Crafting a Service Story
As the videographer for the Chicago Bear Breaks trip, I’m viewing the majority of the trip from a completely different angle, which has provided me an opportunity to see the story of the trip unfold in a unique way. I expected to get great city skylines in the footage, and I’ve gotten a little of that, but what I also have seen is a group of diverse students gradually learning more about each other and the Chicago community at large. I can tell that this story is just beginning and that there’s a lot of potential when it comes to what this group can accomplish on this Bear Breaks excursion. I’m excited to see what happens from here, and I’m even more happy to capture it on camera as it happens!
A Day of Foundation
As previously stated, today was just the start of a week of service in Chicago, and I strongly believe that the foundation we set is a strong one. From the start of the day at La Casa Norte, the group gathered and got instruction from the coordinator, Roberto, about what responsibilities we had for the day. Part of the group helped construct shelves, others crafted a banner, and then everyone came together to help organize the pantry. After that, I saw the true value of reflection in our first group discussion, with the most interesting point being how each individual perceived the events of the day. We all have a unique view of the world due to last cultural experiences and life events, and that became quite apparent throughout the discussion.
Time for Exploring
It wouldn’t be a Bear Breaks trip if the Bears couldn’t get a break, and that’s exactly what we did tonight. We were able to walk the shopping strip downtown, see the Bean at night, and grab shakes together to finish it all off. Something about this night felt quite magical and overall had a strong vibe of happiness around it. Everyone was in good spirits and it was a lovely moment where I realized just how similar we all are despite our past histories and differences. I think beauty in diversity is often slightly misinterpreted. Yes, the variety is a valuable opportunity to see different perspectives and to greater understand cultures around us, but having diversity also serves as a strong reminder that humanity is, at the end of the day, a very singular experience. We all have the same worries, the same passions, and the same loves. Reveling in that variety while appreciating the similarities is my definition of what makes diversity so incredibly beautiful.