I've had a bit of a realization as I have tried to write these blogs: I am not a particularly good writer. There are so many things I really ought to write about, but when I start trying to put them on paper, they sound trivial or boring. The good news, though, is that I looked at the "stats" on this blog, and found that not many people are reading it ... so at least I'm not worried about lots of people thinking I'm boring, just some. But whatever.
Shortly after I came to Albany, I had 5 days of Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) training. I felt like I had a pretty good grasp of what was going on throughout the training, and when I started working with the kids, I felt like I was pretty effectively utilizing it. It's interesting how perspective changes over time, though. There was a minor incident with a frequently problematic student tonight. I was running a Spades tournament for the evening activity and he was losing at his table. He was dealt a very poor hand and, in an attempt to force a re-deal, dropped a card under the table and tried to claim he hadn't been dealt the proper number. Well, a staff member saw the whole thing and called him out on it, which set him off. "He's cheating! He misdealt and now he's trying to blame it on me! I picked that card up off the floor! I'm not cheating! It should be a re-deal!" etc. I was working on de-escalating the situation (an effort the other staff sadly made no effort to aid) even as the other kids in the room were working as hard as they could to escalate it. The student who was caught cheating frequently gets in fights, and they seemed to think it would be sporting to edge him into violence tonight. Well, with great difficulty I got him to go outside with me to remove him from the situation, and he calmed down a little bit. But then he decided he should go back inside. And then he quit the game. But then he wanted back in the game. And then he was back to arguing about whether or not he had cheated. In the end, I managed to bring him down far enough toward his baseline behavior that I was able to get him to leave and go back to his division (where the students live).
Ideally, I would have been able to get him and his peers to a place where he could stay and finish the game, but I'm just not there yet. I think I handled the situation alright, but I also realize how overconfident I was 2 months ago, and how overconfident I probably still am. There are a lot of times when I find that I can't de-escalate a situation, or worse, that I am sometimes the cause of the situation, and I'm still growing in my ability to deal with these kids very fragile emotional states. It is so easy to bounce some of these boys from baseline to near-crisis, but so impossible to bring them back down. There are nights, especially when we play 5 on 5 basketball, that I have to step away from the situation for a couple minutes to calm myself down before I can even dream of being effective at helping them. The TCI process always starts with "What am I feeling right now?" because if we as child care workers enter into a situation with anything other than the welfare of the student in the forefront of our mind, we are almost guaranteed to fail. The most common mistake I've seen anybody make (and I don't excuse myself from the list of culprits) is failing to ask this question before engaging with a student, and the outcome can be grim if the staff fails to deal with him/her-self before dealing with a boy whose emotional coping capabilities are nearly nonexistent.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
LVs Running in Memphis
I have a confession to make. It's something I've been thinking about announcing for 2 months now, but I've been afraid. Afraid of saying something, of committing myself to a thing I might not be able to follow through on. But as I think more and more about this thing, I also prepare myself more and more for its eventuality. And so it is finally time for me to come out with it, to risk failure but strive for success. I am going to run the Memphis Marathon on December 4. It will be more than twice the longest distance I had ever before run, and that worried me when I signed up, but my long training runs have broken in the double digits, and I'm still alive and (mostly) healthy. So, hopefully I'll make it. There's been some stiffness and occasional pain in my right knee and both my ankles, but nothing debilitating by any means, and those have been my biggest problems so far. I'm keeping my fingers crossed and putting rubber on the road.
Having announced my plan to run the Memphis Marathon, I have to also tell you all that it would never have even occurred to me to do this if not for the fact that my whole program (the LVs) is involved. Of the 57 volunteers, almost all are running in one of the three races, either the full marathon, the half marathon, or the 5k. We are doing this in an effort to raise money for the program. Each person's goal, even those not running, is $1,000 for a total volunteer contribution of $57,000. For me to reach my goal, I need your help. There are just over 50 people on my "blog update" list, and if every one of those people donated just $20, my goal would be met. Can you help me do this? You know from my blog what I've been up to and who your donation ultimately serves, so if you consider my current endeavor worthwhile, I hope you will consider aiding the future of this program financially.
There are 2 WAYS TO MAKE A DONATION. The best for us is if you send a check to the main office in Washington D.C. The check needs to be made out to Christian Brothers Conference and needs "LV Marathon - Alex Branch" on the memo line. You can send the check to
Lasallian Volunteers
Hecker Center, Suite 300
3025 Fourth Street, NE
Washington, DC 20017
The second way to make a donation is via our online fundraising website, LVs Running in Memphis This is less preferred because the host company for the page takes a small cut from each online donation. Snail mail donations will also show up here, but don't lose the cut.
Many (though not all) of you will receive some snail mail from me regarding fundraising as well, so please be on the lookout for that.
Finally, there is one other interesting bit of news from the Volunteers. We have a new recruiting video, "I am an LV"! You can check it out on the LV website, HERE. It will introduce you to some of the other Volunteers serving around the United States and show you what else we're up to.
Peace.
Alex
Having announced my plan to run the Memphis Marathon, I have to also tell you all that it would never have even occurred to me to do this if not for the fact that my whole program (the LVs) is involved. Of the 57 volunteers, almost all are running in one of the three races, either the full marathon, the half marathon, or the 5k. We are doing this in an effort to raise money for the program. Each person's goal, even those not running, is $1,000 for a total volunteer contribution of $57,000. For me to reach my goal, I need your help. There are just over 50 people on my "blog update" list, and if every one of those people donated just $20, my goal would be met. Can you help me do this? You know from my blog what I've been up to and who your donation ultimately serves, so if you consider my current endeavor worthwhile, I hope you will consider aiding the future of this program financially.
There are 2 WAYS TO MAKE A DONATION. The best for us is if you send a check to the main office in Washington D.C. The check needs to be made out to Christian Brothers Conference and needs "LV Marathon - Alex Branch" on the memo line. You can send the check to
Lasallian Volunteers
Hecker Center, Suite 300
3025 Fourth Street, NE
Washington, DC 20017
The second way to make a donation is via our online fundraising website, LVs Running in Memphis This is less preferred because the host company for the page takes a small cut from each online donation. Snail mail donations will also show up here, but don't lose the cut.
Many (though not all) of you will receive some snail mail from me regarding fundraising as well, so please be on the lookout for that.
Finally, there is one other interesting bit of news from the Volunteers. We have a new recruiting video, "I am an LV"! You can check it out on the LV website, HERE. It will introduce you to some of the other Volunteers serving around the United States and show you what else we're up to.
Peace.
Alex
Friday, September 24, 2010
La Salle School for boys: An agent of healing since 1854
I've been promising for a while now to tell everybody out there just what it means to be at La Salle School - what this place really is, who the kids are, and what we do. Well, let the promising end. Here we go...
THE AGENCY
La Salle School has undergone a lot of changes since its founding by the Brother of the Christian Schools back in the mid-1800s. For more than a century, this place was essentially an orphanage. The kids were like any other kids, except for the primary identifying characteristic of their not having homes. So, we took them in and took care of them. La Salle began undergoing changes in the 60s, 70s, and 80s, however, and continues to change even today. We are now a facility with essentially 3-4 primary programs: day school, residential treatment, after school center, and evening reporting center. Two of these programs, day school and after school center, are voluntary. Parents choose to enroll their children in the day school or in ASC because they believe their child will benefit from the La Salle environment and opportunities. The other 2 programs are not optional. Our residential treatment center and the evening reporting center serve court adjudicated boys. ERC students live at home, go to school at other schools, and come to La Salle for evening recreation, classes, counseling, etc. I have nothing to do with the ERC, however. My job focuses entirely on the Residential Treatment Center (RTC).
RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT CENTER
Boys in the RTC are court mandated to be at La Salle, usually for 6-12 months. They end up here for a variety of reasons. Some because the homes they live in are simply too volatile due to alcoholism, drug abuse, physical abuse, neglect, etc on the part of the parents. Those boys tend to end up at La Salle longer than the usual 6-12 months. There are a couple boys starting college right now through our independent living program who have been at La Salle since they were 11 years old. This is not common, but it does happen. 50% of our boys are in La Salle's Juvenile Sex Victims and Offenders Program (JSVOP - Prounounced J-sop). They are here for 2 reasons. First, they are a sex victim or offender. Second, La Salle is one of (if not THE) only treatment facility in the state of New York that does not segregate JSVOP from the rest of our clients. Our facility is fully integrated, meaning there is no special division, special bedroom, or special anything to separate JSVOP clients from the other boys.
There is an important bit of philosophy behind this, a philosophy permeating this agency. We believe that these boys, all of them, are just like any other boys. They've made some bad decisions, they've been put in some unhealthy situations, they've been deprived of the social training required to live successfully with other people, and they cause a lot of trouble, but they are still good boys. We are technically part of the Juvenile Justice System in New York State, but we are not a youth detention facility, we are a treatment agency. The sign at the front of the school says "An Agent of Healing Since 1854" because we are not jailers or police officers, but social workers. We believe these boys can be helped, and we are doing our best to fulfill our potential as healers by helping them fulfill their potential as humans.
Philosophy aside, there are some other demons our boys are struggling with. Many who come here also have major issues with truancy. 100% of our boys have a DSM-IV diagnosis, and about 50% have a 2nd or 3rd DSM diagnosis. A DSM-IV diagnosis means the client has a psychological or behavioral disorder categorized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (1994). About half the disorders are partially defined by "clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning" (Wikipedia). 70% of the boys at La Salle are on psychotropic medications. About 62% of our boys screen in for chemical dependency when they arrive. Several boys have high-need medical conditions, as well.
MY JOB
My title is "Recreation Coordinator." What do I do? I run after school recreation programs for boys in the RTC. There are 70-80 boys in RTC, and the recreation department serves them in a couple ways. First, we are a complement to the work being done in the school, in therapy, with the social worker, and in the divisions (where they boys live on campus). The idea is that through recreational activity, boys can build confidence, learn new coping skills, and practice utilizing more effective coping skills. I also consider it an important part of our job to do something much simpler than help kids out of their emotional crises...we also provide a distraction. Rec is the kids' best opportunity to get out of the division, to do something preserving a semblance of a 'normal' teenage life. Basketball, flag football, cards, chess, softball, dodgeball; these things provide an alternative focus, something besides "being at la salle sucks." And I think that matters. In addition to the after school rec programs, we also do off-campus trips. Camping, canoeing, hiking, rock climbing, theme parks, professional sports games, concerts, museums, etc. These trips happen once every 1-2 weeks, typically, and sometimes more. Some trips challenge the boys to do something they aren't comfortable with (like rock climbing today), some are a chance to feel privileged, some are just fun. The trips also give us (the rec staff) a chance to get to know kids better 1 on 1. A typical backcountry (I use the term loosely) trip is 2 rec staff to about 6 kids, so there's a lot more chance to interact, talk, and build up relationships. It's benefit on both ends.
So what else do I say about this place? I can't say that I have a full grasp yet of what goes on here, but I'm excited about the philosophy, I'm excited about the boys, and I'm excited about the job. As I come up with more wonderful things to tell you, you will get to read them.
Until then,
Alex
PS. As always, please feel free to comment or email me with questions and thoughts.
THE AGENCY
La Salle School has undergone a lot of changes since its founding by the Brother of the Christian Schools back in the mid-1800s. For more than a century, this place was essentially an orphanage. The kids were like any other kids, except for the primary identifying characteristic of their not having homes. So, we took them in and took care of them. La Salle began undergoing changes in the 60s, 70s, and 80s, however, and continues to change even today. We are now a facility with essentially 3-4 primary programs: day school, residential treatment, after school center, and evening reporting center. Two of these programs, day school and after school center, are voluntary. Parents choose to enroll their children in the day school or in ASC because they believe their child will benefit from the La Salle environment and opportunities. The other 2 programs are not optional. Our residential treatment center and the evening reporting center serve court adjudicated boys. ERC students live at home, go to school at other schools, and come to La Salle for evening recreation, classes, counseling, etc. I have nothing to do with the ERC, however. My job focuses entirely on the Residential Treatment Center (RTC).
RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT CENTER
Boys in the RTC are court mandated to be at La Salle, usually for 6-12 months. They end up here for a variety of reasons. Some because the homes they live in are simply too volatile due to alcoholism, drug abuse, physical abuse, neglect, etc on the part of the parents. Those boys tend to end up at La Salle longer than the usual 6-12 months. There are a couple boys starting college right now through our independent living program who have been at La Salle since they were 11 years old. This is not common, but it does happen. 50% of our boys are in La Salle's Juvenile Sex Victims and Offenders Program (JSVOP - Prounounced J-sop). They are here for 2 reasons. First, they are a sex victim or offender. Second, La Salle is one of (if not THE) only treatment facility in the state of New York that does not segregate JSVOP from the rest of our clients. Our facility is fully integrated, meaning there is no special division, special bedroom, or special anything to separate JSVOP clients from the other boys.
There is an important bit of philosophy behind this, a philosophy permeating this agency. We believe that these boys, all of them, are just like any other boys. They've made some bad decisions, they've been put in some unhealthy situations, they've been deprived of the social training required to live successfully with other people, and they cause a lot of trouble, but they are still good boys. We are technically part of the Juvenile Justice System in New York State, but we are not a youth detention facility, we are a treatment agency. The sign at the front of the school says "An Agent of Healing Since 1854" because we are not jailers or police officers, but social workers. We believe these boys can be helped, and we are doing our best to fulfill our potential as healers by helping them fulfill their potential as humans.
Philosophy aside, there are some other demons our boys are struggling with. Many who come here also have major issues with truancy. 100% of our boys have a DSM-IV diagnosis, and about 50% have a 2nd or 3rd DSM diagnosis. A DSM-IV diagnosis means the client has a psychological or behavioral disorder categorized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (1994). About half the disorders are partially defined by "clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning" (Wikipedia). 70% of the boys at La Salle are on psychotropic medications. About 62% of our boys screen in for chemical dependency when they arrive. Several boys have high-need medical conditions, as well.
MY JOB
My title is "Recreation Coordinator." What do I do? I run after school recreation programs for boys in the RTC. There are 70-80 boys in RTC, and the recreation department serves them in a couple ways. First, we are a complement to the work being done in the school, in therapy, with the social worker, and in the divisions (where they boys live on campus). The idea is that through recreational activity, boys can build confidence, learn new coping skills, and practice utilizing more effective coping skills. I also consider it an important part of our job to do something much simpler than help kids out of their emotional crises...we also provide a distraction. Rec is the kids' best opportunity to get out of the division, to do something preserving a semblance of a 'normal' teenage life. Basketball, flag football, cards, chess, softball, dodgeball; these things provide an alternative focus, something besides "being at la salle sucks." And I think that matters. In addition to the after school rec programs, we also do off-campus trips. Camping, canoeing, hiking, rock climbing, theme parks, professional sports games, concerts, museums, etc. These trips happen once every 1-2 weeks, typically, and sometimes more. Some trips challenge the boys to do something they aren't comfortable with (like rock climbing today), some are a chance to feel privileged, some are just fun. The trips also give us (the rec staff) a chance to get to know kids better 1 on 1. A typical backcountry (I use the term loosely) trip is 2 rec staff to about 6 kids, so there's a lot more chance to interact, talk, and build up relationships. It's benefit on both ends.
So what else do I say about this place? I can't say that I have a full grasp yet of what goes on here, but I'm excited about the philosophy, I'm excited about the boys, and I'm excited about the job. As I come up with more wonderful things to tell you, you will get to read them.
Until then,
Alex
PS. As always, please feel free to comment or email me with questions and thoughts.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Orientation and community.
So I'm trying to keep this blog, but really, I'm failing horribly. It seems like every time I've tried to sit down and write, I've found that either my mind has gone blank or I've been uncomfortable posting my real thoughts for just anyone out there. To get things going, I sat down last night and wrote on paper instead, and I came up with what I hope is some good stuff. I won't write it all here, but most of it is in the words that follow...
ORIENTATION: WAY too long. I am virtually incapable of enjoying time spent in groups of more than 5, and I am almost totally incapable of enjoying outings with 56 strangers (OK, I knew some already, so let's say 51 or so), so twelve days with that many people, all the time, was not the greatest thing for me. I'm just not that kind of socialite. There's always too much gossip, too much intrigue, too many cliques. It might not have been so difficult for me if it had been shorter, but even in a small group twelve days is a long time for me, and with that many, it was bordering on interminable for me by the end. All that being said, though, I gladly admit these were not unenjoyable (if that's a word) people. I probably didn't become lifelong friends with any of them in twelve days, but I don't think I made any enemies, either (I hope?). I didn't laugh hysterically, or cry my eyes out, but I definitely learned a few things, probably even some things I haven't yet realized. There were a lot of life experiences, there were a lot of perspectives, and there was a lot of sharing, so it certainly wasn't all bad, it just wasn't really me.
MY COMMUNITY: I live with 5 other men - 3 Brothers (FSC) and 2 Lasallian Volunteers.
Br. Richard is awesome. He's kind of like the grandfather in our house. As community director, he's in charge of how the house is run, and as a person, he's very much my style. Short. Bald. Tight skinned. Tough. IRISH. He tells you what he's thinking, has an almost subversive sense of humor, and makes no bones about being generous and good-hearted. All around, he's just a good guy.
Br. Bernard is more of an introvert and less likely to be the comic of the group, which is of course why so much of what he says is hilarious! He's a beachcomber who never throws ANYTHING away if he thinks there could ever be a use for it, he's a stickler for tradition, and he's an accountant. He's a little checked out from the community and the school, but he's content to take care of the business and do his own thing so long as you're content to let him.
Br. John is a man who I do not seem to see eye-to-eye with. My goal with him is simply to find a common ground on which we can meet with tolerance and goodwill, because our personalities clash in a very real way. We aren't about to get in a shouting match or anything, but we're also not likely to intentionally initiate conversation with one another. To me, John's biggest redeeming factor is that he has a genuine interest in the kids' success, and if anyone needed something from him, I don't think he would hesitate to provide it.
The two volunteers in my community are Denny and Mike, and these guys are great. Denny has an enthusiasm and personality that is infectious. He's the kind of guy that drives you crazy if you're on the outside looking in, but who is invaluable if you're part of his crowd. He's an organizer, an enabler (in a good way), a good listener, a sincere speaker, and a genuinely nice person. I think Denny could hurt somebody by accident, but I'm sure he could never do it intentionally. He would give up so much to help his friends, and all his actions seem to come from his good humor and kindness combined. He is one of the few people I have ever met who I feel I can say "this person deserves all the good that will come his way." And believe me, there will be a lot. He is bound for the top of whatever he does, because leadership fits him.
Mike is a totally different guy, awesome in his own unique way. His strength comes from within him. He is searching for a direction in life and, while he will enjoy this year of service, I don't think he'll find what he's looking for here. Where some (Denny included) seek validation and support from others, Mike is trying to find something that will allow him to validate himself from within. He isn't truly confident anywhere, and he has some fear in him, but I think that when he finds his home he will flourish, grow, and give back. I think Mike is in this program somewhat on a whim, as another part of his search, but I also think he's in it because he cares about contributing to the causes of people who need him. There is a depth of feeling in Mike that is hard to tap but (I think) once tapped will be virtually bottomless. When he finally finds himself truly balanced, he will be a center of calm in a turbulent world, the place tossed ships and lost people find respite and renewal.
So how does all this fit together? I can't say I know, but I think it's either a jigsaw with all the right pieces, or a depth charge. Mike, Denny, and I have begun bonding really well. I think the three of us really have the ability to support one another like brothers through the coming year, and I think we will. I also think there might be times when we won't even like each other, but don't all brothers have those times? I already know that if those guys ask me for something, I probably won't have the ability to say no. In the 4 weeks we've been together, I have become attached to them in a way I certainly didn't expect. I look up to Denny as the second year volunteer who can do more to guide me into and through this next couple months than anyone else, and I look to Mike as the man who will be there to remind me what's what when I need it, but who will need to remind him of the same from time to time.
So, I hope this entry begins to paint a picture for you of what's going on in my life at the moment. I will try to put up another entry soon that talks more about my school and what I do there. Until then, feel free (as always) to leave me comments or send me an email with questions you have. If you sent me an email last time I posted and I haven't responded yet, please forgive me. I'm a bit busy, but I will be getting to them soon (I hope).
-Alex
ORIENTATION: WAY too long. I am virtually incapable of enjoying time spent in groups of more than 5, and I am almost totally incapable of enjoying outings with 56 strangers (OK, I knew some already, so let's say 51 or so), so twelve days with that many people, all the time, was not the greatest thing for me. I'm just not that kind of socialite. There's always too much gossip, too much intrigue, too many cliques. It might not have been so difficult for me if it had been shorter, but even in a small group twelve days is a long time for me, and with that many, it was bordering on interminable for me by the end. All that being said, though, I gladly admit these were not unenjoyable (if that's a word) people. I probably didn't become lifelong friends with any of them in twelve days, but I don't think I made any enemies, either (I hope?). I didn't laugh hysterically, or cry my eyes out, but I definitely learned a few things, probably even some things I haven't yet realized. There were a lot of life experiences, there were a lot of perspectives, and there was a lot of sharing, so it certainly wasn't all bad, it just wasn't really me.
MY COMMUNITY: I live with 5 other men - 3 Brothers (FSC) and 2 Lasallian Volunteers.
Br. Richard is awesome. He's kind of like the grandfather in our house. As community director, he's in charge of how the house is run, and as a person, he's very much my style. Short. Bald. Tight skinned. Tough. IRISH. He tells you what he's thinking, has an almost subversive sense of humor, and makes no bones about being generous and good-hearted. All around, he's just a good guy.
Br. Bernard is more of an introvert and less likely to be the comic of the group, which is of course why so much of what he says is hilarious! He's a beachcomber who never throws ANYTHING away if he thinks there could ever be a use for it, he's a stickler for tradition, and he's an accountant. He's a little checked out from the community and the school, but he's content to take care of the business and do his own thing so long as you're content to let him.
Br. John is a man who I do not seem to see eye-to-eye with. My goal with him is simply to find a common ground on which we can meet with tolerance and goodwill, because our personalities clash in a very real way. We aren't about to get in a shouting match or anything, but we're also not likely to intentionally initiate conversation with one another. To me, John's biggest redeeming factor is that he has a genuine interest in the kids' success, and if anyone needed something from him, I don't think he would hesitate to provide it.
The two volunteers in my community are Denny and Mike, and these guys are great. Denny has an enthusiasm and personality that is infectious. He's the kind of guy that drives you crazy if you're on the outside looking in, but who is invaluable if you're part of his crowd. He's an organizer, an enabler (in a good way), a good listener, a sincere speaker, and a genuinely nice person. I think Denny could hurt somebody by accident, but I'm sure he could never do it intentionally. He would give up so much to help his friends, and all his actions seem to come from his good humor and kindness combined. He is one of the few people I have ever met who I feel I can say "this person deserves all the good that will come his way." And believe me, there will be a lot. He is bound for the top of whatever he does, because leadership fits him.
Mike is a totally different guy, awesome in his own unique way. His strength comes from within him. He is searching for a direction in life and, while he will enjoy this year of service, I don't think he'll find what he's looking for here. Where some (Denny included) seek validation and support from others, Mike is trying to find something that will allow him to validate himself from within. He isn't truly confident anywhere, and he has some fear in him, but I think that when he finds his home he will flourish, grow, and give back. I think Mike is in this program somewhat on a whim, as another part of his search, but I also think he's in it because he cares about contributing to the causes of people who need him. There is a depth of feeling in Mike that is hard to tap but (I think) once tapped will be virtually bottomless. When he finally finds himself truly balanced, he will be a center of calm in a turbulent world, the place tossed ships and lost people find respite and renewal.
So how does all this fit together? I can't say I know, but I think it's either a jigsaw with all the right pieces, or a depth charge. Mike, Denny, and I have begun bonding really well. I think the three of us really have the ability to support one another like brothers through the coming year, and I think we will. I also think there might be times when we won't even like each other, but don't all brothers have those times? I already know that if those guys ask me for something, I probably won't have the ability to say no. In the 4 weeks we've been together, I have become attached to them in a way I certainly didn't expect. I look up to Denny as the second year volunteer who can do more to guide me into and through this next couple months than anyone else, and I look to Mike as the man who will be there to remind me what's what when I need it, but who will need to remind him of the same from time to time.
So, I hope this entry begins to paint a picture for you of what's going on in my life at the moment. I will try to put up another entry soon that talks more about my school and what I do there. Until then, feel free (as always) to leave me comments or send me an email with questions you have. If you sent me an email last time I posted and I haven't responded yet, please forgive me. I'm a bit busy, but I will be getting to them soon (I hope).
-Alex
Thursday, August 12, 2010
The beginning of a story...
One of the boys told me a bit of his story the other day. The short of it is something like this:
His mom kicked out of the house when he was 13. He didn't have any other family to take him in, so he moved in with a friend and started selling drugs to support himself. He's bounced around, crashing at various friends' places over the years, and was most recently living with his girlfriend. But they just broke up, so he's got a home visit this weekend in which he's packing up all his stuff and looking for a new place to live.
But I hope to see him back here on Monday.
His mom kicked out of the house when he was 13. He didn't have any other family to take him in, so he moved in with a friend and started selling drugs to support himself. He's bounced around, crashing at various friends' places over the years, and was most recently living with his girlfriend. But they just broke up, so he's got a home visit this weekend in which he's packing up all his stuff and looking for a new place to live.
But I hope to see him back here on Monday.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
From Albany, NY!
Timeline since graduation:
Graduation: May 22, 2010. Moraga, CA. Bachelor of Arts degree. Valedictorian.
Move out of my apartment, and onto the floor of somebody else's: May 24, 2010. Walnut Creek, CA.
Start full time temp job at SMC Admissions: May 25, 2010. Moraga, CA.
Work 8:30-4:30, M-F: May 25 through June 30.
Mail everything I own, minus one backpack, to the east coast: June 30.
Cyber-hitchhike (via couchsurfing.com) from Oakland to Seattle: July 1-2, 2010.
Chill in Seattle with Michelle and her flatmates: July 2-5.
Hitchhike from Seattle to Montana: July 6.
Have an awesome time in Montana: July 7-15.
Attend Rachel Richardson-Osredkar's wedding: July 16, Pleasanton, CA.
Fly to Albany, NY: July 19-20.
Lasallian Volunteers Site Visit: July 20-22, 2010. LaSalle School, Albany, NY.
LV Orientation/Retreat: July 23-August 2, 2010. Philadelphia, PA.
1st day of service (aka work): August 3, 2010. Albany, NY.
Move in to my room in the Brother's house: August 3, 2010. Albany, NY.
Camping trip in the Adirondacks with 6 students and my supervisor, Ken Hackett: August 4-5.
Weekend: August 5-6.
Back to work: today!
Okay, now that's over with, here's a bit of what's been going on in a more user-friendly format. Summer after graduation was a bit of a whirlwind. After school ended I had to move out of my apartment on campus, so I moved in with my friend Celine in Walnut Creek and slept on her floor while I worked in the Admissions Office at Saint Mary's for another 5-6 weeks. Had a pretty good time and pretty much financed my cross-country move, which was good. After I finished work, I caught a ride to Seattle with a couple girls I met through couchsurfing.com, a traveler networking website that is absolutely awesome. If you are reading this and you think you're a little bit of a free spirit (or want to become one) I definitely recommend checking it out. I've met CSers all over the world, and the experience has always been awesome.
So, I went up to Seattle to visit Michelle, a good friend of mine from high school, then I hitch-hiked over to Montana to see my mom and some of my other friends who just finished school (or didn't). Notably, I also took a side trip down to Butte, MT for the National Folk Music festival, "Somebody shoot that thang!", which was awesome. I flew back to CA for the wedding of a good friend of mine, then came out to Albany to really get underway with my post-grad life.
I am serving for at least the next year (and probably the next two) with the Lasallian Volunteers. The LV program is founded around the Lasallian tradition(which I will explain shortly) and each year places volunteers all around the country in schools and social services centers aimed at helping poor and underprivileged populations. There are 57 volunteers this year living in 22 Lasallian communities from San Francisco to New York, and lots of places in between. We perform work that ranges from teaching elementary, middle, and high school to tracking students in inner city schools, to caring for the elderly. I myself am working at La Salle School in Albany, NY in the outdoor recreation department. On a day-to-day basis, myself and 2 other volunteers run the afternoon and evening programs for the boys (it's an all-boys school) - basketball, softball, etc. and on about a weekly basis we also organize and run off-campus trips like camping, rock climbing, or caving. Our typical work day starts at noon and ends at 8 or 8:30, with a break for dinner, though our day in full starts at 7:30 with morning prayer.
The school is a residential facility for court adjudicated boys typically sent here for anywhere from 6-12 months. Most of our boys are relatively local, coming from towns/cities within about an hour's drive from Albany, but we do have some boys from further away. None of our boys are from New York City. Boys end up at La Salle School for any number of reasons, most of which I have not yet heard about, but I will fill you in on that as I get a better handle on it.
So, a couple things about the Lasallian tradition, in hope of giving you some idea of what drives this whole program: In the Rule of the Brothers of the Christian Schools (aka the De La Salle Christian Brothers) it says: "The Institute is concerned above all with the educational needs of the poor as they strive to become aware of their dignity and to live and be recognized as human beings and as children of God." It also says, "The Brothers are entrusted with their mission by the Institute, a mission especially to the poor. As a community they become increasingly conscious of the reasons for the poverty that surrounds them and so become earnestly involved in the promotion of justice and human dignity through the educational service they provide." The basic idea, which comes all they way from Saint John Baptist de la Salle way back in the late 1600's, is that education provides an outlet by which the poor can be raised up out of their poverty. Though the number of people committed to living a religious life as a Brother shrinks every year, the number of people involved with the mission is continuously growing. In the LV Program, our commitment is threefold: to Faith, Service, and Community. "This is really a triple movement: seeing reality, looking upon it with the Word of God, being committed to actions that transform. This plan is what all authentic Lasallians should try to live out. The encounter with God in Lasallian terms will never be an individual search, but a community adventure; it will never mean running away from the world, but it will mean commitment and service in the world."
So, the idea behind the Lasallian tradition is that through the values of faith, service, and community, and by the virtue of education, we can make positive changes in the world. The work is not easy, but it is valuable and rewarding. This is something I am proud to be part of.
Mmm, I am sure I have much more to say about the LVs, my site, and my new life, but I'm afraid I have been at this computer too long already, so I hope you have enjoyed this post, and I will do my best to write more as things come up. Also, please take some time to explore the links I provided for the LVs, the Brothers, and de la Salle. If you have any particular questions you'd like me to answer, don't hesitate to leave a comment or send me an email!
Alex
Graduation: May 22, 2010. Moraga, CA. Bachelor of Arts degree. Valedictorian.
Move out of my apartment, and onto the floor of somebody else's: May 24, 2010. Walnut Creek, CA.
Start full time temp job at SMC Admissions: May 25, 2010. Moraga, CA.
Work 8:30-4:30, M-F: May 25 through June 30.
Mail everything I own, minus one backpack, to the east coast: June 30.
Cyber-hitchhike (via couchsurfing.com) from Oakland to Seattle: July 1-2, 2010.
Chill in Seattle with Michelle and her flatmates: July 2-5.
Hitchhike from Seattle to Montana: July 6.
Have an awesome time in Montana: July 7-15.
Attend Rachel Richardson-Osredkar's wedding: July 16, Pleasanton, CA.
Fly to Albany, NY: July 19-20.
Lasallian Volunteers Site Visit: July 20-22, 2010. LaSalle School, Albany, NY.
LV Orientation/Retreat: July 23-August 2, 2010. Philadelphia, PA.
1st day of service (aka work): August 3, 2010. Albany, NY.
Move in to my room in the Brother's house: August 3, 2010. Albany, NY.
Camping trip in the Adirondacks with 6 students and my supervisor, Ken Hackett: August 4-5.
Weekend: August 5-6.
Back to work: today!
Okay, now that's over with, here's a bit of what's been going on in a more user-friendly format. Summer after graduation was a bit of a whirlwind. After school ended I had to move out of my apartment on campus, so I moved in with my friend Celine in Walnut Creek and slept on her floor while I worked in the Admissions Office at Saint Mary's for another 5-6 weeks. Had a pretty good time and pretty much financed my cross-country move, which was good. After I finished work, I caught a ride to Seattle with a couple girls I met through couchsurfing.com, a traveler networking website that is absolutely awesome. If you are reading this and you think you're a little bit of a free spirit (or want to become one) I definitely recommend checking it out. I've met CSers all over the world, and the experience has always been awesome.
So, I went up to Seattle to visit Michelle, a good friend of mine from high school, then I hitch-hiked over to Montana to see my mom and some of my other friends who just finished school (or didn't). Notably, I also took a side trip down to Butte, MT for the National Folk Music festival, "Somebody shoot that thang!", which was awesome. I flew back to CA for the wedding of a good friend of mine, then came out to Albany to really get underway with my post-grad life.
I am serving for at least the next year (and probably the next two) with the Lasallian Volunteers. The LV program is founded around the Lasallian tradition(which I will explain shortly) and each year places volunteers all around the country in schools and social services centers aimed at helping poor and underprivileged populations. There are 57 volunteers this year living in 22 Lasallian communities from San Francisco to New York, and lots of places in between. We perform work that ranges from teaching elementary, middle, and high school to tracking students in inner city schools, to caring for the elderly. I myself am working at La Salle School in Albany, NY in the outdoor recreation department. On a day-to-day basis, myself and 2 other volunteers run the afternoon and evening programs for the boys (it's an all-boys school) - basketball, softball, etc. and on about a weekly basis we also organize and run off-campus trips like camping, rock climbing, or caving. Our typical work day starts at noon and ends at 8 or 8:30, with a break for dinner, though our day in full starts at 7:30 with morning prayer.
The school is a residential facility for court adjudicated boys typically sent here for anywhere from 6-12 months. Most of our boys are relatively local, coming from towns/cities within about an hour's drive from Albany, but we do have some boys from further away. None of our boys are from New York City. Boys end up at La Salle School for any number of reasons, most of which I have not yet heard about, but I will fill you in on that as I get a better handle on it.
So, a couple things about the Lasallian tradition, in hope of giving you some idea of what drives this whole program: In the Rule of the Brothers of the Christian Schools (aka the De La Salle Christian Brothers) it says: "The Institute is concerned above all with the educational needs of the poor as they strive to become aware of their dignity and to live and be recognized as human beings and as children of God." It also says, "The Brothers are entrusted with their mission by the Institute, a mission especially to the poor. As a community they become increasingly conscious of the reasons for the poverty that surrounds them and so become earnestly involved in the promotion of justice and human dignity through the educational service they provide." The basic idea, which comes all they way from Saint John Baptist de la Salle way back in the late 1600's, is that education provides an outlet by which the poor can be raised up out of their poverty. Though the number of people committed to living a religious life as a Brother shrinks every year, the number of people involved with the mission is continuously growing. In the LV Program, our commitment is threefold: to Faith, Service, and Community. "This is really a triple movement: seeing reality, looking upon it with the Word of God, being committed to actions that transform. This plan is what all authentic Lasallians should try to live out. The encounter with God in Lasallian terms will never be an individual search, but a community adventure; it will never mean running away from the world, but it will mean commitment and service in the world."
So, the idea behind the Lasallian tradition is that through the values of faith, service, and community, and by the virtue of education, we can make positive changes in the world. The work is not easy, but it is valuable and rewarding. This is something I am proud to be part of.
Mmm, I am sure I have much more to say about the LVs, my site, and my new life, but I'm afraid I have been at this computer too long already, so I hope you have enjoyed this post, and I will do my best to write more as things come up. Also, please take some time to explore the links I provided for the LVs, the Brothers, and de la Salle. If you have any particular questions you'd like me to answer, don't hesitate to leave a comment or send me an email!
Alex
Friday, June 4, 2010
Valedictory Address - Saint Mary's College of CA, May 22, 2010
Dear Saint Mary’s Class of 2010,
What is the point of an education?
At the beginning of this year, my father wrote me a birthday letter. In it, he said:
“Just keep in mind that up until now you have only been preparing for the fun part of life. One more year of school and the preliminaries will be behind you and you can get on with the game of life. I don't have any idea what life holds for you so just hang on and enjoy the ride.”
At about the same time, a good friend of mine, who tends to be what you might call a ‘free spirit,’ sent me a famous quote from Father Alfred D. Souza. It said:
“For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin – real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, some unfinished business, a debt to be paid. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. This perspective has helped me to see there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way.”
These are two seemingly opposite philosophies, one focused on life’s journey, the other on its destination; but both of them are right, and, in a way, they are not so different after all.
In one sense, we are finishing a preliminary. Some of us will walk across this stage and be honored for 2 years of work on a nursing degree, some of our classmates have already gone on from here after three years working toward engineering degrees, most of us are being honored today for 4 years on one of the many other degrees offered by Saint Mary’s College. For a lucky few of us it has been 5 or more years of hard work to get to this day.
But these degrees are preliminaries. They lead into graduate study opportunities, work opportunities, scholarship and travel opportunities. They are something that simply needed to be done. Our years here, however, have not just been preliminaries. The full term of our college experience has been about more than just this day.
At Weekend of Welcome in 2006, my group spoke with Ed Biglin, the Chief Technology Officer for CaTS, and he asked us a question. He said, “I have in my briefcase a Saint Mary’s diploma with the President’s signature, but blank lines where a name and major are waiting to be filled in. For $160,000 we can fill in all the blanks, and it’s yours. Who wants it?”
After the time we’ve had to grow as people here at Saint Mary’s, would you want it? Would you give up the time you’ve spent doing service? What about your favorite professor? Your best friends? What about your cultural experiences, Oasis dances, Outdoor Adventures trips, Church confirmations, travel abroad experiences, January Terms, movie nights, classes with the Christian Brothers, seminar discussions, and athletic events. What about everything else that didn’t necessarily come from a textbook?
Saint Mary’s is more than just a degree, it is an experience. Nowhere on my degree will it indicate that I lived in a Brothers’ community in New Zealand and taught high school math for three months, nowhere will it show that I travelled to Houston to support the men’s basketball team in the Sweet 16, nowhere will it show that I once climbed Halfdome in a snowstorm with one of my best friends from Saint Mary’s.
My father said the fun part of life is next, and I hope he’s right. But I also hope, for each of us, that some of the fun part of life has already gone by, and that today is one of the most fun parts we’ve ever experienced.
As we now move to a new phase of our lives, I also think of the admonition my father left me with, to hang on and enjoy the ride. Life is full of obstacles, and most of us probably have no real idea what we are about to get into. Law school, grad school, med school, business, volunteering, living on our parents’ couch until we figure things out; there is a lot of uncertainty in our futures, and those uncertainties come with trials. But, as Father Souza says, these trials are life. Every time one is passed, another blocks the way. The challenge is to stop looking at life as an obstacle course and rather to see it as a roller coaster.
Like a roller coaster, life has peaks and valleys, long climbs and fast drops, sometimes it even goes upside down. These so-called obstacles are what make the roller coaster interesting. They make it what it is. When the ride finally ends, the parts we remember are the parts where we were scared or excited, startled or tossed around in our seats. They are the parts where we had to hold on the hardest and, when we look back, they’re the parts we smile about. So like my father said, “hold on and enjoy the ride.”
Now, my classmates have all been in seminar enough to be wondering at this point when I will finally get back to the original question: what does all this have to do with the point of an education? Go back to Ed Biglin’s $160,000 degree. If the point of an education were just to learn the stuff in the textbook, we would all have skipped the tests and taken the diploma.
Instead, we toughed out years of hard work so that we could have an experience, so that we could add some twists and turns to our roller coaster, and that is the point of an education. To talk about being a life-long learner, you really have to talk about roller coaster construction, because the education is in the obstacles, and you are not just on the ride, you are building it.
Before I give up this place of honor, there’s one more thing I want to say to you all. I can see behind you to all the parents, grandparents, aunties, uncles, sisters, brothers, cousins, nieces, nephews, friends and supporters sitting in the stadium, and I know that not a single person who will walk across this stage got here all by him- or her-self. Whether your parents, your high school teachers, a Saint Mary’s donor, a staff member or a professor, whoever it is, make sure that soon, before the novelty of today wears off, you call those people, you send them a card, you do what it takes to let them know how thankful you are. For my family out there, please know that I am thankful for you. And for my classmates sitting before me, this could all have been a lot different, but I enjoyed the ride. Congratulations class of 2010, and thank you.
What is the point of an education?
At the beginning of this year, my father wrote me a birthday letter. In it, he said:
“Just keep in mind that up until now you have only been preparing for the fun part of life. One more year of school and the preliminaries will be behind you and you can get on with the game of life. I don't have any idea what life holds for you so just hang on and enjoy the ride.”
At about the same time, a good friend of mine, who tends to be what you might call a ‘free spirit,’ sent me a famous quote from Father Alfred D. Souza. It said:
“For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin – real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, some unfinished business, a debt to be paid. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. This perspective has helped me to see there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way.”
These are two seemingly opposite philosophies, one focused on life’s journey, the other on its destination; but both of them are right, and, in a way, they are not so different after all.
In one sense, we are finishing a preliminary. Some of us will walk across this stage and be honored for 2 years of work on a nursing degree, some of our classmates have already gone on from here after three years working toward engineering degrees, most of us are being honored today for 4 years on one of the many other degrees offered by Saint Mary’s College. For a lucky few of us it has been 5 or more years of hard work to get to this day.
But these degrees are preliminaries. They lead into graduate study opportunities, work opportunities, scholarship and travel opportunities. They are something that simply needed to be done. Our years here, however, have not just been preliminaries. The full term of our college experience has been about more than just this day.
At Weekend of Welcome in 2006, my group spoke with Ed Biglin, the Chief Technology Officer for CaTS, and he asked us a question. He said, “I have in my briefcase a Saint Mary’s diploma with the President’s signature, but blank lines where a name and major are waiting to be filled in. For $160,000 we can fill in all the blanks, and it’s yours. Who wants it?”
After the time we’ve had to grow as people here at Saint Mary’s, would you want it? Would you give up the time you’ve spent doing service? What about your favorite professor? Your best friends? What about your cultural experiences, Oasis dances, Outdoor Adventures trips, Church confirmations, travel abroad experiences, January Terms, movie nights, classes with the Christian Brothers, seminar discussions, and athletic events. What about everything else that didn’t necessarily come from a textbook?
Saint Mary’s is more than just a degree, it is an experience. Nowhere on my degree will it indicate that I lived in a Brothers’ community in New Zealand and taught high school math for three months, nowhere will it show that I travelled to Houston to support the men’s basketball team in the Sweet 16, nowhere will it show that I once climbed Halfdome in a snowstorm with one of my best friends from Saint Mary’s.
My father said the fun part of life is next, and I hope he’s right. But I also hope, for each of us, that some of the fun part of life has already gone by, and that today is one of the most fun parts we’ve ever experienced.
As we now move to a new phase of our lives, I also think of the admonition my father left me with, to hang on and enjoy the ride. Life is full of obstacles, and most of us probably have no real idea what we are about to get into. Law school, grad school, med school, business, volunteering, living on our parents’ couch until we figure things out; there is a lot of uncertainty in our futures, and those uncertainties come with trials. But, as Father Souza says, these trials are life. Every time one is passed, another blocks the way. The challenge is to stop looking at life as an obstacle course and rather to see it as a roller coaster.
Like a roller coaster, life has peaks and valleys, long climbs and fast drops, sometimes it even goes upside down. These so-called obstacles are what make the roller coaster interesting. They make it what it is. When the ride finally ends, the parts we remember are the parts where we were scared or excited, startled or tossed around in our seats. They are the parts where we had to hold on the hardest and, when we look back, they’re the parts we smile about. So like my father said, “hold on and enjoy the ride.”
Now, my classmates have all been in seminar enough to be wondering at this point when I will finally get back to the original question: what does all this have to do with the point of an education? Go back to Ed Biglin’s $160,000 degree. If the point of an education were just to learn the stuff in the textbook, we would all have skipped the tests and taken the diploma.
Instead, we toughed out years of hard work so that we could have an experience, so that we could add some twists and turns to our roller coaster, and that is the point of an education. To talk about being a life-long learner, you really have to talk about roller coaster construction, because the education is in the obstacles, and you are not just on the ride, you are building it.
Before I give up this place of honor, there’s one more thing I want to say to you all. I can see behind you to all the parents, grandparents, aunties, uncles, sisters, brothers, cousins, nieces, nephews, friends and supporters sitting in the stadium, and I know that not a single person who will walk across this stage got here all by him- or her-self. Whether your parents, your high school teachers, a Saint Mary’s donor, a staff member or a professor, whoever it is, make sure that soon, before the novelty of today wears off, you call those people, you send them a card, you do what it takes to let them know how thankful you are. For my family out there, please know that I am thankful for you. And for my classmates sitting before me, this could all have been a lot different, but I enjoyed the ride. Congratulations class of 2010, and thank you.
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