Service Learning Paper #1

-Describe setting, persons, and community of your service learning experiences
I volunteer at the Odyssey Youth Center in Spokane, which is located on the South Hill. It is a center for primarily Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Asexual, Questioning, Queer, and Intersex youth aged 13-24. Although the center is primarily for the LGBT community, straight allies are also welcome.

-what do you hope to gain from this experience?
I hope to gain an understanding of LGBT youth. Before I attended Gonzaga, I had never experienced a gay straight alliance, nor attended a school that was vocal about their acceptance of LGBT students. I hope that by facilitating at Odyssey I can learn more about the LGBT community as a whole, particularly young LGBT people. I hope I can integrate what I learn at Odyssey into discussions at Gonzaga’s Gay-Straight Alliance, HERO. I also hope I can learn more about marginalized groups as a whole in society and relate LGBT experiences in society and the church to women’s experiences in society and the church.

-what expectations, assumptions, prejudgements did you have about the population you are working with? where did these come from and why do you think yo have them?
I had a few assumptions about the population I am working with. First, I was expecting to work with some hard-edged kids. I thought most of the kids would be very at-risk or in horrible family situations. I think I had this idea of Spokane’s youth that was completely biased. When I would go to the mall in Spokane, I would see punk or goth looking kids. I assumed this would be the population I was serving.

-After doing service learning, how have your previous assumptions and prejudgements about the nature of the agency or its clients changed or strengthened? why?
I know there can be alot hiding behind the surface of teenagers, but these kids seemed pretty "normal". They were just a bunch of high schoolers. I have realized that not only do Spokane youth look different, but specifically all LGBT youth do not look the same. The youth at odyssey can look as normal as the “upper middle class” youth I worked with at my summer Episcopal camp. I’m ashamed that I had an idea that all LGBT youth would take up a different lifestyle or look because of their marginalization. This doesn’t mean that LGBT youth are not marginalized; This means that they don’t always make poor choices, or look different, because of their marginalization.


-What incidents do you recall that made you feel like something important and significant was happening to you as a learner? One Day, Ian had a task for us. We went downstairs and he had us make tiny backpacks full of condoms. He also had us check pre-made packages to make sure they weren't expired. I was shocked at the amount of supplies Odyssey had. Spokane Group health donated the backpacks, and Odyssey had hundreds of condoms lying around. I realized how blind Catholic school sex-education can be. I went to public school until high school, and then I attended Catholic school. Sexual education basically only included teaching us how we make babies. Not how to prevent teenage pregnancy, not how to prevent STDs. I'm so glad that places like Odyssey exist. Not only does Odyssey teach kids that it's okay to be who they are, it teaches them that its okay to have consensual sex as long as you're protected. The fact is, some kids have sex, and no matter what their sexual orientation, they should be able to protect their bodies, future, and lives. Because of Catholic doctrine, which has strict ideas of sexuality and abstinence, Catholic sexual education is discriminatory not only to LGBT populations, but anyone who can participate in sexual activity. This includes all women. If women are not taught how to protect their body, they may feel overlooked.

Another afternoon that I spent at Odyssey was a rather emotional experience. The week before I dropped by Odyssey, I had read via email that Tyler Clementi, a gay college student at Rutgers University, committed suicide. He committed suicide after his roommate posted a live video of Tyler’s intimacy with another man. I talked to Ian about it and he was shocked. We didn’t talk about the recent suicides until the following week. That next time I volunteered, the youth center got together to watch youtube videos from the Trevor Project. The Trevor Project is an awareness campaign that brings to light the reality of LGBT suicides, and provides an alternative to this life altering decision. The Trevor Campaign includes videos posted by famous people, such as Ellen Degeneres, Kesha, Obama, and more. We watched these videos in solidarity and reflected silently as a group. I knew something horrible was happening at the world and I realized how important suppport groups and youth centers are for the LGBT community. I am proud that places like Odyssey exist, and I am proud that I can serve and learn with this community.

what motivates you to continue working at your site? what does this tell you about yourself and what you are learning in class?
I am motivated to continue working at my site because I learn something new every time I volunteer at Odyssey. Also, by riding the bus to my service learning placement, I am stepping outside my comfort zone, which enables me to grow as a person. I love working at Odyssey because the youth that attend drop-in hours are so diverse. I learn so much about young people and about LGBT people when I volunteer there. I also hope that by working at Odyssey I can bridge gaps between conservative ideals (that stem from some faith practices like Christianity) and the LGBTQQIAA community. I can bring experiences from Odyssey to our class and the Gonzaga community, and share my experiences as a GU student to Odyssey.

what is the most important insight you have gained about yourself as a learner by participating in service learning.
I think I have learned that I can be independent and branch out to others outside of campus. I have learned that I also stereotype the populations that I think I know a lot about, or that I identify with. I have learned that not all people fit the mold I think they are going to fit. I hope I can try to break down these stereotypes throughout my life and remove my judgements so I can see people for who they truly are. I think I can’t be faithful to what I believe in (loving all people) if I don’t try to remove these prejudgements from my brain.

Visit on Oct 7th 2010

I took my third trip to Odyssey yesterday. Scott, Jen and I all went to the center on the bus again. Riding the bus gets easier every time I take it.
So as soon as we arrived at the center, Ian had a task for us. We went downstairs and he had us make tiny backpacks full of condoms. He also had us check pre-made packages to make sure they weren't expired. I was shocked at the amount of supplies Odyssey had. Spokane Group health donated the backpacks, and Odyssey had hundreds of condoms lying around. I realized how blind Catholic school sex-education can be. I went to public school until high school, and then I attended Catholic school. Sexual education basically only included teaching us how we make babies. Not how to prevent teenage pregnancy, not how to prevent STDs. I'm so glad that places like Odyssey exist. Not only does Odyssey teach kids that it's okay to be who they are, it teaches them that its okay to have consensual sex as long as you're protected. The fact is, some kids have sex, and no matter what their sexual orientation, they should be able to protect their bodies, future, and lives.

After we put the backpacks together, we chilled with the kids again. We played apples to apples. It was hilarious. We talked, laughed, and listened to 90s music. I had a blast. The youth asked us to stay longer when we had to catch our bus. I think next time we will. Those two hours are starting to go by so fast!