Service Wrap-Up

This year, I had the amazing opportunity to help tutor and watch students at St. Margaret of Scotland.  Although I did not go as much as I would have liked due to other commitments and a tough junior year, I went when I could. Every time I did have the chance to go, the staff and the students were incredibly grateful. Ms. Kameraan, the woman who runs the after-school program, is always looking for extra hands. Whenever I would go with Cate Lewellyn, she would be so happy for help. The last time we went, as we were leaving, we received big goodbye hugs from the students and a big thank you from Ms. Kameraan. As I left with Cate that day, I felt happy with the service we did.

Yet, I also wondered how we could do more. When considering what I could do for a final project, I decided the best thing I could do for the after-school program would be to expand it. Ms. Kameraan is always looking for extra sets of hands to help and extra eyes to watch the students. It would also be a huge relief if it was confirmed that a volunteer would be there each day. In order to do this for Ms. Kameraan, the volunteer program should be expanded and have a set schedule. If I reach out to other Marist students and even other local high schools, more volunteers will sign up. When someone shows interest in the program, I will ask them to sign up for certain dates. Each day, I will hopefully have 2-3 volunteers. The easiest way to expand the program would be through Social Media. I will create a group on Facebook with a description and a schedule to sign up for dates. It would be a closed group, but one that you could easily find to request to join. Then, I would add friends and ask them to add more. The group will quickly expand and Ms. Kameraan will finally get the help she deserves.

The service opportunity I had this year is one I feel more students deserve the chance to have. This service is not only beneficial to the students and staff at St. Margaret of Scotland, but it is spiritually beneficial for the volunteer, as well. If any one has a spare day after school next year, I strongly recommend signing up to spend time with the great kids at St. Margaret of Scotland. 

Language, Freedom, and Power

Until reading these articles, I did not see how language limits every single one of us. One of the most intriguing, eye-opening articles was Lisa Bloom's, "How to Talk to Little Girls". Reading it made me realize just how important looks had become to woman. Of course, I understood that appearance has become a priority to many woman due to our culture which is centered on celebrities and Victoria's Secret Angels. Advertisements tell you how one needs to be skinny and hot to succeed. However, I did not realize that "15 to 18 percent of girls under 12 now wear mascara, eyeliner and lipstick regularly; eating disorders are up and self-esteem is down; and 25 percent of young American women would rather win America's Next Top Model than the Nobel Peace Prize" (Bloom). These statistics completely appalled me.  The degree of stress that is being put on girls to be "hot" is restricting their freedom to be who they truly are. I completely agree with Ms. Bloom that something needs to change. Movements like, "Like a Girl", teach girls to be strong and proud of who they are. Another important topic brought up is how far freedom of speech expands. The Charlie Hebdo Attack brings this debate to light in  a New York Times Article. Many wonder whether or not the cartoonists were justified in there cartoon depictions of the prophet Muhammad. As the article suggests, the magazine has always been controversial as freedom of speech in France is not as prominent as it is in America. "Charlie Hebdo, which arose in the wake of the 1960s battles over France’s then-restrictive speech laws, did outré political satire better than just about anyone" (Schuessler). However, many see it as crossing the line as it is against the Islamic religion. Personally, after reading the article, I believe the cartoonists were not justified ( I do not believe their killings were justified either). The cartoonists violated their freedom of speech by directly harming another group of people. They intentionally attacked the Islamic religion and that is not something that should be tolerated by freedom of speech. I agree with Mr. Spurgeon that the comics were unjustified. Overall, language is quite powerful. Too many people use this power in a negative manner in order to harm others. We need to change the power. We need to be positive, be inspiring. No more bringing people down. We need to protect people and give them confidence, especially young girls. A change needs to happen. 

Initial Thoughts on Power and Freedom within Language

When considering the power of language, I immediately think of how words can negatively affect someone, especially a teenager. Language is so powerful when it comes to bullying. One may never understand how their words truly hurt and affect others. The movie Cyberbully portrays this well. In the movie, it shows how words can truly hurt as a young girl is pushed to the limits by bullying online when she tries to commit suicide. However, the power of language can be used for good. Words can be used to inspire as well. One of the most inspirational speeches I have ever heard is the "Miracle Speech" from the movie Miracle. Coach Brooks' speech inspires the players so much as they went out to take on the Soviets. It is one of the most famous speeches to exist. Language can make or break one's day so you want to use it right.When asked about the relationship between freedom and language, the first thing that comes to my mind is the first amendment of the Constitution. Under this amendment, freedom of speech is protected. As long as it does not harm another detrimentally, one can not be punished for what they say. Certain language still shows all people are not truly free. Racial slurs are used to diminish the freedom of African Americans and other racial groups. When one uses these words, they are trying to belittle and take something from the person. Language restricts one's freedom as well. Documents, like the Constitution of the United States of America, limit what one can legally do. Written laws do the same, as well. Overall language is quite powerful and can restrict one or allow one to flourish.  

Why We Serve

Community Service - the act of going out into the community to help others. Sounds lame, does it not? Many people do not like helping others without payment, but community service does pay - just not the payment most people expect. As a student at a Catholic high school, service has always been apart of my life. Although I was unappreciative and against it at first, I quickly learned that service has its benefits. Because it improves overall mood and helps with college admissions, community service is the most important extracurricular a high school student can do.


Service can completely change one's mood. After my freshman year, I attended my first mission trip to Harlan, Kentucky. I never really thought about doing this; it was just something my older siblings did and I was going to do it to. I was going and it was as simple as that. Once there, I was assigned to help to re-roof the house of an old woman, Marsha. My group and I showed up at Marsha's house on Monday, and I was nervous. I had never been on a ladder or a roof before. I ended up getting on the roof but was not very motivated to get work done. Unfortunately, when we arrived on Tuesday, we learned that Marsha had been taken to the hospital the night before. This motivated all of us to work harder so she could live in a safer house when she returned. We continued our work throughout the week and Marsha finally returned on Friday, the day we were leaving. After seeing her new roof, which was almost complete, she was so happy. As we left, she called us her "little angels" and we all knew how grateful she was. I could not stop smiling the whole way home.


That is what community service does for a person. The feeling of helping another when they need it is not easy to explain but it is one that one learns with experience. It is a feeling that can not be forgotten.


This year, I got to experience that feeling again with my service at St. Margaret of Scotland. A few Wednesdays this year, I went and helped at their after school program. Because of the low-income families they serve, St. Margaret of Scotland needs volunteers after school for the kids whose parents work. Each time, I went and helped students with their homework. One time, I helped a few third graders with a math worksheet. Simply seeing the smile on their face after figuring out a problem made the feeling return again. I was so happy to help the kids. For the hour or so I volunteered each time, I forgot it was a requirement. I forgot about all the homework I had to do and all the pressures school was giving me. I was just happy to help.


If someone does not care about the emotional benefit, they will certainly care about the benefits it gives for college admissions. On a college resume, colleges look for extracurricular activities. Having service as an extracurricular is especially good to have. According to My College Path, colleges look for community service as it shows that you want to improve the world, are compassionate, and can work well with others. All of these are important to colleges.


Overall, community service pays in overwhelming amounts of joy - and it doesn't look bad on a college resume either. Some say service is stupid, but the benefits it offers prove it is not. Community service - a stress reliever that could even help get someone into college.

Speaking Out Again Gun Violence

On December 14, 2012, a tragic event occurred in Newtown, Connecticut. An armed intruder broke into Sandy Hook Elementary school, killing 20 students and 6 adults. The event broke hearts of American across the country, from Los Angeles to New York, from Chicago to Miami. With the recent Ferguson and New York crisis, gun violence has been an important issue brought into the eyes of Americans. Today, on the second anniversary of the Sandy Hook killings, a mother of one of the victims spoke out on gun violence, described in TIME magazine. 

Nelba Marquez-Greene, who lost her first grade daughter Ana Grace, spoke out against gun violence. She spoke of how the events in Newtown, Fegurson, and New York leave all these mothers unable to breathe. She pleads people to end gun violence; to think of the mothers who are losing their children. The common factor in these events lies within gun violence, something that must come to an end.

Nelba Marquez-Greene is a pure example of greatness. Her ability to keep strength through losing her daughter is amazing. To speak out on such a controversial topic is very difficult as well, and her strength shows in that as well. Marquez-Greene lost her daughter and her breath on December 14, 2014. Two years later, she found her voice and spoke out. In the memory of the Sand Hook tragedy, in the memory of the children and teachers lost, we all must work to end gun violence. 

Service at St. Margaret of Scotland

On November 5, I returned to St. Margaret of Scotland with Cate. I was less nervous this time because I felt I knew the drill: the kids would come in, sit down, and start their homework. After Cate and I signed in, we went down to the cafeteria to wait for the students.

This time, I helped the kindergartners with their homework. When they came in, I met their teacher who advised me to just give a guiding hand and not do it for them. His students were working on learning how to say -ch- with words such as chair, chicken, and cheese. It was interesting trying to help them because it seemed like such a simple concept to me, and it seemed impossible to just help with. All they had to do was trace the letters and pronounce the words. I made sure each child I help traced all the letters as they were told and had to tell a few to go back because they missed letters. Before they put it away, I asked them how to say the words. What astonished me was most of them could not do it. So, I sounded through each word with the child I was working with and he or she seemed to understand a bit more. It was interesting to see someone learn the basics of our language because I have no memory of learning to read. I can not imagine how difficult it is to be a kindergarten or pre-school teacher and try to teach children to read and spell.

Helping these kindergartners was a bit of a struggle. It truly demonstrated the greatness each and every teacher possesses. Teachers must have patience and unbelievable strength and care for others in order to do their job. Without great teachers, our world would be a lesser place. The kindergarten teacher at St. Margaret of Scotland is just one example of a great teacher. He really seemed connected to his students and wanted them to succeed. Teachers are a prime example for what it means to be great. When I return next, I hope to learn more from the wonderful students and staff at St. Margaret of Scotland. 

Finding Greatness in Who You Are

For gay people, "coming out" can be extremely difficult, especially for those who have so much influence in society. Recently, CEO of Apple, Tim Cook, officially "came out" of the closet in his published essay. In an article in TIME Magazine, author Daniel D'Adarro discusses the importance of Cook's essay and the affects it has on all of us. 

Although many already new that Cook was gay, he officially "came out" in his essay. However, he did not take a traditional approach: he brought a new view to the idea of sexuality. Most influential people, when they come out, convey the idea that their sexuality does not change who they are. Cook begs to differ, saying "Being gay has given me a deeper understanding of what it means to be in the minority and provided a window into the challenges that people in other minority groups deal with every day. It’s made me more empathetic, which has led to a richer life.” Being gay has changed who he is and is a big part of who he is. He has has learned to accept this lifestyle change.

D'Adarro also comments on how Cook, now 53 years old, took so long to "come out". However, he said being gay has changed his view on life. Cook challenges the idea that  being gay is the same thing as being straight because accepting his sexuality changed the way he viewed the world. It also urged him to work for the greater cause of equal rights. 

Cook gives us a great insight on what it means to be great. Cook learned to believe in who he is. As teenagers, many of us struggle to find who we are. Cook, "coming out" at the age of 53, relates to how many teens feels about finding our place in high school. As a successful business man, he shows us all that we can do anything. With a new insight on who he is, Cook now wants to do more for the world.