Amanda Brinegar senegal 2011
If you could teach one class at your high school, which would it be? I would teach English. The subject leaves room for creativity. Words are extremely powerful. I would want to teach students how to use our 26 letters in a meaningful way.
Shake it Out
October 14, 2010
We stepped off the plane into the dark. Our feet fell on rocky asphalt rather than cushy airport carpet. African impression: dark and rough.
Although I have been here for almost a week, I haven’t found my way out of the dark. Yes, the sun has come up, but it radiates over an unfamiliar land.
Discovering my surroundings, slowly, arms outstretched, has been exhilarating and exciting, but at times overwhelming and terrifying. Every day a new rock embeds itself in my shoe, but I always have the ability to sit down, untie my laces and shake it out.
These rocks…
Testing the Waters
September 26, 2010
At any moment, the moon can turn us into waves that are constantly crashing against the pillars of society, never settling comfortably anywhere. I experienced this firsthand on Wed. Sept. 22 when I was thrown to sea, swept into the current of the vibrant, pulsating city of San Francisco, into an area that has been creatively hidden in what’s called the ‘tenderloin’ region of the city. I walked the sidewalks where the homeless line the streets waiting for food, shelter, clothes, sympathy and a voice.
GCY sent us into foreign land without even leaving America. The fellows were able to…
Introductory Post
September 21, 2010
As a child, my parents would often find me, independent of supervision, exploring beneath tables and desks in their workplace for used bubble gum. Without much thought, my small toddler fist would stick the gum into my o-shaped mouth to be discovered. Although I no longer chew used gum, I believe that I am still that same young girl. I have actively worked to safeguard some of the most valued toddler characteristics: curiosity, creativity and a sense of adventure.
I am from the borderland of El Paso, Texas. My home, is as porous as a sponge, absorbing cultures that make…