Tag: Senior Projects

Pulling Out Weeds

On By Tran in DCIn Uncategorized1 Comment

Our train from Wilmington arrived in Washington D.C at 11am today. We walked eight blocks from Union Station to our hostel, heavy suitcases rolling behind and bags weighing down our shoulders. As soon as we arrived, Brad – the place owner- greeted us with a smile. William Penn House is not just a lovely and cozy community home tucked in a corner of Capitol Hill, the economic and political center of District of Columbia. It is also a Quaker hospitality center that sponsors programs and seminars on social justice and community service, targeting issues at the heart of Quaker values such as social and economic justice, sustainability and community building. Through the William Penn House network, our groups will connect with many non-profit organizations that address these concerns. Today, we spent a chunk of our time getting acquainted with two of them: Groundwork Anacostia and Capitol Hill Village.

Groundwork Anacostia DC- also called “the center for green urbanism” – is a part of Groundwork USA, a non-profit organization that works to renovate public lands through sustainable environment care and enhancement. Their hands-on programs have made tremendous improvements in the area’s landscape, fostering a much safer and healthier environment for the community. Groundwork reminds me of  another “green” NGO founded by Majora Carter  (she was a Shoemaker at Westtown last fall if you remember) called “Sustainable South Bronx” where she started green-collar job training programs that get workers out of their underemployment status, an approach that pairs together economic and environmental solutions. Even though they differ in their approach and vision, Groundwork also aims at building and improving community through tackling environmental issues.

Capitol Hill Village is a non-profit organization that takes advantage of volunteers in order to provide senior citizens the means to live comfortably in their own homes as they grow older. Today we helped clear out the weed-covered path in front of Capitol Hill Village building. As we raked through the dead leaves, the brown surface was gradually replaced with green shrubs. Little by little, our minds are also transforming, filling themselves with new realizations and understanding of the world around us.

During two weeks, how many “weeds” from our mind could we get rid of and replace them with budding life?

Tran

Oh my Gaudi!

On By MaggieIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Today we visited two of Antonio Gaudi’s most famous works: Parc Guell and La Sagrada Familia. A modernist architect at the turn of the century, Gaudi must have been Divinely inspired. This man was a genius; it is hard to find adequate words to describe his marvels. Before touring Gaudi’s works we stopped at El Mercat de Boqueria, a market along La Rambla, a wide street leading up to the northern area of the city. Inside the market vendors were selling colorful candies and fruits. Further back slabs of meat hung from the ceiling and vendors were selling fish, eggs and bread. After breakfast at the market we headed up to Parc Guell.

Parc Guell was a maze of winding pathways traversing a hill side overlooking the city. There were so many panoramic views of Barcelona–the shining sea and skyline were exquisite. At the front entrance to the park was a beautiful building decorated with mosaics. We sat for a moment on the iconic mosaic benches lining the top of the structure. After lunch and a cup of coffee we hiked to La Sagrada Familia, an unearthly and breathtaking cathedral on which Gaudi worked until his untimely death in 1926. We stayed until closing. Although still under construction, La Sagrada Familia is striking. Soaring ceilings, intricate masonry, enormous stained-glass windows–this was just the beginning. Although I can try to describe the cathedral, I don’t have the right words to describe my experience. As I sat and prayed, admiring the otherworldly beauty surrounding me, I felt like God was right there sitting next to me. Whether or not you believe in God, or a Higher Power, Gaudi’s church is a sacred place of peace; it is a sanctuary. Gaudi had an incredible ability; he was a visionary and he left the world with a beautifully sacred space in which to contemplate life’s great questions.

-Maggie

Pre-trip

On By ariinthemiddleeastIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

I’m leaving from my house for the airport at around 5:30 tonight to meet the group and get on a 9:00ish plane to Tel Aviv. I still haven’t completely finished packing. I was talking to a recent alum who went on this trip two years ago and he said by the end he was sick of eating shwarma and falafel. For now, I’m excited to eat the authentic cuisine and haggle at the street shops. This is a strange time for me, as my wrestling career just ended on Saturday and I’m about to go into a very real situation in a global/political hotspot to learn and maybe form my own opinion on the controversies. We’ll see how it goes.

Ari-

First Day in Barcelona

On By MaggieIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

We arrived in Barcelona early this morning, just as the sun was rising. After a cab ride to our apartment we met Miguel, the owner of the apartment. Miguel shared with us some of his favorite restaurants and a nap we decided to explore the Born, the neighborhood in which we are staying. The Born is home to Santa Maria del Mar, one of Barcelona’s most famous churches. After sitting in on some of Sunday mass we wandered around some more, walking by the Picasso museum. We eventually stumbled upon one of the restaurants that Miguel had mentioned. It was truly serendipitous–we thought we were lost and were just about to go back to the apartment to re-orient ourselves when we saw the restaurant, known for its Tapas style Peruvian Japanese food. Later in the afternoon we hiked around seeing the Arc Triomf and Parc de la Ciutadella. In the park we saw the Cascada Fountain, designed by Josep Fontsere and his apprentice Antoni Gaudi.

Off to Barcelona!

On By phoebebarcelonaIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

As I begin writing this post, I am still having a hard time believing that this time tomorrow I will be on a flight to Barcelona, Spain. Needless to say, I’m incredibly excited and nervous at the same time. After taking Spanish throughout high school, I’m really looking forward to immersing myself completely in Spanish language and culture.

Specifically, I am going on the faculty-sponsored trip to Barcelona. We will land in Barcelona on Monday and will meet up with our host families upon arrival. We will then take classes at Aula Magna Europea (AULA), a private school that participates in an exchange program with Westtown. Along with taking classes and learning about Spanish history and culture, we will be given the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities; personally, I am hoping to take art classes such as photography and drawing. In addition to visiting historical sites within Barcelona, we will also visit Madrid for our last three days of our trip. We will return to Philadelphia on March 8th.

Through this project, I hope to enhance my Spanish speaking abilities as well as heighten my understanding of Spanish culture and art. I plan to bring my sketchbook, journal, and film camera for this trip in order to fully document my experience over these next three weeks.

With that being said, I’m off to pack again!

Phoebe

Beginning My Medical Adventure Soon

On By pennmedmattIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

I am currently writing this from an Amtrak train and am headed to Boston for two days. This trip has absolutely nothing to do with my senior project but seemed like a good opening. Starting this Monday, I will begin working at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) in the Abramson Cancer Center. I will be primarily working with Trish, a patient support specialist, who I met when I volunteered at HUP this past summer. I designed my senior project to allow me to continue the work that I was doing over the summer and even expand on it. I will be spending a majority of my time seeing Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancer patients, while they are at the hospital receiving chemotherapy, radiation, or having a check-up with their doctor. A large number of the specific patients that I will be seeing will not only have a serious form of cancer, but also have financial woes. There are a few foundations that set aside funds each month for desperate patients. I will write grants in an effort to get help for the patients. This help could come in the form of meals, food, or even a family vacation. My goals for the four weeks that I will be working are to learn more about cancer in general and the medical profession, earn at least $10,000 of foundations’ grant money and befriend 50 patients that I will visit whenever they are at HUP.

Because Trish is the only person who is working to get the cancer patients money, I will be spending this next month trying to design a more effective system that allows more patients to get the money that foundations have set aside for them. I hope not to overwork myself and that I am successful with my goals. I will be periodically posting entries on this blog during the four weeks. Please read my posts, I will try my hardest to make them interesting.

Senior Projects 2012

On By Westtown SchoolIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

They’ve been planning for this all year. Some have been thinking about what they would do for several years.  And now, finally, their bags are packed: it is time. The seniors depart tomorrow for their Senior Projects. These Projects will take them to 15 countries and all around the United States. The Class of 2012 will participate in 57 different Projects, ranging from shadowing doctors to interning with a fashion design house to conducting research in a chemistry lab to rock climbing. The school-sponsored trips this year will take groups of students to Heritage Academy in Ghana, to AULA in Barcelona, and to Israel/Palestine.

We invite you to follow along as a few our seniors write about their experiences in the field here in this blog. We wish all Westtown School seniors a bon voyage!

Spain 2012

On By MaggieIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Hi everyone!

It’s hard to believe that I am leaving for Spain this Saturday. My mom and I will travel around Barcelona, Madrid, Toledo and Salamanca over the course of our two weeks abroad. We will be visiting spiritual heritage sites as well as some museums. In Salamanca, I’ll be checking out the university as it is where I hope to study abroad in college.

My senior project has started a little early as I have been away from school with a stomach bug, but I am hoping to be fully recovered by Saturday.

Cheers!

Maggie

Just Another Detroit Day

On By henryandthecollapsedcityIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Hello all,

Today I did some more distributing of flyers for the venue with a member of the collective. We explored Hamtramic, which is a neighborhood separate but connected to Detroit. It’s hard to explain, but basically in the 60’s the government built highway 75 which destroyed the neighborhood. The highway was also a point of racial tension. In Hamtramic we stopped off at the place know as the Detroit Disney World. Some guy hit retirement and didn’t know what to do with himself and covered his house in crazy stuff. After I got back I went for a bike ride to the train station. The building has a real presence and beauty in its decayed state.

Peace,

Henry