Northeastern University

Raquel :)

Only Two Weeks Left :(

November 10th, 2009 by morelandr | Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Ideally, in two weeks I would be going home for a few weeks and then coming back to London. I wish that we weren’t so close to the end of this program. What I am most excited about being home again is seeing my family and friends, sleeping in my own bed, eating my moms cooking and using a kitchen that fits more than a few people at one time. However I feel like I am going to miss London when I go home just as much as I miss home right now because after living here for the past few months it feels like a home- I’m sure to the majority of us. What will be most strange is not seeing everyone in this program every day anymore. If I need to talk to anyone, I just walk straight to their dorm here because everyone’s room is at least within a one-minute walking distance in the building. We do everything together; we take classes together, eat together, travel together, etc. We have grown to be so close to each other, it’s going to be such a difference not seeing everyone when we go home. Even when we go to Boston, the chances that we will see each other on campus are very slim because the school is so big and we have such a wide variety of majors.

I remember last year my brother being away for the first few months of his junior year, and when he came back the first thing he noticed was how different my sister was. She just entered high school this fall and I am slightly nervous to see if her life has changed at all since I have been gone. She was also left at home as an only child since my brother and I are both in college now, so I’m sure that had to have had some effect on her.

Overall, when I go home I feel like I can say I completely took advantage of being here and I feel like I have had a completely fulfilled experience. I remember back in May talking to my Dad about whether it would be a good idea to go abroad my first semester, freshman year, or not. I had originally submitted a deposit to Bard college and I was prepared to go there when I got my spring acceptance letter to Northeastern. When I visited the school, I fell in love with everything about it, but I was still in between going there or Bard because I wasn’t sure if I felt ready to go abroad my first semester. After talking it over with some friends, I was convinced to participate in this program and I am so happy that I did. I was given the opportunity to do something most people wait to do their junior year. Not only do I feel like I experienced London to the fullest, I also experienced the beautiful cultures of other cities like Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Barcelona, and Dublin. I would definitely say I made the right decision in coming here.

Exercise 10.4

November 3rd, 2009 by morelandr | Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Plain and simply, I would like to see people become more accepting towards all different types of people. It is frustrating when you are judged or someone else is judged negatively based on our economic background, our social status, what we look like, and where we come from. It isn’t fair to anyone, but it is the way the world works. If this change did ever happen, it would benefit everyone immensely because it means that everyone would have equal opportunity.

Ignorance, I believe, is the worlds downfall. If people were less ignorant, so many problems would be solved. People would learn to accept everyone. The only way this attitude could be effective is if it is spread to others simply by talking; expressing these views to everyone. The service learning experience has prepared me to work for this change because it has showed me that being part of a community project is educational to everyone. The more people I meet, the more these ideas can be spread.

Global Citizen

November 3rd, 2009 by morelandr | Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Being a global citizen for me means being aware, acceptable, and adaptable to different cultures. It is being able to travel or live in a different country comfortably. I believe Global citizens to be far less ignorant than the rest of the world. I like to think of myself as a global citizen because i love traveling to different countries and becoming immersed with there cultures. I have been fortunate to have traveled to many different countries, some two or three times and each time has been a new, beneficial, and educational experience. I hope to one day study abroad in Spain or maybe even live there someday.

A Change in Identity

October 27th, 2009 by morelandr | Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

My identity change due to service learning has only been beneficial. The service learning experiences I have participated in back home are far different from those I have participated in here. In Buffalo I have always heard about fundraising opportunities and environmental projects however I have always preferred to work with senior citizens and working with the children at my dance studio. Partaking in these opportunities have given me a new outlook on these amazing organizations (e.g. Breast Cancer Research UK, Cancer Research, and Thames 21). Actually being a part of the experience makes me feel like I am making much more of a difference towards the cause rather than just donating money. When I go home I plan to participate in more service learning opportunities involving fundraising and helping the environment.

Drinking

October 27th, 2009 by morelandr | Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

The drinking culture in the United States is far different from that in England; I believe mainly due to the fact that in the U.S. the drinking age is 21 and here the drinking age is 18. When we arrived in London, one of the first places we went out to was the Imperial College Bar. I was shocked that a college would have a bar, however that’s how it is with most colleges here and it makes sense considering most people coming into college will already be of age to drink when they start out as freshman. The people whom I have spoken to about drinking at Imperial college talked about drinking as an important aspect of their lives however not because they want to get wasted. It is done in a more casual setting with close friends and often family. If you were to ask an 18 year old in the U.S. why they drink, usually the reason is to get wasted at a social setting.

Cancer Research

October 20th, 2009 by morelandr | Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Depending on what service-experience we are involved with, the roles change. The past two experiences I have been a part of, my role has been raising money for breast cancer research and cheering on runners for a half marathon fundraiser for cancer research. I felt successful while raising money for breast cancer research because people were continuously donating money throughout the three hours I was fundraising and I felt like I raised a decent amount of money. During the run when all of us were cheering, many people seemed to become more motivated and happy that people were there to support their cause. The only obstacle I encountered during the fundraising was that I started off slightly timid, however as a bit of time passed I became more comfortable with confronting people kindly and persuasively and asking them to donate money. Both of these service-learning experiences were rewarding to everyone involved. The outcome was very visible for both experiences. I would definitely say that I accomplished my personal goals for these experiences because immediately afterwards I felt like I had made a difference. 

Changing Perspectives of Experience/London

October 20th, 2009 by morelandr | Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Time is going by quicker and quicker as we approach our final days in London. As one would expect, I feel like I am far more immersed with the culture and that I am very familiar with the area. I feel like a more independent person being comfortable traveling without my family, cooking on my own, and in general making decisions on my own that I may not have normally had to make on my own before. The service-learning experiences have been beneficial to everyone and they have been somewhat of a crutch for me to get to know or even just talk to more Londoners. 

The Disciplinary Lens

October 12th, 2009 by morelandr | Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

To be a Spanish major one must speak some Spanish. The best way to learn Spanish is to throw yourself into an environment where people only speak Spanish to you so therefore you have to speak it back. I have been in this situation when I participated in foreign exchange programs to Costa Rica and Spain. Living with Spanish speaking families is difficult but a great educational experience. I learned so much because I had to force myself to listen to them more intently and I had to force myself to become comfortable speaking to them in a language that isn’t native to me. This skill can definitely be helpful when it comes to service learning, especially if you are dealing with people. You have to be able to approach them and make yourself approachable. You have to learn how to speak to them taking into consideration who they are and where they come from. 

Jubilee Place

October 12th, 2009 by morelandr | Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

For my service learning experience outside of zone 1 I went to the Jubilee Place mall to help raise money for breast cancer research. When we arrived at the mall we knew we would be stationed at various places throughout the mall asking people to donate their money, however we were surprised to find out the attire that we had to wear. The women in charge of the organization handed all of us pink camouflage outfits and to top it off, a pink beret. We looked ridiculous however it did help us raise more money. A couple people came up to me and said, “I’m going to donate money just because you have to wear that ridiculous costume.”

            It was interesting how the people passing through the mall treated us. Some people looked at me with a smile and said, “no, thank you,” but the majority wouldn’t even acknowledge that I was asking them a question.  This service learning experience was a challenge because you have to make people want to donate money. You have to be kind but at the same time aggressive. 

Insider Description of Site

September 29th, 2009 by morelandr | Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Thames 21 was quite a different experience compared to the volunteering events I have participated in back in the U.S. I have never done a service event that had to do with helping the environment. I had a lot of fun particularly because I felt like I was becoming a part of the community. Everyone was friendly and I felt like I was making a difference in the environment. Although I found many gross objects, it was a great bonding experience. Thames 21 has inspired me to look for more volunteering events that help the environment.