Page 10 - Priorities #37 2007-April

Students helped prepare and deliver food—here, a bag of fresh Chinese delicacies is ready to go.
‘Our class has the ability to balance fun and seriousness. Our class is welcoming and respectful of other people and different environments.’
From a student reflection paper.
the two activities that led them to think about themselves. In one, a rope was placed on the floor and a series of simple but challenging questions were posed about race, gender, sexuality, and appearance. Students were asked to cross over the rope if the question was true for them.
For example, near the end of the experience, the question was “Have you been teased, hurt or offended by someone in this room?” Every student and all but three adults crossed over the rope. “And yet, we are still a strong class and really support each other,” one student commented. It was in a way the same lesson they were learning about the bonds in the Tenderloin.
Back at school, students offered these personal views about the Tenderloin District in their reflection papers.
• I learned about how people [in the Tenderloin District] have a sense of community.
• The amount of impoverished people is overwhelming and we need to be aware of that before we can solve the problem.
• There are a lot of kind people in the Tenderloin. Most homeless people aren’t addicted to something but rather [might] just have bad luck.
• People who need help still have hope and confidence.
• The ethnicity of the people there is much more varied than I originally thought.
• There are many people who have lives way different from mine, and no matter who they are we should respect them.
• When I walked around, I realized how sheltered I was from that kind of society.
• I don’t take for granted my wealth, privileges, education or opportunities.
Here are some students’ personal views about themselves and their class
• Our class is more closely-knit than I thought. • We’re pretty honest.
• We are a respectful class.
• Our class contains a great amount of compassion for each other and everyone else. • I learned that as a class we can work to help those less fortunate.
• Our class has the ability to balance fun and seriousness. Our class is welcoming and respectful of other people and different environments.
• [The retreat] provided me with a sense of confidence that I could help someone.
— Carolyn Dobervich with notes from Alyssa Cheung
Students volunteered at a variety of service sites, including Project Open Hand.
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Some students were surprised at the number of small ethnic festivals they encountered in their weekend.