Charity Run and Fun

This past sunday I volunteered at the Kildeer 5K/8K Charity Run and Fun. This run was for the countryside association for people with disabilities. Going into this event I was very excited. I had never worked for a charity run before and thought it would be a really cool experience. I did not really know what to expect and was not assigned a job until I got there. I woke up at 6 am to be at Whole Foods, where the run started, at 7 am. I was not too thrilled at the fact that I had to wake up so early but I was doing a nice thing and it was only one sunday morning. When I got there, I was disappointed at the job I was given. One other volunteer and I were chosen to direct people so they knew which way to run. Normally this would be a nice job if I was put in a location where I needed to direct people. Unfortunately, I was not put at an intersection or two way street but I was put on the corner of a road fairly close to the starting point of the run where there was no where else to go besides straight ahead. So I was basically sitting on the corner of the street directing people to the only place that they were able to run. My job seemed a little bit stupid and kind of pointless and I wish I would've been able to do something more productive. Although I ended up sitting in a chair doing nothing for about 2 hours I was happy to have the chance to watch everyone running together. It was nice to see a community coming together to raise money for a good cause. There were people of all ages running, from grandparents to kids to even a family pushing their child in a stroller. I very much enjoyed watching everyone with a smile on their face as they completed the race. Since I was close to the start, which also happened to be the finish, I was able to cheer on the runners as they were almost done. I was happy to encourage the runners and see a smile across their face knowing that someone cares about them. I was overall happy with my experience volunteering at the Charity Run and Fun and it definitely made me want to participate in a run myself! 

lost boys of sudan

This week in class we watched a documentary called the Lost Boys of Sudan. This movie followed a couple boys through their journey of moving from Sudan to America. They had to adjust to a whole new culture and lifestyle here in America that is very different than what they were used to. I find it incredible that two cultures can be so different from each other and have no idea about what life is like outside their own culture. These boys did not know how electricity worked, what a shower was or even know the concept of time. All these things were new to the boys as they traveled across the world to essentially start a new life. As the boys started to adapt to life in America they found that everything revolves around time and that time is money. I found it sad that once the boys all got jobs and were going to school they didn't have as much time to spend with each other. I think that is a flaw in our culture because I wish I had all the time in the world for my family and friends. It was also so interesting to me how unselfish these boys were. As soon as they were able to support themselves they pretty much spent all their money on others. Whether it was sending money back home to their people, trying to support their families, funding organizations or building schools in Sudan it was all to help everyone but themselves. They did not completely understand why they were the ones chosen to have this incredible opportunity and they felt they needed to share their wealth with their families and friends. Lastly, it really is amazing how much a culture can change you as a person. By the end of the film, many of the boys' english was much better and they were finally understanding and getting used to our culture here. One of the most interesting lines at the end of the documentary was when one of the boys referred to a pond back home as "5 to 10 minutes away" from his house. Living in America has changed how he thinks about things. If he was still living in Sudan, he probably would have referred to the pond as very close, or not far. But living in America has made him think about things based off of time and minutes. Overall, I really enjoyed this film. It really makes you understand how different cultures are from each other and how much I really don't know about other cultures besides my own. Other people in different culture's worlds are so different from mine and I hope I get the chance to experience some one day.

culture

This week in class we have been talking a lot about culture. We talked about how culture is the lens through which we see the world. Our culture affects out language, beliefs, values, norms and behaviors and causes us to think certain ways about other cultures. Ethnocentrism causes us to basically judge other cultures based on their values and beliefs just because they may differ from our own. I guess I could say I'm a little ethnocentric but I think that is just because I don't really know much about other cultures and haven't experienced anything different from my own. Hearing Ms. Brownstone's experience in China really intrigued me and made me interested in visiting other countries and getting a feel for their culture. I'm not really sure if I'm brave enough to do what she did and live in a foreign city for almost 3 years. But I would love to study abroad in college because it seems like a life changing experience. It is so cool hearing about the difference in people's behaviors, norms, language, and values all because they grew up knowing something different than me. I hope one day I get the chance to experience something like Ms. Brownstone's story because I think it is important to not be caught up in my own culture and think that is the only way things work. There is so much out there in the world that I have not seen or experienced yet and studying about the differences in cultures this week has made me want to travel to new places and have the opportunity to experience these other cultures.

Spirit Fest

The second community service activity that I volunteered for was spirit fest. Spirit fest is a community service opportunity through Stevenson, specifically through the club NHS. This year spirit fest was a fundraiser for the Christopher Steele Foundation and took place on the football field here at Stevenson High School. I have been to spirit fest in the past but this year was my first time volunteering for it so I really did not know what to expect. I was happy to be volunteering for a fundraiser that was raising money for a cancer foundation because both of my grandparents have passed due to cancer. This was something that meant a lot to me personally and I was excited to be a part of it. When I arrived at 2 o'clock to help set up, we were all assigned different tasks. My task was to register people as they walked in once the fundraiser began. Before it started I helped others by blowing up and tying balloons to hang along the fence around the track. I also helped set up a board that was going to be recognizing different people who have fought cancer. Once spirit fest actually began, it was pretty hectic registering different people. I sat at a table helping check in students and adults by collecting their money and giving them wrist bands. Although I enjoyed helping out for a good cause, I did not feel like I was doing anything special for my community. I did not come into direct contact or get to talk to any individuals fighting or who have survived cancer. Unlike some other community service opportunities I have participated in, I did not feel fulfilled at the end of my four hours of volunteering. Spirit fest overall is very fun with lots of different and cool activities but I did not get a chance to participate in any of those things. Although I worked for a good cause, I would have felt more accomplished if I had heard different individual's stories of how they dealt with cancer.

Research project

This week in class my group has been working on a research project. Our project was researching the difference between the amount of girls and boys involvement in sports at Stevenson. I originally went into the project with the thought that the number of boys in sports would be way higher than the amount of girls. Surprisingly, after going to the athletic department and getting some numbers, the amount of girls and the amount of boys that are involved in sports at Stevenson was pretty much the same. Although that research caught me off guard, I was even more surprised at the total number of kids that are involved in sports at Stevenson. The number was relatively low at about 1200 kids, boys and girls, participating in sports at SHS. I would think that for having such a large school that more kids would be involved. Of course we did not calculate if students are participating in sports outside of school and were not able to get information on the amount of students participating in clubs. But this research does makes me wonder if there is a reason why this number is so low. Nevertheless, our research was only to determine the difference in participation between boys and girls in sports and the research we found was different than what we previously predicted.

Paint-a-Thon

My first community service opportunity that I completed was for the organization called Students Helping Soldiers. I have been an active member of this club since my freshman year and I really enjoy going to all the events that they offer. The paint-a-thon is one of my favorite events and I am really glad I had the chance to experience it during my time here at Stevenson. Since this was my second year volunteering at the paint-a-thon, I had an idea of what to expect. We went to a house in Arlington Heights which was pretty small and worn down. The house was owned by a family of a veteran and needed a little fix up. I dressed in clothes I did not mind getting dirty and got right to work when I arrived. The supervisors, Ms. Bush and Coach Moran, had everyone busy doing a different part of the house. There were kids painting the house on ladders and even their hands and knees. I helped paint the side of the house a dark red color and then continued to help paint the garage. The garage had a very detailed design so I had to be extra careful not to screw it up. Although at times it seemed like a giant art project, this was someone's house I was painting and I wanted to make sure to do a good job. I may not be the most artistic but this was really a job anyone could do.
Unfortunately I could not stay until the end to meet the owner of the house. I would have liked to have gotten a chance to talk with them, but I knew that my main job there was to just paint the house. Overall, I had so much fun and it feels so fulfilling to give back to someone who has done so much for our country. It only makes sense to help the people who have helped us and I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to volunteer for such an amazing event.

Sociologically Mindful

In class this week we talked about being sociologically mindful. How we have to see things around us in a new way in order to appreciate life to the fullest. I remember while reading about it, thinking that this was stupid. Why should I have to analyze everything about my life? But I realized after that being sociologically mindful was more than just appreciating the life around me. It is seeing people in a new way. It is putting myself in their shoes. It is not being judgmental but rather taking into account a person's life and struggles.
 The reading stated that people are not sociologically mindful because it can point out things that we would rather not see or think about. Unfortunately, this reading did point out that I am not exactly sociologically mindful; something that I did not really want to admit. I have never thought of myself as judgmental but while watching the video of Joshua Bell I was judging every person who did not stop and listen to his music. I thought about how busy all of their lives must of been that they couldn't have stopped for two minutes to listen to his music. But when I put myself in their shoes I came to the conclusion that I would have done the same thing myself. I would not have recognized him and I would not have stopped to listen to his music but here I was, shocked at the video, that not even five people stopped to listen. Putting myself in their shoes really changed my mindset and I think that is the most important part of being sociologically mindful. To really understand a person's situation and to know where they are coming from.
After seeing this video and reading about being sociologically mindful it made me want to work on the way I am. I can't promise that I will stop to analyze the things around me everyday. But I can promise that I will try to see situations and people differently by really putting myself into their shoes before drawing any conclusions about the kind of person they are.