New Orleans - February 24, 2017

Friday, February 24, 2017

We spent Thursday night at the Center, and started Friday morning with the Examen, led by Mr. McGonagle, to focus our thoughts on the experiences of the week and our reactions to them.

Following the Examen, we headed to the airport to return the cars, check in, and head to our gate, where we learned that our plane was delayed.  In a slow series of updates we heard that the plane had a mechanical problem and that the mechanics were having a difficult time resolving it.  Fortunately the problem was finally resolved, and four long hours later than planned, we boarded the plane for Boston.

Thank you for your support and prayers during our trip, and thank you for sharing your sons with us this week!

Kay Myers and Michael McGonagle

New Orleans - February 23, 2017

Thursday, February 23, 2017

We woke up extremely early, showered and got ready to leave. We had to clean up the house, shower and pack the cars. After a grueling packing session, we were ready to return to the Center. Once we got to the center we unloaded and headed to Ms. Bailey’s for some yard work. We picked up leaves, raked and replanted plants. After we worked for a good hour it was time to head back to the center and reflect with Deanna and Ruth one last time.

Once we finished our reflection, we headed over to Amelia Street to see a few more Mardi Gras parades: Babylon, Chaos, and Muses. There were two parades preceding the main parade, the parade of Muses. Upon arrival, we met up with a few members of the Center who generously provided us with food and water. As the parades began, everybody flooded the parade route in order to catch the most beads, lights, and other objects. College students were everywhere in the crowd, and at times it got a bit chaotic. However the final parade really capped the trip off and truly showed the unity and culture of New Orleans. After we were finished with the parades, we headed to a local pizza shop for one last meal. When everybody was stuffed, we drove back to the Center to get our rest.

Max Murphy and Tommy O’Heir

New Orleans - February 22, 2017

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

We awoke just like everyday, but today it was an uncharacteristically brisk February day.  We all filed in and out of the showers, while having eggs, cereal, and oatmeal for breakfast. We hopped in the cars, eager for another day at Chahta-Ima. Once we arrived there we received our ID’s and we walked to our regular classrooms and began our day.

I (Fitgee) began my day with physical education. I played a modified game of bowling with the kids in my third grade class. After about hour of PE we returned to the classroom with Ms. Gillari. Ms. Gillari presented the children in my class with numerous worksheets testing what they learned in the previous day.  With a small amount of help from me this process went smoothly and the class went off to lunch and recess.  After recess the class returned and began to focus upon math and social studies.  This time around the process did not go as smoothly. The children needed more help with math than any other subject. It was quite challenging, but it proved to be very rewarding, when one teaches an eight-year-old some of the fundamentals of PEMDAS. After the final bell rang I said my final goodbyes to the students, with plenty of hugs and high-fives and began 21^st Century, the after school program.

I (Aidan) spent all of my day working with the P.E. teacher. We played an adjusted form of bowling, where they used soccer balls and beanbags to knock down the pins. I had many breaks today, and I spent my first one playing basketball in the gym. After the next class, I spent a lot of time talking with the teacher. He was telling me that he is soon to be married, as well as the differences between Boston and Louisiana. Next, I went and had the school lunch, which was surprisingly good. I got to eat with a few fellow students as well as a lot of little kids. Then our group went to the gym and played a little more basketball then went out to recess. After lunch, I spent the rest of the day bowling with the students.

In the multipurpose room! 

After we all went and tutored at 21^st Century, we all went to the outdoor basketball courts. Once our game was over, we tried to go visit a bayou but it closed right before we arrived. So we went home and started to clean the house, as we leave the North Shore Thursday morning.

Fitgee Jean-Pierre and Aidan Ross

New Orleans - February 21, 2017

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

The day started out with light rain and muggy air. This was the day we had all been waiting for, a known highlight of the trip according to students that previously attended the trip. After a quick wake up routine we set out in the car for a quick ride over to Chahta Ima, a local public elementary school. Upon our arrival, we got out and after some confusion reached the front office and got our nametags. After that we went into the multi-purpose room and talked about what was coming up in the day. We found out that we would be split up individually into classrooms. There were a variety of options from pre-K all the way up to the third grade.

             

Once we got to our classrooms we found that the children and teachers were extremely welcoming and open to having us in their classrooms. The children’s schedules were divided into different activities depending on the day. For example, on Tuesday, today, some of the classrooms would go to PE and some would go to art depending on their grade level. As volunteers we got the opportunity to assist teachers and students by offering them help with activities. We did a lot reading, writing, and drawing with students. Beyond the classroom we spent time with the students at lunch and recess. The school was incredibly generous to us, giving us breaks and providing us with a delicious New Orleans style lunch of homemade roast beef sandwiches and “Voodoo” chips. Overall, we were overwhelmed by the personalities and friendliness of the students, and we cannot wait to get back into the classroom tomorrow.

           

After school, we stayed on the campus to serve as tutors. The school offers an after school program called 21^st Century that provides after school supervision and educational help to the students of Chahta Ima as well as older students that come by bus. We served by helping students with their Math, Science, and Language Arts homework. The older students, ranging from fourth grade up through middle school, proved to be equally enthusiastic and fun to be around. They truly brightened our days, and it was a pleasure for us to help them study. We hope we were able to give as much to them as they gave to us.

To wrap up our day, we returned back to prepare at the house for a potluck dinner at the North Shore UU Church. We shared the meal with parish members, and finished it off with a King Cake, in light of Mardi Gras being right around the corner. After dinner, we headed home, rested up for another big day at Chahta Ima.

James Krumsiek and Kevin McDonough

Monday, February 20, 2017

At 5:30, we awoke with a sense of urgency for the day.  Everyone started their day in a variety of manners, such as basketball, jogging, showering, or packing their lunch. After a sight-filled, hour-long drive over Lake Pontchartrain, we arrived at Green Light New Orleans. After receiving our directions from Mia, the director, we were ready to start our extraordinary adventure.

Green Light New Orleans is a non-profit group organized to provide people with energy efficient light bulbs. These are designed to lower the electric bills of those in need and reduce the carbon footprint citywide. After giving the resident of Jefferson Parish receiving light bulbs a call, we headed over to install the lights in any lamp that didn’t already have an energy efficient light. This journey was filled with gratefulness and gratitude from those who received our help.

Green Light New Orleans

How many BC High students does it take to change a light bulb?

Bulbs again

After completing our list of assignments, we traveled to the heart and soul of New Orleans; the French Market. Here we saw dishes and cultures that were unique to New Orleans. This included, bands, solo artists, and street performers, along with the taste testing of alligator on a stick, and some sweets such as pralines. In addition there were numerous stores that caught our attention. Here many souvenirs, clothing, and other commodities were being sold. 

French Market - Gator on a stick, Gator bites

After roaming the streets of New Orleans, Christian Unity Baptist Church was our next destination for the Justice and Beyond meeting.   Here, we started in a fashion similar to always, in prayer.  After joining hands, the Church gifted us with a well-cooked meal of rice, chicken, and beans. We began introducing ourselves to everyone present. Once everyone became familiar with one another, we began listening to Dr. Alan Colon. He gave us an informative, historical presentation on Black History and how it applies to life today. One major concept we took out of this talk was the idea of looking back on the past in order to create our own history, and a better future. We finished this experience off by introducing ourselves personally to Dr. Colon, and we discovered how we can bring what we learned back into our personal lives.

Justice and Beyond Meeting with Rev. Deanna Vandiver and Rev. Dwight Webster

By: Tommy O’Heir and Max Murphy