Reflections: A Publication from the Davidson College Center for Civic Engagement

[ REFLECTIONS ] Davidson College Center for Civic Engagement; 2012-2013

Service and Civic Engagement has the unique ability to connect us to a sense of place, belonging, and shared identity. Furthermore, as we interact with complex social needs and structures through service, the opportunity for deep, engaged learning presents itself. Reflections is an annual publication from the Center for Civic Engagement to showcase this learning; it is a publication which comprises a collection of essays from many Davidson students involved in a wide range of civic engagement activities. These works have been edited for space, but the original structure and meaning has been maintained.

[ REFLECTIONS ] Table of Contents: Service and Leadership........................................................................................................

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Service and Society...................................................................................................................... 12 Service and Davidson .............................................................................................................. 22 Service and Growth....................................................................................................................... 32 Service and Partnership ..................................................................................................... 40

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Habitat for Humanity Chair-ity

y Fundraiser

SERVICE AND

LEADERSHIP Leadership is not so much about technique and methods as it is about opening the heart. Leadership is about inspiration - of oneself and of others. Great leadership is about human experiences, not processes. Leadership is not a formula or a program, it is a human activity that comes from the heart and considers the hearts of others. It is an attitude, not a routine.

- Lance Secretan

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Madison Yeutter, ‘15 Starting the Half the Sky organization at Davidson College this past year has been an incredibly challenging and rewarding experience for all of us involved.

What started off as a book that moved me and many others to view the world and h u m a n i t y differently, and consequently shed a new light on social responsibility, grew into an international movement of individuals who were unwilling to let justice for women everywhere slip through the cracks. I merely had the idea that Davidson should hop on board.

Emma Steinbergs, who shared this belief, and I formulated our idea of what women's empowerment activism on Davidson's campus could look like.

Initially, one of the most rewarding pieces of formulating Half the Sky was the enthusiastic response. All year we have time and time again wrestled with the question of how to get Davidson's students to care about Half the Sky as a cause; particularly how to pull students into issues and discussions that are difficult, complicated, and frankly, tragic.

Our

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greatest challenge has been designing events, environments, topics, and partnerships that garner involvement and participation.

Yet ultimately, we have so much gratitude for the student body's desire to become activists for Half the Sky's causes.

They have come, shared their v i ew s, l i s t en ed an d analyzed. The reason why we have devoted so much time to growing Half the Sky as an organization is a fundamental belief that Davidson College is a place of privilege and enormous opportunity for making a difference. This community should not on ly be aware but involved in and sensitive to the marginalization of women and the efforts being made to change global conditions.

In addition, never again will we be in an environment or community where significant resources are waiting at our fingertips, where professors, staff, and students are informed and passionate about such causes. A clear example of this presence of mind would be Nicholas Kristof's visit to campus this fall, an event paid for and organized by committees on campus that just happened to coincide with our first semester as an organization. We were given the opportunity to meet Kristof, listen to his

speech, and gain enormous benefit from others witnessing the founder of Half the Sky in action.

The i ss u es we are fighting for through the Half the Sky movement are some of my greatest passions, and I am thrilled to be working to eliminate them and challenge our community on this campus to do the same.

Grant Thomas, ‘13 My work on the Civic Engagement Council this year has really put my service experiences here at Davidson into perspective for me. I think we all like to go about participating in t h e i n c r e d i b l e opportunities offered by various campus organizations and rarely think about the serious work that goes into the planning and execution of those events. For me, serving as the CEC chair has allowed me to gain some pretty incredible insight as to how the cogs of the machine really work. There are a lot of people who do a lot of behind-the-scenes type work to let Davidson students have these types of opportunities available to them. These people don’t always get the credit they deserve and I think it’s really important for us as students and members of

opposite photo: Civic Engagement Council at the Sustainability Fair

this community to recognize their hard work and more importantly, to than k th em for it whenever possible.

Emma Kenney, ‘15 Through attending the Bonner Summer Leadership Institute this summer, I learned a valuable lesson in working with groups: the way a social issue is presented is crucial in determining the response to it. I experienced a workshop summarizing an advocacy response to a social policy issue that left the attendees with a pretty divided reaction.

The one-sided manner in which the information was presented left some people feeling bullied or guilty, while others were extremely motivated by

the presentation.

It really showed me that the way an issue is presented, especially a political issue, has a huge impact on the response to the issue. I thought this was a very important lesson to learn because before I had simply expected that being introduced to a problem or a need would cause a desire to respond to it. Seeing a negative response to a social need because of its presentation was very educational to see.

Jonathan Carkhuff, ‘14 The world of service today, I think, is a very sad one. There are many people who are doing great acts of service and are performing great deeds

for others out of genuine love and compassion and expect nothing in return.

If everyone was like that, I think the world would be a great place to live. A lot of things go on in today’s world wars, political turmoil, corrupt business, disintegrating families, the list goes on and on. But the question that is always asked about any of these issues is “Why? Why do these things happen?”

The same should be asked of service, but I think that humanity is scared of what the answer might be.

As Davis notes in his article (“What We Don’t

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Talk About When We Don’t Talk About Service” ), answers to why people serve, I think, fall mostly

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in categories labeled “I win praise by serving you” and “I suck.”

Performing service because it makes me feel good or makes me look good, or simply performing service without thinking of those you are serving in a compassionate way, hinders the act but does not make the act valueless. Coming from a religious background, I see this situation as similar to prayer. No one can pray perfectlywithout distractions, with total focus on God and his desires for us, without emphasizing our wants and needs. The act of prayer, however, still holds its values because it is praise to God nonetheless.

It is stopping what we are doing and acknowledging God. Likewise, service is still helping others although it may not be perfectly performed.

A lot of people perform service out of guilt or from outside pressure. I think that if businesses today did not receive tax exemptions for charitable donations or public recognition from service, more than half of them would not do anything. The world of service, I think, would improve dramatically if service was seen as something done out of

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love and compassion and desire to help one another, but humanity is not perfect like that; we like to put ourselves and our comforts first. We must break that cycle in order to live in a world that no longer has people who have to live in shelters or on the street.

Service for the wrong reason has a negative impact on participation. If someone does not have a passion for what he or she is doing, they will not come back to it. People must act constantly and with passion and compassion in order to make a difference. The solutions an d th e cu r es fo r improper service are not simple, as Davis says. It takes personal drive and more importantly, passion and patience. I see it every day at CrossRoads where I work. We might not get th e n um ber of children that we want at our summer programs or the perfect grant that covers our budget, but the employees at CrossRoads forge on no matter the difficulty. We have done in-home visits, made phone calls to donors and volunteers, offered reading programs closer to the student’s homes – the list goes on and on.

Service is accomplished over time with patience and a passion for what you do and for those whom you serve. CrossRoads and

its employees are certainly showing me this fact firsthand.

Caroline Brown, ‘14 In the past, I have tended to avoid peer leadership roles, but being forced into one as a counselor at Camp Buc this summer helped me to build the confidence and sen sit iv i ty tha t is necessary for such a task.

There were instances when new ideas and different perspectives clashed with old tr a d i t ion s, an d working through such discussions allowed the whole community to shape the direction of the camp in the future.

When personal differences grew into professional disagreements, we learned to compromise and move forward.

Changes in administration sometimes made communication difficult, which made us appreciate all the more when things ran smoothly -- which eventually they did.

Growing through difficulty may not be as much fun, but it often yields more valuable learning. Camp Buc is a place that continues to be a part of my life, pulling me back in for another lesson just when I think I've figured it all out.

David Benusa, ‘13 Leading Service Odyssey was a service experience unlike any other I had ever been through. The summer began somewhat slowly, with my co-leader LaVonia and I planning a variety of service projects for our participants. It was a challenge researching all of the service organizations in our area and trying to find ways in which we could fill one of their needs within the constraints provided by our program.

The Odyssey crews were three different (very different) groups of ten people, and we had roughly three or four hours each day of service to devote to each organization. This was my first experience actually planning any kind of service activity, and I learned quickly how difficult timing could be with many organizations.

Luckily, our schedule came together within the first three weeks of the summer. In the first few weeks, I not only learned how to plan direct service activities, I also learned how to plan reflection activities, and I also improved my communication skills by coordinating site visits with my co-leader and reporting to a new staff member.

The participants on the first session were

fairly curious as a group. They always wanted to know what we were doing and why. This often caused me to reflect on why I am invested in serving others and why I chose to lead Service Odyssey. On the first session, I learned that I serve because I love relating to people, and I love living with people. I love talking about issues in our society and trying to solve them one little step at a time.

During session two, our work was a bit less on the manual labor side, which lent itself well to learning more about the p a r t i c i p a n t s indiv idually.

In my opinion, part of serving others is being their friend and being a resource and rock thr ough un cer t ain ty .

During session two, the most valuable thing I learned was the power of affirmations. By the end of the week the group was confident and ready to tackle whatever service project we had, and they were also confident in themselves and ready for Davidson. Going forward, I’d like to find opportunities to incorporate affirmations into my service work and reflections.

Session three was high energy. They were ready to get into service projects from minute one.

I loved their positive

attitudes, and I learned how contagious positivity could be. Service can always be fun- no matter how try ing or unforgiving the task is – because the end is always a big step forward from the start.

Overall, I learned who I am as a leader. I’ve developed the skills needed to plan activities for a large group, and to motivate a large group in u n c e r t a i n situations.

I found through Odyssey that one of my biggest strengths as a leader is in intentionally getting to know people. I like to b u i l d s t r o n g relationships with people quickly and use that skill to motivate the group and keep them excited about serving.

Over the entire trip, I would say I was faced with a multitude of unexpected challenges, and I think the positive attitude and patience I learned from the participants really carried me through those tough times.

service and leadership

Rebecca Worrell, ‘13 (In response to readings from Soul of a Citizen by Paul Loeb) Soul of a Citizen has described times of possibility and times of cynicism, and I see both

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in equal measure in our culture.

With such widespread information about the state of the world, people can easily become cynical with inefficient governments or working conditions in underdeveloped countries.

It is ever so easy to stand apart and despair that this is the way the world has to be, and one who does that will never be short of company. But I also see an undercurrent of people with an incredible hope that maybe, somehow, this all will be fixed one day.

You are less likely to find these people filling the Internet with their ideals, or boasting of their worldview at a party, but a step into the world of people who are

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on the frontlines of poverty and sickness and the story is far from cynical.

And the ludicrous hope that keeps these people fighting for equality and justice is often so infectious that it inspires their volunteers to dream that maybe this problem might actually be solved. I think that whether you see our current time period as one of cynicism or possibility depends on to which group you choose to listen. The cynics may talk louder, but the fighters have a stronger message.

Despite the difficulties that having a non-profit enterprise of cynics would bring, they bring a balance of perspective and realism that pure optimists would miss. To run a successful

organization, one needs inspiration and passion and drive, but also a realistic take on the situation and what is actually possible with their resources. Despite the fact that I can become very disheartened and cynical when I look into how our government so often falls to partisan bickering or how difficu lt it is to motivate any of my peers into any type of service work, I hope I never become too bogged down by these things. I would like to place myself on the side of ludicrous hope, of the people who believe that change can and will happen. I think it is b ec a u se o f m y frustrations, not despite them, that I find so much pleasure in advocacy work. It gives me a chance

to spread the things I care about to those who might just be uninformed, rather than cynical.

Every one person who listens and is inspired my message is worth the ten that will scoff, and I think I am okay with those ratios.

Gloria Bui, ‘14 My service this summer took me far from the comforts of Davidson and brought me 2,658 miles away to the colorful city of Cusco, Peru. I was able to work with the general physician, Dr. Fernandez and discovered that obstetrics, where I was originally placed, was not my cup of tea, but general medicine, was. I wrote prescriptions and filled out insurance forms, but I was learning so much more.

From the endless amount of patients we saw, many of the same diseases would pop up repeatedly.

So I wasn’t just observing consultations, I was also learning about problems that Peruvians were faced with. Illnesses such as pharyngitis, bronchitis, gastritis, dyspepsia, leishmaniasis, typhoid fever, and enterobius that were diagnosed each day paints a picture of a population that is plagued by infectious diseases that could be easily preventable.

Illnesses that could be opposite photo: King Day for Kids

prevented if there was clean water, improved education, and reduced poverty. More so than learning from patients, I was also connecting with them and in doing so, I began to truly serve them, and it felt so good! The transition from my role as an observer to my role as an active participant in the patients’ wellbeing was indiscernible, but once I realized it, all I wanted to do was be at the clinic.

These emotions also told me that I was truly serving, for anything but would never elicit the same feelings. I started working afternoon shifts and getting to know the rest of the clinic staff. I had come to Peru to serve and while I also gained so much from the experience, it did not mean that the trip was just about me.

But it was a little, and I’m okay with that, for this summer of service has reaffirmed for me more than ever that what I want to do in life is serve, and I know that will pay off in the long run. I know I want to continue to tackle injustices that give way to the conditions I found in Peru, for an immensely effective form of prophylactic “therapy” lies in combating poverty.

It’s so easy to discuss the need for doctors to provide culturally competen t

healthcare in the comfort of Davidson’s classrooms, but I was admittedly initially at a loss as to how to interact with patients. And then, I simply began to talk and talking led to understanding. I was no longer annoyed. I was, however, frustrated.

Frustrated at a world that sits by as underweight babies are the norm and the sick wait in line for hours before the clinic even opens, but it’s often frustration that is the catalyst for change, so for now I’m okay with that.

It’s Pathologies of Power in real life. Reading it you sense Farmer’s anger and urgency, seeing it, experiencing it, you feel it too. And that’s where this trip has made the difference, for before it was about class lectures, discussions, and readings, and then suddenly, it was reality. Why did my homestay have Wi-Fi and HBO but no clean water and no running water after six?

In the clinic, there’s a television but no antibacterial soap, doctors striking just to get new chairs and trashcans, and prescriptions that don’t get filled because the medicine is not there. It’s impossible not to want to react.

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Rooftops in Rabat, Morocco; photo credit: Bea

au Clark, ‘13

SERVICE AND

SOCIETY In our hectic, fast-paced, consumer-driven society, it's common to feel overwhelmed, isolated and alone. Many are re-discovering the healing and empowering role that community can bring to our lives.

The sense of belonging we feel when we make the time to take an active role in our communities can give us a deeper sense of meaning and purpose.

- Robert Alan Silverstein

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Andrea Becerra, ‘13 My work with No More Deaths has afforded me the opportunity to learn about the various migrant stories that share a broad theme of hardship. Many had been separated from family members in the U.S., or had left behind jobs that enabled them to support their families back in Mexico.

Prior to this summer I had read about the tragedies that mixed status-families face at the time of deportation, but I had never witnessed the agony that overwhelms these individuals-- I will never forget the first time I did.

I am told to make a bagged lunch for the woman sitting by herself.

She wears a blank stare that warns me of an incomprehensible heartache.

A couple of sandwiches and macaroni salad are neatly stacked in a brown bag that will hopefully gratify her stomach for the 17-hour journey back to her parents hometown in Mexico.

All I know up until this point is that she has been split up from her husband in the deportation process.

I introduce myself and offer her a timid smile as I pass her the packed lunch. At

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that moment her eyes come back to life and she welcomes this reality with a loud cry that she muffles in her hands with an uncontrollable shake.

I try my best to contain myself, gather up some tissues and sit at her side. She begins to tell me ab o u t her five children in the U.S. and her fruitless efforts to cross. She points to the scratches covering her arms as she remembers in torment her near-death experience with dehydration in the depths of the Sonoran Desert.

Her failure to cross has got her on the phone with her youngest, of five years old, that begs in tears for her “mama” to return home.

The steel barrier that lies between her birth country and her family reminds her that she will have to confront the desert’s wrath if she is to reunite with them in the United States.

I realize that food will curb the hunger during her travels, but it will not nourish her broken soul.

Nick Drury, ‘15 I opened the door to the waiting room and struggled to pronounce this woman’s last name. A lady in her early sixties stood up, grabbed her purse, gave me a smile, and politely corrected my

failed attempt to articulate her name. Her shirt was tattered with holes, and it was clear she hadn’t bathed in quite some time. She seemed to be accustomed to her name being pronounced in a variety of ways and we laughed about it while I took her height and weight on the scale. We then proceeded to walk down the hall, and I showed her to her room.

With every patient, I had the same process and checklist of questions to ask.

First, I asked her how old she was, if she had been to the emergency room in the past year, and if she had any allergies.

Next, I took her temperature, blood oxygen level, and heart rate. All of these tasks were very basic and didn’t require much skill at all.

But the next job was a little more challenging: blood pressure.

Typically, a normal blood pressure is somewhere around 120/80.

This woman had a blood pressure around 220/130, which is unusually high.

Concerned, I asked her if she usually had high blood pressure, and she replied no but she had been dealing with a lot of stress lately. Within a few seconds, this sixtythree year old woman broke down into tears and began to explain how she had recently lost her house.

She had been a legal assistant all of

opposite photo: Emerging Issues Academy

her life and her husband used to be a mechanic. A few years back, he was diagnosed with cancer, survived, but was no longer able to work. They had spent their retirement on the chemo treatments, and with only one spouse bringing in income, the couple had to move to an apartment. Two years ago, her attorney laid her off because he had less work to do and could no longer afford her salary. She has been looking for a job since a n d h a s b e e n unsuccessful.

Unable to pay the rent, the couple was forced to move out of their one bedroom apartment and is currently living in a tent.

Unable to shower and buy new clothes, finding a new job is almost an impossible

undertaking.

Being a sophomore in college and from a middle-class family, it was very difficult to empathize with her. All I could do was listen to her story.

She just wanted someone to sit down and give an open ear. Just listening did much more good than any medicine could ever provide.

Zoe Williams, ’14 I will miss the pace of life in Costa Rica! All the “Ticos” (Costa Ricans) call it “Pura Vida” (The Good Life), and it is true.

Ranking in first place on the Human Happiness Index, Costa Rica is a paradise that is difficult to leave.

Volunteering in Costa Rica taught me the importance of researching

and learning about the community before deciding what it needs. Although I did not know enough going into the project, as soon as I committed to going to Costa Rica I learned a lot about the environment and history of the country. My host family was impressed with my understanding, which they helped me to expand.

Some things about c omm un i ty a re on l y learned through living and working in it, and I am glad I had the opportunity to live in Quebradas and volunteer my time. I learned to trust the locals to know what is best for their community, and that a grassroots organization is a great way to create change.

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Julia Watkins, ‘14 During my time working with Jesuit Refugee Services, I rode the bus alongside about 40 refugees to and from the school where classes met. En route, I had the chance to both practice my Arabic and to learn more about the pasts of students like Arjwan Asker, a Baghdadi woman who came to Jordan with her family after ongoing struggles in Iraq. Arjwan was living outside of Baghdad during the first Gulf War, and she described to me the shortages of food and the injustice that her family consequently experienced. With a young son, Arjwan considered leaving Iraq during this time but decided to remain when conditions improved.

When their family began to gain stability, Arjwan and her husband had a second son. His birth in 2003 coincided with the beginning of another war, w h i ch b ro ug h t more hardship upon the family.

Finally, in 2008, Arjwan lost hope that her family's life in Iraq would ever be the same.

She abandoned her life in Baghdad and moved with her husband and children to Amman, where the family now awaits government approval to move to America.

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They do not know when or if the approval will come, and if it does, they do not know what to expect once they arrive in the States.

Arjwan's oldest son is now a university student and may remain in the Middle East, possibly not seeing his family for years at a time.

This summer has challenged me in many ways.

It has opened my eyes to an entirely different culture and invited me to explore and address a community's needs.

The refugee community in the Middle East is diverse, and growing unrest in countries like Syria means that it will likely continue to grow.

For members of this community, the effects of war and intolerance are hardhitting, as they prevent people from feeling established and perpetuate divisiveness.

Thus, this refugee community is only a community in a loose sense. People are united by their common strife, b u t t h e y a r e geographically, racially, and religiously diverse.

I have found that this set of circumstances contributes to the challenge of serving those who have been forced from their homes, as there is occasional tension between refugees f r o m d i f f e r e n t backgrounds. However, the

diversity has also added richness to the experience; in working with a common group of people, I have in fact learned more about a range of situations affecting refugees today.

Arjwan's story struck me as a testimony to the importance of home.

When I heard it, I was dealing with my own homesickness, but I had the assurance of a sturdy house, a familiar community, and the privilege of freedom upon my return. For refugees, there is no such a s s u r a n c e .

T h e opportunities that I have had to talk with people like Arjwan have made me appreciate my home and have inspired me to be more engaged with the homeless in my immediate community. Still, I realize that a true home requires more than just a roof and walls.

Home should include a support system and friends who are willing to listen. When I engage in conversations with those who are searching for homes, I hope to maintain the perspective that I have gained this summer. Only those who are in constant contact with homelessness or displacement can fully grasp the effect that it has on individuals and c om mun i t i e s, b ut by engaging with these communities, we can at least hope to learn more

about these pressing issues and continue to spread awareness and compassion.

Mel Mendez, ‘13 Too often do we misassociate intimate partner aggression with adult related issues of violence and sexual misconduct. What we fail to recognize and address is that issues related to intimate partner abuse start at a young age. It starts with a child seeing or being a victim of such abuses, of low self-confidence, of an inability to interact with others on a social and communal level.

Firmly believing that it takes a village to raise a child, the Upsilon Mu chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, I nc. committed ourselves to being a part of the community we live and work in. We partnered with FreeWord and Ada Jenkins to implement weekly slam poetry sessions at Ada’s after school enrichment program, LEARN Works. We focused on three key aspects: positive selfidentity, healthy relationships, and strong community bonds. We led 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students through workshops on performance training and poetry development in order to serve as mentors and

instill the importance of living together in a healthy and safe environment.

My time doing this service has consistently proved invaluable when our efforts manifest themselves in the daily actions of my students.

It’s moving and powerful to see a child reconsider actions of taunting and bullying another student, or an all too shy little girl muster the courage to perform a poem that could move mountains. My service within Upsilon Mu has allowed me to think about service through a critical lens by addressing community needs on a local, preventative, and longterm scale. I am thankful to my sorority sisters and FreeWord for providing me the amazing opportunity to grow and learn with them in order to best serve, and proving that impacting a community can manifest itself early on a small but impactful level.

Ben Wiley, ‘15 I don't completely know what I expected when I decided to intern with the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program over the summer, but it wasn't exactly what I got.

If I was expecting a truly exhilarating experience, I should have

known better.

Perhaps when I thought of peacemaking I was thin k in g of h un ger strikes with Gandhi, but what I wasn't thinking of was all the hard planning, waiting, and frankly, frustration that goes into the process.

This work, while in a similar vein to the other things I do with my civic engagement-oriented spare time, isn't the same.

I wasn't marching in the streets sticking it to the man or working in a classroom bringing up the next generation...

I was behind a desk sen din g emails, making phone calls, doing good work... but not the kind of work I had initiated or asked for. I suppose such comes with any job, but I am not sure this is the sort of job or work I hope to be doing in a few years, once I graduate.

But! I had some wonderful learning experiences, especially at the peacemaking conference which I took on in multiple roles: first as a planner/ facilitator and then as an engaged participant.

At the conference, we discussed different issues the peacemaking program wanted to address, and had some really thoughtful dialogue, partly through an initiative

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called the Respectful Dialogue Initiative, which seeks to place opposing parties in controlled dialogue to solve conflict in a serene, magical way, otherwise known as rationality.

That was an experience I hope to be able to bring in some way to all my service sites.

What perhaps disappointed me most about the conference was that we spent a lot of time talking about the why — why we need to act — but not as much about what we need to do. That is why I was thrilled to take part in a process later in the summer involving a young adult-led e f f o rt to revitalize the PCUSA's social justice work, bring

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it to the forefront of discussion and get young adults at churches a r oun d th e coun t r y involved in local, real social justice work and service rather than relegating such work to the national church with offering funds, as has been done in recent years.

The dialogue of the process went well while I was a part, but it is still ongoing.

My supervisor allowed me time to get out and go do things which helped keep me alive during the summer, such as protesting corporatesponsored environmental disasters in Ohio and organizing and planning with other environmental activists at a Greenpeace summit in Virginia.

It was clear through working the whole summer

that I was with the right people who were supportive of everything I am passionate about and who want to see the same world I do.

Victoria Beamer, ‘13 Some memorable aspects of my trip to Mwandi were when we went out to rural health clinics to serve the Mwandi citizens out in the “bush, bush.” We were warned, “Oh now you get to see the REAL Africa in the bush, bush!” When I was told this, I laughed and kind of shrugged my shoulders as if to say, “Okay, bring it on! No worries, that’s what I came here for.” No one could have told me our journey to Masese, Mushakula, and Bototo would be the type

of experiences we had.

My first time out to the rural health clinic was our trip to Masese.

The only way I could describe our time there is total, utter confusion. The trip to Masese I honestly do not remember because I was asleep in efforts to block out the bumpy travels and foreign aroma in the vehicle. We knew once we arrived at the clinic there would be a language barrier because many of the patients at the main hospital spoke Silozi. When we finally arrived, I realized what everyone was warning me about.

Three Davidson students were told that we would be triaging patients before they saw the clinical officers.

Little did we untrained, undergraduate students know that we would be left to our own devices with a room and porch full of over 100 patients who did not speak a word of English. Using the greeting in Silozi was a mistake. Trying to connect with the patients was a mistake. Trying to triage was also, in fact, a mistake.

Why was everything a doctor would normally do to connect with their patients a mistake and complete failure? Because we are not doctors! I was so o v e r w h e l m i n g l y frustrated; my on ly motivation to continue was the fact that we were

the only people even remotely trained enough to help. They trusted us with their lives. They had no idea who we were, or where we were from. All they knew was that we were asking for their ART (Anti-Retroviral Treatment) number and writing down information.

The frustration was two-fold. I was frustrated by the fact that we were left alone, but I was more frustrated with the fact that I was the incompetent individual imposing on their lives and doing things that I had no credentials to perform. When we finally finished around dusk, I went outside the front of the building and sat in the sand as I watched one of my classmates make art on the sand by skidding her feet on the ground. We, as a result of emotional, physical, and mental overload reverted to childhood tendencies.

That moment was when I f i r s t s t a r t e d contemplating my purpose in life. Why am I pre-med?

Why don’t these people have access to what Americans believe are unalienable rights, i.e. pursuit of happiness? How is my presence here at this moment beneficial to these people?

This experience and these questions began to frame my perspective for the remainder of the trip.

Ana Suarez, ‘14 Before this summer, I didn’t know anything about domestic violence, and honestly didn’t spend much time thinking about it.

Looking back on conversations I’ve had concerning issues in the c omm un i ty , I re c a l l homelessness, education and the environment coming up far more often.

Compared to these other issues, domestic violence is a much more private one.

It deals with personal and often i n t i m a t e relationships, and acts that may be embarrassing to admit happened. You don’t see women being abused on the street like you see homeless neighbors living there. For one who wasn’t personally affected by domestic violence or sexual assault but was still active in the community, these issues seldom came to mind.

Those who haven’t been personally affected by domestic violence such as me — often ask the question, “Why don’t victims just leave?” From an outsider’s perspective, the abuse and impending danger is obviously present. Women who have admitted that their relationship is abusive, but remain in the relationship appear even more

opposite photo: Nicholas Kristof speaks with members of the Half the Sky student group

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irrational.

The first woman at My Sister’s House who shared her story with me had been with her abuser for twelve years, and was abused for at least seven of those years. How could she let herself and her five children be victims for so long?

But for seven years, she and her children were imprisoned in a room no bigger than a standard walk-in closet.

Her boyfriend was violent, and would presumably be even more violent if he found her trying to escape. One of the first facts about d om es t ic v io l en c e I learned was that leaving the relationship is the most dangerous part, as the abuser aims to control the victim. Many women are killed during or after their attempt to escape. Thankfully, one day this woman was able to escape.

In addition to endangerment by the abuser, I learned that survivors of domestic violence still might not leave their abuser even when presented with the opportunity. In the five crisis calls I took, there were clear-cut cases of abuse, whether sexual, emotional, or physical, and often they involved all three. In addition, all of the w o m e n h a d

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transportation to come to the shelter, appeared to be safe at the time they called, and there was room for them at the shelter.

This was the opportune moment for them to leave their relationship and begin a new life. But out of these calls, only one of the women actually came to the shelter, and even she ultimately decided not to stay.

I found myself frustrated and saddened when the women failed to come.

However, through conversations with staff, learning about the women’s stories, and understanding their rationale for staying in these relationships, I slowly began to learn how easy it is to stay despite the abuse. The survivor may fear homelessness or financial independence, and fear these even more when there are children involved. The abuser may have been the only person who at one point appeared to care for the survivor in his/her life.

The survivor may fear being alone or simply the loss o f a perso n a l relationship. They may have experienced such abuse as a child, and given up on breaking away from domestic violence, accepting that this would always be a part of their life. They may use the ‘calm’ or the ‘honeymoon’ period in the cycle of violence as validation for staying in

the relationship, when their abuser appears apologetic and loving. No matter the extent of the abuse, it may not be enough for the survivor to leave the abuser.

One moment comes to mind when I try to understand the rationale for staying in an abusive relationship: when I sat in on my first individual therapy session.

The client described the chronology of her relationship and, for the majority of their 12 years together; he was alluring, charming and caring. By the time the abuse was unquestionably present, she had already formed such an emotional attachmen t that, no matter how horrible his insults were to her, her fear of losing him was too great to completely end their relationship.

Her story taught me the power of human attachment and our need f o r p e r s o n a l relationships, even if they harm us.

I also realized how much I could connect with this woman who appeared to have such a drastically different life from me. From what I could gather from her intake, I was probably at least fifteen years younger and had a higher e d u c a t i o n a n d socioeconomic level. Yet I could understand all too well the fear of losing a r e l a t i o n s h i p .

Experiencing the basic need to have someone in your life, no matter what kind of person they are.

This connection to my own life reinforced the idea that anyone could find themselves in an abusive relationship, no matter their education or wealth.

My ability to so easily empathize with an d understand this woman frightened and humbled me, as I felt that I was actually not so far removed from the issue of domestic violence.

Moreover, this close proximity to the issue deepened my emotional attachment to the women of My Sister’s House and further compelled me to help them.

By the end of the summer, I learned how easily one could become entrapped in these relationships, and consequently how important it is that places like My Sister’s House and people like their staff exist. Those I worked with, who dedicated their lives to helping others, humbled me. I underestimated the strength it would take to make a career in the nonprofit world.

At one point during the summer, I felt burdened by the personal issues of My Sister’s House clients so much to the extent that I almost was completely defeated by them. I then soon realized the

perseverance of those with whom I worked. I am promising myself that I will never forget my experiences and the stories I heard. I believe that experiences like these are those that can compel people to make the world a better place, and I hope it will have the same effect on me.

Leah Baldasare, ’13 Through my summer work with La Hesperia, I had a realization about myself and about my interest in service.

Although I am still passionate about the environment and sustainability, and I think preserving the Earth is an extremely important goal, it is the connection to the lives of people that really keeps me invested. On a large scale, I know that e n v i r o n m e n t a l preservation is intrinsically linked to the well-being of humans, but on the small scale of La Hesperia, spending time to help Elsa in the kitchen, or cleaning the cow pastures so that Marcelo didn’t have to was meaningful and seemed to make the lives of my new friends easier.

It is interesting to think of my time in Ecuador as an “experience” that I had for three weeks. For the staff at La Hesperia the

long days are not part of a romanticized, short lived, service experience.

The days make up their lives. It has been 8 weeks since I have returned to the United States, and in that time I have worked at a summer school for academically gifted highschool students making more money than my friends at La Hesperia make in a year, I have spent a week in Ohio with my family, and I have slept in until noon and taken steaming showers in my own bathroom.

But during all this time, Marcelo, Elsa, Freddy, Maria and the rest have continued to wake up at 6:45, take the mula down the mountain, clean the vegetable garden, plant trees and clear trails.

This reminds me that service shouldn’t be just a three-week experience.

Most issues, like the ones that I was confronted with – environmental degradation and poverty – are not solvable in three weeks.

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22

Chambers Building, David

dson College

SERVICE AND

DAVIDSON The primary purpose of Davidson College is to assist students in developing humane instincts and disciplined and creative minds for lives of leadership and service.

- Davidson College Statement of Purpose

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Eli Kahn, ‘13 One of the most important aspects of Davidson’s Statement of Purpose reads, “To assist students in developing humane instincts and disciplined and creative minds for lives of leadership and service.” To me, the best way to prepare students for lives of leadership and service is through community-based learning, incorporating learning in the classroom with valuable experiences working hands-on with the community. I have had the privilege of taking m u l t i p l e community-based learning courses w h i l e a t Davidson and believe that these are among my favorite classes I have

service and davidson

taken. It was amazing to discuss topics of community service and the non-profit world in class one day, and then see them in action the next while working at my service site. Given my interest in the non-profit sector, I have had many experiences working with various organizations but was never before able to read and study the principles guiding the work I was doing on a weekly basis. It has been truly amazing to witness Davidson further their

24

commitment to communitybased learning during my four years and I hope that all students will enroll in similar courses to have the experiences that I have been able to have.

Karen Sims, ‘16 Working at the Ada Jenkins Center has been the most rewarding and enjoyable aspect of my life at Davidson College.

At Ada, I quickly found a home and community where I felt accepted and welcomed.

Walking the fifteen minutes to Ada Jenkins does wonders for clearing my mind of Davidson drama, and I feel like I can see the world more clearly when I’m on my way to or from the center. When I arrive at the center, I’m greeted by smiles and friendly voices and I know I’ve hit the jackpot with my workstudy assignment.

I have several jobs at Ada Jenkins. Some days I help with more administrative tasks. I do a little here and there for anyone who needs an extra hand. Other days I work in the food pantry, stocking shelves and organizing the mass of food donations from all around the community.

However, my favorite job at Ada Jenkins is working for the Free Clinic of Our Towns (FCOOT). The clinic provides health services

to those in the Davidson and Mecklenburg commun ity who lack healthcare or cannot afford these services elsewhere. I help set up the assessment tables and file and prepare charts.

I’ve even gotten the chance to use my Spanish once or twice and observe nurse assessments and lab analyses. Working at Ada Jenkins has definitely promoted positive thinking in my academic and social life.

Although I make mistakes sometimes, I learn from them and everyone is very suppo rtive and understanding. Of course, there’s also the knowledge that what I’m doing really matters to me: providing service, which develops the “human instincts” a Davidson education strives to promote.

Therefore, a large part of my Davidson education will actually be from my work-study at Ada Jenkins, and I am very thankful for this opportunity.

Seth Saylors, ‘14 My long-term goal is to pursue a career in the medical field, most likely in the Trauma/ Emergency room setting. A critical part of emergency medical treatment is the prehospital phase of emergencies, dealing with law enforcement, rescue squad, fire department

opposite photo: Neet of Neet’s Sweets speaks on Social Entrepreneurship

intervention, and EMT and Paramedic treatment and transport.

I joined the Davidson Fire Department my freshman year because of the combined fire and medical calls that the fire department runs.

I saw the potential to get involved in this type of emergen cy c are environment as a “first step” or “foot in the door” for my time after Davidson into medical school and toward my long-term goals. By first joining the Davidson Fire Department, I have slowly moved up the “ladder” (bad firefighter pun) through training to become a full firefighter and this summer was finally able to begin the medical portion of my training.

The EMT course ran over two months and

consisted of 200 hours of classroom teaching/ hands on labs and 24 hours of field experience by doing 12 hour shifts with Gastonia EMS. I also gained about 75 hours of ride-along field practice at the fire department in Davidson. During my field experience, I aided in the successful resuscitation of two patients who overdosed on medications (one unintentional, the other a suicide attempt), helped treat a patient suffering from diabetic seizures/syncope, provided direct care to three patients involved in a car collision, aided in citizen evacuation due to a transport train wreck, and successfully resuscitated a patient from cardiac arrest. Also during my field experience I, along with

the paramedics I partnered with from Gastonia EMS, was unable to resuscitate one drug overdose patient, lost a patient with a gunshot wound (suicide), and was unable to resuscitate a patient in cardiac arrest.

These deaths are grim, but do serve as great experience for myself wanting to take on a career as a Trauma physician/surgeon.

Overall, I successfully passed the course - only five out of thirty did and will take my state certification test on September 8th. (Editor’s Note: He passed!)

This kind of volunteer work will benefit the local D a v i d s o n community by allowing myself to

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directly interact and lead medical treatment on any emergency situations in the area, whether responding from the Davidson fire department, or as a citizen/student on campus and any other location during the day.

My training is to preserve and protect the lives of people in need, no matter the emergency, while being kind, compassionate, and professional to help the patient physically as well as mentally and emotionally. I feel as a Bonner, to have the opportunity to provide such direct and important service to the community is a great privilege and honor. I am p r o u d t o represent Bonner as a firefighter/EMT and cannot thank Bonner enough for giving me the opportunity.

service and davidson

Amira Davis, ‘15 Throughout Fall 2012, I was deeply involved in many leadership roles on campus, as well as service roles off campus. Offcampus I volunteered at the DCPC Preschool and the Urban Ministry Center.

These experiences were very humbling and eyeopening, and they made me appreciate my life so much more, not taking anything I

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have for granted.

At DCPC, I taught a little boy that had survived cancer. His smile and excitement each day lightened my heart, and seeing his temperament reminded me that although things may not be going well, they can and will get better. It amazed me to see my students’ progress over the semester and the ability of some of them to grasp concepts outside of their development range.

At the Urban Ministry Center, I provided computer skills training and résumé assistance to homeless neighbors. The neighbors were always overjoyed when I came, because the computer lab would not be open unless a volunteer was there, and sometimes I would be the on ly volunteer for that week.

One day a neighbor asked me, “Why do you come to volunteer? Are you getting credit for something?” I will never forget t ha t mo m en t, because I was not there for any reasons, except that I wanted to serve my community. When I told him I came because I wanted to but did not have to, he was in utter disbelief that someone would volunteer out of the goodness of their hearts, which is what Davidson continuously encourages me to do.

Mother Teresa once said, “At the end of life

we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by “I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me.

I was homeless, and you took me in.”” Her words resonate strongly with me as I go through my Davidson career. Although I have multiple things to do at school, I must remember to serve my community. I am so glad that The Center for Civic Engagement provides many opportunities for students to be involved in the community, even if they are not service scholars.

I am so thankful for these experiences.

Blake Candler, ‘13 The most valuable aspect of service is the new perspectives gained through interactions with others. As I reflect on the variety of ways we approach service at Davidson, I’m very pleased with the manner in which our students engage with the community.

While leading Service Odyssey trips, I found it telling that the incoming freshmen reflected Davidson’s core values of respect and humility.

These values along with o pen - m in dedn es s

facilitate meaningful discussions between Davidson students and other community members, which facilitate the exchange of differing perspectives. These human interactions are becoming more and more precious in our technology-dominated world.

Davidson consistently promotes interactive service programs, which cherish a diversity of perspectives.

This is evidenced by the Davidson Trust, which allows for socioecon omica lly di v erse b a ck g r ou n d s of our student body. Davidson also values diverse viewpoints through its service programs, which emphasize the practice of daily debriefs as way to encourage reflection on new perspectives gained during the day’s service.

I believe a sense of satisfaction can be a natural side effect of engaging with the community but should not be the motivation for service. That being said, slipping into a complacent sense of accomplishment is perhaps the greatest danger of service. Service must always humble us. We need to remind ourselves that our individual actions will not holistically correct injustice.

Rather, as interdependent beings, we rely on the each other to cooperatively address social and environmental

problems. We are here today not to celebrate individuals themselves, but rather their participation in the movement for the common good.

While recognizing the value of direct service, it is important not to forget the importance of the rigorous academic work at Davidson, without which new solutions for global issues may not be found.

Let’s not forget the people down in the 24 hour room, not because they waited until the last minute to begin their work, but because they truly care and want to fully utilize the educational opportunities Davidson provides in hopes of engineering feasible solutions to human problems. Whether it’s the CIS major studying a real world issue which necessitates an in terdisciplin ary approach, or those who use traditional majors in ways that will make a global impact, or faculty members and donors who balance their lives while making service a central focus, we should be grateful for all their endeavors.

Without careful academic reflection our wellin ten tion ed acts of service may prove to be futile.

I am proud of Davidson for developing open-minded and

compassionate students through both scholarly engagement and community engagement.

Developing the whole person creates individuals well equipped to serve the world, a world that suffers from so many solvable injustices.

Finally, although I have championed Davidson in my reflection, remember that the extreme privilege of attending Davidson is not necessary to better the world. I think Martin Luther King’s words best capture this idea, "Everybody can be great... because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”

service and davidson

Billy Hackenson, ‘13 During my time at Davidson, I have been fortunate to have served as SGA President and on several iterations of a Town of Davidson citizens’ board dealing with recreation and livability issues. If you asked me back in 2009 if I would have had these opportunities, I would have laughed hysterically. However, as I think back on my entire Davidson

27

experience in these last few weeks as a student here, these experiences, the ups and downs, the work, and the service seem beyond my imagination.

The SGA President role demands a significant amount of time and energy, and I am so incredibly proud of the SGA and the students for what we were able to accomplish this year. We wrestled with questions of our social climate and our morality all while working together, hand-inhand with members of the entire Davidson community.

There, of course, is more work to be done, but I know Davidson is on the right track t o m a k e sustainable and in n ov a tiv e change that will make each and every student experience one that will be memorable and meaningful.

The role with the Town of Davidson came rather unexpectedly for me; I applied on a whim based on past experience in high school and it just so happened that the Town staff member reading the applications went to my same high school. In a flash I became the first Davidson student to sit on one of the Town boards, and through this experience, the Town and College have f o u n d n e w opportunities to build

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bridges so that students have more opportunities to be involved. The Town wan ts to pu t more students on boards so that we legitimately have a say in the operation of the world outside the perimeter (or bubble – choose whichever term you want).

All of these experiences demonstrate to me what being a part of a team truly is and how politics, if used to do good, can identify, tackle, and improve communitywide challenges.

I am humbled by my experiences durin g my time at Davidson, and I leave here knowing that this is a place where opportunity abounds for students.

Each of us has that one (or two or five) passion that gets fostered and nurtured while at Davidson, and that is truly unique and special about our lives here.

Photo Essay b Tyler Wilson,

by ‘14

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clockwise from top left: Ada’s Got Talent Ev

service and davidson

30

Davidson College Presbyterian Church Pres Event at the Union Amphitheater; Finish Stocking Stuffer Event in the Union Atrium for Life Event on the Richardson Stadium T the Relay for Life Event in the Union Atriu previous page, clockwise from top center: Su Richardson Stadium Track; Publicity for th in the College Union; Participants Spread the Union Amphitheater Entrance; Tyler Wils

vent in the Lilly Family Gallery; Playtime at the school; Publicity for the IJM Stand for Freedom hed stockings from the Presidential Scholars m; the Wildcat and friends walking at the Relay Track; Balloons from the Survivor’s Dinner during um. urvivors Walk at the Relay for Life Event on the he Presidential Scholars Stocking Stuffer Event Awareness at the IJM Stand for Freedom Event at son, ’14 and Tia Akins, ‘14.

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Alternative Fall B

Break Trip

"You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals. To that end, each of us must work for his or her own improvement, and at the same time share a general responsibility for all humanity."

- Marie Curie

SERVICE AND

GROWTH 33

Tim Hines, ’15 I’d say the most important lesson that I have learned during my service with Freedom Schools is that flexibility is a must.

Most of us are so complacent with our ways of doing things.

We neglect other options and try to amend every situation to fit our habitual ways of handling predicaments.

Freedom Schools has taught me that each situation deserves to be approached in a new way.

I feel like that can be transferred to all other areas of my life because dealing with conflict is inevitable and being able to handle them effectively rests on how flexible we are.

The s ch o la r s have allowed me to realize just how tough teaching, even reaching a child, can be.

Not all children respond to the same teaching styles. I’ve learned that teachers must be flexible and be able to adapt to each and every one of their student’s learning styles. I have learned to become much more patient and understanding. Some of these children go through so much in their lives, and it is easy to see their behaviors as unrelated; however, many of their actions

service and growth

34

are not sparked only by present stimuli, but also from things going on at home. I am truly a more well rounded person after working with them. As clichéd as it sounds, I do realize that I am the teacher, but each and every day I learn new things from them.

Though I have always valued the teaching profession, I always thought that teachers followed a lesson plan; that their days were scripted; that there is very little that can go wrong throughout the day. And while the first two assumptions are somewhat correct, the last one is completely naive.

Teachers have so much they have to handle outside of the curriculum.

Since I began volunteering early in high school, service has always been something I thought I understood.

Simply defined, service is helping others. However, Freedom Schools has genuinely changed my understanding of what it means to serve. I have always served but without much commitment. In order to serve effectively, we must be committed to our area of service. With Freedom Schools there is absolutely no way that I could have made it thr ough the s ummer without being devoted and committed to what their mission is.

Lindsey Lassiter, ‘15 The children, particularly, and the staff, absolutely, at Barium Springs Home for Children inspired and continue to inspire me with their indelible strength, courage, passion, and outstanding ability to laugh, joke, and smile despite being first-hand witnesses to some of the most tragic conditions plaguing individuals in our society.

This tremendous experience has caused me to reevaluate almost every course of action I had planned for my life as I greatly underestimated the tenacity required to work with children, especially when you become so quickly attached and yet, so much of their lives remains out of your control. In a similar vein, I have also received an e n o rm ou s am oun t of adaptation to my frame of mind that has allowed me to appreciate and treasure my fam ily, f r i e n d s , a n d circumstances of my own life to a whole other level, which I most defin itely took for granted before. Finally, this experience has led me to examine most strongly my relationship with God. I have felt that this opportunity has strengthened my connection with my faith and beliefs in a way that

opposite photo: Alternative Spring Break Trip

I do not know if there are even words that can describe how grateful I am, but I do know that this momentous summer undertaking has affected me in a way that I will forever be thankful for and will always be a source of incredible k n o w l e d g e a n d illumination to look back on. As Paul Rogat Loeb says in the conclusion of his lovely book, Soul of a Citizen, “the challenge is to ask what we want to stand for and to do our best to act on our beliefs.” This experience has certainly provided me with a foundation of what I would like to stand for and I am now filled with a motivation to live my best life, with my beliefs the root of my thoughts, actions, and decisions.

Dan Redinger, ‘13 Going into the summer and leading up to my start at the Davidson Farmers’ Market, I was a tad skeptical about how much I would enjoy my summer internship. While I had some experience working on a farm, I had never worked extensively for a non-profit and was certainly someone who would not be classified as a “foodie.”

I quickly had a greater appreciation for nonprofit organizations like the Davidson Farmers’ Market, and how through them communities like Davidson could become more closely-knit and rely on one another. But even more to my surprise, I found myself to have a greater appreciation for

fresh and local foods. Being someone who was more used to bargain shopping at Harris Teeter or Food Lion, I could sense the difference in taste between something fresh off the plant and something that was not. Each week I would be amazed after preparing something from the Market by how much flavor was in certain fruits or vegetables, and furthermore by the recommended recipes I received from the vendors that were suggested after g e t t i n g t h e i r product. Trying out new dishes and items each week over the summer was something I thoroughly enjoyed on a nightly basis, and that was something I never thought I would ever say.

A common

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misconception that people have is that farmers are not intelligent and only are producers because they have no other set of skills to rely upon.

I found this to be completely false. Not only did most farmers have a wealth of knowledge to spread, but also many had successful careers in the corporate sector of the economy only to give it up and try to pursue something that was a passion of theirs. It was extremely interesting to me to see how passionately producers would talk about their goods. It was extremely obvious to see how much they enjoyed what they did for a living, and that type of outlook is something to be envied by many in the workforce today.

service and growth

Courtney Rufh, ‘15 10 Things I Learned in Summer 2012: 10.

I am not cause-

oriented.

And it’s okay!

Instead, I find myself inspired by the people I work with and the way the organizations themselves are run.

9. Don’t be afraid to offer

up your skills and ideas.

What’s the worst that could happen?

The

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original premise of my internship was that I

would be working primarily in social media, but after my initial meeting my advisors were pleased to hear that I had previous experience in the grant writing process.

After doing research on other pediatric cancer nonprofits, I suggested that Cookies For Kids Cancer (CFKC) create a guide for students and kids who might want to get involved. They loved the idea which has now branched into a much larger project that will help the organization attract a younger dem ogra ph ic of v o l u n t e e r s .

8.

C o m m u n ic a tio n is

essential. It’s not just a cliché. With much of our work and communication done via email and conference calls, I had to learn how to get information out in a quick and concise manner.

I also learned a lot about different expectations and rules that come along with i n t e r - o f f i c e communication which will be useful in my future career, even if I don’t end up working with a nonprofit.

7. Find balance between

work and a social life.

Or else you might go crazy. One aspect of this internship that was different than any other nonprofit that I worked with was that the work was often “never-ending.”

In other words, tweets were always being sent and emails were always coming in.

At first, it was new and exciting to have so much work to do, but about half way through the summer I started to feel the need to take a break.

I mentioned this to one of my advisors and she recommended setting a cut -off time each night where I would stop working no matter what and enjoy the rest of the day.

6. It’s important to fight through distractions. Not always easy, but important.

5. Careers in nonprofits

are very different.

You need to want it. During one emotional experience for the organization, my advisor used the moment to talk to me about the importance of not taking a job to please others 4. Don’t stress over the

little things. Most things will work out in the end.

I need to be more proactive while still realizing that some things happen when you least expect them to!

3. I found a winning match!

During previous service sites, I found myself frustrated with myself for not feeling like I was in the right place. I struggled to feel like I was actually helping anybody and I thought that something was wrong with me since other students didn’t seem

to have the same issue.

After this summer, I’ve realized I just have different priorities.

I need a service site where I feel comfortable around the other adults and staff. I also think part of what made this summer so great was the way that CFKC gave me real tasks – stuff that a paid staff member would do if they had the dream budget. I loved being able to do things for them that wouldn’t have happened if I weren’t there!

2. Balancing other aspects

of life is hard for anyone. Not just college students.

Besides balancing work and a social life, I was also working another internship as well as taking a college course over the summer. I thought that balancing service with life was just hard because of college but after this summer and talking to CFKC staff, I’ve realized that’s not the case. Part of being an adult with a career is being able to find time for each thing that is important to you and it doesn’t matter what those things are – it is never easy.

It just has to be done.

1. I’m capable of personal

growth

through

service.

So one of the things that I’ve struggled with most through volunteering is reflecting on how I’ve grown or changed personally. Often I rely

on others opinions for this aspect because I have trouble seeing growth on my own – but as I am writing this I know that I have changed. I think I’ve become more dedicated and mature. I’ve learned a lot about the non-profit sector and I feel really confident that I was actually helping the organization (something I also struggle to see, usually.)

Julie-Rose Gould, ’15 I’ve heard many people say that anybody could be a teacher. And up until this point, I believed them. Just throw a couple words and mathematical equations on the board and you’re good. Simple. Done. But little did I know just how wrong I was. Those six weeks were probably the hardest six weeks of my life. It takes guts to do this job. Who knew writing lesson plans would be that difficult, sometimes keeping me up until 3am the next morning. You can’t simply copy what’s in the curriculum guide.

You have to find ways to make it enjoyable for your kids. You have to cater to each of their needs. And doing this for ten very different kids is VERY difficult. I couldn’t imagine doing this for fifteen or twenty students. After Freedom schools, I definitely have

a lot more respect for the men and women who walk into classrooms all over the world every day to do this job.

Shoko Whittemore, ‘14 Before becoming a counselor at Fukushima Kids, I had no idea of what was exactly happening in Fukushima.

Domestic news focuses on heroic experiences and the attempts of locals to r e v i v e t h e i r neighborhoods to boost moral; none focus on the inner struggles, the hidden hardships the residents of Fukushima have to fight daily.

I entered Fukushima Kids hoping to relieve some fear that the children have, to give them a full opportunity to enjoy the outside air, to be that reliable adult that could assure them that there are people who understand and appreciate them. I wanted to be their “go-to” for anything ranging from a Band-Aid to just talking about anything they wanted. I entered the camp feeling like I needed to treat them with utmost care and avoid any sort of stimulating conversations that evoke any sort of emotion.

As I interacted with them, I realized that was wrong; I was camp

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37

treating them only as victims and not as true children. They should be loved.

Fully loving a child includes scolding them.

At first, I hesitated.

I thought about their experiences and how my words could trigger any traumatic instances.

I was afraid of hurting them.

Reflecting back, I have always avoided confrontation from my childhood because I was afraid of hurting the other person. I left the camp learning how to scold children without losing my composure and t o “ c r i t i c i z e constructively.” I believe this asset will enrich my experience with those around me. It will give me a chance to actually interact and cultivate strong

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bonds with my peers.

Spending time with varying types of personalities has also strengthened my communication skills.

Community, to me before was those who lived together.

Now, community is a group of people who care for each other and appreciate the time they spend together; it is a common “home.”

Martel Campbell, ‘15 My service with Freedom Schools this summer allowed me to exercise some of my strengths. I feel that I exercise my analytical skills regularly when correcting behavior because I force my scholars to analyze their own actions. And even

though it doesn’t always show, I know that afterwards they have a better understanding of the effects of their actions on themselves and others.

M y s e r v i c e challenged me to grow to become a better verbal leader. I have always been more of a non-verbal leader and would lead best with my actions, but that approach with the scholars is not a viable action. Every day in leading the Integrated Reading Curriculum, I have nine scholars who look to me to verbally lead the class and set the pace for the day. And not often have I been in those positions where I am the sole source of leadership and without me leading, nothing would be accomplished.

Alexis Robinson, ‘14 I learned so many lessons this summer that I am so grateful for and will hold on to forever. I learned that community service is not what you can do for the community but how you can bring those that feel like outsiders into the community by providing the necessary things that they need to become active members of it.

The second half of service is helping them to serve others and be actively engaged by showing them that they are important and essential to the success of the community as a whole. I finally truly understood that community service is not a one sided work where I give to those in need and they receive, but that it is a partnership, a cycle essential to the overall progression and success of the community.

Catherine Lowenthal, ‘15 It has been hard for me to adjust back to my normal, everyday life since being home from my time working in an orphan age in South Africa.

I find myself really thinking about and questioning aspects of my life that I had never really thought about before.

Little things that people I am

around complain about seem extremely petty when compared to the kind of problems that other people in the world have.

However, I have also realized that it is not fair for me to judge people for being unhappy as a result of what, for them, they consider as a big problem, because one cannot think of everything in relation to the worst possible case scenario. In the end, I have come to understand that it is normal and perfectly okay to not always view your problems in relationship to the worst possible problems in the world, and that doing so is not particularly helpful or right.

To me, it seems that people like me, who have the privileges I do, who do not have to worry about having life’s basic necessities and who are fortunate enough to attend a prestigious school and have seemingly unlimited options for the future, are much better off doing all we can to help others whenever we can and to not drive ourselves crazy torturing ourselves with guilt.

Rather than feel guilty about how much we are so lucky to have been given, we should use these resources to help those who are less fortunate than us.

In thinking about the future, I find that I am not clear on what path

opposite photo: Alternative Fall Break Trip

I will eventually pursue.

Should I work providing direct, hands-on services or should I take a step back and pursue a more administrative or policy type career? I know that while I got great personal satisfaction from the hands-on experience of working at Fikelela and interacting with the children, in terms of these children’s lives I am just a blip and frankly, replaceable by the next volunteer.

I will go home, as will other volunteers — we are often just a temporary fix, not that this fix is not important.

I know that I need to decide how to best focus my energies.

The question for me is “how?’ and I find that I have come back much more thoughtful about my future, and, at the same time, somewhat more confused!

service and growth

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40

Bonner First Year Spring

g Break Trip

“The more we increase the active participation and partnership with people, the better we serve them. The more comprehensively we work with them as service partners, the more we increase our public value to the entire community.�

- Carmen Martinez

SERVICE AND PARTNERSHIP 41

Nasser Mallouky, ‘14 I would compare my experience this summer to a roller coaster ride. To be honest, I didn’t know what to expect. I had never really worked with the homeless, nor have I made an effort in the past to learn more. I kind of pictured something like the movie Pursuit of Happiness, and that was very childish of me.

Fifth Street Ministries is a homeless shelter in Statesville that houses men, women, and children almost all of whom are from Iredell County.

Fifth Street supports residents with housing, meals, and other resources, but all residents do have daily chores. One of the chores is picking up donated food throughout the Statesville area and my first day, it was decided that I would go along on the food runs.

Food runs were intimidating at first because I didn’t know the process and I was probably more in the way than I was helpful the

service and partnership

first few times. I didn’t like food runs much the first couple of weeks. It was hard manual labor and I saw no purpose to the experience. Now, I love food runs. Food runs gave me a chance to be one-on-one with some of the residents and

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truly get to know them.

I’ve heard all sorts of stories that, due to respect for the residents, I should not and would not share.

However, I would like to write about the staff at Fifth Street, including the resident staff. The people that make Fifth Street run are some of the most dedicated people I’ve met. Some I hope to keep in touch with for the rest of my life. First, there is Patti.

She’s one of those people who truly makes a difference in the community. She’s loved all around Statesville. She has a huge heart, and unless you truly cross her, she will always have a place in her heart for you. Then there is Bill.

He’s frenzied and all over the place. He gets so much done, and has so much on his plate. He, like Patti, has a big heart and genuinely cares about the people in the community.

I’ve had some wonderful conversations with him, and he has changed the way I see certain things in the world. My favorite person at Fifth Street is Latonya. She works in the front office and rules it with an iron fist. I connected with her within the first couple of days.

She always kept the days filled with laughter and always made work go by faster. Even if I had a bad experience at Fifth Street I would go back

just to see her and spend some time with her in the front office. A lot of my days were spent in the office talking to residents and basically being a Latonya cocaptain. She will always hold a place in my heart and I will miss hanging out with her all day. The residents all had their own personalities too, and it would probably take me another ten pages to describe each one. At first, they didn’t know what to do with me, but soon they let their guard down around me and treated me like I was a part of the group.

Working in the office opened my eyes in all sorts of ways. First, I learned how to answer a phone, listen to what they had to say and give them the best answer I could. I know this might sound easy, but you’ll find it a lot harder to actually listen to someone. I’ve learned that I don’t really give myself much credit and I should really try more new things. I learned a lot of things, but the most important thing I learned was how to be a better human being. Yes, I serve and I would call myself a true member of the commun ity, b ut this experience really made me take myself out of situations, and just be there to help.

Working in a homeless shelter can be

opposite photo: Building Skills for Social Change

rewarding but can also be disheartening at times as well. One day a resident would move out and I knew he was going to have a better life, and then the next someone was kicked out for drug use on property. It’s exhausting and sometimes, during a streak of bad days, and you have to ask yourself “why are you here?” I know my reason. I serve because one day something might happen to someone I love and I want to make the community a better place so that it will be easier to bounce back.

From Fifth Street I’ve learned that sometimes it’s optimism that gets you through the day. Optimism leads to dreams that come true. I picked this up from Patti.

Watching her every day being one of the first to

arrive and one of the last to leave inspired me.

She would meet with almost anyone who needed her. She never stopped working. If I grow up to be half the person any of the staff members are today I’d be happy. Fifth Street will always have a place in my heart, and this experience has made me a better person.

Julia Ellis, ‘14 This summer, I spent much of my time writing, researching, and working independently, but I also got the chance to work closely with my supervisors and the rest of the Asheville Habitat staff.

Throughout the summer, everyone in the office made it a point to teach me everything they knew about Habitat for

Humanity, Asheville, and about their personal work experiences. I learned so much about the non-profit world, including aspects that I never understood before, like the financial model that allows Habitat to remain sustainable while building as many homes as possible.

Furthermore, I got plenty of chances to get out of the office and learn through hands-on experience like working on the job-sites once a week, interviewing homeowners and volunteers, and visiting the ReStore to collaborate on the customer survey. I am extremely appreciative to the staff for making this the most valuable summer experience imaginable.

I have nothing but appreciation for the entire office.

service and partnership

43

Aric Reviere, ‘15 Reflect in g upon last year, I feel pride, honor, and truly touched; it was a little over a year ago that Youth Davidson was officially chartered with the Civic Engagement Council, hosted an Orientation Day, and established the Davidson Service Boards.

Quite frankly all of that was a complete whirlwind, meaning that I was often failing to reflect meaningfully upon my leadership, service, and vision for the organization. Over the past semester, however, I was careful to ensure that I delib erately reflected upon my civic engagement, and I have learned a lot about p r o f e s s i o n a l relationships, forming sustainable, community partnerships, and empowering local youth.

Firstly, while I have worked in a variety of nonprofits and sectors of municipal governments, and therefore required to maintain and foster a sense of professionalism, creating a professional reputation for a college civic engagement organization is difficult.

Professionalism r e q u i r e s a collaborative effort of all the Youth

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Davidson members to maintain an attitude of professionalism in Davidson Service Board meetings, in emails, in our newsletter, etc. Yet, for me p e r s o n a l l y , professionalism is absolute necessary because it validates our organization in the community and therefore ensures the continuation of our programming, Secondly, the formation of sustainable partnerships has been a huge effort of ours this past year. Youth Davidson has entered into an official partnership with the Town of Davidson’s Department of Parks and Recreation. Further, we have worked hard to sustain our relationships with local school contacts from Davidson Day School to North Mecklenburg High School.

Thirdly, and most importantly, we at Youth Davidson have worked extremely hard to create a program that empowers local youth to affect change in their community. And while I do not work directly with our students on a weekly basis, it is clear that Youth Davidson’s staff is truly empowering the students they work with.

For example, the High school Board addressed the issues of bullying and suicide prevention after many of them were personally affected by suicides in the local

community. Having a group of high school students address the issues of bullying and suicide in the local community was extremely powerful and moving because it demonstrated that these students felt like they have a voice in the community and a right to address social issues.

Therefore, the thing that I gleaned from my process of reflection, more than anything else, is a continued awe at the capability of youth to truly shape their communities and actively engage in social change.

Hanna Peterson, ‘13 This summer I served as the Light the Night Walk intern for the Charlotte chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). This nonprofit organization works toward the mission of curing leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improving the quality of life of patients and their families. The Light the Night Walk is LLS’ largest campaign of the year, projected to raise over $60 million this fall alone.

Individually and later with my eating house, I have participated in the Light the Night Walk since 2003; until this summer I did not realize the enormity of

this organization. Since its inception in 1949, LLS has put over $814 million toward blood cancer research. This estimate doesn’t even begin to cover the impact that LLS has on the lives of blood cancer patients and their families; in addition to research funding, the society also provides patient education and support groups, back to school programs for children recovering from blood cancers, as well as copay and financial assistance to patients in need.

Initially, I accepted this internship with the hope that I would learn more about non-profit management and philanthropy in the non-profit sector because, as a future physician, I feel that I must be well informed in order to give back to and partner with health organizations like LLS. After my first week at the society, it became obvious that I would learn and do much more than I anticipated.

Over the course of the summer, I learned a great deal about nonprofit management, volunteer management and recruitment, event p l a n n i n g a n d organization, corporate recruitment, and time management. I spent much of my time out in the community with my supervisor, meeting with

volunteers and national partners, coordinating events and fundraisers, and working face-to-face with patients and families affected by blood cancers.

I was put in charge of managing and maintaining Charlotte’s relationship with LLS’s national paper balloon partner, projected to raise $3.2 million this year. I was also given the task of team retention and recruitment for the 2012 Light the Night Walk w h ic h fu r th er ed my volunteer recruitment and management skills.

In addition to these projects, I accrued over $3500 in in -kind donations for the 2012 Charlotte Walk and I created a manual for Light the Night Walk University Teams that the chapter would like to have distributed nationally next year.

This summer service internship proved to be an invaluable experience.

Through the work I performed this summer, I was able to meet in credible commun ity members in Charlotte while bringing hope to blood cancer patients and their families at the same time.

I saw a different side of service than I had ever seen before. It was a more administrative side, yes, but I feel that I was able to effectively serve the Charlotte community.

Clare Sanders, ‘13 Community service has always been a part of my life.

My parents believe in it for its innate benefits through helping others. As a competitive high school student, vying to be noticed by colleges, I saw it as an opportunity to distinguish myself from others in my applications but quickly became addicted to helping others. It was no surprise to me when I arrived at Davidson College my first year that I was placed in the Federal Community Service Work Study program.

This program has afforded me opportunities to learn things about the Davidson and Mooresville communities that I would n ev e r ha v e l ea r n e d otherwise.

I spent two years tutoring at an after school program in Davidson, and for the past year, I have been working at HealthReach Community Clinic, a free-clinic for the uninsured of Iredell County.

While I have learned throughout my entire experience as a member of the Federal Community Service Work Study, this past week I had a conversation with my supervisor that will stick with me for the future.

service and partnership

45

I was working on a way to creatively present the clinic’s annual report without doing a massive mailing when my supervisor walked into the little office I share with the development director of the clinic and asked me this:

A patient comes to you, he is employed and his employer has offered him a dirt-cheap insurance policy, basically one to two dollars from his salary a month.

However, this insurance policy has an absurdly large deductible, approximately $10,000, the only time he would ever meet that deductible would be in a disaster.

Basically he has no insurance, except he does. He meets all of the clinic’s other eligibility requirements.

service and partnership

46

What would you do? Would you allow them to become a patient here, or turn them away?

I balked. from an operational and policy standpoint I immediately said I would turn him away. The clinic’s policy is that patients must not have any sort of insurance. If the clinic let this one patient be treated then it would be opening its doors to all sorts of insurance policies.

Logistically, can the clinic do that?

My supervisor then told me the board had just recently passed a measure allowing this sort of disaster policy with a minimum deductible. Then he sort of chuckled at me and agreed that I was right, it was probably going to be a logistical nightmare for the staff.

However, after that he looked right at me and said, “But you know, in the non-profit world, logistics and operations come second.

You lead with what’s right.”

Mason Ballard, ‘15 My summer was an amazing journey from which I learned so much about the role that the church plays in the community, as well as about myself. I had the opportunity to work as the Community Outreach Intern at River Ridge Church in both Teays Valley and Charleston, West Virginia.

As the intern, I got the opportunity to be involved in and coordinate a variety of activ ities, primarily activities that

facilitated service with the student ministry.

We undertook a variety of different activities throughout the summer.

I don’t believe that the church should c r ea te a b un ch of differen t min is tries .

Rather, I think we should look and see what the community needs and then meet that need. It came to my attention that the local food pantry was low; it is a source of food relied upon by many in our community.

To meet this need, we joined with another church to deliver fliers then pick up food that we took to the food pantry.

We also bought, prepared, and served dinner at a home for women, children, and families in downtown Charleston.

In talking with the lady who usually cooks, we discovered that every bit of the food served is donated.

It is my hope that some of our students who have discovered a passion for homelessness will continue their partnership with the organization.

In a perfect world, the church would be able to meet every need that the community has.

I hope that River Ridge Church is now a step closer.

ABOUT THE CENTER FOR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT The

Center

for

Engagement College,

at

An average of 15 courses

Davidson

are offered per academic

through

its

year that have community-

programs,

events,

and

based

resources,

works

with

faculty,

staff

students,

learning

components

or

social

action content.

and community members to promote learning through

The

service

student

and

engagement

Center

advises

27

organizations

with our local and global

whose primary purpose is

community.

either

and

This

service

engagement

place

in

a

takes

variety

of

ways over the course of

direct

service,

social justice or advocacy as

part

of

the

Civic

Engagement Council.

each academic year, ways in cludin g

commun ity -

based or service learning, direct community service, e n ga g ed social

sc ho lar s hi p , action,

participation,

civic social

justice, and philanthropy.

The

following

quick

are

facts

statistics

some and

about

the

center.

The

In 2012-13, over

Center

for

Civic

works

with

over 165 public and nonprofit

community

organizations.

student projects. grant

requests

was

recognized

and

Community US

Education and

Urban

and

Service

over

hours of service.

Housing

Development, and

Civic

Participation, and the USA Corps)

Service

contributing

of

The President’s Council on

of

academic

the

Service,

Departments

Education

in

(by

Corporation for National

President’s

participate

totaled

In 2013, Davidson College

Approximately 90 percent students

Total

nearly $47,000.

Freedom

Davidson

$18,000 in

grants were awarded to 28

the

Engagement

each

opposite photo: Missouri Community Action Poverty Simulation

Civic

Honor

with

the

Higher Community Roll,

the

service

sixth time in a row the

year,

Center has been awarded

93,000

this honor.

47

Davidson College Center for Civic Engagement Box 7181, Davidson, NC 28035 704.894.2420 www.davidson.edu/civicengagement

front and inside cover photo credit: Ben Earwicker