The people I am serving are mentees from 7th grade to sophomore year in high school. Glover is located in the Northwest and Northtown neighborhoods. Therefore, the mentees come from two different areas in Spokane. They are generally of lower middle class backgrounds. Communities in Schools runs GAME. Communities in schools is a program that actually works. Because of CIS, there are fewer dropouts. At this moment, 1/3 kids in spokane drop out. CIS is all about having mentors for young people. They believe young people need mentors in their life, to promote "student success." -cis website. Mentors help raise the self esteem, promote team spirit, and motiviate the students that they can put their mind to.
POV: I don't really understand why I'm here. My teachers talked to my parents about how I act with other students. Going to GAME on Wednesday nights are such a waste of time. We play dodge ball every week. I mean, I guess I do pick on other kids alot... I feel like i have to prove something to others, so I put up a front. I really wish I could be like the Gonzaga athletes. They are so cool. Sometimes they get mad at me for saying mean things to other people. Maybe I should listen. I'm not doing too well in school either. They say that's why I'm here. School is not fun... But I guess I'll have to stay put if i want to go to GU... Its really hard at home sometimes. My parents fight alot. I'm scared sometimes. I guess its nice to get away for a few hours a week. Maybe I won't skip GAME this time..
There is a need for an older role model in the lives of glover middle students. Many of them are chosen to be in game because they are at-risk. This may be with their families, how they interact with other people, or because they are not doing well academically. One in three Spokane students drop out. CIS is a program that actually reduces the rate of drop outs. When us mentors show kids how the mentors behave, the mentees want to follow that example simply on the premise that we are older. We can make a difference in their lives by showing them how to work with others, and how they can succeed.
Blessed are the young, for they are the future of the earth.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Crimes and Misdemeanors
Katherine Conyers
Professor Bass
RELI120
Movie Paper #1
Crimes and Misdemeanors
The film Crimes and Misdemeanors was written by Woody Allen, and was released in the 1980’s. In Crimes and Misdemeanors, the characters Ben and Judah Rosenthal have different views of God and His/Her role in the universe. These different ideas of God affect how they carry out their lives.
The characters Judah and Ben have different images of God. Judah views God as a judge, while Ben views Him/Her as King. Over the years, Judah has become less religious, and more involved in his work and his money. Judah distances himself from God, because doesn’t know how to communicate with Him/Her. He has spent the latter half of his life focusing on everything but God, and therefore is out of touch with Him/Her. Judah is so distant from God, and therefore views him as a judge. Because Judah is sinful, God seems further away from him than He might to Ben. Judah has a pessimistic view of God. The only contact Judah has had in his life to God is when he is sinful. The only God Judah knows is judgmental and makes Judah feel like he is a horrible person. For Judah, the role of God is to be a conscience, and make people remember their actions.
Bens image of God is very different from Judah’s. Ben views God as King because it is all he knows. As a religious man, God consumes his life. God is his life and profession. As a rabbi, Ben is in contact, in person or while preaching, with many people on a daily basis. He helps them reevaluate their lives and their faith journey. He is a counselor to Judah when he is in need. He lays the law down for Judah and gives him advice to look for what is long lasting and self sustaining rather than the quick, temporary. This advice is much like his life. He has chosen to follow the kingdom of God on earth, rather than deal with the impermanence of human tradition. Because he is involved in his city via his synagogue he has a community. His faith brings him closer to others, and helps him think of the world as a warm, welcoming place. In the middle of New York, it is difficult for one to feel as if they are making a difference in the lives of others. Ben has an optimistic view of God because God has brought many people together in such a large area. He thinks the role of God is to bring everlasting hope, rather than the transient glimmers that the world has to offer.
Judah and Ben’s images of God directly affect how they live their lives. Judah specifically turns further from society because he is far from God. Judah is Jewish, and was raised in a very religious family. However, his family also has conflicting ideas. He has different input from his brother and father about how he should live. His brother is a humanistic idealist, and seems to be atheistic, while his father is religious and believes in tradition. This influences Judah to keep away from religion. Judah is under a pressure from his Brother to get into the real world, and pressure from his father to be righteous so he can go to heaven. Judah’s father tells him that “The eyes of God are always watching”. The thought that God is watching, is constantly brought up in the movie. The recurring thought reveals how guilty Judah feels about his actions. These opposite ideals are the battle that goes on in Judah’s mind throughout the movie. When he struggles with whether to commit a sin or not, he thinks back to his Father’s teaching. Because Judah is so distant from God, he sees the world through dog eat dog eyes. This competition makes him bury his nose in his work. He is so involved with his work and his money that he doesn’t consider the consequences of his actions. He chooses to fall in love with another woman, to mix up his mundane life. Maybe if had a good influence in his life he might think to consider the results of each small action that leads him further from the Kingdom of God. It also leads him further away from the world. Unlike Ben, who people depend on, Judah can more easily seclude himself. Sure, he may help the sight of some people, but he doesn’t have many close friends from his work. He doesn’t even know Ben that well when he confides in him. Rather than making a profound difference on the lives of others like Ben, Judah becomes reclusive and rejects the world entirely. He is pessimistic about God. The life Judah lives brings him further away from others.
It is ironic that Judah is an ophthalmologist, yet is ignorant of the consequences of his actions. At the same time, Ben is blind, but desires to positively impact the people around him with his faith and counsel. Woody Allen could have placed this metaphor in the movie to show that even the most prosperous of people have tragic flaws.
Judah and Ben live different lives because of their ideas about God. They have different places for God in their lives. Judah drifts away from God, while Ben finds God in everyday life.
The universe is what we make of it. Like Judah and Ben, we are conditioned by their parents, faith, or environment to view the world in different ways. The universe is what we make out of it. I think parts of it are fantastic, and others are unfamiliar and unfriendly. For example, I love Gonzaga University. When I leave my phone on a table, someone will tell me I dropped it. People smile here, and open the door for you. It is small enough where friendly faces can be seen everywhere. When I visited my brother in New York, I was scared out of my mind—it was a completely different story. He lived in Williamsburg when I visited him, which was very secluded from the big island, and very industrial looking. The city itself was shocking—the people looked like scenery because there were so many! In the hustle and bustle of daily life in New York, how is it possible for one to think of others? So I believe it depends where we choose to live. The universe is full of good and evil, and we have to find the place that suits us best. We can examine the role of God in our lives and try to let God positively affect our lives.
Works Cited
www.imdb.com
Professor Bass
RELI120
Movie Paper #1
Crimes and Misdemeanors
The film Crimes and Misdemeanors was written by Woody Allen, and was released in the 1980’s. In Crimes and Misdemeanors, the characters Ben and Judah Rosenthal have different views of God and His/Her role in the universe. These different ideas of God affect how they carry out their lives.
The characters Judah and Ben have different images of God. Judah views God as a judge, while Ben views Him/Her as King. Over the years, Judah has become less religious, and more involved in his work and his money. Judah distances himself from God, because doesn’t know how to communicate with Him/Her. He has spent the latter half of his life focusing on everything but God, and therefore is out of touch with Him/Her. Judah is so distant from God, and therefore views him as a judge. Because Judah is sinful, God seems further away from him than He might to Ben. Judah has a pessimistic view of God. The only contact Judah has had in his life to God is when he is sinful. The only God Judah knows is judgmental and makes Judah feel like he is a horrible person. For Judah, the role of God is to be a conscience, and make people remember their actions.
Bens image of God is very different from Judah’s. Ben views God as King because it is all he knows. As a religious man, God consumes his life. God is his life and profession. As a rabbi, Ben is in contact, in person or while preaching, with many people on a daily basis. He helps them reevaluate their lives and their faith journey. He is a counselor to Judah when he is in need. He lays the law down for Judah and gives him advice to look for what is long lasting and self sustaining rather than the quick, temporary. This advice is much like his life. He has chosen to follow the kingdom of God on earth, rather than deal with the impermanence of human tradition. Because he is involved in his city via his synagogue he has a community. His faith brings him closer to others, and helps him think of the world as a warm, welcoming place. In the middle of New York, it is difficult for one to feel as if they are making a difference in the lives of others. Ben has an optimistic view of God because God has brought many people together in such a large area. He thinks the role of God is to bring everlasting hope, rather than the transient glimmers that the world has to offer.
Judah and Ben’s images of God directly affect how they live their lives. Judah specifically turns further from society because he is far from God. Judah is Jewish, and was raised in a very religious family. However, his family also has conflicting ideas. He has different input from his brother and father about how he should live. His brother is a humanistic idealist, and seems to be atheistic, while his father is religious and believes in tradition. This influences Judah to keep away from religion. Judah is under a pressure from his Brother to get into the real world, and pressure from his father to be righteous so he can go to heaven. Judah’s father tells him that “The eyes of God are always watching”. The thought that God is watching, is constantly brought up in the movie. The recurring thought reveals how guilty Judah feels about his actions. These opposite ideals are the battle that goes on in Judah’s mind throughout the movie. When he struggles with whether to commit a sin or not, he thinks back to his Father’s teaching. Because Judah is so distant from God, he sees the world through dog eat dog eyes. This competition makes him bury his nose in his work. He is so involved with his work and his money that he doesn’t consider the consequences of his actions. He chooses to fall in love with another woman, to mix up his mundane life. Maybe if had a good influence in his life he might think to consider the results of each small action that leads him further from the Kingdom of God. It also leads him further away from the world. Unlike Ben, who people depend on, Judah can more easily seclude himself. Sure, he may help the sight of some people, but he doesn’t have many close friends from his work. He doesn’t even know Ben that well when he confides in him. Rather than making a profound difference on the lives of others like Ben, Judah becomes reclusive and rejects the world entirely. He is pessimistic about God. The life Judah lives brings him further away from others.
It is ironic that Judah is an ophthalmologist, yet is ignorant of the consequences of his actions. At the same time, Ben is blind, but desires to positively impact the people around him with his faith and counsel. Woody Allen could have placed this metaphor in the movie to show that even the most prosperous of people have tragic flaws.
Judah and Ben live different lives because of their ideas about God. They have different places for God in their lives. Judah drifts away from God, while Ben finds God in everyday life.
The universe is what we make of it. Like Judah and Ben, we are conditioned by their parents, faith, or environment to view the world in different ways. The universe is what we make out of it. I think parts of it are fantastic, and others are unfamiliar and unfriendly. For example, I love Gonzaga University. When I leave my phone on a table, someone will tell me I dropped it. People smile here, and open the door for you. It is small enough where friendly faces can be seen everywhere. When I visited my brother in New York, I was scared out of my mind—it was a completely different story. He lived in Williamsburg when I visited him, which was very secluded from the big island, and very industrial looking. The city itself was shocking—the people looked like scenery because there were so many! In the hustle and bustle of daily life in New York, how is it possible for one to think of others? So I believe it depends where we choose to live. The universe is full of good and evil, and we have to find the place that suits us best. We can examine the role of God in our lives and try to let God positively affect our lives.
Works Cited
www.imdb.com
Saturday, October 10, 2009
SL blog
Game is Gonzaga Athletes Mentoring for Excellence. We work with kids in middle school, playing games from 7-9pm. We help build self confidence and give them a safe place to hangout after dark. There is a wednesday group and a tuesday group. I go to the wednesday group, where we work at Glover Middle School.
Sunday, GAME had an orientational meeting. There were a bunch of us college kids learning about a few games to play. It was hillarious. i'm pretty sure i had more fun than i should as a young adult. First we played "on the creek, on the bridge" we would stand on one side of a rope and when our director said on the creek/bridge we would hop over. We played another game where five people stood up in the front and one would turn around and start telling a story until another person turned around and began- so me and 4 other people told embarassing stories about ourselves that were cut up into different times. it was hillarious!
So wednesday was my first day at GAME. It was so much fun! There were more mentors than mentees, which was a bummer but it was still a lot of fun. We played this game where one person would flip a coin and when i twas heads, they would squeeze the thumb of te person next to them, and create this chain reaction. Two lines tried to get to a koosh ball first. Then we had free time, so I reffed a sweet game of ping pong and played Jenga. Then we had this ultimate game of dogeball-which was the best game we played. We would run around and when we got hit with a ball, we would sit down untill the person who got us out was out. This was such a good system because everyone got to play for a longer period of time. Game was really fun. I can't wait to get to know the kids and make GAME a staple in my weekly activities.
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