LSI Day Retreat

I got up at 6 to go into DC for a meeting/retreat of this program I’m in- it’s called Learn Serve International’s Fellows Program, which guides students with the planning process for launching a social change venture. We did some ice breaking activities and some rather tense ones exploring power(step over the line if you are asian…if your parents are blue collar workers… if you were raised by a single parent…if you have a visible or invisible disability…if on one instance you were supposed to step over but didn’t…etc). It was surprisingly taxing emotionally. Then we had lunch and listened to a guest speaker, who started an organization promoting environmental activism.
At first I was going to not go, however was a good thing I went (despite all the homework waiting for me), because when I met and talked with with my partner for our supposed venture regarding bringing acceptance for LGBT people in our communities, we realized that it wasn’t the most phenomenal idea ATM…
Reasons- We can’t really easily “change people’s minds”; there isn’t a severe problem of harassment(it’s pretty liberal here already ^^); therefore there would be more effective aspects with more impact that we could focus on instead.
Initially I was deeply troubled, however I remembered my other idea regarding promoting math and science. My new goal is to cultivate interest in/passion for/exposure to science in elementary school students. With the budget cuts, many science labs in the curriculum have been cut and standardized test preparation has squeezed science in many areas into simple memorization of basic facts. Therefore, I would like to start small and expand to having organizations at several local or maybe even not (^^) high schools were some students visit their local elementary schools regularly with pre-made kits and instructions(or perhaps develop their own) and conduct activities with the students. = Hands on learning. This idea is feasible, needed, and backed by passion. And I have a really good feeling-versus a mushy soft tofu feeling- about this project. Anyone interested?

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An Olfactory(related) Walk Down Memory Lane

When I was in middle school we used to always shop at a wholesale place-
And we would always buy the orange colored Trident Tropical Twist Gum I would chew it while staring at the black scratchiness of the square fire-proof-coating-coated surfaces of the science tables, arranged in square islands around the room. And pop one in my mouth in the locker room before a “fun run”(mile run) in gym class. And chew some while reading a book at Barnes and Noble after buying lunch at Giant. (Maybe that’s how I got so used to the cold- I would eat (cold) lunchables on a bench by Giant on very windy winter days.) And share it in the hot summer mornings (after getting off the bus, sitting/crowded in the cafeteria waiting for school to start) at the end of 7th and 8th grade with my best friends as we sat in our shorts and t-shirts, anticipating the and of the year field trips.

We hadn’t bought the gum in a while, but today I got some again again- and as everyone knows taste would be very bland without smell. So I inadvertently smelled the gum as I was unwrapping it and all the memories flooded back. Ahh carefree middle school. I didn’t like it then but I sure look back at those days wistfully now. Maybe I wouldn’t exchange my life now for my life then, but it sure would be nice to live it again.

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