I've
volunteered a few times since I've been in New Orleans. The most frequent
place where I've volunteered has been an animal shelter called ARNO. I
thought it would be an easy job since I love animals. Instead, it ended up
being difficult to see so many dogs and cats that had been mistreated and were now
emotionally or physically injured. It
was hard to see the effects of animal abuse, but at the same time it was
rewarding to be able to help them.
Through my sorority, I’ve also volunteered with a program called Girls
on the Run. This program—which consists
of after school groups and races—teaches young girls how to believe in
themselves. It’s inspirational to see
these young girls grow, be healthy, and have fun while in a comfortable and
safe atmosphere.
I haven’t gotten the chance to
volunteer this semester because of my busy schedule so the service learning
option encouraged me to carve out some time in my week to volunteer. I chose to volunteer at APEX Youth Center. I decided on this one because it reminded me
of the Boys and Girls Club where I used to volunteer in high school. It was always a great experience to help out
young people. Because of the “snow”
days, I haven’t volunteered there yet, but I did have my orientation last
week. Admittedly, it was a little scary
driving around looking for the APEX center despite the fact that I went during
the day. It’s located in a not so great area of town that I’m not very familiar
with. However, I felt safe once inside
the center. I think that’s the main
importance of the APEX center; it shields preteens and teens from the dangers
of the surrounding neighborhoods.
During orientation, we went over a
few safety rules. These included the
codes of emergency. One code showed what to do if we hear gunshots and the
next, more serious, code showed what to do if there is a suspicious person in
or close to the center. It was kind of a
wake up call to learn that even in this safe haven of a center the kids are not
always safe. The woman in charge explained
that police officers have had to come in to pat down or question the kids when
there is a suspicious activity going on near the center. We also learned how to hold down a kid if he
or she is hurting another kid. One
volunteer explained that the boys at the center sometimes get in physical
fights. Her main suggestion on the
prevention of this was to keep things as peaceful as possible. She told us how her goal to was to prevent
the kids from getting violent whenever she could.
I’m
not sure exactly how working with this center will relate to Shakespeare, but
I’m curious to find out. From the last
plays we’ve read, I started thinking that maybe the violence experienced in and
around the center would connect to the violence that occurs in some of the
plays. A lot of Shakespeare seems to show
the effects of not only physical violence, but also emotional violence. From my experience at orientation, I’m
thinking the two might connect.
I'm glad you've taken advantage of this SL opportunity to continue serving the community this semester through APEX. I'll be interested to know if or how you feelings about safety--your own, the kids', the neighborhood's--change as you spend more time at APEX. I understand that it's a challenging placement because the violence that exists beyond the center still finds its way in, in different forms, because it's what the kids know.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that you're already asking questions about how representations of violence in Shakespeare might offer a helpful lens for understanding violence in Central City. In some cases, you might find that the quarrels are so old that, as in Romeo and Juliet, no one knows what they're about anymore. You might also encounter revenge and other motivators for conflict. I look forward to reading more about your experience.