Siena College Bonner Service Leaders

2010-05-16T23:50:00.001-04:00

greetings from jersey!

i miss you guys

: (

hope everyone's summer is going well!

Reflections on the Bonner Program: Celebrating the Past, Planning the Future

2010-04-26T15:42:00.003-04:00

As many of you know, the 20th "Bonnerversary" event will be held this June 2-3rd 2010 at Berea College. In an effort to capture the impact of the Bonner Program and share it with others we are asking all of you to participate in a reflection. In reflecting on your experiences with the Bonner Program, you will be doing so with a wide network of individuals who have been affected, in some way or another, by the Bonner Foundation. Reflections from individuals across the national network will be shared with the Bonner Foundation, and a representative sample of them will be compiled into a book that will circulate as part of the 20th "Bonnerversary" event.

We ask that you use this time to reflect on your experiences in the Bonner program during this past year, and also as a chance to to plan and look towards the future. Please use the following questions as a guide to your reflection:

1. Describe a significant (perhaps transformation moment) for you during your experience in the Bonner Leaders Program.

2. As the Bonner Leaders program launches into its third decade of service, what should be done to make it a more effective program (you can answer this on a personal, program, campus wide and national level)?

3. What are you prepared to do to help make the Bonner Leader program more effective?

Submissions may take many forms, including written, photographs, songs, artwork or video.

Blove!!!!!!

Looking Forward

2010-04-15T17:34:00.001-04:00

We are racing to the end of the semester!! Now is the time to start thinking about how we can take your Bonner experience to the next level.

1. Service: what increased responsibilities or focus could you add to your experience next semester/year?

2. Professional Growth: What skills would you like to work on to take your experience to the next level.

3. Programmatic: What new innovative things would you like to try next year?

Blove!!

Shadow Program

2010-03-18T20:59:00.002-04:00

For those of you who have not heard about the Shadow Program that we will be participating in with Prof. Stavros' Foundations class, we will each be given a group of two or three students to shadow us at our service sites. The purpose of this experience is to give them an idea of what service learning is. Each student will interview you and they will then write a 3 page paper summing up what they learned. In order to prep you for this experience I would like you all to answer the following questions:

1. What is Bonner to me?

2. What is Service Learning?

3. How does your service site and any projects that you are working on at your site meet the object of Service Learning?

4. How do your projects complement the mission of Siena College?

Favor?

2010-03-17T08:47:00.002-04:00

Hi Bonners,
Sometime last week I lost my TI-89 calculator, it's really expensive and kinda a big deal because I have a test coming up and it's going to be impossible to do it without the really fancy expensive calculator. Do any of you happen to have one that I could borrow?
Thanks, I appreciate it.
Ananda

Assignment: Reflections

2010-03-10T16:17:00.005-05:00

Hi everyone!

This week's blogging assignment will be based on the event that you attend this week (3/10 or 3/11). After attending either the documentary film "The Price of Sugar" or the "Charity in Truth" event, please reflect on and answer the following questions:

1. What were the three main points made in the event?
2. What was something that shocked you?
3. What is something that you learned?
4. How did the event end?
5. What do you think the calls to action should be?
6. How did you feel after the event (hopeful, enraged, inspired, motivated, angry) and why?
7. Other feedback.

Assignment: Update us on your Service Placement

2010-02-15T08:54:00.002-05:00

We are well on our way into Spring semester. Now is the time to give us an update about your service placement.

1. Where are you placed? Please describe your organization.

2. What are you doing there?

3. Reflect upon your experience there so far.

4. How can you take this experience to the next level?

5. Tell us an interesting story.

6. Other feedback.

Identity

2010-02-14T20:52:00.003-05:00

There are many reasons why identity is important, especially because identity defines a person. Someone's identity is the concept that depicts or describes what/who that person really is. Defining ones identity is a really complex concept because ones identity can be composed of many factors. Finding these factors can sometimes be hard and difficult to comprehend. Sometimes one doesn't know that such factors are there and the whole process can sometimes take long. Its a matter of asking you what really makes you, you. For instance God and Myself make the most important part of my life. My family and friends have some value in the whole chain as well but i go above them and God goes above me. The whole concept of getting to know myself or even defining myself seems to me like a difficult task. It is basically a matter of not having enough experiences to really say who i believe or what i believe defines me. A program like Bonner is very valuable to me, since it allows for me to have experiences,meet people,and learn things that will eventually or help me define who i am as well as a chance to further know and understand myself.

2010-02-04T16:21:00.003-05:00

New Assignment: Identity

2010-01-29T12:11:00.003-05:00

Over the last two weeks we have evaluated the people we are connected to; who influence us; and have started to look at who we are through writing a personal mission statement.

Please read the following poems and answer the questions below:

Identity

Identity please security do ask
As you show them your identity pass
They look at it letting you through
But its that plastic card really you
That snapshot image of your face
Is not what your identity makes
Your true Identity is much more complex
Something a mere image doesn’t reflects
The way you care or feel is part of you
Your inner soul we hope keeps you true
Perhaps you have a real gift
Or maybe others spirits you do lift
It’s the way you laugh and joke
Or the way you give others hope
Perhaps its that you fight so hard
Or that no one can ever beat u at cards
Or that you are a great cook
Identity is not just how you do look
Its how you act think what you find true
That’s the identity of being you

Micron

Identity of a person

Identity of a person
Identity signifies complexity
Identity identifies with reality
Identity is the bearer of all vanity
How does a person identify with identity?

You define yourself based on what?
They say, they say
You’re kind or moral based on what?
Or
You’re a genius and shrewd based on what?
Or
You make the perfect lover, look for no other

They say, they say
You’re strong without a thought it may not last long
Or
You’ve skills since with a record you run up high bills
Or
You are shy but no one ever talks to you or says hi
Or
You never give up because right now you are on top

They say, they say
You are generous or gregarious when all you are is conscious
Or
You’re innovative yet not the originator of the idea conceived

What are the facts?
That makes your identity intact
When change on identity has the last impact?

Copyright 2006 - Sylvia Chidi

Sylvia Chidi

Questions:

1. Why is identity important?
2. Why is it so complicated or is it?
3. What or who makes up the biggest part of your identity?
4. How does the concept of getting to know yourself or defining yourself make you feel?
5. What role does college or programs like Bonner play in defining yourself?

one week

2010-01-13T22:50:00.003-05:00

roughly until our bonner meetings start again!

hope everyone's as excited as i am to start afresh with our service sites from the first semester

and put some extra oompfh into everything we do

: )

2009-12-30T14:56:00.000-05:00

miss you guys

: (

have a happy new year!

b-love,

michelle

Assingment Makeup

2009-12-10T02:21:00.003-05:00

"As a Franciscan community, Siena strives to embody the vision and values of St. Francis of Assisi: faith in a personal and provident God, reverence for all creation, affirmation of the unique worth of each person, delight in diversity, appreciation for beauty, service with the poor and marginalized, a community where members work together in friendship and respect, and commitment to building a world that is more just, peaceable, and humane.

As Bonners we appreciate the uniqueness of each member of the Bonner family and we welcome diversity. We clearly understand that in order to learn and truly live life to the fullest we must have a broad knowledge of our world and our surroundings therefore we make the most of the diversity that is available for us at the moment and we try to make our world a little more diverse with our everyday by integrating others in our lives and with many of actions and choices. Also, as Boners we understand that beauty is in the eye of the beholder but because we also know that God is the creator of all things we have the knowledge that everything that surrounds us holds beauty because it was made by God. We serve the poor and marginalized because we are aware that with our actions we can make a difference not only in the lives of many but a difference in the world itself. We are aware that with our actions we can set an example and that we can be the beginning of a different world that's better and more just. Therefore as Bonners we are fulfilling every aspect of the franciscan values but also we are taking the action further because by applying these values to our lives we are giving an example to those who surround us so that the change can have deeper and better effects.

Winter break Placement

2009-12-10T02:13:00.002-05:00

I still do not know where i will be placed to volunteer during the winter break but i have looked at these sites and i will call them to find out more information about them.

1. YMCA in the bronx-

2. Bronx Aids Association (BAS)

Both of these sites are non profits and offer an availability for volunteers to help with a variety of options. They have activities like soup kitchens, helping the homeless, making toys for children, tutoring, making and planning activities for children, etc. I am really excited to get stated and hopefully i will find a non profit site in the bronx to volunteer very soon.

Winter Placement

2009-12-03T16:17:00.000-05:00

I actually haven’t found a specific place yet but I have looked into 3 different options.

1) 1) I applied to New York Cares online which is an organization that organizes community service activities for anyone in NY. They also have long-term programs, I am not quite sure what programs exactly but they did ask me my interest and I signed up for a mandatory orientation for as soon as I get back home on December 21^st.

2) 2) On the Planned Parenthood page online they have an option to volunteer since they are non-profit. So I also applied there to see what opportunities are offered. This kind of interested me because it would possibly deal with the youth and problems they are facing.

3) 3) There is a school in my community that I am trying to set up a possible community service project where I could come in and maybe lead a class on arts and crafts or any other extra activities. I have contacted someone from the PTA and I am waiting to hear what they say.

So I have a few different things that I am looking into and am very excited to pursuit.

P.S Today I had my 1^st meeting at Unity house planning out exactly what I would be doing. SUPER excited to start and take on some interesting projects. YAY!

Winter Placement

2009-12-03T15:16:00.003-05:00

I'm planning on doing double time (taebo reference) this winter break! Mirana and Ruth are going to give me assignments to work on over the phone such as finding contacts for the upcoming winter fundraiser event (which I will let you all know about because we'll need volunteers!). Also, I would like to work at the Family Service Association which is a nonprofit in Glens Falls, New York that provides programs such as food pantries, emergency prescriptions, infant needs programs, and special needs programs. Can't wait to see everyone tonight!

BLOVE,
Chels

winter placement

2009-12-03T11:44:00.002-05:00

For my winter placement I am most likely going to be continuing volunteering at Unity House with the toddlers. I am trying to get placed with Albany County Stop DWI but their offices have been closed but it is still a possibility. If I work there I will be doing things to help raise awareness about DWI and the effects that this has on families and even complete strangers.
B-Love
Sarah

2009-12-03T09:16:00.000-05:00

for my winter service placement, i plan on pulling double duty.

i will continue working as the esol intern at the uscri (classes don't stop just because we have break :) ) via the internet and phone calls. i also plan on volunteering to teach/aide at an esl class provided free of charge for anyone that needs els help at a nearby church near my town. like most esl classes that are taught in churches, it is a matter of space as opposed to religious ties that enable the class to take place there. i'm hoping that this will give me more experience that i can bring to my site up here and hopefully bring new ideas and such for what i plan to change/implement at the uscri.

i'll see you all tonight!

michelle

Interview with Dr. Medwid

2009-12-02T23:12:00.002-05:00

1. Dr. Medwid does not presently have a service experience she is partaking in but a few years ago she worked as a literacy volunteer. She worked with immigrants who could not read or write in English and helped them to learn how. She worked with an elderly couple from Russia for a few years.

2. Her decision to become a faculty member at Siena College happened by pure luck. She moved away from this area for a while and opened a business selling classics books. She found that she did not enjoy this work so she and her husband closed the shop and moved back to the Albany area. She ran into an old teacher of hers from when she had been a student at Suny Albany. He was presently the chairman of classics at Siena, which at this time classics was an independent study. He offered her the job here and she accepted.

3. Originally Dr. Medwid was a sociology major. In her 2nd year she took a philosophy course and fell in love with Plato. She went to a school in Greece over the summer and was surrounded by ancient archeology and art. She was captivated by the ancient ruins and went on to grad school to study the ancient Mediterranean history.

Winter Placement

2009-12-02T23:04:00.002-05:00

My winter placement is going to be the same as my summer placement last year was. The agency is Faxton-St. Luke's Hospital. I work in the dental clinic for refugees and low income families. I help the families that come in for an appointment to know where they have to go and what to do. Many times there are confused and frustrated because they do not speak english very well or even at all. I make sure a translator is assigned to them.

B-Looove

Assignment Makeup... I am indeed a noob

2009-11-30T22:17:00.004-05:00

Please blog about how the Siena Bonner Service Leaders Program fits into the mission of the college, specifically relating to the following:
"As a Franciscan community, Siena strives to embody the vision and values of St. Francis of Assisi: faith in a personal and provident God, reverence for all creation, affirmation of the unique worth of each person, delight in diversity, appreciation for beauty, service with the poor and marginalized, a community where members work together in friendship and respect, and commitment to building a world that is more just, peaceable, and humane.

The Siena Bonner Service Leaders Program made an effort to get to know each applicant on a personal level in the interviewing phase. Not only that, but I, the applicant, was able to really find out what Bonners do and what their mission is. I really felt as though they valued me as a person and not just another body to volunteer. The Bonners fit so nicely with the mission of Siena College because service is embedded into the Franciscan tradition. The Bonners pride themselves in diversity in not only race, but also gender, religious backgrounds, and all those other things we talked about in the Diversity training workshop. Obviously, we as Bonner Leaders are a close community just as Siena is. But better. We are all committed to doing our own little part to shape the world into one that is more equal as well as peaceful.

Blogging Assignment: Winter Placement

2009-11-30T15:43:00.002-05:00

Hello Team,

This week's assignment is to blog about your winter placement. We spoke at the last meeting about your vacation homework, which was to set up your Christmas break service. Please report out about these meetings and your site.

Include the following: service job description, agency, confirm that it is a non-profit.

Kudos to Bernadette for being the first one to blog this week!!

Blove!

Gretchen

christmas break placement site

2009-11-30T15:15:00.002-05:00

I will most likely be volunteering at Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF) over Christmas break. The mission of the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund is to fund research to find a method of early detection and ultimately a cure for ovarian cancer.

Here I will help patients and their loved ones understand the disease and its treatment, and provide outreach programs to raise public awareness.
The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund is a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit organization.

blovin'

Bernadette

Happpy Holidays!!

2009-11-28T16:41:00.001-05:00

Hope everyone is enjoying break and family time!! See you all sooon! =)

b-looove. <3
aprilllll

Happy Thanksgiving Bonners!!

2009-11-26T14:14:00.002-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

I hope everyone has as restful and peaceful a vacation as I have before the push to finals!

Ben

Response

2009-11-23T01:38:00.000-05:00

As Bonner in the Siena our goal is to serve the community and in the future have an impact with our service. We try to serve all types of people from the poor, elderly and the abused. We work together as a B-Family and have time to get to know each other, bond and build relationship while serving others. We as Bonner do not do service to simply do service one time but to make an impact and build the world into a better place. We believe with one person volunteering we can make a difference and all of us together can most defiantly make a difference and impact people lives.

an interview with Dr. Santilli

2009-11-19T17:17:00.004-05:00

1. Can you tell me about a significant ongoing, or academically relevant service experience in your life?

Dr. Santilli worked as a mentor/ESOL Teacher at the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants for about three years. (I didn't know this until the interview!) She worked with the same family, but once she moved further away and started working at Siena, her time dedicated to volunteering diminished.

2. Why/How did you decide to become a faculty member?

She originally worked at Russell Sage College as an English professor until she went into retirement. A few months later, a spot for an English teacher opened up as Siena and the college invited her to come and teach.

3. How did you decide to pursue your field of study or discipline?

Dr. Santilli said that she always knew that she would be a teacher. "I never had to decide anything," she said. "Life decided for me."

Blogging Assignment: Faculty Challenge

2009-11-16T12:40:00.003-05:00

Happy Monday Bonner Team!!

New Blogging Assignment due Thursday!!

For those competing in the Faculty Challenge, please report out. Your response must address the following questions:

1. Can you tell me about a significant ongoing, or academically relevant service experience in your life?

2. Why/How did you decide to become a faculty member?

3. How did you decide to pursue your field of study or discipline?

New Bonners:

Please blog about how the Siena Bonner Service Leaders Program fits into the mission of the college, specifically relating to the following:

"As a Franciscan community, Siena strives to embody the vision and values of St. Francis of Assisi: faith in a personal and provident God, reverence for all creation, affirmation of the unique worth of each person, delight in diversity, appreciation for beauty, service with the poor and marginalized, a community where members work together in friendship and respect, and commitment to building a world that is more just, peaceable, and humane.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me!

Have a stellar week!

Gretchen

SCBSLP FACULTY CHALLENGE

2009-11-13T17:05:00.003-05:00

Please post your Faculty Challenge as a comment on this post. If you need the questions here is the link:

http://sienadeepservice.pbworks.com/Faculty-Member-Challenge

-Tai

it's thursday and you know what that means...

2009-11-12T12:29:00.002-05:00

so i know that i've been blogging like crazy, but i'd just like everyone to know that i'm super excited about our gigantic bonner love team meeting tonight!
: )!

lots of b-love,
michelle

ps. i found the button fitting.

We're the Bonner Hand Clapping Band...

2009-11-10T11:10:00.002-05:00

i just had the song stuck in my head and i thought i'd share it with you guys.
: )
also! if you check out our ning and your e-mail, you'll find an e-mail that i sent out about volunteering at the uscri with our upcoming children's holiday party. we'll be in charge of wrapping, decorating, contacting the company who is donating gifts, and helping out the day of.
so if you like kids, presents, holiday spirit, and some extra hours added onto your service report, why not come out to help?
we'll be having an informational meeting this upcoming thursday after our b-love meeting for about a half an hour, so stay around for a few afterwards and shoot me an e-mail knowing if you're interested.

b-loving it everyday,
michelle

hey ho hey ho go bonners, go bonners go

2009-11-09T15:07:00.002-05:00

hello all,

i just wanted to say that i thought this past weekend was awesome!

welcome all new bonners! i hope you're feeling the love

: )

just a reminder, bwbrs training session this friday for all newbies

and

a uscri garage sale team meeting will be taking place this thursday after our b-love meeting.

hope you all have a good week!

lots of b-love,

michelle

Youtube vid

2009-11-06T21:32:00.002-05:00

so once upon a time in our lives there was this beach ball, and on this beach ball were a bunch of ridiculous questions. One of the random questions on that semi-deflated beach ball was "what's your favorite youtube video?" and michelle answered with this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj-x9ygQEGA
Enjoy! and laugh a lot

2009-11-06T12:54:00.002-05:00

1. How would you explain the disproportionate incarceration rate for minority groups generally, and black males specifically, in America today?

Im not exactly sure how to answer this question. I would need to know more information about this. It may have something to do with their upbringing and the whole poverty cycle that we have previously talked about. They are stuck in this poverty cycle that may force them to go to extremes to achieve money or food or shelter.

2. What are the effects, on communities, families, and individuals, of incarceration?

At the presentations that we attended one of the members read us a letter from an ex convict that was unable to come to new york because of her probation. She explained that she had request a few months ago to get permission to come to new york to be a part of the presentation. She was denied this request. She has also been denied her request to go to another state to visit her family for almost 4 years. This is just one example of how ex-prisoners are not being integrated back into society. They feel alienated and frustrated. They served their time and fulfilled their debt to society yet they are still being punished.

3. What should be done to address the challenges of incarceration faced by communities, families, and individuals?

I believed there need to be more programs like the one we got the opportunity to see. These types of programs can raise awareness about the wrongs of society concerning ex-convicts and the issues they face. These programs need to travel to schools and communities alike to spread awareness to all age groups and come up with a plan to find a solution.

4. As a member of the Siena Franciscan Community, and a Siena Bonner Service Leader, how can you be an ally to, and imagine working to address the challenges faced by, formerly incarcerated people at some point in your Siena career?

We can raise awareness about the issue right here on the Siena campus. We can see if the presenters we saw would be willing to come to Siena and reenact what they did for us. I think so many students on campus will be very concerned with this issue and have a lot to say about it. We may be able to come up with some sort of plan or atleast take a step toward bettering this problem.

B-Love

2009-11-06T12:40:00.002-05:00

hey everyone,
first off..sorry this is late. I have had a very stressful week.
second..im sorry i wont be around this weekend for Bonner Orientation. i have some family issues that i need to deal with.
third..if i read the assignment right, im supposed to discuss how i felt about "and still we rise"
so here goes.
when i got to the auditorium to see the play i instantly noticed the amount of diversity in the room. there were so many different races and different age groups. there were professionals and those that came simply because they were interested. there were a lot of introductions and then the show started. the way it was set up was a little difficult to understand and some of the stories were brief and a little confusing but i seemed to be the only one in the room that didnt understand. even the younger people around me got it. in one particular scene a man acted out getting raped by an older boy. i did not understand this until after the show when we got to ask questions or comment on this and one person mentioned it. i literally had no clue. thinking about this later i thought that probably most other people did get it because of where they were raised. i was brought up in a small town where things like that rarely ever happened. i am not accostomed to seeing that, it is not something i have ever had to deal with.
there were other things in the show that really stood out to me as things that i did not have to deal with as well. i never witnessed someone being murdered or shot. i never even knew someone who has been killed. almost everyone on the stage and i assume over half the people in the room knew at least one person that had been killed. it was amazing to me. i cannot imagine the pain of losing a close friend or family member in that way. also a lot of the people had to deal with poverty. i grew up in a middle class town and there were very few people that were poor. most everyone had everything they needed. this poverty related greatly to incarceration.
another thing that interested me was that almost all of the people on stage were either black or hispanic. Dr.J talked to us after about why we thought that there were higher rates of people of color that were incarcerated. i think part of it is their culture; where they are brought up, the types of lives they have and their education level. i was raised in a small town and given many oppurtunities that they may not have been. for example, if a black male is brought up in a single parent home where he lived in poverty, i beilieve he has a higher likeihood of acting out or doing something that could get him in trouble. another aspect of it is that often times police are told to patrol black neighborhoods so it is not like white kids arent doing the crimes, they are just not being caught and/or punished for them. in order to adress this issue i think we should move into schools in underprivelaged areas and provide support for the kids and their families to prevent. then i think we should fix the system because a lot of times it is the system's flaws that are causing people to be victims once they are incarcerated.

overall the show was great and it impacted me greatly. although i think some of the stories could have been portrayed better, it was very powerful.

BLOVE <3 Lindsey

researchhh

2009-11-06T12:33:00.003-05:00

1. How would you explain the disproportionate incarceration rate for minority groups generally, and black males specifically, in America today?

I don't think that enough information was provided for me to make an accurate assumption as to why this disproportionate rate exists, because, like Michelle said, I would need to know the statistics involved, but I think it has to do with the transition from crime to drugs, etc.

2. What are the effects, on communities, families, and individuals, of incarceration?

The primary effects are that the individuals released from incarceration feel as though they are being rejected by society, even with their own family members, so the process of building themselves anew, so to speak, is halted because they have no support to fix their lives.

3. What should be done to address the challenges of incarceration faced by communities, families, and individuals?

Personally, I would encourage the implementation of reconstructive programs to help those that are being re-integrated within our society after being incarcerated because this would give them the confidence, tools, resources, and connections to establish an honest and productive life away from crime. One cannot expect someone to help themselves when they have been away from the real world for so long, and the possibility for relapse is much higher.

4. As a member of the Siena Franciscan Community, and a Siena Bonner Service Leader, how can you be an ally to, and imagine working to address the challenges faced by, formerly incarcerated people at some point in your Siena career?

I think the most effective way to understand these individuals' situations and circumstances is to listen to their own accounts of life in prison and be an active listener, as in not just feeling sympathetic, but to think of ways that we can aid them and play significant roles in their lives. The next step would be to volunteer in these said programs to help them rebuild their lives.

This was very factual information that truly opened my eyes to the struggles that individuals face after being incarcerated. At first, I found it difficult to feel empathy towards these people because they did commit crimes, no matter how "minor", but once I realized that they recognized their past mistakes and they were simply trying to seek redemption in their community.

B LOVEEE,

CHELS

2009-11-05T20:21:00.003-05:00

I think there are several reasons that more young black men are incarcerated than white men. First of all I think that racial profiling does play some role in this. A white police officer is more likely to stop or arrest a black man than a white man. Another huge part of this however, probably bigger than the racial profiling is the simple fact that there are more police officers in areas that young black men live in. If you are committing a crime in an area with 20 police officers rather than in an area with 5 you are more likely to get caught.
When someone is incarcerated it affects not only them but their families and communities as well. It can often be embarrassing for families who have incarcerated members and when the incarcerated person gets out of jail they sometimes receive little or no support from their families or from their community. when they get out of prison they have no opportunity for jobs and sometimes no home to return to, so they end up committing crimes again and are often reincarcerated. In order to help fix the problem we first need to help make people aware of the problem and tell people why it is happening. we also need to start implementing more programs that help or serve people coming out of the prison system. We need more programs that help former convicts adjust to life outside of prison, by helping them find jobs and homes.

T.J.

b-love research

2009-11-05T17:33:00.000-05:00

here you go!

1. How would you explain the disproportionate incarceration rate for minority groups generally, and black males specifically, in America today?

I don’t think that this can be solely based upon racial profiling, but in order to explain this, I would need to know the statistics on every black male that has committed a crime, what kind of crime, etc. As was highlighted in these sources that we read, the switch from the war on crime to the war on drugs, terrorism, and immigrants grouped most black males together under these categories, thus bringing in a higher amount.

2. What are the effects, on communities, families, and individuals, of incarceration?

As seen in the pieces on the different stories of various people released from prison, their families primarily disown them, ashamed or unwilling to forgive them for what they have done. Communities often see them as the eyesores of society, unwilling to support them in restarting their lives. The individuals are support less, having no one to help them start fresh, not even their families.

3. What should be done to address the challenges of incarceration faced by communities, families, and individuals?

I think the only thing that we can really do to further aid these individuals, their families, and the communities that they’re a part of, is to help get them back on their feet. Whether that means enrolling them in G.E.D courses, finding them jobs, working on their job skills, housing them, etc. Helping the incarcerated is like welcoming a refugee into the U.S; they have nothing and just need guidance and care as they start over again.

Simply reading over this material and attending the performance is the first step in understanding the challenges of incarcerated people. In terms of helping them, I believe that we should place some of our Bonners at the Center for Law and Justice in Albany, where we actually have a VISTA.

and btw tai, i really like the website. good job!

: )

b-love,

michelle

2009-11-04T18:17:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone!

I am a computer science minor and for my course this semester I had to design a mini web site as one of the assignments about anything I wanted. So I picked BONNER! Check out my site (it works best in Internet Explorer but Firefox is also compatible) Let me know if you like it or not. :-)

Bonner Love,

Tai

http://ares.cs.siena.edu/~t12reve/index.htm

Rockefeller Drug Laws

2009-11-03T23:18:00.001-05:00

Hi all! I thought that this would also help us explore more of Dr. J's assignment. So checkout the video and checkout the site too!

http://www.droptherock.org/

2009-11-02T13:28:00.002-05:00

Guys,

Remember that you need to answer the questions that Dr. Johnson posted below for your blog due Thursday:

******************************************************************************

DIRECTIONS:

http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/hardtime/index.html

http://www.correctionsproject.com/prisonmaps/intropart_frame.htm

Log on to the web site above. Spend at least 30 minutes exploring EACH of the sites . Answer the following in your blog post:

1. How would you explain the disproportionate incarceration rate for minority groups generally, and black males specifically, in America today?

2. What are the effects, on communities, families, and individuals, of incarceration?

3. What should be done to address the challenges of incarceration faced by communities, families, and individuals?

Explore Fully!

Think Deeply!

Write Freely!

Drj.

2009-11-01T11:01:00.002-05:00

sorry all,
i know we agreed to respond as a comment to the blog rather than opening a whole new one, however, I tried to do that twice and each time it told me that "my tag was not closed"(???) basically I lost what i had written twice and am getting a little frusterarted. So I'm going to try a third time....
If I understood the directions correctly, since I went to the event, I am just sharing my thoughts and feelings on it, correct? okay, I'll give it a try:
I went into the "And still we rise" event knowing close to nothing about it, incarcerated individuals or how the prison system really works. When we got there and sat down, Dr. Johnson pulled us all aside and said that there was going to be a question and answser session and the end of the performance. I finished his sentence by saying "so you want us to be thinking of questions to ask?" he corrected me by saying he wanted us to think twice before asking any questions. I didn't quite get what he meant by that until the performance started up. The performance itself was very powerful and moving as formerally incarcerated individuals acted out moments from their lives. I was overwhelmed with sympathy for these people who had been through so much, but I found that empathy did not come as easily. I felt that I could not relate to being in prison for 24 years or being a crack addict that hit rock bottom. I felt very ignorant and sheltered because I had no idea that some people lived like this. When the lights came up and it was time for the discussion, I observed the amount of diversity in the room, I felt that our little section of Siena Bonners was a minority and most of the audience shared that they had similar experiences to those that had just been dramatized. The person that had been standing in front of me in line testified to having a cocaine addiction and was now clean. I was shocked as he shared his life story, and I had been standing right behind him in line an hour ago and knew nothing about his past. Next, a boy behind us, who was younger than me, shared that he was in a program and would be facing some serious jail time if he didn't turn his life around. I couldn't get over how he was younger than me and was facing this kind of decision. The producer, who was also a professional actor, said that as a middle class white man who had never been in the prison system, he found it a little difficult to relate. However, he said that as an actor, he has been trained to "open himself to experiences that weren't his own" and that is what I really took away from this whole expereince. In my life, there are always going to be people that have experienced things that I can hardly relate to, so how could i possibly judge them? I don't know their whole story and have no right to be making assumptions about who they are and what they have done. I can only open myself to their experiences and be and understanding as possible.

Blogging Assignment

2009-10-29T16:52:00.002-04:00

Thank you all for your patience!! Your long awaited and anticipated blog assignment is just about upon us.

Dr. Johnson will be giving us some excellent questions for a reflection about the prison industrial complex as inspired by the "And Still We Rise" event and the web sites below.

For those who did not attend this event, we will ask you to respond to the information provided. For those who did, you will be drawing from the event itself as well to give feedback and insights to the rest of the group. The Congress Representatives will be doing a report out from Bonner Congress.

The questions will be posted during the meeting or directly after.

Thanks for your patience!!

Gretchen

******************************************************************************

DIRECTIONS:

http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/hardtime/index.html

http://www.correctionsproject.com/prisonmaps/intropart_frame.htm

Log on to the web site above. Spend at least 30 minutes exploring EACH of the sites . Answer the following in your blog post:

1. How would you explain the disproportionate incarceration rate for minority groups generally, and black males specifically, in America today?

2. What are the effects, on communities, families, and individuals, of incarceration?

3. What should be done to address the challenges of incarceration faced by communities, families, and individuals?

Explore Fully!

Think Deeply!

Write Freely!

Drj.

Just Saying Hi!

2009-10-28T23:23:00.002-04:00

Hey guys!

I feel like I haven't seen you all in a long time even though it was just last week. I wanted to let you guys know that Bernadette and I had our interviews at the Boys and Girls Club yesterday and it went great. We're both so excited to start our volunteering! I hope you guys are hanging in there after all these midterms and I will see you all tomorrow:)

B-love,

Meg

"the representatives of the student movement"

2009-10-26T22:20:00.003-04:00

hey guys!

this past weekend at the university of richmond for bonner congress was amazing! we all had so much fun talking with people from different schools and learning about different ways to get the word out about bonner on our own campus. then of course there were the fun things, like the bonner talent show and the dance party and of course the ten hour car ride on the way home (we kinda sorta might have driven through jersey twice...) overall it was an awesome experience and the five of us can't wait to show you guys what we learned from the weekend on thursday.

ps. how was the play on sunday? i want to know how amazing it was!

lots of b-love,

michelle

Happy Birthday!!

2009-10-21T14:48:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday Ananda!!!!!!! =)

Midterm week!

2009-10-20T22:17:00.001-04:00

Hey guys!

So i just wanted to say hi, and wish everyone luck on their midterms. I hope all your weeks aren't too crazy and stressful. Hang in there! We're halfway through the semester, can you believe it? See you all on Thursday!

B-LOVE
Mel

Quote of the Week

2009-10-19T23:01:00.002-04:00

Hey people!!

I thought I would send out a little Bonner love tonight via Facebook, etc. with quotes of the week. Some are thought provoking; others are random. Some are funny, some are serious. All are meant for you to enjoy!

I LOVE QUOTES!!

If you didn't get "quoted" tonight, please reach out for your very own quote of the week!!

Blogging assignment to be posted...soon...

Terrific Bonnerific People!

I Can Post!

2009-10-18T13:57:00.002-04:00

Hey Everybody! So I finally figured out how to post on the Bonner Blog (which looks pretty cool, by the way). The following is copied and pasted out of the e-mail that I sent to Gretchen to substitute for a blog.

I still do not know how to comment- any suggestions?

Regarding accountability-

I saw the quote, "The team is only as strong as its weakest member," used in some of the responses, and I could not agree more. I this quote applies especially to Bonner, reflecting several responsibilities: our responsibility to upmost represent the Bonner program in community leadership, our responsibility to support one another and help each other learn and develop and finally the responsibilities shared between Gretchen (you) and us as Bonners.
In any organization, the members rely on the "do'ers," or the "movers and shakers," to drive progress. That is what accountability really means. The more movers and shakers, and the more those movers and shakers fulfill their responsibilities and communicate, the more the organization will achieve.
This element becomes more complex in a full group of such aspiring M's& S's. The group is swamped with responsibilities from inside and outside of the organization, feeling a duty to each one equally. It is the responsibility of the entire team to keep them on the right track, or "hold them accountable," within the responsibility of the organization at hand. That is where Gretchen and Amanda come in with helpful reminders in e-mails and notes throughout the week, and efficiency in their own positions such as in holding workshops. These are my feelings on accountability in a nutshell, as the backbone of any group. On a personal level, I am finally solidifying my schedule and time management, largely after bonding with my agenda (finally), and am looking forward to being a Bonner 100%.

Although I used Driving awareness in my question response, I am now most interested in the ideas for higher education that Tai has expressed and will elaborate on higher education.
A project that would develop the awareness and ability of youth in the Albany area could be considered service learning in a number of ways. First of all, Siena has a reputable education department in which classes could incorporate tutoring students, whether academically or in learning techniques to apply to college. From a social work or political science perspective, any number of classes that focus on social development and youth could incorporate such a program into a class. These classes would study why their is such a sociodemographic disparity in the pursuit of higher education while helping solve the problem. Even a communications class could teach the interpersonal skills necessary to gain acceptance into college.

2. To choose a specific example, I will refer to the social science service learning I discussed above. Students would learn how to increase the pursuit and acceptance into higher education, while studying its causes on a qualitative level, while working with youth. Reflection would occur in the study of why the students do not graduate high school or go to college at higher rates. Diversity, unfortunately, would probably be emphasized without trying, due to the racial and sociodemographic disparity in inner cities. The partnership would be with the school as well as possibly an outside tutoring service such as Kaplan, which would give the students a chance to pursue professional tutoring under the sponsorship of the grant. Progress could be monitored over a five year period or as soon as two years, as students in the program began would hopefully be found to pursue higher education at a greater rate. The duration and intensity would need to be looked at from a long-term perspective, as the Bonner goal, and that which is in the best interest in development, is to institutionalize any service programs that are created. Youth Voice would drive the project, and would provide aggregate level supervision and feedback on the progress of the students.

Thanks! Ben

hours

2009-10-15T17:38:00.001-04:00

Hey everybody! I am officially a blogger creeper (who knew) and I'm posting yet again. Just wanted to say that I logged my hours that we are supposed to have done on BWBRS by tomorrow, and if you did yours, just comment on this so Gretchen and Amanda know! Thanksss

BLOVIZZLE
Chels

EVERYBODYYY

2009-10-15T12:13:00.002-04:00

Since April is going pretty far away this weekend (Florida!), I think we should all wish her safe travels! Have a really great trip April and we'll miss you! And I'll even miss everyone that's just going home for the weekend :) Enjoy the long weekend everybody!

BLOVEEE,
Chels

Grant Idea: Education

2009-10-14T15:46:00.001-04:00

My idea is to implement a program in Albany that would be similar to Job Corp. Job Corp is a program for young adults ages 16-23 where they learn a trade and earn a high school diploma or GED.

My program would take 15 to 20 students from Albany High School that have the following:

financial issue
learning disability
Will be kicked out of school because of age the next year
Left back more than once

The students will go through various job trainings (leadership, communication, team building, etc.) and to a GED/Regents prep 3 times a week. The other two days of the week students will be placed at various internships (non-for-profit organizations) and with a portion of the grant money receive a monthly stipend.

Transportation will be provided for the students to go their to job sites and come to the program.

hmmmmmmm

2009-10-14T11:51:00.002-04:00

Ok well I dont know why but I am having a really difficult time coming up with some sort of program for this. I have been thinking about this since last night but nothing has come to me yet Im just blanking haha. I know want to do something with education, I think thats really important, but when I try to come up with a specific program idea I just kinda blank. I keep thinking about the Music mobile because I think that is a really great educational program, it really educates on many levels and educates on a very deep level that might not be so apparent on the surface. No matter what kind of program we do I think its really important to include character education because I think thats something that is overlooked sometimes, when we here education we automatically think academics, but there is allot more to education than just school. So those are my thoughts and Im sorry I wasnt able to come up with a good specific idea but hopefully we ca incorporate these into someone Else's program.

T.J.

Grant Brainstorm

2009-10-14T11:42:00.003-04:00

I'm so impressed with every one's ideas. I was reading over all the service -learning and I love seeing my fellow Bonner's have such big ideas. At first I was really worried about coming up with an idea. When it comes to creativity I have such a hard time putting things together, but after reading everyone Else's I'm going to do the best I can.

First I decided for the grant, I would want to address the idea of access to higher education. You hear a lot of older people who say "a college degree is the new high school degree." College degrees are common now and expected by most employers. Kids need to be taught from a young age that a college degree is attainable for everyone. I think our target should be the albany community. Also, middle schoolers and high schoolers should both recieve the benefits of our grant ideas.

Siena students would have after school programs at albany schools that can change for different ages. Middle schoolers would recieve help with classes and also have mini training sessions, kind of like our current bonner meetings. Where we pick a topic, like time managment, and make it fun to help engage the students. With the highschoolers I think it would be really important to help with SAT prep and also even college choices. Every highschooler needs help when it comes to deciding on what colleges to apply to, and every student needs to know that their dreams are attainable. Our mission with the highschoolers would be to teach them about financial oppertunities to help pay for college.

As college students we have all gone threw these processes so who else would be better fit than us to help the students?

Grant Writing

2009-10-14T01:44:00.002-04:00

The issue I chose to address is Access to Higher Education because I believe that especially in the Albany area, the odds of teenagers graduating from high school and going on to college are not likely. The problem is that these teens don't have role models showing them how important education is. They need to learn that in today's world it is very difficult to survive without a college degree.

To address this issue, I would like to implement a program starting in middle school(I originally thought it should start in high school, but when I looked at the blogs of others I agreed that it should start earlier) where we would begin to introduce the idea of college to them. It's crucial to make a college education seem attainable to them because many don't see it as a realistic goal. At the middle school level the program would focus on educating students on the importance of a college education. At the high school level as Hannah mentioned students should be getting SAT prep. I also think that we should introduce them to different scholarships that can be offered especially because many may not be able to afford higher education, but their are so many scholarships out there that people do not know about. After reading Steph's idea about having students play Dr. Johnson's game from Sociology last year, I feel like that could work in this case also because students would realize how challenging it is to survive without higher education.

This is a service learning project because it would engage the Siena community with the Albany community. It would require a variety of students with different majors to help out. Each aspect of the program that I listed above would need the help of students from various majors. For example a finance major would help students figure out how they are going to pay for college.

FINALLY

2009-10-14T01:39:00.003-04:00

heyy.
i just wanted to share my excitement with everyone.
i got placed at my site today and i start on tuesday sooo im sooooooo excited!
and ive been busy so far this week with hw and im just heading to bed now.
see you all tomorrow...or later today i suppose.
bonnerlove.

Grant idea

2009-10-14T00:16:00.002-04:00

The idea I chose for the grant concerned financial education. Financial education is a very important aspect that is greatly under taught. Time and time again we see underprivileged kids fall into the same pattern as their parents. They are unable to break the poverty cycle that they were unfortunately born into. Financial education plays a big role in this cycle. If we are able to teach students positive financial tendencies, we will bring them one step closer to breaking away from poverty.

Financial education will prove to be a quality service-learning project because, like Hannah mention in her blog, Siena students will be teaching it. We will need majors from finance and accounting and even business. No matter what major a student has financial education will benefit them, and those who they are teaching.
An idea to improve this would to possibly start a workshop for parents. It could educate parents about the importance of teaching their kids financial education and show them how to effectively teach their kids so they will understand. If we find that this is not a sufficient method to approach financial education we can start an after school program for high school students. We would be able to partner with locals high schools and get speakers who already have had experience teaching financial education. We can make it interesting for the students by playing a game that we once played in sociology last year with Dr. Johnson. Instead of having the game show how difficult the poverty cycle is, we can modify it to act out real life situations that each student will be faced with in the future. We will be able to record their improvements by their rankings and the decisions they make during this game. It is a hands on method that would get everyone excited and involved.

Financial education will always be an important issue. It affects every single person’s life no matter what their job may be. Duration will be easy to maintain since this affects so many people of all diversity.

Grantt

2009-10-13T23:48:00.002-04:00

The topic I chose for the grant is Higher Education. I think that as students we take advantage of the fact that we are lucky enough to go to college.

In Foundations class we have been discussing the fact that there is no inequality because of the idea of each person has a different beginning. The situation that we are born into shapes our childhood, teenage life which effects the probability of higher education. I think that this grant is important because it allows grateful students like us, support students who need the most help. Not only do they need money to improve their educational systems but also they need guidance to see how important higher education actually is.

I agree with Bernadette on the idea of introducing the seriousness of a college education earlier in the education curriculum. In the pre-teen years, that is when students are most influenced. If the general idea is that college is the 'cool' thing to do, hopefully that idea will inspire harder work throughout highschool and into the college years.
Basically i think this grant could help us educated and provide for students in need, these students are our future.

Grant Proposal Brainstorm

2009-10-13T22:25:00.006-04:00

I would like the grant to focus on Access to Higher Education. It is imperative to support the children who may have not be born into the best situations an opportunity to academically succeed. Specifically, these students mostly come from low income families. Introducing the importance of a High School diploma and a College degree at younger ages, such as, at the middle school level still leaves them time to build a firm foundation for academic success. The program will help the children view Higher Education as attainable, and give them the building blocks to reach their goals.
With Siena students running the program one will be incorporating service learning. Using Siena College students from English, Mathematics, and Science Majors to help tutor the students get on track to good grades.
Providing students who are in dire need of academic attention help build a education pathway to success, the Siena College students will gain experience in their desired field.

2009-10-13T22:25:00.000-04:00

Grant Proposal

2009-10-13T22:00:00.002-04:00

For the grant I would like to work on Access to Higher Education. I would like to work with low income students to develop a program to expose them from middle school on to college preparation. This program would look at the financial aspects of college as well as the academics. It would be a progressive program that would focus on developing skills from middle school on to make low income students desire a higher education and help them build the skills they need to get a higher education.
This program would incorporate service learning by using Siena students to run the program. Students from many majors would be necessary. SAT preparation would involve students from Math, English, and Writing majors. Education majors would also be very useful. Other classes could also help the students to plan. The students in the class need to learn something and this grant will provide them with the funding to help the community of Albany fill a much needed niche: planning for college.

This project qualifies as service-learning by incorporating community needs into what is being taught in Siena courses. The Siena students will be providing a service to the community that otherwise would go unfulfilled.
The duration of this program would hopefully be continual. As a Franciscan school I feel that our mission statement alligns with the concept of providing assistance to those in need and in this case that means helping middle and high school students realize the importance of a college education and how to help get them there.

Not only do the Siena students gain experience and also provide service as part of their course but the students of Albany badly need this service. This would begin in middle school because I feel that the students must understand the importance of their education if there's any hope of them investing themselves into it.

Grant proposal

2009-10-13T16:32:00.002-04:00

The issue I would like to focus on is Access to Higher Education/Closing the Achievement Gap. My mom is an educator and she always talks about how public schools are only geared toward one type of learning style when in reality there are several different styles of learning. The students who do not learn the way schools teach struggle, get frustrated, fall behind, and too often, eventually drop out of the school system altogether. I believe one of the main reasons that students’ learning style needs aren’t met is because most teachers don’t know how to go about catering to several different learning styles. The way to address this problem would be to educate the teachers and talk to students to find out how they best learn. If students are more invested in their learning, they are more likely to stay with it. My proposal would include creating seminars and modules for teachers to be more open to teaching in such a way that would benefit more learning styles.
Thie would qualify as service learning because Bonner leaders would be the ones giving the courses to the teachers and so they in turn would also be learning more about the education system.This would be meaningful service because it addresses a real problem that needs attention. It would be linked to the curriculum in that it would set up programs in schools and involve students in determining how they learn best. It would incorporate reflection by a series of group discussions that not only monitor progress, but how everyone feels about the way things are going. This proposal aligns itself with diversity in that most inner city schools in albany attract minorites and so they would be the ones benefitting from this program. The youth would have a voice in what teaching methods work best for them. We would partnership with local schools and try and get other aspects of the community involved. Progress would be monitored by evaluating tests and see if the change in learning has an effect, we could also talk to both faculty and students and get their feedback. Although I originally invisioned this idea as a one time thing, there could be several programs throughout the school year that address alternative learning styles and each time it could build and other schools could become more and more involved.

don't take it for GRANTed..lol.

2009-10-13T13:37:00.003-04:00

The topic I chose to write about was education. I think it is important that children in the city of Albany realize that they are capable of graduating highschool and going on to college. Someone mentioned to me how excited the kids were when they found out that they would have the oppurtunity to visit Siena campus and that influenced my decision for this grant. My program would be for middle school kids. The program would be designed to offer information to kids about the importance of graduating high school and going on to college. People, possibly Bonners, would provide services to the kids to help them keep their grades up as well as information about colleges. It is best to start early. This program would count as service learning because it would offering education to children through the constant time and effort of others. My program aligns with the eight elements:
Meaningful Service: we are purposely trying to inform students about education and its benefits in a way that will enhance their interest in school.
LInk to Curriculum: it will be linked to curriculum in that we will set up a program in schools and depending on the year of the student (7th, 8th, 9th etc.) there will be a different set of learning possibilities.
Reflection: as Bonners we always have a reflecting session after everything will do so my program will have volunteer meetings to discuss the work that they are doing, why they are doing it and if they think it is helping.
Diversity: because this program will be offered for a variety of ages and for kids in different school districts there is guarenteed to be a sense of diversity.
Youth Voice: kids will be able to voice their opinions and share their feelings about school and how it plays a role in their life.
Partnerships: we would have to partner either with a school or with a program such as the Albany Boys and Girls club because it would have to be an afterschool program and we need to be acessible to the children.
Progress Monitoring: we can take surveys throught the school and through the parents of the students so that we can see if it is working or not.
Duration and Intensity: this program would be an all school year thing but I think it is only necessary to have one official lecture per week with possibly a tutoring program throughout the week.

Grant Brainstorming

2009-10-13T10:22:00.003-04:00

I chose to address the driver safety among the youth and teenagers because I feel that it is not addressed enough and that young adults should be aware of as they get closer to the age where they can receive there permits/driver licenses. With this, I would like to teach and have others lecture and demonstrate on driver safety issues such as aggressive driving, little things on how important wearing a seatbelt is, and showing the kids a mock accident of what could happen. This project would qualify as service learning project because I would incorporate the use of a classroom and/or fellow Bonner leaders to come up with a plan as to allow the youth of Albany aware of driver safety issues. To link this idea to the curriculum, schools should create a class that specializes in driver safety issues that would be a mandatory class to take. It could count as a Physical Education credit that the students must take just like health is in most schools. By incorporating a driver safety education class in schools, students would be allowed to understand how serious this issue is. I think it would be best to have this class in high schools because those are the years where teenagers are beginning to take driver's ed and/or begin driving. I am not sure how diversity applies to this project because it would be given in high schools and it also depends on the school. This idea would benefit the youth and allow them to receive and give feedback to prospective drivers. Allowing high school students with this opportunity would allow them to voice there opinions on the issue. In order to have this class become mandatory in high schools, we could find organizations who would be willing to support the prospective program. The duration of this class would last one semester and the students would be required to take midterm and final exams and write a final paper regarding a particular driver safety issue.

See you guys tomorrow, have a great day!

Meghan=)

Accountability

2009-10-11T23:50:00.002-04:00

I'm honestly disappointed in myself for how late I'm getting this in. However I can honestly say that I have been loaded this weekend as I'm sure everyone else has been. I think I can say that I may not have been the good example of accountability thus far, but it's better late than never. Accountability is important. Plain and simple. When you commit to something, you're assuring those on the other end that they can count on you. I can gladly say that despite my tardiness on this blog, I have fulfilled my other commitments in life. My service sight is well and we have plans for this week, I have done well on the major tests from last week, nailed the reading I practiced to read at my cousins wedding, and finally got to the gym. It's been a very hectic week to say the least. But regardless, it's times like these in which we need to knuckle down in the clutch. Things can get rough when a lot gets thrown on you at once. Excuses aren't good enough, which is why I don't expect any leniency on the other end. I want to assure everyone that I understand my commitment to Bonner and what comes with it. I am confident that I have what it takes to make it in Bonner and do understand that this is a team effort and that I need to step up my game in terms of what I do for Bonner. I can only hope that my actions have not personally let anyone down, and would again like to reassure everyone that Bonner is a priority in my life and that I plan on reestablishing the any of the trust I may have weakened in this last week. I wish everyone luck in what seems to me to be the sink or swim moments in college everyone seems to be experiencing these past few weeks.

My Appologies,

Weston Miller

SORRRRRY!

2009-10-10T14:17:00.001-04:00

hey guys,
i just wanted to apologize for missing BWBRS yesterday.
i completely forgot and didnt here my phone ringing because i was napping.
i feel awful.
sorry.
BONNER LOVE. =]

Accountability:

2009-10-09T13:17:00.002-04:00

How ironic is it that I am writing a section on accountability, that was due yesterday. I apologize. I do understand that life happens, and things come up, and life goes on. But being a part of a team, such as Bonner, we can only be as strong as our weakest "player." Thus, I believe we should hold each other responsible for his/her actions. One should always be there when expected to be. If for some reason one can not attend a Bonner meeting/event, well lets just say one should not make it a pattern! We as a team want to be as successful as we possibly can. I know that we will be! So lets support each other in each endeavor!

Grant Brainstorming Assignment-Due Wednesday

2009-10-08T21:38:00.002-04:00

Some of you still should be frantically getting together your grant questions. However, for those of you that have submitted them so far-THANK YOU! I know who you are and I appreciate it. Others-make it happen!

Assignment: Take your thought for question 12 (Please pick an issue area and design an idea to address) and expand it in the following ways:

1. How does this project qualify as service learning?

*2. How does your project align with the eight elements of quality service-learning projects, as discussed in the "characteristics of a quality project" section of the RFP:

-Meaningful Service:

-Link to Curriculum (Be specific)

-Reflection

-Diversity

-Youth Voice

-Partnerships

-Progress Monitoring

-Duration and Intensity

Acountability.

2009-10-08T16:29:00.002-04:00

As Bonners, we have a repsonsibilty to uphold the duties we agreed to at the beginning of the semester. We had the session during Bonner orientation in which we decided that we did not really need a set of rules and consequences because we thought we were all capable of following the rules. For the most part I feel like we have done a pretty good job at sticking to these rules, but there have been times when they have been bent or completely forgotten.
I also must say I agree with TJ. There are probably circumstances that we dont recoginize, but it is just frustrating when people are late or unprepared and we have all adjusted our schedules to be on time and came prepared. We must be patient with each other but we also must be held accountable for these things. It is aggrevating when most of us are working so hard to accomplish this sense of proffesionalism and responsibility and others are just meeting the bare minimum. In other words, step it up. As a team we rely on each other and we all need to put in the same amount of effort and uphold the same standards.
There is no point in listing specific instances or naming names. I just feel like as a whole we should all put in a little more effort.
And remember, in the words of April "To be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late."

love you guys and im loving our BONNER LOVE.
Lindsey

Accountability

2009-10-08T12:23:00.002-04:00

As a Bonner, we are expected to represent Siena College within the community of Albany and create a mutualistic link between our high-end campus and the impoverished regions that rest just beyond the fine surroundings of Loudonville. This responsibility, although enveloped with feelings of reward and duty in serving others as Bonners, is also teeming with stress, time management worries, and ability to retain a steady balance between academic, athletic, and social aspects as well. Since the efforts of the Bonner Service Leaders program at Siena are ultimately working towards benefitting the well-rounded education of Siena students under the values of St. Francis and the proactive approach to universal problems existing in our local communities, if we as Bonners fail to live up to our expectations as leaders, we are disrupting the process of the goals that this program is trying to gradually attain. Although the members of this program are empathetic to the exceeding demands of college courses and understand the other activities that we as students may be interested in participating in, our commitment to Bonner must be a 100% effort and be held as one of the highest priorities in our lives. If it is not, then perhaps we should re-evaluate the activities that we are doing rather than blogging, finishing that paper that was assigned for tomorrow, going to the Bonner dinners at 6 pm on Thursdays (!), studying for the test you have in History, or going to the gym to stay in shape. Facebook, although a primary source of entertainment and a sense of connectivity with our peers, should not be a top priority. The updating of your status or the next "When will Kanye West interrupt your life?" quiz can wait until you've arrived back from your community service site or sat with the Bonner group at one of our fabulous meetings. And remember, if you miss any engagement that you accepted as your responsibility to attend, I WILL write on your wall, for the world to see, about your abscence! Accountability is very important and any "slacking" will not be tolerated! With that being said, I love each and every one of you and expect the most from you not because I hope to yell at you, but because I know the greatness and potential that every one of you possesses. Love you!

Bonner Loveeeeeee,
Chels

Accountablility

2009-10-08T10:42:00.003-04:00

I guess there is a first time for everything, considering this is the first time I've ever blogged before, not just with Bonner but in my life. As a new member of the group I just wanted to thank all of you guys for accepting me into the program with open arms and being so kind. It's awesome to have such a great support system in the stressful/best/fun four years of our college experiences. I also hope the grant writing training went awesome, I apologize I couldn't be there unfortunately I had to go home Saturday morning because my uncle passed away on Friday night and didn't get back to school until Wednesday night. On the topic of accountability I think last week's meeting helped me to the extreme and made me realize how much you actually need to balance your time in order to get what needs to be done and not be stressed. As a team, if one falls we all fall so we have to make sure we keep each other in check but not to the point when where constantly being asked to do something or attend a meeting, etc. We are all accountable for our own decisions and it is our own responsibility to do what needs to be done. Through the training we went through at the last meeting we realized how much detail and time one event can take. I feel like going to school, having a job, and attending our sites weekly can be related to planning that one big event that takes weeks and much effort. We go to class everyday, although we may not want to, we go because we are accountable for learning that material and putting it to use whether its through a paper or on an exam. If I plan ahead and map out when I need to do things and actually do them instead of writing them down in my planner, I will feel much better about myself knowing that's one thing less I have to stress or worry about. Through Bonner, working as a close team we will encounter good times and hard times that won't be easy but we will be able to face them because we will know how to balance everything in a timely and orderly fashion.

Hope to see you guys tonight at dinner, if not have an awesome weekend!

Meghan =)

Accountability

2009-10-06T21:24:00.003-04:00

This is definitely a topic that needs to be addressed. I think it is easy for all of us to have good intentions and want to do what is expected of us, but sometimes reality gets in the way and we lose track of all the things we have on our plate. As a team we need to comfortable and also assertive with each other. If I don't show up to a BWBRS session on a Friday one of you guys should be able to come to me and be like "Mel, whats up?" And if I laugh and shrug it off, we need to to be able to say to one another, "hey i'm being serious, why weren't you there?" We need to remember that we all depend on each other and everyone at our sites depends on us. When we miss something or forget to do something we let ourselves down and also let down everyone we work with.

Hannah is right when she says we all are really lucky. We have an awesome support system on campus. We all are here for each other and when things get stressful and crazy we have a huge group of people to share our crappy with.

Accountability

2009-10-06T20:19:00.003-04:00

I think this is a very important topic that needs to be talked about. I myself am guilty of being forgetful or making mistakes. It's totally understandable because college is stressful and there are a lot of activities that you can be involved in on campus. I don't think just because we are in the Bonner Program means we can't be involved in any other activities or clubs. It just means that we have to get our priorities straight and realize the commitment we made when we signed on to be a Bonner. There are certain expectations that we all need to meet and it's so important for each one of us to hold each other accountable to those expectations. I think as a team if one person is not doing what they are supposed to be then we need to approach that person. Like what Steph said we cannot attack him/her, but we need to check to see what's going on. I think that if any one of us were to slip up and we had a fellow Bonner come talk to us, we would take it seriously and get our act together. Like Gretchen said, we are the varsity community service team on campus so therefore we need to step it up and have each other's backs!

Accountability

2009-10-06T10:35:00.002-04:00

Accountability is a big part of having a successful team. Without everyone fulfilling their responsibilities the team begins to fall apart. We all know what our duties are as a Bonner and what we have to do to uphold them. However college life can throw many obstacles at each of us. As much as we would love to only be involved in Bonner in reality there are other things that demand our attention. I think we must learn to be understanding of one another. We must remember that many times when a person slips up they do not do it willingly and many times they feel just as awful about it as the rest of us do. This does not mean that we should allow it to become a habit however. As TJ mentioned we should work with one another to figure out what can be done to prevent this from occurring. We must not confront someone with guns raised but we should confront them with the mindset that their is a problem and as your teammate we want to help you fix this problem. Many times failure to fulfill ones responsability is because that particular person is already greatly overwhelmed and stressed. If we confront them with the motive to punish them and yell at them this will only worsen the problem and nothing will come of it expect harsh feelings.

Accountability

2009-10-06T10:29:00.000-04:00

"Life is not accountable to us. We are accountable to life." Denis Waitley

2009-10-05T19:44:00.002-04:00

As the semester kicks in to full swing and everyone begins going to their site it becomes apparent that we all are extremely busy. Our days become packed with classes, volunteering, studying, eating, sleeping (although we never can get enough), and spending time with friends (to keep ourselves sane.) Some weeks are worse than others, all the work that we've been putting aside because we have sooo much time to do that and suddenly it's due. I am extremely guilty of this. I am the first to admit that I have a terrible procrastination problem. When we hit one of these weeks where everything seems to be due it's easiest to start putting things that aren't quite as urgent on the back burner. Things like blogging and logging and weekly meetings seem like an inefficient use of time and it's tempting to not blog or not show up for that two hour meeting. However, we must hold eachother accountable for doing everything we have agreed to. It often feels like the only time I see a lot of you is during our meetings and extra volunteer activities. If any of you didn't show up I would be upset that I did not get to catch up on how everything was going. I would also be concerned about why you were unable to come.

Not everyone on campus is as lucky as we are. Everyone in Bonner is here for eachother. It's definitely a family-like atmosphere where when one of us falls the rest are right there to help them back up. Many people on campus do not have such a fantastic network of really awesome people that are always there for them.

I saw this quote and I think it's pretty applicable to our accountability. It's going to be easy to not show up at your site because you were up really late and it would be awesome to take a nap. The hard part is when you show up for your next scheduled day and have to face everyone you have let down.
"It is easy to dodge our responsibilities, but we cannot dodge the consequences of dodging our responsibilities."
- Sir Josiah Stamp

accountability

2009-10-05T19:02:00.002-04:00

Personally, i think that i expect a lot of the people in my life which is why i think that i get let down so easily when people dissapoint me. I think that as bonners- we all have the responsbility to not let each other down. I expect a lot from all of you to be my friends, be there for each other, and uphold your own personal duties. I think that so far we have all been pretty goood at this which is why the bonnerLove is so strong. When one person does not work up to the bar, the rest of us are let down. i dont know about you guys but thats a feeling i would not want to, well, feel. I think that at our thursday meetings you guys are my "people" and i think that all of us being responsible to attend meetings together helps us realize that we have a lot of people counting on us, even though we are now at seperate service sites. This is really important because as we go our seperate ways we take what we have taught each other everywhere and we come back on thursdays and put it all together again.

so i guess you could say accountability within bonner is like a puzzle. each of us is a piece, different in our own ways and each with our own responsbility but when we are allput together we are the bonnnerl0veeeee and i love it<3

seee youu soo0o0o0o0on puzzle,
bOnnerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr l0ve
Jacquie

Accountability

2009-10-05T13:48:00.002-04:00

As a team it is very important that we can all rely on each other. We all have big dreams and big goals. If we do not work together to meet these goals and to meet our service accomplishments, we will not be able to meet this idea of DEEP service. We will/do each have our own site-based teams in which we will each be depending on one another. The question that arrises is how can we depend on one another for helping at our sites when some of us may not even be able to blog or make it to our meetings on time? I think it is not only necessary to understand that we are all very busy, but also that time is a virtue. It is important to realize that we all have other commitments and it is hard to work around other people. Rather than working around one another, we really need to work with one another. I hope that without putting any very serious policies in place, we can all come to realization that each and every person needs to do his/her part. As long as we all put in what we can, we will all be able to walk away from this program in the end with a lot.

BLooooove,

April

Jeremy <3

2009-10-03T00:06:00.003-04:00

Tonight my brother came to siena, he is fourteen, his name is jeremy and he is one of my best friends in the whole world. I haven't seen him in a month and i was shocked by how much he had grown and matured in that one short month. I was almost in tears when he hugged me hello because he's now practically my height. We went out as a family for dinner, but then the rents left and jere and i had some quality sibling time where we caught up. at one point we went down to the soccer field and ran. as i showed him the campus. he kept asking what we're were going to do next, and i kept saying i didn't know, we should just go with the flow and do whatever. he was amazed by the freedom that college kids have and said "it must be great to do whatever you want whenever you want"
that really got me thinking about things. when you first get to college, one of the big things is independence and freedom. and although that is true to an extent, would it really be an okay thing if we just ran around and did whatever we want whenever we wanted? there are times when i don't want to get up and go to class, or do my laundry, and i'm sure there are going to be days when i'm not going to want to go to my worksite or blog (but i assure you that day won't come for a long time:) but sometimes we're going to have to do things we don't want because people are counting on us to do our share. when we let someone down, by not showing up to a work site, or coming unprepared, it's not only unprofessional and disrespectful to others, but they will no longer think of us the same way or think we are invested in what we are doing.
as a team, as a community, the only way we can grow is by trusting each other, and the only way we can trust each other is by proving ourselves trustworthy, dependable and invested in our mission.

Blove from the brinkmann siblings! <3

sometimes in our lives...

2009-10-02T21:00:00.004-04:00

first, before you read this, check out this song.

i prefer it to the older version.

gotta love the eighties.

: )

in general, although it's cheesy and cliche, we really all need to know that we can depend upon each other. i sometimes struggle with trusting others to help keep up their end of bargains, but we need to have faith in each other in order to keep communication clear and problems solved. each of us is a bonner, but altogether, we make a bonner community- and communities are the foundation of every successful project. two days ago, i was on the phone with my site leader, jen at the uscri, and in regards to having both meghan and i working with her she said, "i remember when i heard about your program and i thought, 'wow! having one would be great! but i want more!'" i smiled when she said this, because not only was it a compliment to our reputation as bonners, but also that it highlighted one important fact: one cannot do it alone. it is inevitable that at some point there will be a conflict amongst the group, either because someone doesn't show up at a meeting, forgot to log their hours, didn't respond to e-mails, didn't report to their site, etc. everyone will mess up, everyone will get caught up in work, friends, and family, everyone will feel that heavy burden and hear that doubt within their head, "i can't do this." but we can guys, as long as we can depend upon each other for support and understanding. already this has happened. bernadette and ananda have gone to amanda for bio help, wes gave rides to the aids walk, hannah helped break down the background of bonner congress for me, and countless other instances have occurred that signals that our accountability has been at use. the perfect way to continue this is to be honest and talk to one another. have a problem with someone? address it. problems or issues that get bottled up inside of us only lead to an explosion of anger and frustration, and we don't need that to mess up our euphoric, peaceful, bonner lovee.

so here are two quotes that i felt fit this topic:

(i love quotes :) )

There can be no vulnerability without risk; there can be no community without vulnerability; there can be no peace, and ultimately no life, without community.

-M. Scott Peck

Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

-Margaret Mead

Accountability

2009-10-02T14:56:00.002-04:00

As a student and a Bonner we have to uphold the aims and responsibilities that are given to us. As a student you know that if you miss a class that the professor holds you and only you accountable for obtaining those notes. If you don't have friends in that class, its going to be a little hard getting those notes but with Bonner it is different. You have support in Bonner.

1. Bonner to Bonner: we all have each other phone number and there should be no excuse as to why no knows your whereabouts because you didn't come to a meeting or to a Bonner outing.

2. Bonners to Team Leader: Almost all Bonners will be working at the same placements so their will be a team leader. For me being the Team Leader it is very important that my team meets at least once a week. I feel that if I don't make these meetings, I will be held accountability for the progress at the service site.

3. Bonners to Gretchen: I think that Gretchen should be the last resort of any issues that we have. Bonner is a student run organization. There fore we as students have to take on the responsibility to put one another at fault and also to commend one another on excellence. (TEAMWORK!)

Remember we are a team and if we cannot work together problem we will lose.

Bonner Love,

Tai

NEW BONNER BLOG LOOK

2009-10-02T14:52:00.002-04:00

Hi Bonners!

As you can see I am in the process of redesigning the blog. I will be adding slideshows, important web links, upcoming service events, etc. Have any suggestions? Let me know!

Bonner Love,

Tai

Habitat Picnic

2009-10-02T01:27:00.010-04:00

hey everyone... I know this is late but I just wanted to bring up the Habitat Day from a few weeks ago that went amazing thanks to Hannah!

I just wanted to post a few exceptional pictures taken by Tai that way we can have a nice reminder of what we accomplished while we were there!

PS Don't overlook Gretchen's post below. Her post is the one that we are to be reflecting on! I just wanted to share these with all of you up here!

2009-10-01T22:48:00.002-04:00

OK so first of all I gotta say I love the new background its totally awesome! So on accountability, as a team(especially a varsity team) we should all be able to count on each other. But sometimes as we all know college life can be stressful. We all have allot on our plates and sometimes it can be hard to manage. If someone drops the ball on something we try to be understanding, however if it starts to become a habit we should prolly try to find out whats going on. Don't be mean about it though cuz chances are that person feels just as bad about it as you do. We just have to let them know that its becoming a problem and try to find out why it is a problem for them. That way we can help them work it out. I think time management is a huge part of this and as Gretchen said tonight we should all start scheduling.

till latter Peace Out
T.J.

NEW ASSIGNMENT: ACCOUNTABILITY

2009-10-01T16:06:00.002-04:00

Ok. So I've been thinking about accountability a lot this week. Then I realized that I am just one member of this team (Bonner Love!!) Over the next few weeks, we will be laying the framework for how we as a team decide on how to keep each other to our commitments as a strong, united community. So here is your first chance to ponder this ongoing conversation:

"Accountability is responsibility taken to the next level."

As an individual, you have signed on to a set of expectations to serve, attend meetings/training, connect your service and academics, etc., and be a team. Ultimately, you are accountable for its successes and failures.

Consider: How do you foster this feeling of ownership? Or how do you assign accountability for one another that upholds our commitment to the team? Why is this important?

Blog backgrounds

2009-09-29T14:33:00.003-04:00

So I stopped by to see what everyone was up to and I just wanted to say that everytime I come on the blog has a new background and I love it!

: )

2009-09-28T12:28:00.002-04:00

hahahah lindsey

well i know what to say...

i had so much fun yesterday at the aids walk!

^ photo props to ms. knowlden

=]

2009-09-27T19:50:00.003-04:00

All of a sudden I got really excited about blogging...!
then when I got here I realized I dont have anything to say..
hahaha.

Bonner LOVE!

excitement!

2009-09-25T14:54:00.000-04:00

helloo all

i just wanted to say thanks for the votes! i'm extremely honored that you guys are confident in my ability to represent all of our b-love with hannah on a national level. congrats to bernadette and all of the other frosh who were nominated as well!

: )

today we're finishing up our proposal for the conference and amanda should be putting it up on the wiki, so stop by, take a look, and give us some feedback! this is our "manifesto", if you will, for what we hope to accomplish as a bonner program this year and how we plan on reaching our goal. this is our plan of action, the beginning of our legacy and i'm so excited to get started.

much bonner love,

michelle

Congratulations Hannah, Michelle and Alternate Bernadette!

2009-09-24T21:54:00.000-04:00

Congratulations Hannah, Michelle and Alternate Bernadette!!

I am so excited for you to enjoy the privilege of being our 2009-2010 Bonner Congress Representatives. I cannot tell you what an honor it is to be able to attend the Congress meetings twice a year and feel the excitement of being there with 150-300 other Bonners from across the country. As a former Congress Rep myself, it was phenomenal to not just be told that I was a part of a national network, but to see it and feel it. It is a chance for you to shine and showcase who you are to the Foundation and other programs nationally. You will get the chance to give workshops, acquire new skills, meet national community partners or one day get connected to an internship or job. You also have an opportunity to build up our own program by coming back and telling us about new ideas, implementing projects and action items to strengthen our program.

Mark your calendars, this year's Bonner Congress Meeting is October 23-25, 2009 at the University of Richmond in Virginia. This school has the largest Bonner Program in the country and its staff and students will definitely give you a memorable opportunity.

Please don't hesitate to ask me if you have any questions or concerns about this outstanding opportunity. I feel a lot of love towards Bonner Congress!

2009-09-24T17:58:00.000-04:00

Man did this poem jump all over the place! I had to go through it like three times to try and figure out what was going on. I'd say that it felt overall dark and moody at the beginning. Maybe it was the way I read it the first time through, but I guess it's what hit me. After reading what Meghan wrote, I think I understood it better. Perhaps it's about perseverance. Times are going to get tough and it takes strong moral fiber to take them in stride and work hard through them. I'm sure that we've all understood that we have taken on a lot of responsibility and it might be hard at times. But patience is key and if you can knuckle down in the clutch, you'll make it through.

poem...

2009-09-24T14:37:00.001-04:00

This poem sort of upset me. I felt that they did not have a positive attitude as to why they were serving the community. they gave the whole perception that they were the upper class who is doing their part in society by serving those who are less fortunate. I think that if you are someone who is in a position where they have money and are working with those who do not, they should be humble and not flaunt what they have. The see what they are doing as a charity instead of the right thing to do...which it to help the rest of mankind succeed. when you are working with someone who does not have access to what you might have you should help them try and gain access and build a relationship with the person not serve once because it looks good form something or someone then leave. Its like writing only the introduction for an English paper. It states what you might do but then you get no details about how it you came to some conclusion.
These women most likely have no clue what these people have had to struggle through and are not in a position to be judging.

-all you need is love

The lovers of the poor

2009-09-24T12:37:00.000-04:00

This poem reminded me a lot of things we discussed in orientation earlier this year. One of the things being the reason we do service. Everyone has different reasons for reaching out to the community. Some people, like these women, seem to do it because they want to keep a good image. These women want people to see them doing service and to think that they are nice people. Another thing we discussed is, working with the poor and not working for the poor. These women do not even try to put themselves in these people's shoes. They look at them like they are less because they are poor. But who are they to judge? It is really important when doing service to know that maybe you have never been in these people's situations but you must try to understand them. It is important to learn about a situation before you judge it or the people in it. Though sometimes situations make you uncomfortable you can't give up. Even when you can't relate to a situation you have to try and understand the feelings of the people.

I'm sorry this is really brief. I'm sick and looking at my computer screen is killing me.

B-Love.

"the lovers of the poor" poem

2009-09-24T12:20:00.000-04:00

This poem portrays upper class women who are doing "charity work." The only reason they agreed to "help" was for the publicity for doing something for others. The women in the poem do not really care about the people they are supposed to be helping; if they did care, then they would not be so eager to leave and reenter their comfortable lifestyle, and their luxurious home. They do not realize that these poor people cannot escape this hell. They need assistance to get back of their feet again.
To be honest, this poem reminds my of "Housewives of New York," because in that show, even though they are raising money through charity events, the women running them are not doing it for the poor, or the charity. They do it for the fame and publicity. They set up the charity events as if it is their own party, and the focus is never really set on the charity, but what they are wearing to the event, and when the hairdresser will be arriving at their house. I think that it is great that they are doing something of the community, but I think that it may be done for the wrong reasons.

Bonner LoVin <3

Bernadette

Service for Glory

2009-09-24T10:26:00.000-04:00

Sooo just like everyone else im not too great with poems but here's what i got from it...

The women in this poem come from an upper class sheltered environment. They had preconceived notions about what type of service they were going to be doing. They were not prepared for the reality is which they walked into. Their only motivation to serve was the glory and praise they would get from others of their own class. They had no passion for these impoverished people. Their only emotions where grotesque. They wanted nothing more than to hand money out and flee from the reality of this form of life. At one point they talked about possibly conducting their service in an area that was not wrecked with so much havoc. They wanted to serve in a cleaner environment. This desire completely defeats the purpose of service. If one does not do service to truly better the areas that so desperately need a hand then they are simply doing service for glory...

I believe that many of us will face similar circumstances in our work site. We may encounter something we are not prepared to believe. We can be faced with the choice of fleeing with "our skirts barely touching the floor" or we can square our shoulders and face it head on. One of the points of our service work is to challenge us. It is when we are challenged and forced to overcome obstacles that we truly grow as a person.

B-Love baabaay

Not that bad

2009-09-24T00:54:00.000-04:00

So I had to chose between writing this and my theater paper and since I have such bad procrastination problems this won. I actually enjoyed the poem though and thought it was written really well and it still greatly reflects todays society. I think that the rich women described are actually really reflective of a lot of people in todays society. People want to help and join a cause then when they actually get there they have that moment of what am I doing... the farther away from a comfort zone the harder it is for many to go. The woman in this poem decided at the end that they would find a lesser slum and thats almost what people do by just doing things like donating food and money. Once you get into the situation it can be scary and you may want to run and hide and get away from it just like many do after volunteering in places like soup kitchens and clinics. I feel as if I had this revelation myself after the service at Grand Street,once we got there and I thought to myself what in the world am I doing this is crazy, this is dangerous, what did I get myself into just as the ladies did. I stuck it out though and thought of the joy the people would get out of just our few hours and we were helping those who really needed it and I almost wish the ladies from the poem just sucked it up too and stuck it out because after meeting the people and seeing the change you made it becomes a whole new place.

Cheater, cheater, pumpkinnn eater!!

2009-09-23T20:46:00.000-04:00

Ok... so I cheated a little bit by reading Gretchen's questions and checkin out what everyone else thinks. But, thank you all and here's what I am taking out of this...

We, as Bonners cannot act like these women. We need to maybe educate ourselves on the areas that we are going to and get to know them rather than shy away from them. The more we know, the more we can be understanding and want to help. You can't help someone if you have no clue what they are doing, where they are, how they are living, or their current economic situations. The ladies in the poem were upset that they were going to the slum, but it was the "bad" slum. I guess they wanted to go to a better slum? We can relate this to the "good" and "bad" areas of Albany. Personally, I think we need to STRIVE to work in the "bad" areas... target the worst and work out ways out from there. We are a powerful group of people and have a lot of potential to make huge differences. So lets take this poem to give us even more ambition and be just the opposite of these women!!!

B-Looove <3

April

I THINK I CAN! I THINK I CAN!!

2009-09-23T20:25:00.000-04:00

I know that poetry can be hard to dissect, but you need, and some of you have made really solid attempts. Do not admit failure. You should not be conquered. "Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, but we are powerful beyond measure..."

I'd like you guys who had some difficulty to try again. Consider the following:

1. Who are these ladies? What socioeconomic class? What is their attitude towards the people they serve?

2. What images come to mind?

3. How does their reaction relate to your feelings on working with the poor? How might your feeling be the same or different?

4. How does this relate to your perspective towards the community?

5. Other thoughts....

YOU CAN DO IT!! YOU CAN DO IT!!

hmmmm.......

2009-09-23T19:37:00.000-04:00

hmmm.....Ok well this poem I will admit is a little abstract for me. I found it hard to dissect and hard to find a setting or background to view the poem in. I did like the description and rhythm of the poem though that was kinda cool it was just hard to understand what she was getting at I guess. When she wrote this she probably had some idea some sort of image that she was describing but (even though she uses descriptive words) she does not write descriptively she writes more expressively. There are probably allot of ways to interpret this poem but I don't know I'm having trouble.

Peace out,
T.J.

P.S.
I would have responded sooner but I couldn't find the poem at first hahaha! Cya tmrw.

Lovers of the Poor Response

2009-09-23T17:49:00.000-04:00

Like everybody else I had to read through this poem a few times to finally get the gist. What I got from this poem is that the Ladies Betterment League was made up of a group of sheltered and spoiled women. They wanted to help out their community by going to the slum, but when they got there they were too appalled by what they saw and instead of staying in the slum and doing what they came to do, they chickened out and left. At the end of the poem Brooks writes that the women were careful to not let their coats touch the walls showing their condescending attitude toward the people they were supposed to be helping. The one thing I think we Bonners should take away from this poem is that when we go to our service sites we should never believe that we are better than the people we serve. We should act as their equals because we are their equals. Never should we look at them in disdain as these women did.

Ok guys I tried my best at figuring out this poem so I hope I made some sense! See you all Thursday:)