Sorry I haven't gotten to this in the past few days. We've been very busy. Wednesday was a day of service learning. We put on an appreciation luncheon for teachers at an elementary school in Gulfport. We also did projects around the school. In the afternoon we went to a Boys/Girls Club and helped with homework and art projects.
There was a crawfish boil on the beach in the evening, but crawfish gross me out so I stayed behind.
Thursday we were split again doing construction (I can now probably do drywall in my sleep) and working to save osprey. We also got a chance to speak with teachers who went through Katrina and how it is affecting children here.
They said it took about a year for some of the reaction to show. One teacher said since there were no parks for 3-4 year olds at the time many of them don't know how to skip or run... they didn't have any place to go. That helped us understand why saving parks is very important. Another teacher mentioned teens are living in crammed trailers with no quiet place to do homework, etc. One student he mentioned talked about burying the dead after the storm... not those killed in the storm... but those whose graves had been washed away.
We've heard many stories about people still waiting for their homes to be repaired to rebuild. Many are moving out of the FEMA trailers because they are not safe.
I hope we can all be ambassadors to remind people the work down here is not done. It will be interesting to hear from the other Xavier groups working in the area and in New Orleans.
Today we're splitting up again working to help feed the homeless, the volunteers and do work around Hands On. Tonight we cook dinner for the group. There is also a dance party and then we hit the road back to Cincinnati where I see it is in the 40s!!
We did get many texts on the game and Emma called her dad to get a play by play of the last minute. We also got a play by play of the last minute of the Duke game from Heide's dad.
This has been a very eye opening experience and has made me think about a lot of things... especially how fortunate many of us are to have a home, friends and family.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Day Two AB in Biloxi
Today's service was a bit different. We worked with some people from Americorps to help save live oak trees. It involved what's called vertical munching and that means using power tools!! We used an ager to deep a foot-deep hole and then filled it with much and compost. It will help nurish the trees that are suffocating from being in the packed down earth.
We also got to see examples of trees that had been treated and are now doing much better. We also got a tour of Biloxi and learned more about the challenges the city still faces. One of the stops along the way was the Katrina memorial.
A great part of AB is the nightly reflection, thinking about what we've done and what it means. It's great to hear the students perspective of this trip and how it is touching their lives.
The group is getting along very well, a lot of laughter and smiles all the time. Everyone is eager to try new things to help out.
Tomorrow we head to a school to help with a teachers appreciation lunch and art projects with the kids.
We also got to see examples of trees that had been treated and are now doing much better. We also got a tour of Biloxi and learned more about the challenges the city still faces. One of the stops along the way was the Katrina memorial.
A great part of AB is the nightly reflection, thinking about what we've done and what it means. It's great to hear the students perspective of this trip and how it is touching their lives.
The group is getting along very well, a lot of laughter and smiles all the time. Everyone is eager to try new things to help out.
Tomorrow we head to a school to help with a teachers appreciation lunch and art projects with the kids.
Monday, March 17, 2008
The first day was off to a late start. A few miscues on scheduleing from Hands On and we missed the boat to the island. However, six AB members were able to catch another boat where they battled rough waters for an hour and a half to get to an island half an hour away. They worked to save birds affected by the storm.
The rest of us headed into Biloxi and spent the day drywalling, installing insulation and other construction work on a new home to replace one lost in the storm.
Patti, a Hands On worker, told us that in Mississippi alone last year they built 3,600 new homes. They need to build 36,000 more.... that is 10 years of work... not to mention the business, roads, churches and schools.
Tomorrow we head to Turkey Creek... wonder what that will be about.
The rest of us headed into Biloxi and spent the day drywalling, installing insulation and other construction work on a new home to replace one lost in the storm.
Patti, a Hands On worker, told us that in Mississippi alone last year they built 3,600 new homes. They need to build 36,000 more.... that is 10 years of work... not to mention the business, roads, churches and schools.
Tomorrow we head to Turkey Creek... wonder what that will be about.
It is 6:45 a.m. on Monday and we are getting ready to start our first day of service. Yesterday we spent the day in New Orleans. It was wonderful to see the French Quarter, Jackson Square and Cafe DuMond, packed!! There were people everywhere. (We even ran into another XU AB group) I remember seeing Jackson Square full of water during Hurricane Katrina.
That was not the case driving into New Orleans. For miles before we entered the city, even from the highway, we could see homes that had been destroyed and not repaired, blown over trees, vacant lots scattered with debria, downed fences, repairing going on on older buildings... there was also lots of evidence of new buildings.
One member of our group was in New Orleans on AB last year. She said she saw some improvement, but there is still much more to be done... and so we begin our chance to help.
Today Xavier is headed for the Gulf Coast Islands to help with beach/animal conservation. Everyone is excited, though already tired, still all 175 people here are starting to stumbled out of the sleeping bags (which now cover the floor of the loft) and bunks to get ready for what every assignment they might have.
I will post more later and see if one of the students would like to post as well... in the meantime GO X!!! #3 Seed!!!
That was not the case driving into New Orleans. For miles before we entered the city, even from the highway, we could see homes that had been destroyed and not repaired, blown over trees, vacant lots scattered with debria, downed fences, repairing going on on older buildings... there was also lots of evidence of new buildings.
One member of our group was in New Orleans on AB last year. She said she saw some improvement, but there is still much more to be done... and so we begin our chance to help.
Today Xavier is headed for the Gulf Coast Islands to help with beach/animal conservation. Everyone is excited, though already tired, still all 175 people here are starting to stumbled out of the sleeping bags (which now cover the floor of the loft) and bunks to get ready for what every assignment they might have.
I will post more later and see if one of the students would like to post as well... in the meantime GO X!!! #3 Seed!!!
Sunday, March 16, 2008
We have made it to Biloxi. Took about 13 hours. Will drove the entire way!! We are staying at a large metal building behind a church. It has a big open room for meals, meetings, etc. and the students stay in the lofts above the room. It is all very open, dorm room style. There are no lights in the loft so the flashlights come in handy. Many other students are camping out side. They've come from Wyoming, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
There is one men's bathroom, one women's bathroom and 4 outdoor showers for everyone!! About 175 total. The students love it. For me it was a bit of an adjustment but after finding a good airmatress to sleep on I'm set... as it says on the wall as you enter this building... it's NOT about you!
Today is a free day. We will travel to New Orleans and then maybe the beach. Our work starts tomorrow at 7am. We are scheduled to go to the Gulf Coast Islands but not sure what work we will do. Every day we will do something different. One day we'll work here cleaning, another working in what we think is a bird sancutary and one day with school children.
The weather is beautiful and it is hard to believe this area was once so devastated but you still see bits and pieces of evidence everywhere in blown over trees, empty lots scattered with debris and lots of NEW buildings, which I think replaced the old.
That's it for today.
There is one men's bathroom, one women's bathroom and 4 outdoor showers for everyone!! About 175 total. The students love it. For me it was a bit of an adjustment but after finding a good airmatress to sleep on I'm set... as it says on the wall as you enter this building... it's NOT about you!
Today is a free day. We will travel to New Orleans and then maybe the beach. Our work starts tomorrow at 7am. We are scheduled to go to the Gulf Coast Islands but not sure what work we will do. Every day we will do something different. One day we'll work here cleaning, another working in what we think is a bird sancutary and one day with school children.
The weather is beautiful and it is hard to believe this area was once so devastated but you still see bits and pieces of evidence everywhere in blown over trees, empty lots scattered with debris and lots of NEW buildings, which I think replaced the old.
That's it for today.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Getting Ready for AB Trip
This Saturday, March 15, hundreds of Xavier students will be heading out on Alternative Break trips. I will be with them. This is the first time I've participated in this club and I'm very excited about it. 21 other faculty/staff members are also taking part in the trips.
Our group, which is a great group of Xavier students from freshmen to seniors, will be driving to Biloxi. (12 hours on the road!!) We will be working with Hands on Gulf Coast to help with hurricane relief. It's seems so strange that two and a half years later they are still rebuilding that part of the country.
We're not quite sure what we will be doing. It could be anything from helping rebuild houses to working with animals. We will work Monday through Friday with time for reflection in the evenings (and watch Xavier in the NCAA tournament!!)
Our first day in the area is open so we will be heading to New Orleans for a visit. I was in New Orleans before Katrina and I'm anxious to see how this wonderful city has rebounded. It is one of the most unique places I have even been.
I'm also excited about working with the students and getting to know them better. I am always amazed at how wonderful, caring and intelligent our students are. Being around them is inspiring and rejuvenating!!
I will try to blog as much as possible while in Biloxi. Hopefully I wouldn't be so exhausted that I'll fall asleep right after dinner!! Right now my biggest concern is trying to get all my stuff into a carry-on size suitcase... hmmm... could be tricky. deb
Our group, which is a great group of Xavier students from freshmen to seniors, will be driving to Biloxi. (12 hours on the road!!) We will be working with Hands on Gulf Coast to help with hurricane relief. It's seems so strange that two and a half years later they are still rebuilding that part of the country.
We're not quite sure what we will be doing. It could be anything from helping rebuild houses to working with animals. We will work Monday through Friday with time for reflection in the evenings (and watch Xavier in the NCAA tournament!!)
Our first day in the area is open so we will be heading to New Orleans for a visit. I was in New Orleans before Katrina and I'm anxious to see how this wonderful city has rebounded. It is one of the most unique places I have even been.
I'm also excited about working with the students and getting to know them better. I am always amazed at how wonderful, caring and intelligent our students are. Being around them is inspiring and rejuvenating!!
I will try to blog as much as possible while in Biloxi. Hopefully I wouldn't be so exhausted that I'll fall asleep right after dinner!! Right now my biggest concern is trying to get all my stuff into a carry-on size suitcase... hmmm... could be tricky. deb
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
It's been a long time
I know it's been way too long since we've posted here. It's just because there is so much going on.
First, let me share the word of our president, the Rev. Michael J. Graham, S.J., about the events in Illinois last week: "
It is with sadness that we follow the tragic events at Northern Illinois University. Our prayers are with the victims of the shootings as well as their families and the entire Northern Illinois campus community.
Events such as the one at Northern Illinois, serve as a reminder that none of us, as individuals or as a campus community, is immune from the possibility of a tragedy, but working together to keep Xavier students and employees safe is a top priority. Ironically, Xavier’s Emergency Response Team (ERT) had been planning for some time a training exercise on an “active shooter” scenario for Friday, February 15, the day after the NIU shootings. As part of this training exercise, campus police officers and 200 Cincinnati and Norwood police officers participated in an “active shooter” simulation on Xavier’s campus last December. Based on this simulation, the ERT went through all the response and recovery actions that need to happen if such an event would occur on our campus.
The ERT, made up of representatives from every division on campus, meets every other week to review our campus emergency plans. The team is continually looking at new ways to keep the campus safe, informed and operating during a crisis or emergency situation. In such a situation, communication is critical. During an emergency, the University will communicate to members of the campus community by voice and text messages via XU ALERT ME, through the Xavier portal and website, and through local media. If you have not signed up for XU ALERT ME, I encourage you to go to the campus portal to sign up.
In addition to XU ALERT ME, the ERT has recommended several other security measures that have or will be implemented this year. Campus emergency procedures were posted in every classroom; card access has been installed on the exterior doors of the five residence halls; and locks will be installed on classroom doors. During a crisis it is important for individuals to remain calm and to follow emergency procedures and the directions of emergency personnel. For information regarding campus emergency procedures go to www.xavier.edu/emergency.
I know that you will keep the entire Northern Illinois University community in your thoughts and prayers. May God bring them some sense of peace and comfort during this very sad and tragic time."
Animal Planet's Jeff Corwin will be here tomorrow. He'll give a presentation in connection with his latest CNN documentary, titled "Planet in Peril: Environmental Threats of the 21st Century." He is in the Cintas Center from 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. and will have a book signing afterwards.
A couple of professors took some biology students to Costa Rica to study ecology.
Our own Sister Rose Ann Fleming, academic advisor for our student-athletes, was featured with the men's basketball team in a “Race to March Madness” segment. It aired nationally on ABC-TV Saturday, Feb. 16, at 3:00 p.m. and is being rebroadcast Friday, Feb. 22, at 8:30 p.m. on ESPNU and Wednesday, Feb. 27, at 3:30 pm on ESPN2.
Check it out. For more than two decades, Sr. Rose Ann has been the academic adviser for the athletes. Now Xavier is known nationally for student-athlete graduation success.
Speaking of basketball, Mike Bobinksi, our athletic director, has been appointed to the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee. He will start September 1 and serve for five years.
Xavier will honor the first two African-American female graduates of the University—Cleaster Whitehurst-Mims and the late Alice Campbell—on Saturday, March 1. Ladies With Emphasis on Achievement and Distinction (LEAD)is also honoring an outstanding female student from Xavier at the celebration.
Raised on a peanut farm in Enterprise, Ala., Whitehurst-Mims put herself through school for a bachelor's degree in communication and English and a master's degree in education. She started the Marva Collins Preparatory School of Cincinnati, modeled after the teaching methods and techniques of the Chicago educator. The school provides an education alternative for children others have given up on teaching, says Mims. She also taught three days a week at Xavier.
Campbell received her master’s degree in education from Xavier in 1969 and was a dedicated long-time teacher at McKinley Elementary in the East End of Cincinnati. She died in 2003 at the age of 65. Her late husband, Robert, also a teacher, was at Hughes High School in Clifton.
In addition to honoring the astounding achievements of Whitehurst-Mims and Campbell, LEAD is also awarding a deserving African-American female who embodies the same excellence in service, leadership and purpose. The nominees’ commitment to LEAD, campus involvement, academic accomplishments and service endeavors are taken into account.
I'll try to keep in touch better!
First, let me share the word of our president, the Rev. Michael J. Graham, S.J., about the events in Illinois last week: "
It is with sadness that we follow the tragic events at Northern Illinois University. Our prayers are with the victims of the shootings as well as their families and the entire Northern Illinois campus community.
Events such as the one at Northern Illinois, serve as a reminder that none of us, as individuals or as a campus community, is immune from the possibility of a tragedy, but working together to keep Xavier students and employees safe is a top priority. Ironically, Xavier’s Emergency Response Team (ERT) had been planning for some time a training exercise on an “active shooter” scenario for Friday, February 15, the day after the NIU shootings. As part of this training exercise, campus police officers and 200 Cincinnati and Norwood police officers participated in an “active shooter” simulation on Xavier’s campus last December. Based on this simulation, the ERT went through all the response and recovery actions that need to happen if such an event would occur on our campus.
The ERT, made up of representatives from every division on campus, meets every other week to review our campus emergency plans. The team is continually looking at new ways to keep the campus safe, informed and operating during a crisis or emergency situation. In such a situation, communication is critical. During an emergency, the University will communicate to members of the campus community by voice and text messages via XU ALERT ME, through the Xavier portal and website, and through local media. If you have not signed up for XU ALERT ME, I encourage you to go to the campus portal to sign up.
In addition to XU ALERT ME, the ERT has recommended several other security measures that have or will be implemented this year. Campus emergency procedures were posted in every classroom; card access has been installed on the exterior doors of the five residence halls; and locks will be installed on classroom doors. During a crisis it is important for individuals to remain calm and to follow emergency procedures and the directions of emergency personnel. For information regarding campus emergency procedures go to www.xavier.edu/emergency.
I know that you will keep the entire Northern Illinois University community in your thoughts and prayers. May God bring them some sense of peace and comfort during this very sad and tragic time."
Animal Planet's Jeff Corwin will be here tomorrow. He'll give a presentation in connection with his latest CNN documentary, titled "Planet in Peril: Environmental Threats of the 21st Century." He is in the Cintas Center from 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. and will have a book signing afterwards.
A couple of professors took some biology students to Costa Rica to study ecology.
Our own Sister Rose Ann Fleming, academic advisor for our student-athletes, was featured with the men's basketball team in a “Race to March Madness” segment. It aired nationally on ABC-TV Saturday, Feb. 16, at 3:00 p.m. and is being rebroadcast Friday, Feb. 22, at 8:30 p.m. on ESPNU and Wednesday, Feb. 27, at 3:30 pm on ESPN2.
Check it out. For more than two decades, Sr. Rose Ann has been the academic adviser for the athletes. Now Xavier is known nationally for student-athlete graduation success.
Speaking of basketball, Mike Bobinksi, our athletic director, has been appointed to the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee. He will start September 1 and serve for five years.
Xavier will honor the first two African-American female graduates of the University—Cleaster Whitehurst-Mims and the late Alice Campbell—on Saturday, March 1. Ladies With Emphasis on Achievement and Distinction (LEAD)is also honoring an outstanding female student from Xavier at the celebration.
Raised on a peanut farm in Enterprise, Ala., Whitehurst-Mims put herself through school for a bachelor's degree in communication and English and a master's degree in education. She started the Marva Collins Preparatory School of Cincinnati, modeled after the teaching methods and techniques of the Chicago educator. The school provides an education alternative for children others have given up on teaching, says Mims. She also taught three days a week at Xavier.
Campbell received her master’s degree in education from Xavier in 1969 and was a dedicated long-time teacher at McKinley Elementary in the East End of Cincinnati. She died in 2003 at the age of 65. Her late husband, Robert, also a teacher, was at Hughes High School in Clifton.
In addition to honoring the astounding achievements of Whitehurst-Mims and Campbell, LEAD is also awarding a deserving African-American female who embodies the same excellence in service, leadership and purpose. The nominees’ commitment to LEAD, campus involvement, academic accomplishments and service endeavors are taken into account.
I'll try to keep in touch better!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
