March 24, 2011
As I look back on today, I’ve come to the conclusion that it was simply a really great day. While working at the high school today, I finally got the opportunity to really interact with the students. I was able to help different groups of kids work on their math problem throughout the day. Also, I was able to sit-in on an art class, which was pretty interesting to watch. However, the day also helped me to realize how difficult the job of a teacher is. I found it so frustrating to try and explain something to someone who just does not understand. For the teachers at Bronx International, this task is made even more difficult by the fact that these kids are still struggling with the English language.
One thing that I’ve found really interesting this week has been talking to the different teachers and staff at the school. Two of the teachers that I talked with studied engineering as an undergraduate, and both even worked in the field for a period of time. As someone who is studying engineering, and still not exactly sure which direction I want to go in, it is really interesting to see all of the different options that are out there.
On the other hand, I’m not sure that I’m cut out to be a teacher. All of the teachers and staff at this school are just so incredible. I really don’t understand how they do such difficult work each and every day. One thing I know for sure is that these people love these kids and, more than anything else, want the best for them. Despite the flaws in the school that my co-volunteers and I noticed, it wouldn’t be fair to place the blame for those flaws on the teachers. It seems that they are just doing the best that they can. I don’t believe that there is any way there someone could do this job without really caring about the work and the kids.
Now! Onto the fun stuff. After we finished our school day, we went back to the hostel for about 30 minutes, then headed out for our big banquet in Times Square with the other ASB New York trip and UMD grads living around the city. It was really interesting to hear the other group speak about their experiences, and to compare how different two ASB trips can be. Also, it was nice to meet to meet the alumnae and hear about all of the things that they have done since graduating from the University of Maryland. Most importantly, however, the food was fantastic. It was buffet-style, and filled with the most delectable treats I have ever seen. We all filled our tummies, then mingled with the grads and other ASB-ers until we were kicked out of the Cornell Club because they had to close for the night.
That’s when the real fun began. As we left the restaurant and were walking back to the subway stop, someone had the idea to “dance” to the song “Whip my hair” (I don’t actually know if this is the real name of the song, but I’m pretty sure it won’t be confused with any other) in the middle of Times Square. I volunteered to record the charade, being the generous person that I am. Unfortunately, the last time that I recorded anything was with my father’s giant black VHS recorder that had a carrying case the size of a small carry-on bag. So, when it came time to actually record the crew in action, I failed to rise to the occasion. I didn’t press the record button. However, we weren’t going to give up just yet! They got out there in the middle of Times Square and whipped their hair like there was no tomorrow. And, by golly, this time I got it on tape! (Viral YouTube video to come.) A gentleman from some late night television show (presumably) spotted the suave dance moves, along with our natural charisma and charm, and asked if we would like to be on TV. Five minutes later we were standing behind an actor from ‘Moonstruck’ jumping up and down and yelling because we were so excited to get on TV.
But our night wouldn’t end there! After we had not one, but two, impromptu dance sessions in the middle of Times Square, and were featured on television, we saw a fire truck rounding the corner near us. As we turned the corner, heading for the metro station, we saw a trash fire! Trash fire! The brave firemen quickly put it out, but for a few minutes it was a pretty respectable fire.
That pretty much concludes our day. I don’t think I’m alone in saying that this has definitely been one of my favorite days so far. I’ve really been enjoying this trip, and have gotten so much out of it so far. It’s hard to believe that tomorrow will be our last day volunteering at the school. It seems like we’re just starting to feel at home at Bronx International. I guess we’ll all just have to make sure that we make the most of tomorrow. I’m looking forward to a great last day of a great trip!
Lauren
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