Table of Plenty December 4th

Tonight I took the chance to go and serve dinner for the hungry at the Table of Plenty in Half Moon Bay. Table of Plenty is an organization that serves free meals weekly to those who cannot afford to have dinner each night. It lasts for a few hours and the community has the opportunity to come together to enjoy a nice, warm meal. There are many of Table of Plenty event locations in America and volunteers come from all over the states to serve. Tonight, I served with other NDNU students along with NDNU staff, younger teens, and elderly citizens from the Bay Area. I finally got the opportunity to be a waitress and be able to serve my community. I liked that the food was healthy and an "all you can eat" style. It is important for everyone to be able to have access to healthy food because obesity has been one of America's leading struggles for years. There was a range of people from young children to elderly couples at tonight's supper and seeing everyone together brought about a sense of love and equality in the room. Seeing the smile on the people's faces that I served was rewarding. I strongly believe that giving is just as or more important than receiving. Food is a simple necessity in life and everyone needs it so survive and no one deserves to be left hungry. Knowing how much food the average American wastes a week and that many are out on the streets looking for some is highly concerning. Tonight was a good time for me to reflect on what I have and am able to give to others. In the future, I would like to continue to volunteer for this organization and had an overall great experience. I also feel as if I helped spread the word and meaning of the NDNU hallmarks this evening. Being with my new community and helping them better their lifestyles brings me great peace and happiness.

NDNU Open Mic Night

On November 13th, 2014 I attended an open mic night held on the second floor lounge of Julia Billiart Hall at NDNU. Although I could not stay the full length of the show, I still had a good experience. There were acts ranging from singing, playing instruments, reciting poetry, and more.Out of the small handful of acts I saw, my favorite was a girl's poem. This girl's poem was about equality for both women and race. She showed passion without being violent and used good vocabulary throughout her reading. I could feel emotion and plead from this girl's voice reflecting off of her thoughts and beliefs and the audience stayed quiet until the end. I believe that everything she said is true and that discrimination between gender and race is still a problem in modern day society. An art gallery was also part of this event and I got to see another form of NDNU's expressions through different pieces of work. Each work of art was unique and beautiful in it's own way. There were visual designs on computers, paintings, and different types of drawings all on display. After attending this event I felt like I got to know my peers better and understand them in a deeper matter. Sometimes we don't need to talk in order to express how we look or feel. I hope that NDNU continues to host open mic nights so students can display their ideas and interests into the college community.

NDNU Veterans Day Service

On November 11, 2014 I had the chance to attend a Veteran’s Day service in the NDNU chapel. The audience consisted of NDNU students, families, alumni, and NDNU Veterans who have helped serve for our country. To start the service, Sr. Patricia McGlinn discussed her life growing up with a father who served during World War Two. It was interesting to hear about this different lifestyle and the constant fear and anticipation that these families faced. Some NDNU Veterans spoke and explained their own experiences of life in the army. Some had worse experiences compared to soldiers who performed less brutal tasks. The main guest was World War Two veteran Marvin Bertelsen who was part of the 12^th Armored Division taking training in Fort Bragg. Marvin took part in helping liberate people from concentration camps in Germany. His acts are very inspiring to our nation because of the peace and help he demonstrated. Marvin is currently living in Sunnyvale with his wife and travels to different schools explaining his story. At the end of the service Dr. Gillian Wallace discussed the story of red poppies from World War that resemble the commemoration of the soldiers who died while serving. This service was an emotional yet unique and inspiring experience. The service has led me to be more thankful for the soldiers who protect the nation and me.  

Preparation for Thanksgiving in the Park 11/25/14

Today I took the time to help prepare food for the event Thanksgiving in The Park. Thanksgiving in the Park is an event hosted by Union Station Homeless Services to provide a Thanksgiving dinner for people who cannot afford one. This group seeks to end homelessness and treat everyone as equals. There are seven different locations in America for this service group. Union Station Homeless Services also provides other programs such as street outreach, employment development, mental health services, and more. Today, I got the opportunity to help with making sandwiches for these families to enjoy on Thanksgiving Day. Other jobs to help prepare for this event included preparing turkey, vegetables, and dog treats. Being able to help my community with something so simple as preparing food is a sign that one should never take what they have for granted. Simple acts of kindness can make positive impacts on those who are less fortunate. Food is one of the greatest and most important necessities of life so why not make sure that everyone has equal access to it? Everyone deserves to be happy during the holidays and helping with this event is the first of many steps in helping achieve this goal.

Thoughts on Setting Aside Half of The World for Wildlife

Although setting aside half of the planet for wildlife may seem like an ambitious goal, it could benefit our planet greatly. In order for the Earth to maintain it's remaining organisms, humans need to put more care into our natural habitats and wildlife. Everyone has to be able to agree on the making of the "wildlife corridors" in order to make this project successful. On the other hand, this project comes with many obstacles. Some struggles may be not having enough space for humans, lack of care and effort for wildlife in the future, and the money that will go into the project. Although M.C. Davis and E.O. Wilson are passionate about the idea of expanding wildlife preserves,not everyone is in the same agreement with them. Business men who have already created large corporations may be upset to lose their land. Some animals will need larger areas than others as well. I think that the world can try to make this project or a similar situation happen if we are all in a form agreement. Something needs to be done to help our dying wildlife or else mass extinction will re-occur.

Interesting Points About the Gaia Theory

As I continued to watch the Gaia theory video clips I discovered some interesting facts. I found it interesting when Harding discussed the possibility of putting sulfate into the air to cool the atmosphere. He also mentioned that iron is an important nutrient for the ocean and that Lovelock had the idea of putting pipes into the ocean so cooling of the ocean would spread. The Gaia theory is spiritual and I found it amusing when Harding describe holistic science. He discussed that quantity and quality need to be equal and having this spiritual and animistic relationship with the Earth will help with changing it's environmental condition. The Earth is disappearing and we need to make a positive change starting with a better relationship with nature.

Camping at Black Mountain Reserve was a fun experience that I won't forget. The two mile hike up to the reserve in the heat was challenging, but when everyone  reached the reserve I developed a great feeling of accomplishment. During the hike I had the opportunity to take in my surroundings and enjoy the trees, hills, plants,rocks, and animals around me. Having my classmates by my side also made the hike and overall trip more enjoyable because we shared the experience together. Out of all of the sites I saw, the sunset was the most breath taking. It was then that I became most thankful for nature and the sun that shines bright on me each day. Taking the time to stop and remain quiet was important in getting the most out of this peaceful experience. After all of the beautiful site seeing, it was time to sit back and enjoy my company. I got to know many of my fellow students better through this trip and was glad that we could bond outside of the University in a more natural setting. We faced challenges such as hiking through the heat and setting up tents for the first time which drew all of us closer to each other. By the end of the trip I realized how important it is to keep the Earth clean and preserved so everyone can enjoy it the way I did. Camping at Black Mountain Reserve was refreshing and I can't wait to go back.

My experience at Potrero Nuevo Farm was both amazing and fun. I learned the type of programs they provide such as an alternate academic organization for kids who come a few times a week and learn to do activities that help the farm and serves as therapy for them as well. Their is also a program provided for underprivileged families called "You Pick" which allows them to come once a week and pick a certain amount of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. However, with the current drought the farm has been having an off year. The managers have had to cut off some of their programs earlier because their is not enough water to help the crops grow. One of the managers, Jay, explained to us that it would take thousands of dollars to import water but they have constructed two wells to help the farm out. The optimism that the farm managers have intrigues me and shows that they are dedicated and determined to keep their farm going even with the drought. I hadn't realized how much hard work  the farmers put into their land each day.While my class was at the farm, we had the opportunity to harvest potatoes, pick and bundle lavender, and take a tour around the land. The philanthropic goal of this particular farm is inspiring and makes me feel fortunate about what I have and how I can help others. This trip was memorable and I can't wait to go back and help again.