Monday-MLK Day
I had an all-day AmeriCorps training in Detroit for MLK Day. We did some form of an icebreaker/team-building exercise, then watched a live feed of Julian Bond, the Chairman of the NAACP, speak at the University of Michigan (funny how I traveled 45 minutes away from my campus to watch that on a screen!). After lunch we participated in a service project in Highland Park. We cleaned out an old office building that was being converted into a shelter for young adults aging out of the foster care system, which is a much-needed and progressive service.
Tuesday-Inauguration
There was so much excitement in the air on Tuesday for the inauguration of President Obama. By the time I got into the School of Social Work at 9am, there were already several emails circulating, congratulating our social work community on this achievement, which was a long time coming. The office shut down at noon to watch the oath and other ceremonial activities. My favorite part of the day was seeing such an incredible turnout in DC and thinking of people all over the country and the world watching at the same time, knowing that we were all brought together to witness such an extraordinary event-despite our differences. It was truly an incredible time for US history and I was happy to be with my colleagues in the School of Social Work to share in the moment.
Wednesday-Zumba, Part II
I had a busy day of work, class, planning a trip to Chicago, and of course Zumba! I had a much easier time following the instructor and I didn't stand at the back of the class, right in front of the windows.
Thursday-Detroit Public Schools
I attended a Junior League meeting on Thursday morning when I got into Detroit. This meeting consists of representatives from local schools and organizations that work with children and youth at some level. DPS is currently in a financial crisis. They are running a deficit of millions of dollars. The superintendent was just fired. All funds except Title I funds (designated for children of low-income families) have been frozen and are not accessible. There will soon be an emergency financial manager assigned to address this crisis. And the State of Michigan is looking to take over the public schools as an option.
During this Junior League meeting I found out that our public schools cannot afford toilet paper for the bathrooms. Teachers and administrators have begun to ask parents and community organizations for donations because Title I funds-the only funds available to the schools right now-do not cover the purchasing of toilet paper. One teacher explained how this plays out in the classrooms: A student needs to go to the bathroom, so the teacher pauses class and hands out a few sheets of toilet paper (purchased by the teacher, out of his or her own budget). Upon returning to the classroom, the teacher again pauses class and squirts some hand sanitizer into the student's hand, because oh yeah, the schools cannot purchase hand soap or paper towels either.
That afternoon, I ran to the elementary school where I started a recycling program to pick up the full containers of papers and plastic bottles. When I asked the principal if I could have some plastic bags to carry out these items, she told me they had none. No plastic bags. I had to fill cardboard boxes with the recycled materials instead. To me it is incredible that children are attending schools in the United States where toilet paper, paper towel, soap, and plastic bags are not readily available to them.
Friday-Testing in Chicago
I traveled to Chicago Thursday night so I could take the Presidential Management Fellows test on Friday. If selected as a finalist, I would attend a career fair in DC at the end of March and possibly get a federal management job for two years. It's a highly-competitive program with great benefits...wish me luck! I can't say it was my best performance and I'm glad it's over, but at least it brought me to Chicago for the weekend.
Saturday-Touring Chicago
On Saturday I visited the Chicago Public Library. It had nine floors and an awesome Winter Garden on the top level. The ceiling was like a sun roof, made of all windows. It had tile floors and plants everywhere-an excellent place to read. Each floor had a different subject and my favorite was the Languages one. They had books on display in Polish, Spanish, Russian, and Japanese.
I met up with friends for breakfast and then visited the Art Institute of Chicago. There was a great exhibit of photographer Yousuf Karsh. He took photographs of some of the most famous people in recent history, such as Audrey Hepburn, JFK, Winston Churchill, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Ernest Hemingway. The art museum has some incredible pieces and I was happy to spend a bit of my afternoon there.
I headed back to Ann Arbor that evening and now am thinking about all the reading I have to do for tomorrow. On that note...have a great day and I'll write again soon!
No comments:
Post a Comment