Serve, don't help: Communicate love

Tara Cahanap '13 reflects on the meaning of "service"

I remember the day we got the e-mail calling for applicants to Project Apoyo. Subject line: “Great Community Service Opportunity.” Images of collecting donations and teaching school children formed in my mind. I was so caught up in creating this idea of being a good person that I lost the essence of the entire trip in the process. Not until the first day in class did I realize exactly what “service” meant. Being part of this trip didn’t mean reaching down from our places of privilege and comfort to give these children aid from afar. Being part of this trip meant leaving behind the luxuries and complications of our lives back home, becoming a part of this community and working alongside the children to learn things about ourselves we never would have seen before.

We were outsiders to these kids. Never before had it been so hard to earn someone’s trust. They were unwilling to learn because they perceived us as Americans who were trying to make them better people by teaching them English. And until then, I thought so too. Then I met Josue.

Josue sat in the corner in one of our 3^rd grade classes with his friends who would take any opportunity they were given to make fun of the way we taught, or the mistakes in our Spanish. We thought the only solution was to assert our authority and demand obedience. We didn’t find a better answer until we took each student on one-on-one.

Service meant sitting there with his friends, asking them to correct my Spanish so they could help me teach them better. Service meant sitting on the sand in the playground and hashing out the English syllable by syllable. Service meant acting out the words no matter how silly it made me look. Service meant learning just as much as they did.

Then I realized what this was really about. This program did teach English, but it taught me how to be a human being. Being there, in Rosa Esmester with a class full of third graders who didn’t understand the words coming out of my mouth, made me realize that these kids weren’t simply being given the keys to a new language. We were here because we were giving them the reassurance that people cared about their success. We were giving them the hope that there were people out there who strongly believed and wanted them to become better people.

It was about the amazement and awe these kids felt when they looked down at their paper and realized that someone had taken the time to teach them how to count in English. Even if we were having trouble communicating over the language barrier, we had successfully communicated love.

           

That last day on the playground, we were saying our goodbyes and assuring our students that they would be getting new teachers the next week and that they would learn more English than they could have ever imagined. As I turned to go, I was stopped by a tiny embrace from behind. I turned to see Josue, crying into my Outreach 360 T-Shirt. He held back his tears and demanded to know when I was coming back. “I’ll see you later,” I replied.

When Crider announced that it was time to go, Josue whispered a “thank-you” into my now tear-soaked shoulder. Right then, I knew that he wasn’t thanking me for teaching him how to say “Monday” or how to say “smart”. He was thanking me for showing him love and with one last hug, I realized that I was thanking him for the exact same thing.

Ice House!

Harry Gensemer '12 and Math teacher Mark Sawula share their thanks for the success of this year's Ice House.

If you were at all involved in pulling off the ice house this year (moving stuff, donating, performing, audiencing, chaperoning, anything at all) I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart. It's really awesome to see how flexible and supportive a community Peddie can be.

Those who attended and audienced and performed and made the room and event a living thing are people who I am more than lucky to know and live here with. You all made Ice House a reality, so thank you in every way.

As a community, we raised 600 dollars for Make Some Noise, a charity that funds pediatric cancer research.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
We are capable of things as a community and it feels freaking awesome to know that. Y'all are the best.

Harry

The actual donation total was $758.90, helped by a generous parent who contributed a few big bills (I don't know who the parent was, but if it's your parent, please pass on a big "THANKS!" from all of us).  And of course, a big THANKS to everyone.  Even the little stuff counted...all of those $1 bills and coins added up to $108.90.

So far, "Make Some Noise," the foundation started by Malcolm Sutherland-Foggio (younger brother of Harry, Peddie class of  '11) has raised over $900,000 for children's cancer research.  Roughly $10,000 of that has come from Peddie and Peddie Aquatics (which amazingly raised over $8,000!!!).  The reason I know this is because Malcolm's mom, Julie Sutherland (a Peddie alumna herself), was really happy about how our community came through like this.

Way to go, Peddie!

Mr. Sawula

Fun with waders (and microbiology)

Who knew pulling water samples and testing for bacteria in Peddie lake could be so much fun?

Heads Day 2012

Josie Anker '15 celebrated her first Heads Day competition last week.

My first Heads Day was lots of fun.  I enjoyed watching all the events on center campus with my friends. Everyone was so spirited and having a good time. I participated in the game Big Booty and happened to win, go team Potter!

Austin Cabot '12 reflects on his last Heads Day

Battle of the Heads is just an amazing day for the community. It is so much fun and it doesn’t matter what grade you’re in, everyone gets a chance to participate in some way. The spirit and energy is always there, no matter what the weather is like it is always a day of great competitions. Although it is a competition everyone is really just having a great time. Win or lose the day is awesome. Being my final year at Peddie, this day was special. I just wanted to go out and have a great time with my friends from all the different teams, compete and when it wasn’t my event cheer on everyone else.

A comment about comments

Loyal readers (or first-time visitors),

I have removed word verification from the comment settings. I understand that may have prevented some of you from being able to comment on posts. Comments will still be moderated, however!

Now back to the blog...

Chapel Talk: "Finish What You Start" by Peddie Coach & Olympian Barb Grudt

Barb Grudt, coach of Peddie's women's crew team, is a two-time Olympian with a long and distinguished career of coaching at the national level. She coached at Dartmouth College and the University of Pennsylvania, headed the U.S. Junior Women's team and was named to the prestigious FISA (Federation Internationale des Societes d'Avrion) Youth Rowing Commission in 2010.

Good morning.

With the London 2012 Olympics just around the corner, I thought it might be a good time to share a little bit about myself with all of you.  For starters, I am a two- time Olympic Rower.

Imagine walking into the Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles for the Opening Ceremonies of the 1984 Olympic Games as a member of “Team U.S.A.”  You are wearing your red, white, and blue Opening Ceremonies uniform.  All the other competing countries are entering the stadium through the tunnel in front of you.  As the host country, you enter last.  Stepping closer to the stadium, the sounds of the cheering crowd get louder.  Your adrenalin is pumping.  Suddenly, at the announcement, “United States of America,” the stadium erupts.   95,000 people are cheering for you.

Well, that’s how I felt anyway.  In reality, there may have been five people in the stands who had any idea I was there.  Still, I felt embraced by the crowd because I was part of something way bigger than anything I had ever imagined.

Freshman bonding

This note was forwarded by Ms. Washburn following the freshman class dodgeball night last week.


Mrs. Washburn and Mr. Mooney,

On behalf of the Freshman Class, thank you so much for a great night of dodgeball, pizza, and water ice! It was a very nice gesture, and we all appreciate your time, thought, and effort. We look forward to doing something like this in the future!

-Freshman Class (2015)