‘OACS’
Suid-Afrika
Jul. 18, 2014—The first week in review: We focus on learning as much as possible about our area, our service projects, and the people with whom we'd be working.
Into Africa
Jul. 17, 2014—With just a month of summer left, it's past time for me to update the Vanderbilt community about the adventures I've had so far, including working at The Party and flying to South Africa!
Ethical Service
Mar. 18, 2014—Ethical service––sounds redundant, right? Actually, there’s a lot that can go wrong when we try to do service without first being educated. This is the model adopted by both Alternative Spring Break and the Office of Active Citizenship and Service. In particular, for my most recent seminar in preparation for my trip to South Africa...
Gathering a Drop of Water: A South Africa Summer
Feb. 20, 2014—In preparation for this summer's OACS Global Service project in South Africa, our group met for the first seminar.
I’m going to South Africa!
Jan. 17, 2014—I'm so excited about my trip to South Africa this summer. The trip is sponsored by the Office of Active Citizenship and Service. Throughout the semester I'll learn about South Africa and service, and then for the month of June I'll be living and working in Port Elizabeth!
A Farewell Until Fall- Study Abroad at Vanderbilt
Dec. 14, 2013—This afternoon, I helped one of my friends pack up her car for winter break. It wasn’t until I saw Greta’s empty room that I realized she wasn’t going to be here next semester because she is going abroad.
The 5 Reasons You Don’t Really Need a Car at Vandy
Aug. 26, 2013—The fall semester of 2013 means lots of "firsts" for me: my first job on campus, my first time living in a 4-person suite, and my first time bringing the good ol' Orland mini-van to campus. While having access to non-bus and non-cab transportation has been a luxury, having a car at Vandy is definitely something I could comfortably live without. The "swagger wagon", if you will, is a nice-to-have, but not a must-have.
Impressions of Zanzibar
Aug. 6, 2011—Zanzibari culture was incredibly different from American culture. To some extent it had to do with the fact that their society is much more conservative, dominated by Islam, but also involved just a different outlook on life.
Lost in Translation
Jul. 25, 2011—In addition to my class of high schoolers, I also had a few more classes. I worked with the night class, which was full of adults who worked during the days and wanted to learn English. I also taught beginning French, which was certainly an experience in itself.
Language Barriers
Jul. 10, 2011—One of my primary classes was teaching high school students (age 16 and 17) English after their school finished. There were four teachers for a class of about twenty, so there was plenty of one-on-one time. And while our class was five days a week, we needed A TON more time to teach them. Teaching...