First Protest!

Yesterday I spent the day at a retreat for Creighton's trip to the Igantian Teach-In. On November 12th I will be leaving with about 50 other students and faculty for Washington DC. We will be meeting with other members of the Jesuit community across the world to learn and protest against injustices. Our group will be lobbying to many senators for three issues: climate change, immigration, and the closing of WHINSEC (previously known as School of Americas).

This protest all started in 1989 when Jesuits working in South America were brutally murdered by graduates of the School of Americas. For those who don't know what this organization is, I suggest this wiki link. The United States, in hopes of preventing communism in South America started a school during the cold war for armies of many Latin American countries. Currently the school is located in Georgia under the name of WHINSEC. Graduates have gone on to become noted dictators, civil rights abusers, and cruel leaders of many of the wars seen on that continent in the last sixty years. You are certainly entitled to your opinion on the pros/cons of this organization. I'd love to hear about them. This protest called the Teach-In, however, speaks out against the school and hopes to stop what we see as injustice.

I'm going in hopes of learning more and becoming connected to the larger international community of Jesuits, their schools, and the lay people connected with hundreds of social justice orientated organizations. It will be my first protest. I see it as a great way to use the political rights we all have to make a stand for an issue I believe in. I don't plan on doing anything illegal. No worries, I won't be getting arrested or anything. I believe in being pragmatic in my search for justice and working within the system of law while opportunities still exist  to allow for civil discourse and mutual action.

There is a lot to do between now and leaving. I should prolly finish all my essays I have due this week. Not to mention that E&M test. *sigh* I need more time to accomplish everything in a given day.
Enjoy your Halloween and be safe. 

Deciding on a Gap Year

I'm a Junior Physics and Secondary Education Major at Creighton University. I love the subjects that I'm working on. I love my campus jobs at the library and raising scholarship funds at Phonathon. I have some amazing friends and a divine roommate. But, I've lived my entire life in the midwest in the States. I'm restless and want to move outside of my norms. I want to explore the world and take my learning outside of the textbook.

 "Learning by Doing" is a 4-H motto that I have lived with my entire life (my parents were club and county leaders). Through 4-H, FFA, other clubs, my church and my volunteering I was provided with opportunities in High School to get out of the classroom and do something. Lately, all I've had time for is papers, problem sets, work, and maybe a few hours of sleep. I guess I'm feeling "burned out". I don't like that term because I know that I have all this boiling energy right below the surface of my actions waiting for the right catalyst to explode into grand things. I just can't seem to find that catalyst. My environment has become stagnant.

Thus, I am going to take a gap year, or at least a gap semester. My plans have always been to volunteer overseas after graduation. I'm just going to take those plans and move them to this gap year. I found an amazing opportunity called GreenHeart Travel. Hopefully, I will get to teach in the Republic of Georgia. The program sounds safe, immersive, and exciting. The things I've gained in my education classes should help me make a strong contribution to teaching English there. I'll get to learn a new language and culture and meet tons of new people.

My application is almost done. Just my letter to my host family, a physical, and my reference letters left to do. Wish me luck! This could be the start to a brilliant new adventure!!