The Art of Saving a Life
I have slacked on this blog a lot this semester, so here is my attempt to catch up.
First, we talked about what we get out of service. There was some disagreement in class about whether or not you should volunteer because it makes you feel good or if you have to do it for some bigger purpose that is completely selfless. Personally, I don't really care if someone volunteers simply because they feel good about it. Not everything in life needs to have a deeper meaning to it. I think as long as people are doing what makes them happy and not harming other people while they do it, then it doesn't matter what they do or why they do it.
Second, I went to two different events for Collo. I went and looked through the Find the Pattern and Break It, an exhibition of work from ETSU Master of Fine Arts candidates at the Reece Museum. It is a very interesting exhibit with multiple styles, techniques, and mediums displayed. I attached some of my favorite pieces from the show. I really enjoyed seeing the creativity from all of the pieces and would highly recommend checking it out.
Swamp People by Nicholas Raynolds, IMG_4226 and Her Children by Alice Salyer, Untitled by Ross Byrd
The other event I went to was the POPArts showcase. It was really amazing and I laughed almost the entire time I was watching it. The cast seemed to all enjoy themselves which made the entire experience even more entertaining. I really loved that it was a mash-up of a bunch of different movies. My favorite scene was "Hello! My name is Inigo Montoya!" It was a close call but that scene caught me off guard which made it even funnier. I also loved the scene where everyone sang "You Are my Sunshine." The whole audience got involved and it was a very sweet moment. Another highlight was Batman marking each scene. Overall, I really loved the performance and would definitely go back to see another show from them.
Now to go over my personal project. As a reminder I was attempting to learn how to play the guitar. I was actually able to learn quite a few chords and my strumming has noticeably improved. I haven't had much time recently to practice, but I have managed to learn almost the entirety of "Let it Be" by The Beatles. I am very proud of myself for not giving up within the first couple of weeks. I really hope I have time this summer to continue learning and maybe I'll have a new hobby by next semester. I think my family was surprised as they both thought I would give up within the first week and come back home with a broken guitar, but I stuck with it.
For my last topic, I am going to talk about all of my service hours this semester. I did my Service Learning placement at the Coalition For Kids and really enjoyed my time there. I felt like I was really making a difference and that I was appreciated there. I actually ended up going an extra week after finishing up my thirty hours and would have kept going if I didn't have so much homework. For my
class group service project I went to the Exchange Place in Kingsport to "prepare the land." I had no clue what to expect before I got there. All I knew is that I had to wear clothes that I could get dirty in. So, that morning I got dressed in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and headed to the meet-up location. We made it to the Exchange Place in one piece despite the truck that cut me off on the interstate. Once we all got there we were split into groups and put to work. We did many different things during the four hours we were there from sorting rope, to cleaning gourds, to "redecorating" a creek. At one point I was on my knees with both my hands in the water pulling out clumps of moss from the creek bed. We did more than just clean up a creek though, we also saved a couple lives while we were at it.
It all starting while we were scooping up giant handfuls of moss, grass, and various other slimy green things. As we tossed the piles of green into the wheelbarrow a couple creatures got trapped within the tight cocoon of leaves and moss. It is unknown how long they suffered within the confines of their slimy prison. They did not see a taste of freedom until we were tossing the plants into the compost pile with our pitchforks. It all happened in an instant-- one of us scoops up a large pile to toss in and the little guy goes flying!! There he is scrambling across the ground, fighting for traction to run to safety but he can't quite make it. He needn't worry, however, because we were quick to act and in no time James was putting him back where he belonged. Just when we thought we were in the clear, we spotted it. Another one. Struggling in the bottom of the wheelbarrow. This one put up a fight and it took all of us to rescue him. Haley and I were rapidly shoveling moss out of the way so James could grab him. We worried it would be too late. We got lucky though and he made it safe and sound as well.
Of course that was a very dramatic way to say we put two salamanders back into the creek, but it gets the point across. Much more interesting than just saying it how it actually happened.
I am pretty sure that is everything that I needed to cover, so congratulations if you made it this far!
