Session B Ends

GYV Session B ended on Friday morning. Everyone was up bright and early to say good-bye. On Thursday night, we had our last sharing night (video coming soon!) and candlelight ceremony. There were lots of tears and everyone had a chance to reflect on what has been an amazing 11-day experience.  We still have 13 youth on campus who have signed up for a special Community Involvement Program which includes a lot of service work and a trip to Washington D.C. later on this week on Wednesday.  Here is our reflection video screened at the end of sharing night:

Photos July 26

We had a carnival at the Village on Sunday and everyone really got into it. Last night was Arts Night and participants made jewelry, painted their hands with henna, practiced still life drawing, painted tiles, made tie dye and silk screen shirts, and generally had a  good time expressing their creativity!

An Interview with Charles

 

What was it like to be back at Legacy/GYV after 25 years?

Gosh, it was like coming home. It was like being a prodigal son.  I loved being there. J.E. Rash is like a brother to me so I was with family.  And I got to see Laura Symons and many other friends whom I had worked with all those years ago.  I have asked to come back next year.  Being at Legacy feeds me in so many ways.  The energy of the youth is contagious.

How was your workshop?  What was your favorite part?

I loved how open, respectful and cooperative the young people were.  There were a few who thought they had to be cool at first, but that didn’t last long.   At the end, we were all best friends and we loved them all.  It was really a glorious experience.  I wish I could have been there longer.  I got to be with people that I love and I was in tears when I left.  We created an even deeper bond.

What was it like to teach songs about the Freedom Riders to an international group that really didn’t know anything about the Civil Rights Movement?

Actually, that was the best part.  It was fantastic to hear the young people from all over the world embracing another culture…embracing our culture. Lorraine Warren (Peace Building instructor) called me after I left and told me that I haven’t really left because the young people were walking around singing the songs I had taught them.  That was wonderful to hear.

It’s been a long time since you’ve been back. What has changed at Legacy and what has stayed the same?

The spirit is still the same.  The people are still the same, but Legacy has grown…and it has turned into a really slick organization.  There is a tremendous sense of professionalism and everyone delivers without losing heart.

What have you been involved during the past two decades?

Well, I’ve been teaching at two different camps during the summer and at the Levine School of Music during the school year.  I went on a State Department Tour to the Middle East and did a lot of spoken word and percussion.  I also direct a senior chorus in northeast D.C. and we perform our program at festivals.  I’ve sung at the Paris Opera.  Soon, I will be involved in a production of Einstein at the Beach, an opera by Philip Glass.  I will be playing the role of Mr. Johnson. We will be touring all over Canada and the U.S.

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To read  more about what Charles’s has been up to, check out Charles’ bio.

Photos July 22

It was over 90 degrees today…(34 C) and that means everyone enjoyed the ice-cream and cold sodas at the store even more than they usually do!

Discussion Night

Tonight is Discussion Night at GYV.  Youth are split into 7 groups of 7; they are given an opportunity to use the ground rules they learned in their Dialogue Workshops. Here are the 7 discussion topicss:  Food and Diet, Dating and Marriage, Recreation, Politics, Environment, Religion & Spirituality, and Gender. More details on the new perspectives that are gained during Discussion Night to be shared later.

Blogging from the Computer Lab

Creative writing is one of the electives offered this session. Youth are exploring all kinds of writing including blogging.   Today, half the group wrote short stories based on their memories and the other half blogged. Here is a sample of the blog posts written today.

Maggie Yazzie, 18, Crow/Navajo

The day I arrived at GYV was a new beginning; not many Native Americans can say they meet and had an experience to interact with other cultures around the world. But I’m thankful for having the chance to be here and enjoy the meeting new people, learning a different phrase everyday, connecting to people who have the same similarities as my own culture and being able to relate too many of the new friends I have made.

I’m the only one here representing my Native American culture, but there are also other individuals who are representing their cultures as well. This is  truly a significant experience for me.

How to fall asleep in the Cabins! Sleeping in GYV is very hard. Here are some tips that you can use to sleep. First, wait until the lights are turned off. Second, go to bed, and then close your eyes. Third, try to think about something random, and find a rhythm in the cicadas. After a while, you will most likely forget the heat and  just pass out.  If that doesn’t work, one of the other GYVers says that they try to clear their mind and and count backwards from 100.

Zainab Poonawalla, 17, India/US

Life at GYV is very different than life at home. Every day is an adventure. There are so many activities for us to do, and it seems that 10 days  just won’t be enough to learn everything and meet everyone. The days go by so quickly! When I learned that today was already Friday, I was so upset because there is so much I want to do. Time just isn’t keeping up. But the part that I love most about GYV, are the people. Talking to everyone about their lifestyles back home is very intriguing, because it’s so different from what I am used to. The evening programs are also very pleasurable. Yesterday was Wacky Games Night, and I must say, that was the best night that I had my time here in GYV (so far). I am sure that as time goes on, I will like it even more here at GYV, but as if right now, the Wacky Games was one of my best experiences here!

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