The York Road Experience
This week, I attended a service
event called the ‘York Road Initiative’. This analysis will relate that service
event to Frankenstein, by Mary
Shelley, “Formula”, by Langston Hughes, and “Old Walt”, by Langston Hughes. The
service event that I attended does not necessarily relate well to the readings
mentioned above, but the service event relates strongly to Jesuit education.
Each one of these stories touched me in a different way, and made me think back
to different experiences in my life that relate to the Jesuit education. Family,
pain and repetition are the general themes of the stories and poems mentioned
above.
In
Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, one of
the major themes that I got out of the first half of the story was family.
Victor, the main character, sets the stage early and describes his family. His
mother, Caroline, later passes away from disease and Victor loses touch with
his family. Victor becomes so ingrained in his studies, that he forgets the
people that love him back at home. After his brother is murdered, Victor starts
to realize that family is important. He then leaves school to go back home and
be with the family that he left behind. Family is not one of the major themes
of Frankenstein, but I thought that
this general theme connected well to my service event. The ‘York Road
Initiative’ is an initiative that’s purpose is to give back to the community of
York Road and to help them clean up the area. The experience of this service
event made me feel like I was with family. We were all helping clean up York
Road and it felt like I was working with my family for a good cause. The coming
together of everyone for the sole purpose of cleaning up the road was a great
bonding experience for everyone that attended. This also relates greatly to the
Jesuit education. This service event was run by Loyola, which just so happens
to be a Jesuit University. The Jesuit education’s main goal and purpose is to
build community and to help others. This event did just that. By creating
community and helping others, it helped to create a family experience. This
family experience helped us all do a better job at cleaning up York Road. The
bonding experiences and the sense of family and comfort are feelings that I
will never forget for the rest of my life.
In
“Formula”, by Langston Hughes, one of the major themes that I got out of the
poem was pain. Langston was talking about how not all poetry should shine light
to a happy ending. Through beautiful things, sometimes come horrible things.
Langston mocks formulaic poetry by saying that pain is everywhere, so there is
no purpose in making the world seem pain free. In relation to the York Road
Initiative, I saw the pain of the people that live around the area. I know from
going to school at Loyola that York Road is not one of the best areas around.
York Road is filled with crime and poverty. The pain is evident in the people
that live around York Road. They are suffering from things in this world that
are not pretty. Langston Hughes would agree that a poem written about York Road
would not have a great ending, yet. Helping the people of York Road clean up
the area was a great feeling. It made me feel like I was helping to calm their
pain. I volunteered because I want to make York Road a better place. I not only
want to make York Road look better, but I also want to help the people of York
Road have a better life for themselves. In relation to the Jesuit education,
the service to help others is a main emphasis. By seeing their true pain, I
felt like I was experiencing a true Jesuit education by opening up myself and
allowing myself to try and help them the best I thought I could help them.
Again, this experience truly changed my life, and I felt good about myself that
I was able to try and make York Road a better place.
In
“Old Walt”, by Langston Hughes, one of the main themes of the poem is the
repetition of his thoughts. Langston is describing the manner in which Walt
Whitman works before creating each one of his works. It is almost a poem about Whitman’s
train of thought before he writes a poem or story. He talks repeatedly about
finding and seeking and the details. In relation to my service of York Road, I
want repetition to be the theme of my service. I want to go back again to clean
up more areas and to help the people of York Road the best I can. This service
had no relation to the repetition of Whitman’s thoughts, but this service is
definitely something that I want to do again. It is not only something that I
want to do again, but it is something that I need to do again. I cannot go
another year without going to help clean up York Road again. It is such a satisfying
feeling helping out and bonding with people you have never met before. Being
able to help and clean up is something that definitely needs to be repeated. I
am ‘seeking’ more opportunities to help clean up York Road and to help make it
a better place. I am also ‘finding’ it very fulfilling and satisfying. Again,
this experience goes hand and hand with the Jesuit education. The service of
helping others, and community bonding, are the main themes and purposes of the
Jesuit education.
I
can honestly say that this service experience was one of the best of my life. I
have not felt this satisfied and fulfilled after a service event than I do this
one. I want to do it again and again. I want to help the people of York Road
live the lives that they should. The people of York Road should not live in an
area that is falling apart. They should live in a community where it is safe to
have their kids run around the backyard or the side streets. They should live
in a neighborhood where kids play foursquare and kickball. The amount of crime,
poverty, and desolation on York Road is astounding. I want to go back soon to
help out more.
Matt Sandelands
Event Analysis
10/18/2012
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