Junior Year
Just like your favorite show on HBO, I'm back for the fall! Only this year I'm living off campus in one of the nicest apartments. Be jealous. I'm just kidding, you don't have to be jealous. It's just that most people are when they see them. I mean having closets bigger than most peoples' rooms is really no big deal.
Anyway, I have so much to tell you so get comfy. If you've been following you know I went to Guyana this June with the International Service Program. "Amazing" is such a cliche way to describe it, so is "life changing" and "unbelievable," but those are the only words I can really tell you. I met people I will never forget and experienced things that have become a part of me. This is so vague, and I apologize so I am going to share something with you to help you get an idea of my trip.
This is part of an entry from my journal I kept on that trip:
6/8/09 Georgetown, Guyana
Today was very interesting. We went back to Mercy hospital in the morning to continue painting. Elise, Megan, and I painted the railings outside the second floor women's ward, There was a woman on the other side of the window (we were on the porch) that was moaning in pain. It hurt to be so helpless and not be able to take away her pain. It turns out she was a [Mercy] Sister. After the hospital we had lunch and changed clothes to go to Mahaica Hospital, which was an hour away....On the way we picked up Sr. Kenneth at the convent. She was our guide for the trip. As we drove there Sr. told us about Mahaica. A better term for it would be an "assisted living" community, since there are only 8 permanent residents. The place is specifically for people with Hanson's disease (i.e. leprosy). At first I was nervous that I would not be able to handle it, but I felt better as I learned more about the disease from Sr. Kenneth. The people who are there choose to live there because they are outcasts to society. They are no longer contagious, but there is a definite stigma with the disease. This is caused by ignorance. Here is a little about one of the people that live there:
Mr. Fullington: an old blind man, who loves to sit and listen to the radio and sings beautifully. He sang "Ol' Danny Boy" which was so hauntingly beautiful, I cried. We all did. I don't think I can ever listen to that song again and not tear up and think of Mr. Fullington.
Take what you want from my words.
Classes started last Monday. Here is a breakdown of my course load: Yoga: truly helps me relax but shows me just how inflexible I am. Finance: money (yawn.) OIM: accounting meets computer literacy. Sustainable Marketing: inspiring! Dr. Cann is so passionate about what she teaches you really can't help but get excited. International Business: will be tough, but interesting. Psyc: Drugs and the Human Behavior: pretty cool so far, and the Scranton Chief of Police is in the class with us. The most interesting class so far is definitely my Honors Tutorial with Lisa Hall who works in the Small Business Development Center. We are putting together workshops together for local artists. Usually they work with small business owners and entrepreneurs, but these are going to be artist specific. Lisa is great because she includes me in every step along the way. This is as hands-on and real world based as it gets.
Well aside from class Moses Taylor has been taking up most of my time. I am working 4 days a week from either 3pm to 11:30 or 5 pm to 1:30 am. This is just until the new hires are trained, thankfully, because it is a lot of work right now.
Ok, I need to get out of the library before I become part of the furniture.
Good to see you again, Scranton!
Becky