uHgvj7d4QsCS1vVYLDiuMtRtg0s2ETBKvrKC22Ye0O1gOAwBbNgMZs88GLWZMJlhzViTmHnSISs2ghNBIZTqJfLFRXgqLU5iL0I/s1600-h/Sep11+UM+Toilet+paper+drive1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 206px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcm4AbACRZTWEiZ0vpcE9O7pRxGw7G9qTTCxEU0Pj-uHgvj7d4QsCS1vVYLDiuMtRtg0s2ETBKvrKC22Ye0O1gOAwBbNgMZs88GLWZMJlhzViTmHnSISs2ghNBIZTqJfLFRXgqLU5iL0I/s320/Sep11+UM+Toilet+paper+drive1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386937866415747586" border="0" /></a><br /></div>PUBLIC ASSISTANCE: This week I had to go in for my food stamp meeting. In all honesty, I felt hypocritical walking into a food stamp office with my iphone after driving their in my forester. It reminded me of being at a homelessness panel back at Elon a few years ago where I began to challenge my understanding of "homelessness" and what it looks like. Being in the food stamp office was similar because it reminded me that a lot of people on food stamps just need the extra money for food because of all of their other responsibilities. Even though I do have these nice items, I still need this extra money to be able to afford rent, utilities, and those extra monthly purchases that add up. I laughed when the woman told me the maximum income I can have, mostly because my income was $400 less, this threw her off a bit. She didn't quite understand that this was the first time I realized exactly what kind of financial situation I am currently in, because my lifestyle has not really changed that much (if anything i've learned what I dont need). I also learned that having a savings is discouraged for people applying for food stamps. Does this then keep people in welfare for longer periods of time? Is this making people have to choose between food or other expenses and education? These are all things I had never considered before experiencing it. Overall, it was a humbling experience.<br /><br />A WEEK IN MY OFFICE: My job this week has helped me stay motivated and focus my energy on a few different things. It's difficult when doing constant indirect service, especially in my leader position, to feel like the work I'm doing is important and/or necessary. I have been on the phone checking in with leaders all over the state so it has been a bit more direct work than the last three weeks. I've also been busy planning the training we have for members next weekend which has allowed me to do some extra research on exciting topics like reflection. The most challenging part of my job thus far has really been trying to figure out how to enhance service learning programs in Montana. Elon was so ahead of the game with service, that it's hard to even know where to start. I see the potential in a lot of the universities and colleges but i'm working from the ground up. I never realized exactly how established Elon Volunteers' is. There is no room for student leadership at any university in Montana, staff and Americorps members run everything. It's also a challenge because i'm hours away from all but 1 of the universities, and I'm careful not to step on toes. The challenge is exciting though, and I couldn't have any better experience with an established office so I know where these offices can be in the future.Chrissy Orangiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16963468184071141654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1247744513590424454.post-68824368962399402382009-09-09T09:18:00.000-07:002009-09-29T10:14:36.950-07:00A New Community, A New Perspective<span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Although it is September, I'd like to start from the beginning. I moved to Missoula, Montana about three weeks ago. I randomly landed upon the campus corps job with Montana Campus Compact, without knowing what I was getting myself into. Luckily, it's exactly what i've needed and certainly a big step in the right direction. Later entries will definitely be more of my reflection of the service i've been doing, but this first one will hopefully help set the stage so you can understand what I do, where I live, and what kind of adjustments I've been making.<br /><br />A NEW TOWN: Missoula is a fascinating town but coming from Atlanta, it certainly has been an adjustment. Everyone here lives quite simply. Cars are erroneous. Everyone bikes or walks everywhere. Coming from a smaller town this might not be considered an adjustment, but having lived in a city where driving is mostly parking and it takes 45 minutes to get milk - it took me a while to realize that I dont</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> have to get in my car to get somewhere. Getting on a bike on a road was also an adventure (one in which my roommate greatly enjoyed watching) but after a few days of swerving and shreeking i'm actually feeling like a pro. </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">I've been spending more time getting absorbed in the town, reading books, and meeting new people. It is easy to get caught up in the community feel here, and I've realized that most of the time i'm in Atlanta I find myself distracted by a consumer society. Here though, free time consists of hiking, tubing, visiting national parks, reading, photography, and in the winter (which will be brutal) snowboarding/skiing. Shopping is a luxury, not a hobby. The mindset here has helped me assess what items are "necessities", and how to really be resourceful. I also really take advantage of living in a mountain town and spend as much time outside as possible. The challenge will most certainly be the weather - it was 38 degrees this morning.. needless to say, I may freeze..<br /><br /></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">A NEW BUDGET: Being a State and National Americorps Member has meant a change in lifestyle, but out here it is pretty easy to live on a low budget. I share a house with 4 other people who are all living on the same budget and with food stamps. In Atlanta and Burlington there is certainly a class division in grocery stores. Food here is pretty expensive because there is no state tax but every weekend there is a farmers market that sells cheap/local/organic vegetables and fruits. The grocery stores also sell local products which are pretty well priced. There are also tons of resources for people experiencing poverty and homelessness providing access to fresh/healthy food. Community gardens and the food bank work together here to make sure everyone gets what they need. Missoula has the highest number of non-profits per capita so I have learned to get by and learned new skills in the process. I found an old bike and fixed it up at this non-profit that has used bike parts, and volunteers to help you figure out how to build or repair bikes (for free). The volunteer must have known I had no idea what I was doing, because I when I turned the screwdriver to the right to tighten a bolt, he was impressed. Ok so I kept repeating the rhyme "righty tighty lefty loosy", my experimentation with bike repair was in fact successful. I've also been cooking a lot and experimenting with recipes using fresh vegetables that i've gathered from friends and at the market. My next step is applying for food stamps, so I will certainly report on that process next week. I struggled with whether or not I really needed them, or if I should save them for people who have no income. Being that it is a benefit of Americorps, i've been convinced to go through the process.<br /><br /></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">NEW RESPONSIBILI</span></span></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4g_43uyMBaBujc2eMv05b2bGkfmG0537t_dl2ApE3WahdY5jx4s3E3z-AdyaPAzOAC79AENo4_uGfyaEndmDFlhhmYyvJGUHH1Bv_XdWs2G0rLnfp4Ka_P4LMPyqOWxVPvEXIJEPZHRw/s1600-h/photo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4g_43uyMBaBujc2eMv05b2bGkfmG0537t_dl2ApE3WahdY5jx4s3E3z-AdyaPAzOAC79AENo4_uGfyaEndmDFlhhmYyvJGUHH1Bv_XdWs2G0rLnfp4Ka_P4LMPyqOWxVPvEXIJEPZHRw/s320/photo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386938784362568322" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">TY: Turns out I'm pretty much a leader (much like being the director of the SLC - Service Learning Community) except for now I lead</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> Americorps volunteers that work in Universities all over the state. -no pressure- EV! prepared me extremely well for this position, and Ive been using all of the same tools that are used at the Compact office for the state of Montana. The most difficult part of the transition has been ACRONYMS! AH! Every sentence I heard was an acronym from something servicey - CNCS, NCS, MTCC, CC, etc - it was like learning a new language. The first week really was just trying to figure out what people were saying, and what that meant for me. The second week I spent trying to figure out how I was going to train people when I had no idea what I was doing. Just like I ended up doing with my last leadership position, I pretty much went with the "fake it til you make it theme". Being part of Americorps has been really exciting, especially because I get to work with leaders all of the state and learn about issues facing most regions in Montana. I've also been learning a lot about Native American reservations, and life on them. I work with four colleges who are affiliated with reservations, and service is done differently there because it has to go through tribal leaders. In addition, my leaders are of all different ages. The differences have had a positive effect on my facilitation skills, and i've also been learning a lot about being a leader and what service means.<br /><br />The neat part about my job is that I can do up to 30% of my service with an agency of my choice. I'm looking into where I want to serve, and possibly helping start up a music program at the Boys and Girls club. Right now i'm still trying to figure out community needs, and what agencies go unnoticed by university students. It's been a really exciting change, and i'm certainly going to learn a lot about community engagement, leadership, facilitation, and social issues here in Missoula (vs social issues in Burlington).<br /><br />Hopefully that has caught you up on where I live, what I do, and how i've been adjusting to life in the West. Stay tuned next time for what service means in Missoula, the first 9/11 National Service day for university students in Montana, and my attempt to get food stamps...<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></span></span></span></span>Chrissy Orangiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16963468184071141654noreply@blogger.com0