Gigantic ups to my Winston crew for earning our uniforms today! This is a huge accomplishment in the City Year process, and we rocked it. Our chant to "All of the Lights" was killer, so much so that I think there is a good chance that we'll get to perform it on Opening Day, which would be fantastic. We got our Tims, red vest, and dress pants and shirts. We are still waiting for more pieces to arrive, including the backpack (which I'm really excited for) and our bombers. But still, we put in hours of work and it showed. I couldn't be more proud of Matt, Cara, Emilia, Rashad, Kim, Robbie, Trey, Sydney, Sheri, and Paiyal!
Earlier today we shadowed more classes which is starting to get beat. I think everyone has a pretty good idea of which class the want/would be most successful in, so now it's a little drag. I was in 4th grade, and those little kids are rowdy. I had one kid talk back to me for half an hour after I stopped acknowledging him before he finally picked up pencil shavings that he spilled and then right after lunch, this little dude speared another kid. I was like "dude, really!?" I told him if that happens again, he'll have to deal with me. Oh and I'm in charge of the discipline for my team as well. I like intimidating kids who have never been stood up to before.
Yesterday was a throw away day. The school was closed due to the hurricane. (I walked through the wind and rain on Saturday night, always a good time!)
Tomorrow I have interviews for two Ambassador Programs and I'll let you know more about them once I receive a decision on them, but apparently I have a good chance at both that I'm applying for.
Hope all is well in Pittsburgh, Marietta, and wherever else you may be reading this from. Know that I'm having a great time here and couldn't be happier with my decision!
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
I Have Justin Bieber Hair?
I was in another class today, sixth grade, and it pains me to say, but the ability of some of these students are very sad. I was working with a student and she asked for some help, so I explained to her that she had to read a section and pick out two main ideas. That's when she informed me that she couldn't read. No big deal, I'll help her. I was very proud that she put forth a serious effort and was eventually able to sound out the word "tectonic", but later in the day found out that she couldn't pronounce the names "Phil" and "Ann". That one hurt.
Speaking of hurting, and I hate to say this, but some of the teachers are very apathetic towards their students. In one case she was the opposite and was absolutely grilling this student. I felt bad but didn't want to overstep my boundaries. That student asked me to help her with her homework and I did and get this, she is BRILLIANT! One of the smartest students I've been around in that school. I asked her if she liked school and she said yes, and told me that she has plans on going to college, which she will because of her intellect, but the teacher has it out. We were talking and she got in trouble for raising her hand to as a relevant question. I told her, whether or not I'm her City Year, she could come to me to release the frustrations. She has so much potential, and I told her sometimes you just have to bite your tongue even when you know you didn't do anything wrong. I talked to the teacher about it and how smart she was, and the teacher didn't really care, rather she was more concerned with the discipline issue.
I ate lunch with some of the students and they asked me to shake my hair, so I did and they go, Oh my gosh Mr. Mike, you have Justin Bieber hair! I was like, "excuse me?"
I went on to tell them how in high school I grew my hair really long and put them in twisties one day and told them that if they do their work and do well, that I might bring it out again later in the year.
After school, my team put in mad hours practicing to earn our uniforms. We have most everything memorized including this wicked awesome chant which is a remix to Kanye West's "All of the Lights."
Speaking of hurting, and I hate to say this, but some of the teachers are very apathetic towards their students. In one case she was the opposite and was absolutely grilling this student. I felt bad but didn't want to overstep my boundaries. That student asked me to help her with her homework and I did and get this, she is BRILLIANT! One of the smartest students I've been around in that school. I asked her if she liked school and she said yes, and told me that she has plans on going to college, which she will because of her intellect, but the teacher has it out. We were talking and she got in trouble for raising her hand to as a relevant question. I told her, whether or not I'm her City Year, she could come to me to release the frustrations. She has so much potential, and I told her sometimes you just have to bite your tongue even when you know you didn't do anything wrong. I talked to the teacher about it and how smart she was, and the teacher didn't really care, rather she was more concerned with the discipline issue.
I ate lunch with some of the students and they asked me to shake my hair, so I did and they go, Oh my gosh Mr. Mike, you have Justin Bieber hair! I was like, "excuse me?"
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| My hair |
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| Bieber's hair (I can't believe I put his photo on my blog...) |
I went on to tell them how in high school I grew my hair really long and put them in twisties one day and told them that if they do their work and do well, that I might bring it out again later in the year.
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| stud |
After school, my team put in mad hours practicing to earn our uniforms. We have most everything memorized including this wicked awesome chant which is a remix to Kanye West's "All of the Lights."
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Tremor-endous Day
Today I was back in the 7th grade and all ready the kids are feeling comfortable around me. I'm able to assist them and make sure they stay focused on their work. I'm also able to relate to them as well. For instance this once kid didn't do his homework because he played basketball after school. So today I asked him what he was going to do and he told me ball. I said thats fine, but if you don't do your homework, that really wont matter. I told him I don't care if he drops 20 and 10 dimes (assists), if that homework isn't done, I could care less. He promised me he'd get it done. We'll see tomorrow. The kids find it fun to bust on my shoes, which is all good. I mean I do lack a certain fashion sense.
In math, I was helping this one girl who was really struggling with decimals and determining which ones are bigger than the others. By the end of the lesson, she was able to understand and could explain to me why that was the case. It was great to see progress being made immediately. After class was over, another girl approached me and asked if I would help her with her multiplication tables, the 9's and 12's specifically. Of course I said yes and taught her the finger trick for the 9 times tables. The bad part is tomorrow I will observe another class so I won't see these kids for a couple days.
I ate lunch with a group of them and we discussed music and instruments they play. They were really excited to tell me about playing the viola, the piccolo and the guitar. I told them how I play the piano, trumpet and euphonium, which they needed an explanation for lol. I really hope to be able to continue teaching that 7th grade class when I get my final assignment.
In the afternoon I was heading back to the office with my team for more training. When we stepped off the Metro, people were lining the streets. My group was like "what the..." So I asked a lady and she said there was an earthquake. I figured it was people blowing things out of proportion and panicking but there was a legit earthquake in D.C. People felt it and in the City Year building, it was easily felt. City Year decided to give us the rest of the day off, so that mean early Happy Hour!!!
The metro's sucked on the way home as they were only able to run at a max speed of 15 mph and they got crazy crowded. Tomorrow I apply for food stamps and am uber excited cause I miss cooking. I hope you all survived the earthquake and we're to rattled.
P.S. Happy Birthday to my roommate Sean Eagan...Happy 22nd, hope you don't get the shakes tonight...hahaha see what I did there I made a joke about drinking and earthquakes...
In math, I was helping this one girl who was really struggling with decimals and determining which ones are bigger than the others. By the end of the lesson, she was able to understand and could explain to me why that was the case. It was great to see progress being made immediately. After class was over, another girl approached me and asked if I would help her with her multiplication tables, the 9's and 12's specifically. Of course I said yes and taught her the finger trick for the 9 times tables. The bad part is tomorrow I will observe another class so I won't see these kids for a couple days.
I ate lunch with a group of them and we discussed music and instruments they play. They were really excited to tell me about playing the viola, the piccolo and the guitar. I told them how I play the piano, trumpet and euphonium, which they needed an explanation for lol. I really hope to be able to continue teaching that 7th grade class when I get my final assignment.
In the afternoon I was heading back to the office with my team for more training. When we stepped off the Metro, people were lining the streets. My group was like "what the..." So I asked a lady and she said there was an earthquake. I figured it was people blowing things out of proportion and panicking but there was a legit earthquake in D.C. People felt it and in the City Year building, it was easily felt. City Year decided to give us the rest of the day off, so that mean early Happy Hour!!!
The metro's sucked on the way home as they were only able to run at a max speed of 15 mph and they got crazy crowded. Tomorrow I apply for food stamps and am uber excited cause I miss cooking. I hope you all survived the earthquake and we're to rattled.
P.S. Happy Birthday to my roommate Sean Eagan...Happy 22nd, hope you don't get the shakes tonight...hahaha see what I did there I made a joke about drinking and earthquakes...
Monday, August 22, 2011
First Day of School
So I missed a week of posts. I was kinda sick and went to bed early every night. Good. Now that we're all caught up, today was my first day of school!
I was observing 7th grade classes and it was a great experience. My time at Perry helped out a lot and the teacher that I was observing noticed that I was intimidated at all. The first class was ancient history. The teacher did a great job of keeping the students engaged the whole time. However, he didn't teach out of a book. Instead he taught them photo analysis, which will continue throughout the entire year. This was a great method of teaching because 1. I'm sure the kids have never been exposed to that before 2. It was different than reading text out of a book and 3. It was fun and interactive. Hell it was fun for me!
The next class I observed was math. Some of the kids were a little shaky in this area. I had to go back and work out the problems myself before helping them out because, let's be real, it has been years since I did that kind of work. But like riding a bike, it quickly came back and I was able to assist a group of girls with some problems. At lunch, I got to talk to a few kids, one who claimed I stole his name (he was named Mike too). He wanted me to call him Big Mike, and I said alright that's cool, but since I'm bigger than you, I'm Bigger Mike. He was diggin it, but in the classroom he still agreed to call me Mr. Mike. Yeah, authoritative figure. Right here. I met the mayor of D.C. during lunch and then my flagship team worked on earning our uniforms. We got a good deal accomplished and the day went by fairly quickly.
One of the negatives, I live 3 miles from my school. It took me about an hour to get to and from school on public transportation. Ugh. I'm considering driving. Oh and my lunch meat sucks. I can't wait to get food stamps!
I was observing 7th grade classes and it was a great experience. My time at Perry helped out a lot and the teacher that I was observing noticed that I was intimidated at all. The first class was ancient history. The teacher did a great job of keeping the students engaged the whole time. However, he didn't teach out of a book. Instead he taught them photo analysis, which will continue throughout the entire year. This was a great method of teaching because 1. I'm sure the kids have never been exposed to that before 2. It was different than reading text out of a book and 3. It was fun and interactive. Hell it was fun for me!
The next class I observed was math. Some of the kids were a little shaky in this area. I had to go back and work out the problems myself before helping them out because, let's be real, it has been years since I did that kind of work. But like riding a bike, it quickly came back and I was able to assist a group of girls with some problems. At lunch, I got to talk to a few kids, one who claimed I stole his name (he was named Mike too). He wanted me to call him Big Mike, and I said alright that's cool, but since I'm bigger than you, I'm Bigger Mike. He was diggin it, but in the classroom he still agreed to call me Mr. Mike. Yeah, authoritative figure. Right here. I met the mayor of D.C. during lunch and then my flagship team worked on earning our uniforms. We got a good deal accomplished and the day went by fairly quickly.
One of the negatives, I live 3 miles from my school. It took me about an hour to get to and from school on public transportation. Ugh. I'm considering driving. Oh and my lunch meat sucks. I can't wait to get food stamps!
P.S. Throwing out a big happy birthday to one of my best friends, Zack Myers. Happy 23rd bud. And a big up to my sister Anna for completing her last first day of classes at Penn St.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Weekend Capper
I capped off my lazy weekend today. I guess I wasn't completely lazy today, but I didn't overexert myself in any capacity, except during a late lunch. I went to bed relatively early last night, shortly after midnight and halfway through "Good Will Hunting." It's just something about movies that makes it hard for me to stay awake.
I woke up early and researched and found a Catholic church to attend. Mass was at noon so I had plenty of time to get there, and for once I didn't get lost during the trip! St. Patricks was a smaller church, but nice on the inside.
The priest was really captivating and I was thinking, sweet! I could totally listen to this guy every Sunday. Turns out, he accepted another position and this was his last weekend at the church. Go figure.
After church, I was going to head to the zoo, but the skies looked ominous, and I really didn't want to get stuck in another rain storm. It would've been my fourth one I believe since I moved to D.C. and that's all because umbrella's are for the birds. Well not really, but that's my story and I'm stickin to it.
I was going to check out the Spy Museum, but of course that cost money, which is something that is at a premium for me right now, but I do get paid on Friday! Holla Holla! Instead I went tot he National Portrait Gallery. I immediately found the presidential section which housed all of the painting portraits of the presidents.(Try saying that five times fast) It's interesting to see the progression and depending on the time the portrait was done (in terms of the presidents stay in office) there were distinct differences in the faces from the amount of stress each president endured.
There were some really nice paintings of early America before it became industrialized, monopolized, and urbanized and let me tell you, it was quite the picturesque terrain. I was never big on art museums for a couple of reasons. The first being that, to put it bluntly, I suck at art. I can't color, can't draw, can't paint, sculpt, you name it, I am not artistically gifted. It gets frustrating at times. The other reason is that each artist usually has an underlying message to the piece and I'm not able to pick up what he or she is trying to convey. Maybe it's because I haven't been formally trained, I'm not sure. I like to take things at face value and not over analyze them. Maybe the artist just wanted to paint a picture of the woods, but usually it entails greater meaning.
Despite this fact, it was still really impressive work, again something I could never do, and neat to look at for an afternoon. After, I was texting a friend and asked where a good place to eat was and she hooked me up with Fuddruckers. This burger place is legit. They have crazy awesome burgers and you could've gotten specialty ones like buffalo, boar, and elk, but I decided to go with simply a half pound with bleu cheese, grilled onions and mushrooms, and all the fixins( yes, even another tomato). It was so juicy and the bun slightly grilled and so warm! Ugh, delicious! I stayed an extra 10 minutes after I was done because I was so full I had to let the food digest.
I then walked around Chinatown for a little to burn off some of the calories I just inhaled and I really enjoyed that walk because I was one of the tallest people on the street. Ego booster. Like I need it right!?
Good day, easy and relaxing weekend, and tomorrow starts week three of training at City Year. Can't wait!
I woke up early and researched and found a Catholic church to attend. Mass was at noon so I had plenty of time to get there, and for once I didn't get lost during the trip! St. Patricks was a smaller church, but nice on the inside.
The priest was really captivating and I was thinking, sweet! I could totally listen to this guy every Sunday. Turns out, he accepted another position and this was his last weekend at the church. Go figure.
After church, I was going to head to the zoo, but the skies looked ominous, and I really didn't want to get stuck in another rain storm. It would've been my fourth one I believe since I moved to D.C. and that's all because umbrella's are for the birds. Well not really, but that's my story and I'm stickin to it.
I was going to check out the Spy Museum, but of course that cost money, which is something that is at a premium for me right now, but I do get paid on Friday! Holla Holla! Instead I went tot he National Portrait Gallery. I immediately found the presidential section which housed all of the painting portraits of the presidents.(Try saying that five times fast) It's interesting to see the progression and depending on the time the portrait was done (in terms of the presidents stay in office) there were distinct differences in the faces from the amount of stress each president endured.
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| Credit to the National Portrait Gallery website |
There were some really nice paintings of early America before it became industrialized, monopolized, and urbanized and let me tell you, it was quite the picturesque terrain. I was never big on art museums for a couple of reasons. The first being that, to put it bluntly, I suck at art. I can't color, can't draw, can't paint, sculpt, you name it, I am not artistically gifted. It gets frustrating at times. The other reason is that each artist usually has an underlying message to the piece and I'm not able to pick up what he or she is trying to convey. Maybe it's because I haven't been formally trained, I'm not sure. I like to take things at face value and not over analyze them. Maybe the artist just wanted to paint a picture of the woods, but usually it entails greater meaning.
Despite this fact, it was still really impressive work, again something I could never do, and neat to look at for an afternoon. After, I was texting a friend and asked where a good place to eat was and she hooked me up with Fuddruckers. This burger place is legit. They have crazy awesome burgers and you could've gotten specialty ones like buffalo, boar, and elk, but I decided to go with simply a half pound with bleu cheese, grilled onions and mushrooms, and all the fixins( yes, even another tomato). It was so juicy and the bun slightly grilled and so warm! Ugh, delicious! I stayed an extra 10 minutes after I was done because I was so full I had to let the food digest.
I then walked around Chinatown for a little to burn off some of the calories I just inhaled and I really enjoyed that walk because I was one of the tallest people on the street. Ego booster. Like I need it right!?
Good day, easy and relaxing weekend, and tomorrow starts week three of training at City Year. Can't wait!
New Poll: What is your favorite college in D.C.
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| A. American University |
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| B. George Washington |
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| C. Howard University |
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| D. Georgetown |
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Why I Serve
On Thursday we had to think write about why we serve. The reasoning will adapt throughout my service year, but as of right now, this is my ditty...
I serve for the kids who don't know anything about the world other than the hood they rep or the city they're from.
I serve to show that just because you go to an inner city school it doesn't mean you can't be somebody.
I serve because it is my civic duty.
I serve to develop a new generation of leaders.
I serve to continue to make this land what our forefathers envisioned over 200 years ago.
I serve because I will provide hope to the hopeless.
I serve because you can't put a dollar amount on these students' success.
I serve because it is my passion and because I can.
I serve for the kids who don't know anything about the world other than the hood they rep or the city they're from.
I serve to show that just because you go to an inner city school it doesn't mean you can't be somebody.
I serve because it is my civic duty.
I serve to develop a new generation of leaders.
I serve to continue to make this land what our forefathers envisioned over 200 years ago.
I serve because I will provide hope to the hopeless.
I serve because you can't put a dollar amount on these students' success.
I serve because it is my passion and because I can.
Time to Make Like Usher and Get "Caught Up"
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday I had BTA (basic training academy?) and my days were filled. I was so busy that as the week progressed the dismissal time got later and the arrival time earlier so when I got home it was off to bed.
On Wednesday, well honestly I don't remember much about Wednesday. I know at the end of the day we had a picnic at this really nice park. One of the main reasons I went was for a free dinner. Crushed a few burgers, enjoyed the time outside and that was that.
On Thursday, I got to tour the National Museum of the American Indian. That was awesome! It's a museum that I probably wouldn't have gone to, but I was required to and learned so much. I toured it with about five or six of my friends and we weren't afraid to bring out our inner nerds in the conversations we had. We discussed everything from the earliest forms of biological warfare to how in earlier times gold wasn't looked at as a form of currency. There are so many gilded artifacts in just one display that if the United States melted them down (and by no means am I suggesting they do this) it would probably make decent impact in lowering the national debt.
Later on Thursday we did this taxing exercise called a privilege line. The leaders would read off a sentence and if it pertained to you, you would take either a step forward or backward depending on the instructions. We held hands with the people next to us and you didn't want to let go. You would endure more pain than normal in your shoulder because letting go was a significant moment. I was able to hold hands with one friend for the entire game. As for my place, I ended up in the middle, not overly privileged but not disprivileged either. I'm proud of who I am and my family and how I got to where I am today, but some of the calls were difficult. I put things in the back of my mind and didn't think about the roadblocks that I had to overcome. Even though my parents aren't together, they both love me and are not afraid to tell me that. They both played an integral part in my education and it sucked to see that for some, it wasn't the case. In that sense, yes I am privileged and if I'm lucky enough to reproduce one day, you know damn well that my child(ren) will know that I love them and that education is the most important thing growing up.
After we debriefed that exercise, we had pizza for dinner. Yeah free meal number two of the week!!! Following that was a talent show and my City Year peers can rock it. I didn't perform anything but given the opportunity again, I would've done the acoustic version of Waka Flocka Flame's, "No Hands".
On Friday we had guest speakers all day. It was a longish day but parts were fun. After work, (love saying that) a bunch of us got together and headed out on the town. Dancing was had, swingers were creepin', and I'm still an idiot when it comes to getting on the right metro at crucial moments of the night/early morning. I got home at 3:45 a.m.
Today will give me some much needed R&R and allow me to fill out my application for food stamps before probably headin out again tonight.
On Wednesday, well honestly I don't remember much about Wednesday. I know at the end of the day we had a picnic at this really nice park. One of the main reasons I went was for a free dinner. Crushed a few burgers, enjoyed the time outside and that was that.
On Thursday, I got to tour the National Museum of the American Indian. That was awesome! It's a museum that I probably wouldn't have gone to, but I was required to and learned so much. I toured it with about five or six of my friends and we weren't afraid to bring out our inner nerds in the conversations we had. We discussed everything from the earliest forms of biological warfare to how in earlier times gold wasn't looked at as a form of currency. There are so many gilded artifacts in just one display that if the United States melted them down (and by no means am I suggesting they do this) it would probably make decent impact in lowering the national debt.
Later on Thursday we did this taxing exercise called a privilege line. The leaders would read off a sentence and if it pertained to you, you would take either a step forward or backward depending on the instructions. We held hands with the people next to us and you didn't want to let go. You would endure more pain than normal in your shoulder because letting go was a significant moment. I was able to hold hands with one friend for the entire game. As for my place, I ended up in the middle, not overly privileged but not disprivileged either. I'm proud of who I am and my family and how I got to where I am today, but some of the calls were difficult. I put things in the back of my mind and didn't think about the roadblocks that I had to overcome. Even though my parents aren't together, they both love me and are not afraid to tell me that. They both played an integral part in my education and it sucked to see that for some, it wasn't the case. In that sense, yes I am privileged and if I'm lucky enough to reproduce one day, you know damn well that my child(ren) will know that I love them and that education is the most important thing growing up.
After we debriefed that exercise, we had pizza for dinner. Yeah free meal number two of the week!!! Following that was a talent show and my City Year peers can rock it. I didn't perform anything but given the opportunity again, I would've done the acoustic version of Waka Flocka Flame's, "No Hands".
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| No explanation really needed here |
On Friday we had guest speakers all day. It was a longish day but parts were fun. After work, (love saying that) a bunch of us got together and headed out on the town. Dancing was had, swingers were creepin', and I'm still an idiot when it comes to getting on the right metro at crucial moments of the night/early morning. I got home at 3:45 a.m.
Today will give me some much needed R&R and allow me to fill out my application for food stamps before probably headin out again tonight.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Sean Burned the Pasta!!!
Today had more lectures and for the first time in a long time, I almost fell asleep during them. Not that they were boring, but the ambiance of the room, the dim lights, the air conditioner blasting, lack of breaks and the fact that it was just after lunch and we were sitting on clouds as opposed to our morning chairs made for a rough afternoon for me. I mean, there are times when I have trouble paying attention, but today I legit almost fell asleep.
After lectures, six of us went to this Mexican restaurant. I had only planned on staying for about 20 minutes or so. Turns out I stayed for the or so part. And in case you were wondering, or so means 2.5 hours. Yeah, so I didn't get home until about 9:30, but the margaritas were great. Embarrassing stories were shared which proved for great laughs.
When I got home, Sean was playing the guitar and forgot that he was making pasta, to the point that he burned it! Full on burned the meal. The smoke alarm was going off, a nice cloud of smoke is now filling the kitchen and I had to retreat to my room for the night because the smoke was bothering my eyes. I've made the smoke alarm go off for some random things, just ask Kevin and Cribbins, but I don't think ever for pasta.
Good new for tomorrow. We get to have a dress down day as well as a BBQ!!! Tomorrow shall bring another good day in my life in D.C. Peace easy!!!
After lectures, six of us went to this Mexican restaurant. I had only planned on staying for about 20 minutes or so. Turns out I stayed for the or so part. And in case you were wondering, or so means 2.5 hours. Yeah, so I didn't get home until about 9:30, but the margaritas were great. Embarrassing stories were shared which proved for great laughs.
When I got home, Sean was playing the guitar and forgot that he was making pasta, to the point that he burned it! Full on burned the meal. The smoke alarm was going off, a nice cloud of smoke is now filling the kitchen and I had to retreat to my room for the night because the smoke was bothering my eyes. I've made the smoke alarm go off for some random things, just ask Kevin and Cribbins, but I don't think ever for pasta.
Good new for tomorrow. We get to have a dress down day as well as a BBQ!!! Tomorrow shall bring another good day in my life in D.C. Peace easy!!!
Monday, August 8, 2011
Giving Credit Where Credit is Due
Before I break down today (it's gonna be short and I'll explain why later), I must say that my journalistic integrity was called out and rightfully so. In a playful way Ciri asked about copyright laws. Immediately I knew. All the pictures from the weekend were taken by Ciri, and I was debating whether or not I should accredit them to her, and I eventually thought nah, no one will notice. Well here's mad props to her for one calling me out on it, and two actually taking the pictures. See, she has a cool phone that takes good pictures and can upload them to Facebook. Unlike my phone that doesn't do a whole lot of anything. She's kinda like my resident photographer. Big ups Ciri!
On to today. We found out early that we would be notified of our flagship teams at the end of the day. My brain basically shut off there. I didn't retain any information and the day dragged on as I was to excited to find out who was one my team. I was put at Winston Education Campus which services kids in PS-8. I know a few members of my group but not well and I'm not sure the actual grade I'll be teaching, but I'm rather stoked.
After work my crew rolled down to the Mighty Pint to celebrate our placement in our flagship teams. These pictures too were taken by, yep you guessed it, Ciri!!!
On to today. We found out early that we would be notified of our flagship teams at the end of the day. My brain basically shut off there. I didn't retain any information and the day dragged on as I was to excited to find out who was one my team. I was put at Winston Education Campus which services kids in PS-8. I know a few members of my group but not well and I'm not sure the actual grade I'll be teaching, but I'm rather stoked.
After work my crew rolled down to the Mighty Pint to celebrate our placement in our flagship teams. These pictures too were taken by, yep you guessed it, Ciri!!!
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| Got her! |
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| Andrew messed it up, we were supposed to both get Steph |
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| Group shot (L-R: Will, Hao, Caroline, Ciri, Katie Wuuuuu, Richard,Kate, Me, Steph, Andrew, Hunter, Jessica) |
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| 3 tries for a normal pic for me, Steph, and Andrew |
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Weekend Recap
On Friday we had PT (Physical Training) where we learned some steps and cheers and exercises that we will do on multiple occasions. The latter part of the day we learned about the Civic Engagement team and what that all would entail. Best part of the day, we got let out about an hour and a half early!!! Weekend...annnnnnnnnnnnd GO!!!!
Friday night proved to scare me more than any other experience I've ever had. I was taking two buses instead of the metro to get to Andrew's house. It was supposed to save me 20 minutes. I got to all of my locations on time, but when I was about to get on the last bus, I was way out of my element. I walked off the bus in an Abercrombie and Fitch t-shirt and nice jeans. I'm the only white boy again on the block, this time at night, and I'm alone. My butt hole has never been tighter. Long story short, the bus was late, so I had to get out of that area, caught a different bus back to Anacostia where I felt so much more safe (never thought I'd say that) and on the drive back, saw five cop cars and an ambulance a block up from where I originally got off the bus.
I met up with Brittany. Her brother was in town and there were a few deaf parties going on, so I told her I'd kick it with her before going to Andrews. They were definitely different, but not in a bad way. It was a unique experience and I learned how to say "beer" and "vodka" in sign language. After a little while I leave to meet up with other friends.
Now I'm at Andrew's and along with about eight other people, we're enjoying the evening. We decided to go to a few of the local watering holes on H St. The first place we went to was the Country Club, where we added to our group with more CY kids. It was beat after a while so we peaced for the Sticky Rice. Our crew made the way to the back, and staked claim to a table where a few of us, including me, decided to dance on the benches. It was the place with the most room. The night ended with a nice walk and talk back to the metro then to the pad to crash at 4:00 a.m.
On Saturday, I was woken up around noon with a call from my Dad. Since I was then up, I decided to make a chicken stir fry for lunch, then went down to DuPont Circle to meet up with Andrew and Ciri and her friend, who became our friend, Caroline. I got stuck in a torrential downpour, soaking my clothes because in my opinion, its just water and umbrellas are for the birds. The four of us went to the Public Bar. It was a really cool sports bar and like always, more CY kids showed up. After a while we went back to Andrews (he lives the closest) and picked up where we left off last night.
This time we started at the Sticky Rice, but it was so crowded it became hard to dance, and so we bolted for the Country Club.
The night was winding down when my jam, "Teach Me How to Dougie" came on. I started breaking it down like only this white boy can. This other dude saw me and thus began the ultimate dance off. Well, it really wasn't that ultimate, but still fun non the less. I represented for City Year, and held my own. I even had a few people tell me I won! Great night.
On Sunday, Brittany, Hunter, Kate and I went to the Eastern Market. It was very cool. Picture it as a mixture between a farmers market and a crafts show. The had the freshest, juiciest peaches I've ever eaten!!! They were so succulent, my mouth is salivating just thinking about the goodness that was those peaches! So delicious. During the whole day, Brittany was teaching me sign language. I started to pick up on it a little as well. This was the first time where our conversations didn't include a notepad or cell phones for texting. Sure I struggled, and at times, it had to have been frustrating for her, because I wasn't able to have a substantial conversation, but I tried and am getting pretty good at finger spelling. The four of us walked to Union Station where we all parted ways.
As I type up this post, I must say the weekends are much more fun when you're "working" for them. It feels like you have a right to just go out and let loose and forget about the stress and the tiresome days Monday through Friday. D.C. is awesome and I'm having such a great time! I couldn't have made a better decision for both the kids I will be helping and for me personally.
Friday night proved to scare me more than any other experience I've ever had. I was taking two buses instead of the metro to get to Andrew's house. It was supposed to save me 20 minutes. I got to all of my locations on time, but when I was about to get on the last bus, I was way out of my element. I walked off the bus in an Abercrombie and Fitch t-shirt and nice jeans. I'm the only white boy again on the block, this time at night, and I'm alone. My butt hole has never been tighter. Long story short, the bus was late, so I had to get out of that area, caught a different bus back to Anacostia where I felt so much more safe (never thought I'd say that) and on the drive back, saw five cop cars and an ambulance a block up from where I originally got off the bus.
I met up with Brittany. Her brother was in town and there were a few deaf parties going on, so I told her I'd kick it with her before going to Andrews. They were definitely different, but not in a bad way. It was a unique experience and I learned how to say "beer" and "vodka" in sign language. After a little while I leave to meet up with other friends.
Now I'm at Andrew's and along with about eight other people, we're enjoying the evening. We decided to go to a few of the local watering holes on H St. The first place we went to was the Country Club, where we added to our group with more CY kids. It was beat after a while so we peaced for the Sticky Rice. Our crew made the way to the back, and staked claim to a table where a few of us, including me, decided to dance on the benches. It was the place with the most room. The night ended with a nice walk and talk back to the metro then to the pad to crash at 4:00 a.m.
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| Liane and Me at the Sticky Rice |
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| Me on the floor at the Public Bar after Andrew "got me" |
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| Me and part of my crew (L-R: Mike, Caroline, Ciri. Shay, Cathy) |
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| Why don't I ever get piggyback rides home? |
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| Breakin it down on booths |
The night was winding down when my jam, "Teach Me How to Dougie" came on. I started breaking it down like only this white boy can. This other dude saw me and thus began the ultimate dance off. Well, it really wasn't that ultimate, but still fun non the less. I represented for City Year, and held my own. I even had a few people tell me I won! Great night.
 |
| Me during my epic Dougie dance off |
On Sunday, Brittany, Hunter, Kate and I went to the Eastern Market. It was very cool. Picture it as a mixture between a farmers market and a crafts show. The had the freshest, juiciest peaches I've ever eaten!!! They were so succulent, my mouth is salivating just thinking about the goodness that was those peaches! So delicious. During the whole day, Brittany was teaching me sign language. I started to pick up on it a little as well. This was the first time where our conversations didn't include a notepad or cell phones for texting. Sure I struggled, and at times, it had to have been frustrating for her, because I wasn't able to have a substantial conversation, but I tried and am getting pretty good at finger spelling. The four of us walked to Union Station where we all parted ways.
As I type up this post, I must say the weekends are much more fun when you're "working" for them. It feels like you have a right to just go out and let loose and forget about the stress and the tiresome days Monday through Friday. D.C. is awesome and I'm having such a great time! I couldn't have made a better decision for both the kids I will be helping and for me personally.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
New Poll
What's you're favorite D.C. sports team?
A. Nationals B. Capitals
A. Nationals B. Capitals
C. Redskins D. D.C. United
Scavenger Hunt
On Thursday, City Year took all of us corp members on a scavenger hunt around the city. We were able to check out places that are staples in the community, but the average visitor wouldn't think to check out. One of the places was Ben's Chili Bowl. Apparently it has some of the best chili in town, and with my love for that hearty goodness, I will be taking multiple trips there to clog my arteries.
We walked for I'd say a good four hours, but it wasn't really that bad. It provided me with another opportunity to meet more of my corp members and engaged in some good conversation. Some of the most fun of the afternoon was walking through town doing chants and callbacks. For me, that's normal. I'll do that anytime, but its a solo effort. When that's the case, people tend to look at you like there is something wrong. When you're doing it in a group of 20+, people still look at you, but not with as much of a "check out this kid" type attitude. Then at the end of the hunt, the entire corp met on the National Mall. We broke it down one time for everyone with the signature "Mac and Cheese" dance.
Now sure in that case we were calling attention to ourselves, but to be in it was righteous. It really felt like I was apart of something bigger than me. A movement if you will. After experiencing that, I can't wait for us to do it all again, in uniform. That will certainly be a sight to behold.
After, a small group of us found a happy hour and we got happy. After staying there for a few hours, 7 of us went and chilled on the National Mall again. Cartwheels were tried and muscles were pulled as a result, but still an enjoyable night. Oh and the Washington Monument and the Capital Building, quite the sights to see at night!
We walked for I'd say a good four hours, but it wasn't really that bad. It provided me with another opportunity to meet more of my corp members and engaged in some good conversation. Some of the most fun of the afternoon was walking through town doing chants and callbacks. For me, that's normal. I'll do that anytime, but its a solo effort. When that's the case, people tend to look at you like there is something wrong. When you're doing it in a group of 20+, people still look at you, but not with as much of a "check out this kid" type attitude. Then at the end of the hunt, the entire corp met on the National Mall. We broke it down one time for everyone with the signature "Mac and Cheese" dance.
Now sure in that case we were calling attention to ourselves, but to be in it was righteous. It really felt like I was apart of something bigger than me. A movement if you will. After experiencing that, I can't wait for us to do it all again, in uniform. That will certainly be a sight to behold.
After, a small group of us found a happy hour and we got happy. After staying there for a few hours, 7 of us went and chilled on the National Mall again. Cartwheels were tried and muscles were pulled as a result, but still an enjoyable night. Oh and the Washington Monument and the Capital Building, quite the sights to see at night!
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Team Rip-ple
We broke of into teams at the start of the week. My team was entitled team Ripple. I took my team spirit to a whole other level today. During the scavenger hunt, I was getting ready to climb a giant chair. While squatting down to loosen up, my boxers ripped. Big time. So, I got to walk around D.C. all day with a nice big hole in my drawers.
I'm really tired tonight, so I'm going to peace for the evening. I'll recap the excursion tomorrow or over the weekend. Sleep well!
I'm really tired tonight, so I'm going to peace for the evening. I'll recap the excursion tomorrow or over the weekend. Sleep well!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
My Escape
Today was more of the same, although it didn't get off on it's best foot. I arrived about 10 minutes after report time. Oops. Not a big deal though. My team leader just asked that I text if going to be late. I explained it was because of the bus and still getting used to when it runs, so tomorrow I'm waking up earlier and getting to the school early as well.
This week has basically been about teaching us the ropes. A bunch of fun activities, but not really to read or write about. Trust me though, I'm having a great time, even though getting towards the end of a ten hour day gets a little taxing.
Come cool stuff we did today included coming up with handshakes for two people outside of our group. Mine, along with another girl was voted as the best. I mean I can dap it up with the best of 'em. We combined groups because tomorrow City Year is sending us on a scavenger hunt on the National Mall...pretty cool huh?
Aside from that, we wrote a movie trailer about Civic Capabilities. I'm going to make a more elaborate post on that probably tomorrow or over the weekend. It's not a timely piece but one involving comparisons to super heroes so I know at least Brendan George will be excited. Oh, it was uber cool too because I got to put my creative writing and my radio voice to work. I mean it has to be pretty good. I'm a two time award winning sports broadcaster!
We also learned that City Year can take an emotional toll on us and the senior corp members and the staff recommended that we find time to escape from the program. We played four corners and you went to what ever corner corresponded with how you relax. One corner was music, another sports, the third, writing, and the last one was art. I was in a pickle between music and writing. With music, that has been my way of relaxing for the past five years. Going to symphonic wind ensemble at Marietta College every Monday and Wednesday was the best way to alleviate stress. But here, I don't have that. While I still listen to music, with some of it Classical, the best way for me now a days is to write. My group decided to write a haiku about our time at City Year...
This week has basically been about teaching us the ropes. A bunch of fun activities, but not really to read or write about. Trust me though, I'm having a great time, even though getting towards the end of a ten hour day gets a little taxing.
Come cool stuff we did today included coming up with handshakes for two people outside of our group. Mine, along with another girl was voted as the best. I mean I can dap it up with the best of 'em. We combined groups because tomorrow City Year is sending us on a scavenger hunt on the National Mall...pretty cool huh?
Aside from that, we wrote a movie trailer about Civic Capabilities. I'm going to make a more elaborate post on that probably tomorrow or over the weekend. It's not a timely piece but one involving comparisons to super heroes so I know at least Brendan George will be excited. Oh, it was uber cool too because I got to put my creative writing and my radio voice to work. I mean it has to be pretty good. I'm a two time award winning sports broadcaster!
We also learned that City Year can take an emotional toll on us and the senior corp members and the staff recommended that we find time to escape from the program. We played four corners and you went to what ever corner corresponded with how you relax. One corner was music, another sports, the third, writing, and the last one was art. I was in a pickle between music and writing. With music, that has been my way of relaxing for the past five years. Going to symphonic wind ensemble at Marietta College every Monday and Wednesday was the best way to alleviate stress. But here, I don't have that. While I still listen to music, with some of it Classical, the best way for me now a days is to write. My group decided to write a haiku about our time at City Year...
We came as strangers
We grew through diversity
We WILL change the world
Let me pose this question to you. How do you escape the pressures of everyday life? Is it through reading, writing, running, art, music, or something different? While you think about that, try to set side time once a day as "me" time. Time where you can collect your thoughts and let all of the troubles of the world slip off of your shoulders. Writing is doing that for me. Find your writing and make it happen everyday, even if it's just for eight minutes (the amount of time it took me to write this post).
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Two in a Row!
I'm two for two in successful days with City Year. Today again was a lot of team building, learning cheers, the ins and outs, and the can-do's and can don'ts of the program. Sadly, we learned about more staggering statistics surrounding inner city schools and obviously, specifically in D.C.
Early warning signs are as follows
One more set of numbers before I get on with the rest of my day. If there was just a 10% point increase in graduation rates, it would reduce murder and assault rates by 20%. That means there would be 3,400 LESS murders and 170,000 FEWER aggravated assault cases a year! Let that sink in for a second.
I STRONGLY (hence the capital letters) URGE YOU TO TAKE TWO MINUTES TO WATCH THIS VIDEO. YOU WILL BE SHOCKED.
Well, back to my experiences. I love baseball. There's no hiding that. Tonight, I got to add another ballpark to the list of venues I've attended. Me and about nine other friends decided to take the Metro straight from work and get $5.00 seats. Sure they were upper deck, but we really didn't care. The Nationals played a great game, belting three home runs including a grand slam. But the highlight of the night was talking to and getting to know my friends better. I had an 18 page conversation with my deaf friend Brittany, and along with my other friend Kate, they taught me a few new things while signing.
On the bus ride home, this young girl noticed my conversation in the notebook I had with Brittany. My roommate Hunter was explaining to her why it was written, and she seemed interested, so I asked for her name, and taught her how to sign her name. It was really a cool experience. These are the type of things that I will be doing with the children for the next 10 months. This whole City Year program couldn't have gotten off to a better start...Well I guess it could've. I could have a real bed and not wake up with a sore neck, but hey, that's just a small roadblock in the road to success.
P.S. I promise pictures from the game as soon as my friends get them up...the whole no camera thing...ugh
- The average student who graduates high school are at 8th grade reading levels
- D.C. ranks the 5th highest among U.S. cities in dropout rates
- The United States spends more money per pupil on elementary and high school education than most developed nations. Yet it is behind most of them in math and science abilities of the children.
Early warning signs are as follows
- Attendance is less than 80%
- Behavior is "unsatisfactory" in one class
- Course Performance- if a student receives a "F" in Math or English
One more set of numbers before I get on with the rest of my day. If there was just a 10% point increase in graduation rates, it would reduce murder and assault rates by 20%. That means there would be 3,400 LESS murders and 170,000 FEWER aggravated assault cases a year! Let that sink in for a second.
I STRONGLY (hence the capital letters) URGE YOU TO TAKE TWO MINUTES TO WATCH THIS VIDEO. YOU WILL BE SHOCKED.
Well, back to my experiences. I love baseball. There's no hiding that. Tonight, I got to add another ballpark to the list of venues I've attended. Me and about nine other friends decided to take the Metro straight from work and get $5.00 seats. Sure they were upper deck, but we really didn't care. The Nationals played a great game, belting three home runs including a grand slam. But the highlight of the night was talking to and getting to know my friends better. I had an 18 page conversation with my deaf friend Brittany, and along with my other friend Kate, they taught me a few new things while signing.
On the bus ride home, this young girl noticed my conversation in the notebook I had with Brittany. My roommate Hunter was explaining to her why it was written, and she seemed interested, so I asked for her name, and taught her how to sign her name. It was really a cool experience. These are the type of things that I will be doing with the children for the next 10 months. This whole City Year program couldn't have gotten off to a better start...Well I guess it could've. I could have a real bed and not wake up with a sore neck, but hey, that's just a small roadblock in the road to success.
P.S. I promise pictures from the game as soon as my friends get them up...the whole no camera thing...ugh
Monday, August 1, 2011
Back in the Working Class
Today it finally arrived. The much anticipated first day for City Year was a huge success. There were so many great people, ideals, and fun times had, that it really didn't feel like work. But don't you worry, the challenge ahead for the 170 some odd number of us members is going to be arduous.
The day started off with a welcoming ceremony and general introductions. We were then split off into individual teams. I was placed in team Ripples **Boooooo Yeaowowowowowowowo** We met our group leaders and my group has the pleasure of being led by Gavin and Janae. Tons of fun with lots of laughs. We did some ice breakers and team building exercises to get to know each other better before we broke for lunch.
After lunch we watched this documentary called Waiting for Superman. It talked about the crisis that is the public school systems and how poor of an education inner city kids really recieve. You want to hear some sad news? Well neither did I, but here is the harsh reality that a majority of kids go through. (Yes my inner journalist came out and I took notes during the flick)
(The green arrow is Perry, the red A is Oliver...that's how close I was to a dropout factory)
I realize how lucky I was that Jim was able to get lotteried into Perry. It basically saved my education.
Money, laws and passing reforms have been tried to bridge the gap in education, however you can't have a great school without great teachers. Plain and simple.
After the movie, we had a lively discussion about the issues and how we were going to deal with them during our time in City Year. The day ended with more team building games and of course **trumpet call** the handing out of the bus and metro passes!!! Holla holla!
After work (boy does it feel good saying that!), about 25 of us went to Lucky's bar for 50 cent tacos and the company of new friends. All in all again it was a great day. Oh and let me tell you, I wore a button down shirt and dress shoes to work, and it feels great! I felt a lot more pronounced and accomplished wearing those threads than I did when working at the radio station and being able to go in wearing what I slept in and my slippers.
Busy day again tomorrow...Peace out girl scouts!
The day started off with a welcoming ceremony and general introductions. We were then split off into individual teams. I was placed in team Ripples **Boooooo Yeaowowowowowowowo** We met our group leaders and my group has the pleasure of being led by Gavin and Janae. Tons of fun with lots of laughs. We did some ice breakers and team building exercises to get to know each other better before we broke for lunch.
I packed a ham and bologna sandwich with a banana and pretzel sticks. Look Ma! I'm a big boy lol.
After lunch we watched this documentary called Waiting for Superman. It talked about the crisis that is the public school systems and how poor of an education inner city kids really recieve. You want to hear some sad news? Well neither did I, but here is the harsh reality that a majority of kids go through. (Yes my inner journalist came out and I took notes during the flick)
- 12 percent of 8th graders are proficient in reading in Washington D.C.
- Bad teachers cover maybe 50% of the curriculum but that isn't grounds for firing them because of tenure...no offense to any of my friends who are teachers, but the teachers union kinda screwed the pooch on this one...(my opinion anyway)
- Only 1 in 2,500 bad teachers get fired every year.
- Dropout factories are school where 40% of the students don't graduate on time and there are over 2,000 across the country. Want one for proximity? How about Oliver High School. It was specifically mentioned in the movie. Yeah the same Oliver that is just down the street from Perry, where I went to school.
I realize how lucky I was that Jim was able to get lotteried into Perry. It basically saved my education.
Money, laws and passing reforms have been tried to bridge the gap in education, however you can't have a great school without great teachers. Plain and simple.
After the movie, we had a lively discussion about the issues and how we were going to deal with them during our time in City Year. The day ended with more team building games and of course **trumpet call** the handing out of the bus and metro passes!!! Holla holla!
After work (boy does it feel good saying that!), about 25 of us went to Lucky's bar for 50 cent tacos and the company of new friends. All in all again it was a great day. Oh and let me tell you, I wore a button down shirt and dress shoes to work, and it feels great! I felt a lot more pronounced and accomplished wearing those threads than I did when working at the radio station and being able to go in wearing what I slept in and my slippers.
Busy day again tomorrow...Peace out girl scouts!
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