Mid-Semester Update!

Whew this semester is flying by! It's exciting to think that our trip to San Diego is steadily approaching!

On that note, here are important dates for the trip itself:

Everyone should be back on campus by noon on Monday, January 4th. We'll have our team commissioning ceremony, weigh-in and packing...

Everyone on the team should have received our flight information, but here's a quick summary: Our flight will leave bright and early on the 5th and arrive in San Diego around noon. When we return at the end of the trip on the 27th, we'll land in Indy around 10:30 pm. We'll assume everyone is taking the coach back to DePauw unless told otherwise; if you're a parent and are planning on picking your son/daughter up directly from the airport that's totally fine as long as they let us know!

In other news, things are going well as we prepare for our trip. Our fall team retreat was October 4th out at the reflections center in the nature park. It was a good chance to start getting to know each other better, learn about homelessness, and discuss some of the challenges of servicework. We read and discussed "A Resident of Nowhere" by Ed Loring and "To Hell with Good Intentions" by Ivan Illich. Vicky and Becca also put together a powerpoint that provided an overview of both national and local trends in homelessness as well as the relevant legislation. At the end of the retreat, we visited the A-Way Home Shelter, Greencastle's center for homeless individuals and families. We learned about the resources the center provides and were able to tour the facility--we were saddened to learn that there are no resources for individual homeless teenagers in Greencastle! In any case, during the remainder of the semester, smaller groups of our team are planning on serving dinners a few time at the shelter!

Anyway, we still have a few team meetings left and I am getting more and more excited about the trip! More info to come!

Parent Meeting Location Changed!

As it turns out, from 10:15-11:00, President Brian Casey will be holding an event in the ballroom of the UB Building entitled "A Conversation with President Brian Casey." It seems like a fun thing to check out--it's been advertised as an opportunity to meet and chat with the President over coffee and snacks.

However, this means that due to the proximity of Terrace Room C to the ballroom, our meeting this Saturday has been moved from Terrace Room C to the "Fishbowl." The Fishbowl is also in the UB Building; it's the room on the east side of the lobby (to the right when walking in the main entrance.) It has glass windows all along the wall... hence the name "Fishbowl."

We look forward to seeing you at 11:00 this Saturday!

Paige

Welcome & Important Info about Upcoming Parent/Team Meeting!

Welcome to the team blog for the Winter Term in Service Trip to San Diego! My name is Paige Penrod, and I am the project intern for the trip, one of three student leaders. I am super excited about the upcoming year as we prepare to spend our winter terms learning about and working with homeless teens in San Diego. We have a great partnership with an organization called StandUp for Kids, and, if I might say so myself, a great team that is motivated to make the most of all the experiences!

Whether you are a parent, relative or friend of one of our team members, this blog is for you. Please check this page out during the fall for updates as we prepare for the trip. During our time in San Diego in January, this blog will have entries from team members about our work and our experiences. I hope you check it out--it's a fun way to be plugged in!

You might have a number of questions already and be curious as to what we will be doing in San Diego. Parents, please come to our parent meeting during Family Weekend here at DePauw! All team members are expected to attend so we encourage that you try to make it as well:

Parent/Team Meeting
Saturday, Sept. 26th
11:00-11:30
Terrace Room C, Hub

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Paige