Re: Yesterday

Dear Betsy,
I think that the Community Partner / Faculty Luncheon went really well! Did you get that congratulatory email from Executive Dean Leatherbarrow?
I don't know if it was the table placement, our brilliant "social engineering" in the guest seating, the "Thinking about Service Learning" activity, or just our ridiculous charm, (which is totally the talk of the campus, by the way) but even Kim, who almost didn't come based on how little she got out of previous years, seemed to walk away with ideas and connections to grow an SL program at her center.
I was worried that Brian would leave empty handed, but he announced that he had an internet development class, and agencies all FLOCKED to him! I was worried about making that class work, now, with our luncheon, this quarter is that much closer to a success for him!
The cross section of attendees was great. We were hoping for 25, we got 50, and with the threat of snow no less! The guy from the teen center with the skinny tie and asymmetrical hair, Cynthia, who's very grace seems sometimes to make her seem out of place, the intense lady from the library, the seemingly endless line of bright eyed AmeriCorps, the people from all of the agencies with whom we had been in contact, and the interdisciplinary smorgasbord of faculty members all carefully shuffled to break out of their traditional cliques facilitated connections that couldn't have happened through our office alone.
Oh, and Steph and I presented to Donna's class last night, and it went unexpectedly well. Neither of us had ever worked with an ESL class, so it was an awkward start, finding the right way to talk in a way that the students understood what we were saying, but that we weren't talking down to them. I kind of wish we had discussed it with you beforehand. It is an interesting class in that it is all adults with families, and for the most part multiple jobs. As much as Stephanie tells them that the students in her Soc. class had to really work to fit S/L in to their "already-busy-lives" it seems hard, sometimes, to compare the "Part Time Job / Full Time Class / Dating / Getting Rock Band or Political Movement or Zine off the ground" already-busy-life of a 19 year old day student with these ESL night students' "2 Full Time Jobs / Part Time Student / Full Time Parent / Full Time Language Student / Full Time Culture Student etc." already-busy-lives. But instead of a straight presentation, it turned in to a discussion that I think went really well. They know how excited we are about their class. At least one student expressed interest in us helping her find volunteer opportunities, which I said we were available to do.
As well as it went, though, I am glad yesterday is over. The 12 and half hours, doorstep to doorstep workday really can be tiring, just as selling all of one's daylight hours can be depressing. Still, I hope more days like yesterday happen.
Also, Betsy, I am not sure if you have noticed this, but the last couple of days have provided a slough of personal emails sent to the whole group. I know that you are occasionally shaky with the computer, so if you are worried when sending an email out that it will accidentally go to the list serve instead of the person to whom you are writing, let me know. I'm pretty good at that kind of thing. Don't worry though, computers are tricky.
Your cubicle partner,
Joseph Warren