2008 Woodie Awards
New Orleans service class presents projects
Jan Term class returns with stories and new life perspectives
Whitney Medved
Issue date: 2/14/06 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
The Soda center filled up fast Wednesday night and the removable walls were pulled back in order to accommodate extra seating. Audience members included students, faculty, parents, and community members from Moraga and beyond. As people found seating and chatted with friends the screen was rolled down, and a slideshow displayed different quotes from student's journals on the trip. Some of these quotes read, "When we arrived in Mississippi, I almost felt like the experience restarted itself," or, "I am realizing that God is very real in this city," and "It doesn't feel like I am at Universal Studios anymore," as well as, "I'm growing up, moving on, and changing lives (mine included)." When the event did begin, the class received a standing ovation as they processed into the auditorium. The class was divided up into five teams (JAMBE, Team Amazing, Hoorah, HiViz, and Hardcore) where their mission on the trip was to work together and come up with a sort of group project.
JAMBE went first, (the name is an acronym of each students first initial) and their presentation was a slide show centered around a decorated canvas bag, which had little doodles for each place they helped out at. Pictures of the participants gutting houses, gardening, eating, sleeping, and living scrolled by to tunes like Ben Harper's "With My Own Two Hands." At the end of their presentation there was a surprise phone call from Leo, the group's bus driver and friend. He said, "It was a good group, I hated to depart the airport-I just love all of you and I miss you." This made most of JAMBE and the rest of the class rather teary-eyed.
The next group was Team Amazing, which was comprised entirely of juniors and seniors. This team was not only the oldest but also the "least technically advanced," said senior Shane Keane. Their team project was titled "Returning Home," and centered on the group's role of accompanying people back to their houses for the first time. Amid the pictures of demolished houses there were quotes like "Normal is gone, there is no normal." The second surprise phone guest was Miss Rosie, the woman that the group worked with while in New Orleans. She was positive about the whole situation, and shared how the experience had helped her grow out of a self-centered person into one who thinks of others more.
Team Hoorah's main focus was on colors, including the colors they brought (the bus was rainbow, various supplies, clothing, etc.), the colors they worked with, lived with, etc. They focused on the vibrancy they were bringing back to the city and the colors that were popping back up as a sign of hope all over the city.
The other teams were HiViz, and Hardcore. Between the slideshows, journal comments, and surprise phone guests, it was apparent that these students made a huge impact on the lives of those they interacted with in New Orleans, and that their own perceptions and world views have been altered as well.
JAMBE went first, (the name is an acronym of each students first initial) and their presentation was a slide show centered around a decorated canvas bag, which had little doodles for each place they helped out at. Pictures of the participants gutting houses, gardening, eating, sleeping, and living scrolled by to tunes like Ben Harper's "With My Own Two Hands." At the end of their presentation there was a surprise phone call from Leo, the group's bus driver and friend. He said, "It was a good group, I hated to depart the airport-I just love all of you and I miss you." This made most of JAMBE and the rest of the class rather teary-eyed.
The next group was Team Amazing, which was comprised entirely of juniors and seniors. This team was not only the oldest but also the "least technically advanced," said senior Shane Keane. Their team project was titled "Returning Home," and centered on the group's role of accompanying people back to their houses for the first time. Amid the pictures of demolished houses there were quotes like "Normal is gone, there is no normal." The second surprise phone guest was Miss Rosie, the woman that the group worked with while in New Orleans. She was positive about the whole situation, and shared how the experience had helped her grow out of a self-centered person into one who thinks of others more.
Team Hoorah's main focus was on colors, including the colors they brought (the bus was rainbow, various supplies, clothing, etc.), the colors they worked with, lived with, etc. They focused on the vibrancy they were bringing back to the city and the colors that were popping back up as a sign of hope all over the city.
The other teams were HiViz, and Hardcore. Between the slideshows, journal comments, and surprise phone guests, it was apparent that these students made a huge impact on the lives of those they interacted with in New Orleans, and that their own perceptions and world views have been altered as well.