Hannah on her inspiration to serve

As noted before, I volunteer at the Cleveland Elementary Boys and Girls Club 3 to 4 times a week. Each day I show up right after school and begin to work with the first graders. When I first started volunteering I was not close with any of the kids. I helped whoever needed help the most on their homework, and at the same time tried to assist all of the kids as much as I could. Slowly, I became closer to a few of the children and (off the record) started to pick favorites. I knew these kids came from lower income homes, and I knew they did not have much… but I did not know that one of their stories would touch me more than anything else ever has.

Darionna is the reason I LOVE the Boys and Girls Club. She never stops smiling, never says a nasty word, and never stops helping her peers. What is the most shocking is that Darionna’s story is more heart wrenching than any other child’s story at the Boys and Girls Club. She is now close enough to me where she tells me her problems (not to mention this is a girl who worries about everyone but herself). I cannot help but wonder how she keeps going. So many of the kids I work with are rude, have attitudes, and almost seem to hold a grudge towards life. It is strange to see one tiny (TINY!) little girl be so happy and loving when she holds the story that she does.

We can all learn from Darionna. I know I have. We live one life and no matter what adversities life brings us we need to keep going. I cannot tell you how many times I have cried for her, but I can tell you she brings light into my life and I can only wish to be as strong and brave as she is.

Rachel on science and faith

"But we humans seem to posses a deep longing to find truth, even though that longing is easily suppressed by the mundane details of daily life"
-Francis Collins (The Language of God)

This has to be one of my favorite recent quotes I have found! I read this book over the summer that deals with the correlation between science and religion. Most people have a perspective that science and religion are at different ends of the spectrum; much like angry sisters that never talk to each other unless forced to during family reunions. Since I am a science major (…cough…Biology) and my faith is very important, the combination of the two really interested me. The author of the book is the head scientist who led the sequencing of the Human Genome Project (huge scientific milestone!) yet he is a strong Christian. He states this quote near the beginning of the book, and I think it’s so applicable and helps calm the “ongoing feud” between science and religion. They both seek truth whether it is through experimental methods of trial and error in science or through the longing of the heart and mind in religious matters. Science seeks the answer to how questions and the religion picks up where science cannot go answering the why questions. We all seek truth and the beauty of it is that it can be found harmoniously in both science and religion. I guess it can be said that the service I do is my own scientific method of seeking that truth. I do office projects, interact with patients, ask questions and find information about Hospice as an experimental method of finding the social problems that I would otherwise not understand in hopes to one day contribute to a solution. My faith helps me answer the questions that my experience cannot. The hardest question of why people are suffering can only be answered in the comforting arms of my faith.

Whitney on giving thanks

This Thanksgiving, I enjoyed gathering around the dining room table with my family once again, and sharing a special feast filled with my favorite soul foods. My grandmother, aunts, and uncles all cooked turkey, baked chicken, green beans, macaroni-n-cheese, potato salad, sweet-potato pie (and a lot more) for dinner. As usual we reminisced on unforgettable moments, joked around, and renewed acquaintances. My cousins and I talked about how college is going, our future goals, and how we were all dreading exams. After dinner, my family and I drew names for our secret Santa this year and expressed our thanks.

Besides the good food and conversation, what I enjoyed most was listening to everyone state what they were thankful for. Hearing everyone’s unique statements made me reflect on all the things I was thankful for. I thought about the trials I experienced this year and the challenges I was able to overcome, which then led me to realize that I could not have done these things if it weren’t for the love and support from family and friends God has blessed me with. Through my service work and experience with the Bonner program I have met people that do not have that opportunity. Therefore, this year I’m thankful for their support and simply having the opportunity to spend my Thanksgiving with them again. Furthermore, I am thankful for having the opportunity to be a Bonner Scholar. Bonner has helped me to learn a lot about myself and has led me to develop a desire to give back to my family, friends, and community.

Jose on appreciating what we have

On Sundays I regularly attend the Hispanic mass at the Jesus Our Risen Savior with my family. This past Sunday mass was different from most of the previous Sundays because we had a special guest priest that came from Colombia. He was different from the other Colombian priests that came to visit our parish because he didn’t belong to a specific church. In the past few years he has worked as a missionary, traveling with another collegue across Africa, in hopes of alleviating extreme poverty. Growing up in poverty as a child, he thought he was familiar with the sadness in a parent’s eye when they knew they didn’t make enough to keep food in their child’s belly, but according to him, he was not even close to relating to what he saw in some villages. He saw parents watch their kids die daily. In some of the places he visited the meals consisted of water and some type of blood with a bread, mainly composed of a corn based dough. Whenever he had a little extra food for the kids in the village he always had the little ones asking for more. He said in Spanish, “Anything that you put in front of them they will eat.” Instead, he said with serious humor, it’s funny how our kids in America whine about what’s put on their plates, and refuse to eat. He then continued to try to get his point across to all of us that were listening, mostly those in the immigrant community, that we forget our ways when we come to the states. He pointed out the way, many immigrants start the habit of wasting material and food here in the U.S. that many of us did not do back in our country, which is true. We have forgotten our roots. You hear it a lot from your parents when you were younger to not waste food, or see commercials of starving kids, but somehow it never seems to click. I thought real hard of what he was saying to us, and how we could fix our bad habits. It’s not about what is on your plate, it’s about giving to others that don’t have as much on their plate. Many of us already have a lot on our plate, and we to tend to develop habits of wanting more. I have been guilty of this bad habit. Instead we need to share our abundance. Hopefully during the upcoming holidays we will not forget others who do not have as much on their plate. Soup kitchens always need a helping hand, or just food. If you have a little extra from your party, swing by, and give a little off your plate.

Hannah on anger

"Anger is one letter away from danger." This is a quote I found written on my "neighbor's" mirror. It was really funny at first, because she is the sweetest person in the world and this quote seems to be something she lives by. As the semester has gone on, this Dr. Phil quote has really grown on me. I think about it all the time; at first just to laugh, but now I see it differently. I look at my neighbor, Amy Horton, I notice where she wrote it in her room, and I begin to think this stupid quote makes a difference. If you do not know Amy, I suggest you get to know her. She is very admirable. Not just because she is smart, pretty, and social, but also because she has more self control than anyone I have ever met. I get angry very easily… over the most ridiculous things. Surrounding myself around people like Amy makes me realize life is too short to be angry. Anger is one letter away from danger: danger of wasting your time upset when you could be enjoying another aspect of life.

An example of useless anger: If you read Michael Vaughn’s first blog (if you did not go read it!), a similar incident occurred in my most recent time at the mall. I was waiting in line at Belk’s, and the man in front of me was buying a winter coat. The lady seemed to be getting very aggravated with him because he did not understand English well enough to respond to her “persistent cashier” request to apply for a credit card. She eventually threw down her pen and said, “Just give me your money”. Now is left a man who feels terrible for not understanding and a lady determined to take her anger out on everyone who crosses her path in that department store. Life throws tough times at us, but the ride is only fun if we want it to be. My parents always tell me to enjoy each task I encounter, and they are right. We can all look up to Amy who can smile even when the world is clouding her day.
Remember next time you are about to get angry: Anger is one letter away from danger.

Michael on Assata Shakur

Love is contraband in Hell,
cause love is a acid
that eats away bars.
But you, me, and tomorrow
hold hands and make vows
that struggle will multiply.
The hacksaw has two blades.
The shotgun has two barrels.
We are pregnant with freedom.
We are a conspiracy.
It is our duty to fight for our freedom
It is our duty to win
We must love each other and support each other.
We have nothing to lose but our chains. --Assata Shakur

I read Assata Shakur’s autobiography in Dr. Jim Neighbors’ African-American Literature class this semester. While the narrative of the book (and of Assata’s life) was incredibly compelling, her poetry spoke to me most. Assata may be a controversial figure, but her brilliance cannot be denied.

Assata’s service to this country has been multifaceted, and the price she paid has been great. Thought by many (including myself) to have been persecuted by the American government for her radical politics, Assata is currently an exile living in Cuba. Her life story is a beautiful documentation of the impotence oppression creates in its victims. Spurred to an underground, seditious lifestyle by her inability to enact social change she saw as essential, Assata can be read as militant or misguided. However, anyone involved in the pursuit of social justice can understand the rage that led her to her actions; sometimes, the hardest part of being a community servant is accepting that the community can be so resistant to change. She has been an inspiration to me in recent months in my own service; the social consciousness she has helped to create has reminded me that, while the fight is often hard, perseverance pays off.

Reading her autobiography so close to the election was also an experience in and of itself. Her efforts, along with the service of countless others, created the climate in which Barack Obama could be elected President. While she may be considered dangerous and treacherous, she was an important part of a dramatic shift in American politics. Many compare Barack Obama to other inspirational figures of the civil rights movement, particularly Martin Luther King. I think we owe a debt of gratitude to Assata as well, regardless of whether we agree with her methods.

This poem specifically is meaningful to me in the context of the passage of Proposition 8 in California. LGBT Americans throughout the country would do well to remember that the best way to win this battle is by continuing to love one another – making a political statement through the purest of human connections.

Whitney on the presidential election

This year’s presidential election has been one of the most historical elections so far, and I’m glad that I was able to play some part in it. This year was my first time voting and not only was I excited about being able to vote, but I was also excited because the democratic candidate was a minority. Barack Obama is one of the strongest African American leaders since Martin Luther King Jr. His powerful words and influential speeches have touched the hearts of many (including myself) and have given hope to those who were in doubt of our government system. The fact that an African American man succeeded above other great democratic leaders and made it to the final stage of the election is amazing. His success and his goals to improve the government in a way that will benefit all classes of society made me even more excited to vote and influenced me to learn more about politics and our government system.

Therefore, on October 31, 2008 I stood in line at the polls in my home town for three hours so that I could vote. (I had planned to wait until Election Day but, after I found out that I could vote early, I took advantage of it.) Even though the process was terribly long, I felt a sense of accomplishment after I voted. On November 4, the night of Election Day, after I heard the final results that Barack Obama was voted the next president of the United States, I literally screamed! After a minute of yelling and jumping up and down in excitement, I called my mom to see if she had heard the news, and she was overjoyed also. I watched CNN show live footage of all the democrats that stood together at the Democratic Election Party yelling with pride, “Yes We Can”, as President Barack Obama ended his victory speech, giving them and the rest of the nation more assurance of a positive future for America. I personally believe that the new president, Barack Obama, can change this nation for the better so that everyone can share a part in the American dream.