I'm off work all of next week because right now we are in between the school year program and the summer program. I went in to work on Monday and Tuesday and was very busy preparing for my girls group. I spent hours typing up a comprehensive (14 page!) curriculum that will be a very helpful guide. I also prepared my room...cleaned out all the cigarette buts, scrubbed the tables, dusted, and stocked it with some necessary supplies. I felt so happy to be cleaning a space that will be exclusively for the girls group. We get to decorate it as we want and make it our own space. I plan on printing out some pictures of inspirational women to put on the walls of the room. The first day of the summer program is Monday, July 9th and that will be the first day of Girls Group ( I decided I want it capitalized). The Group will be made of 7-9 girls and we will be together Monday through Wednesday from 11:00am till 4:00pm. I have already chosen 6 girls who have agreed to be in the group, they are all seventh graders, so I'm gonna try to get a few eighth graders too. On Thursdays the girls and I will go on trips with the larger group (about 150 kids!). During Girls Group we'll discuss all sorts of important things like popularity and cliques, family, communication, anger, puberty, hygiene, race, culture, rumor spreading and teasing, body image, and finding our true selves. There are lots of interesting activities that we'll be doing plus some fun outings. We'll also do arts and crafts. The girls wanna learn how to knit so I promised them I'd teach them how, and we're gonna make beaded bracelets and such. I am hoping to have a health and beauty day at the end during which we'd do an intense exercise dance class in the morning and then get our nails done, or bring some people in to braid in the afternoon.
So right now I am doing more last minute preparations....trying to find museums and places that offer discounted or free tours to large groups, reviewing my knitting skills, making a CD with happy inspirational music etc. I am also enjoying some free time to read, roam, go to yoga class.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Friday, June 22, 2007
----------------------------------------------playing in new york city:
WonderWheel. (its name explains it all)
Interesting juxtapositions. Coney Island with the amusement rides, the crowded beach, and the housing projects behind.
Mermaids of the Nile drinking beers.
yesterday was Coney Island's 25th annual Mermaid Parade. Lots of fun. Hot dogs, nachos, ice cream, the beach, the boardwalk.
PS i love mermen
we went earlier last week to Bryant Park to watch Annie Hall. the park was packed and we couldn't really see the screen from where we were but it was great anyway. Sarah brought a blanket. Tom brought wine and crackers. Laura brought frozen grapes. i really enjoyed soo much the feeling of just sitting on the ground, in the warm night air, with the bright city buildings towering above me, and having great conversations with my friends.
other great things i've been doing: Design Museum, El Museo del Barrio, eating in the Meatpacking District, karate classes with Sense Aziz, shabu-shabu in Korea Town
-------------------------------------------------- my experiences at work:
on Wednesday the 2oth we had a graduation celebration for all students entering, moving up a grade, or leaving TRUCE Fitness. it was a great time. well, the first 1.5 hours were rather rough because a bunch of us were in this teeny hallway, without lights, without ventilation preparing plates of lasagna and garlic bread and forced into listening to R.Kelly's 'The World's Greatest' on loop for the entire time. no joke, R Kelly on repeat for 1 and 1/2 hours. but once that infernal song was turned off and the program started it was great. dance, karate, rap, step, a fashion show...the works. it was a great way for all the kids to be recognized and celebrated. i think it was a real success. and then it ended with a dance party that i will probably always remember. it happened so suddenly. someone mumbled something into the microphone and all of a sudden everyone was up moving chairs and frantically folding up tables. the music was on and the floor was immediately packed. the teeny tots got onto the stage and worked it. these kids had soo much rhythm. but the dance moves they were doing (of course just emulating what the older girls do) were incredibly sexual and suggestive and i was a bit shocked to see little kids dancing like that. but everyone else was saying how cute they looked....so i dunno. the middle school kids were also dancing, forming circles, showing off the latest dance step. of course i couldn't resist. and i was dancing, having a good time, getting into it and then one of the girls (who is actually such a sweetheart) came up to me and just started laughing at me, right in my face. ouch!..... it was a blow. i consider myself a good dancer, and i always feel that dancing is too fun to feel insecure about but at that moment the "white man can't dance" stereotype felt like it must be true....and for a while i felt so rhythmless, uncool, and.......white!
the reason why i write about this rather hilarious dance incident is because i feel that it is a perfect example of what has been most challenging for me at HCZ. the biggest challenge i've faced at work is getting used to being a minority and in a different culture. of being misunderstood sometimes, and always sticking out. having different mannerisms, different clothing style, different community experiences etc. the challenge is feeling out of place and yet refusing to change myself. and i sometimes want to do something to fit in a bit more. maybe act a bit more tough, maybe pretend i don't know certain things, maybe act like i have less money, maybe use some slang words, maybe talk less about how much i enjoy learning and reading and school., etc. BUT i have made a promise to myself to be me no matter how strange or dorky or whatever i feel. and all the times when i act like the intelligent, caring, silly person that i am, the girls and staff i work with respond really positively!!! changing myself would be selling the kids short. it would show them that its not ok to be yourself.
its funny because the girls i will be working with this summer are middle schoolers that are grappling with that exact issue. feeling the pressure to not be different. they feel the pressure to be tough, sexy, cool, not intellectual etc. i feel the best way i can learn from them and have them learn from me is by being 100% myself and proud.
so i'm gonna get on that dance floor every chance i have and shake my little white girl butt and hope that my girls will be proud to do the same in all aspects of their lives.
WonderWheel. (its name explains it all)
Interesting juxtapositions. Coney Island with the amusement rides, the crowded beach, and the housing projects behind.
Mermaids of the Nile drinking beers.yesterday was Coney Island's 25th annual Mermaid Parade. Lots of fun. Hot dogs, nachos, ice cream, the beach, the boardwalk.
PS i love mermen
we went earlier last week to Bryant Park to watch Annie Hall. the park was packed and we couldn't really see the screen from where we were but it was great anyway. Sarah brought a blanket. Tom brought wine and crackers. Laura brought frozen grapes. i really enjoyed soo much the feeling of just sitting on the ground, in the warm night air, with the bright city buildings towering above me, and having great conversations with my friends.
other great things i've been doing: Design Museum, El Museo del Barrio, eating in the Meatpacking District, karate classes with Sense Aziz, shabu-shabu in Korea Town
-------------------------------------------------- my experiences at work:
on Wednesday the 2oth we had a graduation celebration for all students entering, moving up a grade, or leaving TRUCE Fitness. it was a great time. well, the first 1.5 hours were rather rough because a bunch of us were in this teeny hallway, without lights, without ventilation preparing plates of lasagna and garlic bread and forced into listening to R.Kelly's 'The World's Greatest' on loop for the entire time. no joke, R Kelly on repeat for 1 and 1/2 hours. but once that infernal song was turned off and the program started it was great. dance, karate, rap, step, a fashion show...the works. it was a great way for all the kids to be recognized and celebrated. i think it was a real success. and then it ended with a dance party that i will probably always remember. it happened so suddenly. someone mumbled something into the microphone and all of a sudden everyone was up moving chairs and frantically folding up tables. the music was on and the floor was immediately packed. the teeny tots got onto the stage and worked it. these kids had soo much rhythm. but the dance moves they were doing (of course just emulating what the older girls do) were incredibly sexual and suggestive and i was a bit shocked to see little kids dancing like that. but everyone else was saying how cute they looked....so i dunno. the middle school kids were also dancing, forming circles, showing off the latest dance step. of course i couldn't resist. and i was dancing, having a good time, getting into it and then one of the girls (who is actually such a sweetheart) came up to me and just started laughing at me, right in my face. ouch!..... it was a blow. i consider myself a good dancer, and i always feel that dancing is too fun to feel insecure about but at that moment the "white man can't dance" stereotype felt like it must be true....and for a while i felt so rhythmless, uncool, and.......white!
the reason why i write about this rather hilarious dance incident is because i feel that it is a perfect example of what has been most challenging for me at HCZ. the biggest challenge i've faced at work is getting used to being a minority and in a different culture. of being misunderstood sometimes, and always sticking out. having different mannerisms, different clothing style, different community experiences etc. the challenge is feeling out of place and yet refusing to change myself. and i sometimes want to do something to fit in a bit more. maybe act a bit more tough, maybe pretend i don't know certain things, maybe act like i have less money, maybe use some slang words, maybe talk less about how much i enjoy learning and reading and school., etc. BUT i have made a promise to myself to be me no matter how strange or dorky or whatever i feel. and all the times when i act like the intelligent, caring, silly person that i am, the girls and staff i work with respond really positively!!! changing myself would be selling the kids short. it would show them that its not ok to be yourself.
its funny because the girls i will be working with this summer are middle schoolers that are grappling with that exact issue. feeling the pressure to not be different. they feel the pressure to be tough, sexy, cool, not intellectual etc. i feel the best way i can learn from them and have them learn from me is by being 100% myself and proud.
so i'm gonna get on that dance floor every chance i have and shake my little white girl butt and hope that my girls will be proud to do the same in all aspects of their lives.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
here we are after a cute little picnic last week in central park.soooo much has happened in the past few days. this weekend was especially eventful. on Friday we visited Project REACH and had an unbelievably effective workshop on homophobia, classism, racism, and more. Don, who facilitated, made us all do some soul searching to see the judgements and misconceptions that we all carry around.... the 4 hours we spent with him continue to stick with me. Saturday we had our health fair and block party at HCZ. we've been planning for it for a bit and it turned out to be a big success. Ding, Tom, and Rahul came by and we all enjoyed the festive scene.
highlights include: watching the little guys do karate, spontaneous electric slide dancing, chicken-noodle soup dance offs, trying to do double dutch, the old man with the cane dancing and riding his cane like a horse (i kid not), and looking for the cat sized rat that was hiding under the cars and then screaming at it and running away and then looking for it all over again, and over 700 people attending!
if you want to see some great pics from the Harlem Children's Zone Health Fair check our Ding's blog.
Monday, June 11, 2007
I am working with Harlem Children's Zone at the TRUCE Fitness site in Harlem. TRUCE Fitness offers afterschool and summer programs for kids in middle school. The program focuses on fitness through exercise and healthy eating. Students participating in the program must exercise 2 hours a week in the mini gym. There are yoga, dance, and karate classes that students are encouraged to take and healthy snacks are available (junk food and soft drinks forbidden!). Students who participate in the afterschool summer program are paid a monthly stipend if they fulfill all requirements. Starting July 9th I will be leading a small 'girls group' with about 10, 7th and 8th grade girls. This part of the program is what I am really most excited about. I can't wait to design and implement curriculum and get to know the girls. There is a lot to be said about Harlem Children's Zone...the larger organization. It is an agency started by Geoffrey Canada (my hero!!!!!!) that offers programs all over Harlem and forms a sort of web of support. Other programs under the Harlem Children's Zone include; Baby College, The Promise Academy, Gems, and more. Check it out online!!! It is a very successful organization in so many ways and they are always doing neat things.
www.hcz.org
www.hcz.org
Thursday, June 7, 2007
My loyal readers,
This blog is a part of the Cornell Urban Scholars Program (CUSP) curriculum and it will be used to answer assigned questions. You can expect much philosophizing about 'service learning' and much reflecting on the lessons I'm learning, and hopefully, if I ever have the time I'll write about some of my own, very personal thoughts, thrills, experiences etc.
ME:
I'm a senior at Cornell University, majoring in sociology. I am interested in environmental and social issues and how these two topics interact. I love to dance, run, do yoga, talk, explore, be outside, eat new foods, laugh, blah, blah, blah. My home is California/Belgium/Kazakhstan. I love analyzing people and places....and so the city is a huge playground for me.
To my friends and family...... I miss you!
This blog is a part of the Cornell Urban Scholars Program (CUSP) curriculum and it will be used to answer assigned questions. You can expect much philosophizing about 'service learning' and much reflecting on the lessons I'm learning, and hopefully, if I ever have the time I'll write about some of my own, very personal thoughts, thrills, experiences etc.
ME:
I'm a senior at Cornell University, majoring in sociology. I am interested in environmental and social issues and how these two topics interact. I love to dance, run, do yoga, talk, explore, be outside, eat new foods, laugh, blah, blah, blah. My home is California/Belgium/Kazakhstan. I love analyzing people and places....and so the city is a huge playground for me.
To my friends and family...... I miss you!
Assignment #1
How do you understand community service?
The easy answer is that community service is the act of serving a community. Serving a community by providing the services they need, and specifically serving communities that are particularly disadvantaged. I understand community service to be much broader than the traditional definition, it can be simple positive personal habits, like not littering, or smiling at people, or it can be much larger and insitutional like the Red Cross or the Salvation Army. But if you are improving your community, any community, then I consider that community service, and good for you.
Why do you participate in CUSP?
...because I was interested in doing a 'social justice' oriented internship this summer and looking to live in a big city and wanting to be able to afford all this. So CUSP was a perfect match. It has allowed me to live in a wonderful city, with supportive friends, and work at an agency that needs me and wouldn't be able to pay me a wage.
What do you expect to learn?
This question is too much. There will be soooo many things that I'll learn that I cannot predict now. And I like that. I expect myself to learn a lot about the PEOPLE I will be living with (CUSPers!) and working with (staff and kids). I also expect to learn about the city, how to get around, the feel of the different neighborhoods, the best spots. And I expect to learn about myself of course. To learn how I rise and meet challenges, and how I become close with the staff and girls I work with.
The easy answer is that community service is the act of serving a community. Serving a community by providing the services they need, and specifically serving communities that are particularly disadvantaged. I understand community service to be much broader than the traditional definition, it can be simple positive personal habits, like not littering, or smiling at people, or it can be much larger and insitutional like the Red Cross or the Salvation Army. But if you are improving your community, any community, then I consider that community service, and good for you.
Why do you participate in CUSP?
...because I was interested in doing a 'social justice' oriented internship this summer and looking to live in a big city and wanting to be able to afford all this. So CUSP was a perfect match. It has allowed me to live in a wonderful city, with supportive friends, and work at an agency that needs me and wouldn't be able to pay me a wage.
What do you expect to learn?
This question is too much. There will be soooo many things that I'll learn that I cannot predict now. And I like that. I expect myself to learn a lot about the PEOPLE I will be living with (CUSPers!) and working with (staff and kids). I also expect to learn about the city, how to get around, the feel of the different neighborhoods, the best spots. And I expect to learn about myself of course. To learn how I rise and meet challenges, and how I become close with the staff and girls I work with.
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