Club Whittier

This semester I really loved volunteering at Club Whittier. The kids had so much enthusiasm (especially the boys) and each week I always had fun. My favorite part of the whole experience was sitting down with the kids and listening to them as they completed their different project each week. From drawing posters for cancer to making a Christmas list for a charity, the kids words were always very sweet and caring. When talking with them about how important it is to raise awareness for cancer they all were engaged and shared so much compassion for the patients. I also enjoyed playing the games with the kids. It was fun watching their expression after they got a "volunteer" out. They smiled from ear to ear. Most movies portray kids as being whiney and annoying but these kids were the total opposite. Being a volunteer for this organization was comforting. I learned a lot about the kids over the past couple weeks. When I was in elementary school I never had an after-school program like Club Whittier. Considering that these kids have a blast, it might be nice for all schools to have some sort of after-school program to get kids away from the television and actively playing. Club Whittier was such an enjoyable volunteer program. I had a great experience learning from the kids and participating in their after-school activity with them.

Tunnel Of Oppression

This past Thursday I went to the Davis Annex to walk through the Tunnel of Oppression. Some of the topics discussed were "the glass ceiling", human trafficking, gender neutral bathrooms, racism, problems with the educational system, and woman discrimination. The overall feeling of walking through the different rooms was depressing and ominous. The two rooms that really stood out to me were the gender neutral bathrooms and the room of woman discrimination.
The gender neutral bathrooms are a problem faced by transgender individuals and women/men that look like the opposite sex . (Ex. a women with manly features like a deep voice or facial hair) Many times, these individuals are forced out of their own bathrooms by the public. They get called "perverts" and are rushed out of the bathroom. I never really thought about this problem. These individuals are stuck without a bathroom and have to "hold it" for hours until they get home. I was pleased to find that Otterbein has quite a few gender neutral bathrooms.
The room of woman discrimination was filled with words that women commonly get described as, like bitch, fat, whore, boob job, facelift, etc. These words were so offensive to me and I was just standing in the room. As I looked around the room, I thought back on the words that my friends use, particularly my male friends. They tend to make jokes that involve women being described by these words. It made me sick to know I just let my friends use these words. I definitely need to take a stand to not let people use these offensive words.
I really liked the Tunnel of Oppression. It made you think about your life and how you can make a change to a world filled with many oppressions.

Leadership

Before entering this class, I could never really put together a definition of leadership. Through this class I have learned that leadership is not pertained to just a simple definition. It encompasses learning from others, analyzing data, caring for others, and being yourself. In high school, I was involved in different organizations like athletics, National Honor Society, and various clubs. I held different titles like vice-president, student representative and captain. After reading the different chapters of our leadership novel and hearing the speakers, I'm not sure I possessed the true characteristics of a leader. I didn't change anything, I was just another person in a position that had been around for years. I still continued to be myself and cared for others but never left a mark. Realizing this, I want to become a better leader. I want others to become inspired by me.  After I graduated high school, no one remembered what I had said or done. A leader is someone who, in my opinion, should be admired and remembered. They should go out of their way to create an outstanding organization. In today's world, businesses have to stand out to thrive; and a proper leader is at the foot of their success. The women we've had speak, have had much success. They've devoted their life to leadership, even if that means taking the hard road. This class has taught me to be more outspoken and fight for what you want. Women have a disadvantage in the workplace. It is time we change this. This class has become a vital asset to knowing what leadership is and how to accomplish it.

"When Dames Bond, Dames Thrive"

Last night I attended the "Dames Bond Networking Event" in downtown Columbus with President Krendl and eight other ladies from our Women and Leadership course. The event was focused around "being green". Two women business owners talked about their services and provided some successful tips to advertise your business and protect the environment. Different vendors provided "green" products such as mineral makeup and cleaning products. President Krendl also spoke about Otterbein's up-and-coming mentoring program. Inbetween the speakers, prizes were raffled off to Dame's Bond members. Looking back, I really enjoyed this event. The enthusiasm the women provided to become a successful woman was outstanding. I talked to four women after the speakers concluded. The women suggested to have fun in college, become a leader in different organizations, and talk to other women about their responsibilities to encourage other women to get involved and become leaders. I believe I received some good advice from these women and will remember their thoughts throughout my college career.

Culture and Leadership

For this week's lesson, the class was assigned to read Chapter 14 out of our leadership book. The topic: Culture and Leadership. Normally, I find the readings very monotonous. However, this week's reading was intriguing. As I read about how important it is to realize other's beliefs and values based on their cultures, it made me think an aweful lot about college. My hometown is not diverse at all. Just about everyone looks the same and thinks the same. Coming to Otterbein, a very small school, I thought that it would not be very different. However, I've met a lot of different people, some from England, some from Sri Lanka, some from China, and students from all over the United States. In reading this chapter, it made me think that I need to consider other student's values as I become involved in more activities at Otterbein. Even in my profession (Nursing) will I be faced with cultural differences. It is very important to know about other cultures and consider their point of views. Otterbein has already taken a great step to thinking outside of the box. Through taking Integrative Study classes, students are forced to examine other methods of solving a problem. In addition the research and findings of this chapter are evident in our everyday lives. In the Latin American sector (countries like Mexico, Colombia, Costa Rica, Venezuela, etc) studies found that they scored high on in-group collectivism and low on performance orientation, future orientation, institutional collectivism, and uncertainty avoidance. Throughout school, I've always learned that Latin Americans focus on family rather than being time oriented. They will get to the task whenever they can. This is just one example of how these studies are valid. I really enjoyed this reading and I believe it is something that I will think about and use throughout my leadership days.

Club Whittier

Yesterday I attended my fourth week of volunteering at Club Whittier. This service group involves the students at Whittier Elementary School in Westerville. As I become more familiar with the kids and their likes and abilities, I am able to better understand them. Some of the kids like to act out. For example, one child always likes to disobey the leader, Lauren. Consequently, he always has to sit out of the game portion. I really enjoy getting to play games with kids at Club Whittier. We also incorporate educational values for the children. The month of October raises awareness for cancer. This week, the children drew posters to advertise buying a .25 cent ribbon to support cancer patients. Not only do the kids at Club Whittier benefit from the physical exercise they participate in, but they are learning to be an active member in the community and their school to raise awareness for issues like cancer. Looking back, I wish I had an after-school program like Club Whittier to participate in. It's a lot of fun for the kids and volunteers!

BAC of .021

Last week I attended an FYE event that allowed students to experience what it was like to be drunk without picking up the bottle or can. The Center for Student Involvement set up an activity in the Campus Center allowing students to test "beer goggles". The task was to put on the beer goggles and attempt to walk along a straight line taped on the floor. Following that impossible exercise, I had to throw bean bags into a corn-hole board, trying to make them in the hole. This did not go well. I was way off. The impairment alcohol brings about is very powerful. I could barely walk and see clearly. Following the activities I was handed a pamphlet describing the harmful effects of alcohol. I found this FYE event very informational. I am a visual learner so it was interesting to experience what it was like to be drunk. It is something that I didn't enjoy and made me nauseous. I'll never forget the effects of what alcohol can do to your body. So next time you pick up a beer can, remember the consequences your body will be faced with!