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So this summer has been unexpectedly amazing, with both it's ups and it's downs.

I feel so accomplished though with all that I have completed this summer. I honestly do not know where I'd be if I hadn't of done this summer of service. I'm really excited for the up and coming year as I know its going to be the best of my 3 years so far at stetson.
Green Feather and Rock Against Cancer have been my life for the past 2 months and I hope they both go off without a hitch. Its been a winding road but I have finally come to the end.

So much Expectation and so much Potential.

Everything happens for a reason.

This is what I believe and how I try and view my life. Sort of a cup half full phenomenon.

So, after explaining,

Something has happened in my life that has completely turned my present outlook on the people and things around me... So what could this mystery life changing tool with the power to change perception?
A long lost friend....

I'm the kind of person that will unintentionally analyze cause and effect, the action and its reaction, the chicken and the egg. So this is just one more of those scenarios ( at least to me ) where I see how two different paths in this game of life are systematically collided through something of fate.. But is it fate?

How is it possible that 2 people whom haven't talked, communicated, or heard from in close to 10 years suddenly reconvene at a random location where both parties weren't necessarily  invited.... Where at the intricacy of this complete randomness, actually blossomed into an aligned path of parallel proportions.

It is scary how small this world feels sometimes, while at the same time I'll never fully be able to grasp its vastness. But I've learned that you need to appreciate the random bouts of luck and make the most of them.

Long week past, Long week ahead

This past week was quite the week, and while I wish I had a chance to relax, next week is going to be even more overwhelming. THIS PAST WEEK though, I had the responsibility of passing out flyers and marketing our volleyball camp that is next week. While it seems like it would be easy and not stressful at all, it was the complete opposite. At weeks end we only had 3 girls signed up for camp. My main supervisor informed me that we would be holding camp whether we had 3 girls or 30 girls- in other words, more people needed to sign up. On Thursday though my girls volleyball team had another chance to show off their skills and play a few games. We won our first but lost our second- that did not stop them from smiling and cheering and proclaiming how excited they were for their second win :) That was definitely the highlight of my night, seeing as how my boss was out of town so I was in charge during this chaotic and unorganized evening of volleyball games. Somehow I managed to survive with no children hurt and no parents complaining.

This upcoming week is the infamous volleyball camp. I am praying that more children sign up at last minute; otherwise it is just going to be me, the 3 girls, and the volleyball court ALL. DAY. LONG.

Fun in the Sun

Today was a great day...
I was able to go to the pool most of the day, and I even got a good amount of work done thanks to the WIFI at the pool.

Everything, simply seems to be falling into place. At the beginning of the summer I felt as though I had an impossible task to overcome. But now, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and I must say it is a very relieving feeling. haha

Even though, I know come August the pressure is going to be on.

But I'm ready.

On a side note,
Someone told me that this song reminded them of me... So I decided to share it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNctGojkT98

An at home Vacation

So, I went home last weekend thinking that I would be in deland for 1 to 2 weeks longer. My summer of service hours are completed but I want to stay and make sure that everything was being taken care of. Little did I know, my summer roommate decided that while I was gone, he was going to move out. So..
When I came home on monday, literally everything in my apartment was gone ( just his stuff ), meaning no : pots and pans, silverware, internet, TV, A/C. I basically downgraded to the 18th century over night.

In response to this, I moved out ha

My first three and a half weeks this summer was spent at Woodward Elementary. I worked with 22 “fabulous and amazing” girls in Ms. Hargroves class who have a “sunshiny yellow attitude”. During the year, I usually go on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. It was funny, the first week when I showed up on Monday, the girls kept telling me that I was early. I told them that I would be with them everyday until the year ends. It took them the whole week to become accustomed to it because everyday, someone never failed to either tell me I was early or asked why I was there.

My first full day was pretty interesting because I got to see how elementary students favor particular students as a group. There was a 5^th grade States competition and there were certain students that acquired more cheering than the others. However, students were supportive of each other.

I often times ran out to get lunch for the teacher and I while the girls were at lunch. To my surprise they didn’t congregate around the back table as much as I thought they would, like my other students did in another class.

By the second week, they were use to my being there all day. I graded a lot of papers and helped the teacher catch up on things she was not able to do, due to time restrictions. She was a great mentor; I walked around during lessons to help the students who were struggling, I got to help the teacher teach, read to the girls, facilitated centers among other tasks.

The girls had to take the FCAT writing and they kicked ass on it. No one made lower than a 3. Ms. Hargroves’ class scored the highest overall compared to all other 4^th grade classes at Woodward.

During all of this, I was taking two summer classes, one for my major (Theories of Personality) and one for my minor (Principles and Methods of Instruction for Diverse Learners). In my P&M class, we were paired up and had to create four lesson plans, two each, that flowed with each other. Even though I do not really plan on being a teacher, I really love the atmosphere of the classrooms I’ve worked in. However, I realized through this class and lesson planning that I could never be a teacher because I hate lesson planning. Getting the resources together and planning a successful lesson was not something I enjoy. There is so much available to me, it was hard to choose what I wanted to include and it bothered me that I couldn’t use everything. And the fact that there is a time restriction on my lessons made it even more difficult. If I could spend time in the classroom without the required lessons, I would have no hesitation. That wouldn’t be very productive though.

Something kind of funny/embarrassing happened…classes started the 11^th. For some reason, I thought my class started at 4:00 (that’s when my other class starts). I stayed at Woodward until school ended at 1:30. When I finally got reception, I got a text from a friend who was taking the same class asking where I was. I had an ‘oh shoot’ moment. I was debating whether or not to walk in late since there were only seven of us in the classroom. I got there a little after two and the professor says, “You must be Linh.” I was the only person who showed up late…which never usually happens. Great first impression, right? Luckily for me, she is a really nice professor and nothing really happened after that.

I got a chance to volunteer at the same time with Courtney Williams. Best thing ever. Before then, we really never hung out. Who knew she was so cool. We really got a chance to bond those past few weeks. We made 90 cookies for the students one day in a house with a frisky cat…neither of us are fans of cats…Also we didn’t know where anything was because it wasn’t in our house. It was a big fiasco but entertaining, nonetheless.

I really did not come across any problems the first month of service. It was really nice to follow my girls to the end of the year. The last day was somewhat emotional. The girls brought thank you presents to their teacher and we had a fun day. I was trying to hold back tears as they gave me a hug before walking out the door at the end of the day to the beginning of summer. I was really sad, knowing that my girls won’t all be in the same classroom again next year. I built really close relationships with some of them, seeing them grow and mature throughout the year was really inspiring for me. The dynamics of the classroom was really awesome and the personalities of the girls meshed really well together. I just hope next year’s class will be just as good!

In the midst of the classroom, SLI ’11 took place in Albany, NY. Savannah, Jennifer, Maverick, Alex and left DeLand at 6 AM on May 31^st and flew to NY. Maverick, Alex and I have never been so it was pretty cool…even though it wasn’t exactly the city. SLI was full of energy and new ideas. The workshops I attended were really informative and interesting. We formulated a lot of new ideas that we hope to implement into our Bonner Program this upcoming year. Alex and I attended the senior intern track and we are hoping that we can fulfill the duties adequately. We are both really excited to kick start the year with the ideas we have!

A child's smile can light up the room.

This week I had the most rewarding experience of my summer thus far. My 9-11 year old girls volleyball team won their first game and I have never seen these girls this excited before. We have had 2 weeks of games now and finally my girls came together as a team to pull it out. Its not about the winning-losing ratio, but instead its about the happiness and sense of accomplishment that those girls felt after that first win. Not only did they feel a sense of accomplishment by achieving their goal, but I felt a sense of accomplishment by giving them the skills and confidence to do so. The moment the game was over and I told them all that they had won, I felt like the room had stopped moving and their smiles were lighting it up. No one else in the room existed except there 8 girls who could not stop yelling and hugging each other! It was definitely a perfect ending to a long week!

Summer is Coming to a Close

As I go through my day to day activities, I am starting to feel a sense of accomplishment as I look foreword to the coming months. Many of the events I've been planning seem really promising and I can't wait to see how they go. I have also made new and great friends both here and far that I wouldn't have been able to do if I hadn't done this.

Going into this summer, I had my doubts and even at times during the summer I questioned my situation and felt a sense of panic,

But now, for some reason I feel I sense of peace.
I guess it might be the calm before the storm.
But for now, I'm just going relax.

First blog

So despite me being almost done with my SOS, this is my first blog. I have been so busy trying to balance the YMCA and Publix that I have completely neglected to work on blogging, so here they go. I have been working at the DeLand YMCA as the Sports Program & Marketing Intern, kind of a variety of different areas. My main focus has been working with the sports program of the Y. I began my internship finishing up the soccer season, taking surveys of parents feelings about the program. I found it very interesting the things that everyone had to say; such as adding a concession stand outside under the pavilion and how much money it would make for the YMCA. From then on I wanted to be involved in this change that the YMCA was implementing; making the parents and customers voices heard and changing things how they want. Often companies will take surveys but will never do anything with the results- I can honestly say that I know these questionnaires that I filled out went straight to our regional representative who was then going to decide whether or not our facility could handle it on our own or if it should go to corporate.

The rest of my summer has consisted of making phone calls to past program participates, assisting with the marketing designs for the summer camps, and working with the kids throughout the sports camps. I have worked thus far with soccer and basketball camp. After both of those, I realized I am not ready to grow up and have kids because I do not have enough patience for them over a long period of time. I enjoy working with them though, just seeing a child smile because they have mastered a skill makes my job ten times more rewarding. Currently I coaching a volleyball team and working hand in hand with my sports supervisor to ensure that the summer basketball league runs smoothly and effectively. I engage in conversations with the parents as well as referee games and communicate with coaches.

After all of this though, I have begun to question how much I really want to work in the sports management field. While I enjoy watching and participating in sports programs, I am not sure if I have the dedication to work in this field on a regular basis. I think that if I decide to work in this field, it needs to be in the more professional or in a more organized business where I have a set task. I am not comfortable when I am being pulled in many different directions and I feel that with this SOS that it was has been happening. With only 4 more weeks and 120 hours to go, I am interested to see how this summer winds down and what the final picture will be!

Strategic Planning

I know that I love strategic planning, but sometimes you have to take time to learn the skills so that you can do what you love the right way! This summer I have been working on creating a strategic plan to get more students involved in community service. I have some great ideas, but the information was getting to be a lot. I was getting so confused and losing sight of what I wanted to get out of this plan. I had a meeting with the infamous Kevin Winchell and he helped me start my "strategic plan". It was great to get all my thoughts out and organized.

This week I will be working on developing that strategic plan and even doing a test trial with a community partner.

Stress is a killer.

So I've been working very hard this summer working on a number of different projects, and I've learned so much. Stress has really been getting to me, but I've taken this and have turned it into another learning experience.  My main stressor is Rock Against Cancer.. I feel that I've taken this event to a completely different level than ever before.. but that is putting a lot of pressure on me to make sure that the event is amazing. Luckly I've teamed up with the American Cancer Society, the Children's Cancer Foundation and the Downtown Deland Association. The few people I've included in the planning aspect of the event have helped me tremendously, and I'm very fortunate to have them. However, even though the event planning is going smoothly, I won't be happy or relieved( i guess is a better word ) until the event is over with.

On a lighter note,
Last week we went to the Boy's and Girl's club and repainted the entire building and the fence. It was so awesome to see everyone working together. The "Club" was so happy to have a fresh coat of paint. The Place Looks Awesome!!!!

Final Count Down

Final Count Down. This week marks the complication of my 280th hour with DTA and a S.O.S I will never forgot. It’s hard to believe how fast time flies by, I remember the first day of camp as if it was yesterday. I was ready to make a difference in lives of the over 100 kids who attend the summer camp, however, hesitant on how this difference would be accomplished. With the program nearing its close, I look back and realize the success of providing our campers with a fun and enjoyable experience can not be credited to a signal person or moment. Instead, it is credited to the numerous hours of planning and re-planning done by the team of counselors myself include. This planning allowed us to accomplish a two fold goal; first we able to keep all campers engaged in group activities, at the same time forming individual bonds with most all the kids. This process had its ups and downs, heart felt moments, and times of joy.

Throughout this entire S.O.S I could not help being reminded of the book There Are No Child from Dr.Sapps class. Many of our campers came from low income families and experience rough home lives; having read the book I was able to better understand the feelings hopeless and lack of engagement some of the campers exhibited. Thus, having this deeper understanding I was better equipped in forming bonding relationships. All and all this will be an experience I will never forget, look forward to the presentation in September.

New York Times inspiration

This week in the New York Times, there was issue about the North Dakota fighting Sioux Indian Mascot. Inter-tribal is very much against the use of Indian Mascots. I thought this would be a good opportunity to share with my follow Bonners as to why Indian Mascots are so oppressive. With the exception of the Seminoles, many Indian Nations do not support the use of their name as a mascot. American Indians are the only race of people that are used as mascots. We don't say the fighting Jews or the Niagara Negros. People would be outraged if this happened, so why is okay for American Indians to be displayed like this? I know that many of you are probably thinking about Notre Dame's Fighting Irish, well the Irish Catholic Priests at Notre Dame chose this as their mascot.

Historically, many of these teams came up with Mascots- using replication of sacred artifacts, in a time when it was illegal for American Indians to practice their religion. Because they are still using the mascots and these “sacred” objects, it shows the lack of respect people have for American Indian religion. I think that one reason why mascots are so harmful is because it keeps American Indians mystified and romanticized. When people think about American Indians, the image of a Sioux Chief comes to mind. The majority of people don't think of a modern day image of American Indians. Many times these images are cartoons, which reinforces the idea that American Indians are not real. I could go on for a very long time about this but I think I'm going to stop there. Here is a link to the article: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/13/us/13sioux.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Fighting%20Sioux%20&st=cse And if anyone has any questions or comments, feel free to let me know.

Accomplishments Thus far

So far I have done a ton of research. I've read books upon books about American Indian women. Last week I needed to take a step back, break out of that routine and do something else. So I started applying what I learned to enhance my non-profit. And by that I mean I created new presentations, improved on others, and I am in the middle of working on a Speaker Bureau. Which, is just a larger binder that has a lot of information about American Indians, right on hand. It will be best used if someone is doing a presentation and they are asked a question. They may not know the answer right on the top of their head. So they just pull out the big binder and quickly look it up. Obviously, the hardest thing is how to really organize this. I am putting together a list of FAQ in the front that way it can just be simple but for the more in depth stuff, its going to be a little tricky! Wish me luck!

July 4-8

The community Coalition is separated into committees. Everyone loves committees. Diane and I called every single person individually to tell them when their committee was meeting and what they would be discussing. Everyone seemed so excited to come. However, when the 5th rolled around and our first committee was scheduled to meet- no one showed up. Our 2nd committee came no one showed up. So we hoped we would have better luck on the 7th when our 2 other committees were scheduled. For the first one- one person showed up. That's a little better- right? For our last committee meeting 3 people showed up and we actually got to go through the meeting!

Of course, being the person that I am, I left the last meeting angry. I was upset with the decisions that they made. This committee was about the youth. We were discussing what workshops we could give to them at a community event we are planning. They said things like drugs, sexting, self-esteem, all the usual things. But all I could think the entire time is that the only time a person is going to change is if they start to value themselves. And we can't make someone value themselves by telling them what they shouldn't or should be doing. Especially when we haven't formed relationships. So, I decided to meet with Vonzelle. I was going to change this! I am going to make them realize what a big mistake they are making.

And that's when I learned that I need to humble myself. For now, DeLand is my community. But how much of it do I really know? I know the homeless community pretty well. But what about all of the other people in this community? We are starting from scratch here. This community has never had anyone care enough to want to change it. But I am leaving in 2 years and it is my job to empower others to care enough to change it. And these people know this community. They know what they need. And I can't come in and tell them what they need. I am supposed to know this. I would never go into an non-profit organization and tell them what they need. I ask them. And I didn't do that for the community of DeLand. I thought I knew it all. I have to let these people own this 100%, so that when Diane, Vonzelle, and myself are all gone- they have the tools and the desire to keep uniting and changing this city for the better.

YAY!

Why DTA

Why DTA. When I entered the Bonner program the thought of serving an S.O.S was always in the back of my mind, but one major question lay ahead. Where would I serve? Having family in the New York City region I decided to start my search there, I found many opportunities, ranging from parks and recreation, the mayors office, and the YMCA. I applied to all of them, just in case none of those worked out; I had started the process of becoming an intern with congressman Mica’s office in Deltona Florida. It was now May, letters began to arrive, I was offered a counselor position with a YMCA sleep away camp and a day camp. However, after being offered an RA position I would be unable to fully commit to either, due to the fact they ended in late August right around RA training. So I decided I would hope for the mayor’s office or the parks and recreation position. Two weeks later I received a letter stating they where looking for students closer to graduation. At this pointed I started to worry, it was past the deadline to fully commit to Mica’s office and in-order to accept a position with the YMCA I would have had to turn down the RA position. Little did I know faith was about to take control.

When I was ten my parents had enrolled me in a spring break day camp located at Wes Crile Park in Deltona Florida (DTA). It was the brain child of Dennis Mulder, 20 years old at the time attending Stetson University on a tennis scholarship. His passion for tennis led him to form a non-profit know as the Deltona Tennis Association, its mission to provide low cost tennis instruction/ child care to Deltona residents. Since, then Dennis has become a family friend, in 2005 he was the youngest mayor ever elected in the City of Deltona. Fast-forward to the fall of 2010, he helps me run my campaign for seat 3 with the DeBary City Council. A year passes and yet another election season arrives, mid May I received a phone call from Dennis offering me his help if I decided to run for city council again. It was during that phone call I presented my S.O.S situation, resulting in the offer of a position with summer camp diversion of DTA.

I gladly accepted. Next week will be my final Blog in which I detail all the many great lessons learned along with some interesting stories.

Reverse!!!

At the end of yesterday I completed my 280th hour at the Polk County Supervisor of Elections Office for my second summer -o- service. It was an odd feeling, checking yet another thing off of my list as a rising college senior, preparing myself for the inevitable: graduation. It has been on my mind as of late and I am aprehensive yet eager for that day to come. Why all this talk about graduation??? What does that have to do with SOS or Bonner? Well, just about everything. I was informed that the powers that be here are just as eager for my graduation date as I am. This notion of potentially having work after graduation is splendid but scary. I'm counting my blessings. I purposely waited to begin my blogging because I truly wanted this to be a time of reflection about my work at the elections office. So my entries from now on will be about the current day and a previous day/event. I have always like contrasting my experiences; it allows a person to notice how much you can change in a matter of days.

Today (7/8/11), I will be exploring the Lakeland area of Polk County and refilling Voter Registration Form locations with my co-worker, Mrs. Petula Williams (coincidence? I think not). This is simply busy work for a very slow Friday. I have suspicions that our sudden influx of phone calls to have forms refilled is backlash from the recent passing of House Bill 1355. Some of you may not know, but this bill has made major waves in the electoral process in Florida. Lawmakers in Tallahassee have yet to hand down a cut and dry interpretation of these new laws. Hence, potential 3rd party voter registration groups (Think League of Women Voters, or Veterans for Change) are snatching up Voter Registration Forms like kids snatching candy at a Christmas parade. The new laws dictate that from the time of issuing of a Voter Registration Form to a 3rd party group, and the time they get someone registered to vote, the 3rd party group has 48 hours to return the signed form, or is becomes void. Can anyone see what kinds of problems this poses? Rant over.

So while replenishing our sites in Lakeland with Voter Registration Forms, I will hope that no one gets too greedy and all Polk County residents will be able to take advantage of the ability to register to vote at almost any bank/bait and tackle shop in Lakeland.

Yesterday (7/7/11) we were out at Walgreen's in Winter Haven, registering voters and providing other information services to the people of Polk County. It still never ceases to sadden me when girls my age slough off the idea that they can change their world by declining their constitutional right to vote. Since we are not allowed to hound people, I have been formulating a very precise list of questions and set of vocabulary to engage would-be voters in conversation. Sometimes I ask, "Do you believe you deserve a say in what our government does? Registering to vote only takes 5 minutes!", or sometimes, "This opportunity is very unique to our country; registering to vote is not only patriotic, it is honorable because you are participating in the unique design of our government." or something like that :)

I also got a slight sunburn on one side of my face. Yay fair skin and Florida sunshine!

In other news, my family is currently stuck in traffic attempting to use their tickets to the LAST SPACE SHUTTLE LAUNCH. I cannot believe this is the end of an era of government driven space exploration. This weekend is going to be a busy one, and I hope if you are reading this you get the rest that I know I will not.

Ta-ta for now <3

June 20-24

Killin it with Diane this week!

This week Diane and I are searching for videos that we can use for a presentation to all the committees within the Coalition. We found a really cool rap about a coalition. So we decided to make our own! Here is where you can watch it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGTk4SU2PyE

Vonzelle... didn't let us use it.

June 13-17

B.A.S.I.C

This week has been very focused on the BASIC program I have been working with as well. This program consists of about 30 boys from elementary to high school. They work on professionalism and community service. Right up my alley! And they are boys - another plus, because anyone that knows me well know I am not a big fan of girls. Oops! I am planning their orientation and a training for the mentors. Of course, I have totally got my mind on something really fun and cool with lots of candy and happiness. But, I have to make this professional. A total bummer, right?

Look out for the BASIC boys this year because they are gonna be ballin!

Coalition Meeting

Last week I played a little bit of catching up because the other intern, Diane, has been working here all summer. Last week we worked on putting together a coalition meeting with some leaders in the community that will be working on ways to bring more unity among the DeLand community. Diane and I will be putting everything together for the committee meeting and then running the meeting. Commissioner Vonzelle Johnson was supposed to be there and he will answer any questions that we can. And he kind of keeps the group under control, as well. It was my first Coalition Meeting and I was a little nervous. I get a text from Diane saying Vonzelle is not coming anymore. But we sure did try our best and I think we did a pretty good job. Besides the fact that we came up with a few Mission Statements for them to choose from and they hated every single one. Tough work, working with the Community!

But the good news is that I have NOT been sleeing in that god forsaken house! My friends have been nice enough to let me hang with them until I can find another place to stay. Very sweet :) I am pretty sure there are rats or something in the ceiling!

My first week:)

I had my first week of work and it was a little different than I expected. I was supposed to start on Tuesday with a meeting with Commissioner Johnson. I had just left Pensacola, but before I left, I stopped by by a good friends house who was sick in bed with the stomach flu. So Tuesday morning I wake up ready for work.... with a really bad stomach ache. I called Commissioner Johnson and had to cancel. My first day of worked turned into me laying on my bedroom floor. I started Wednesday and work was great. Loved it. But when I got back to my house, life was not so good. There were nasty roaches and spiders and I felt like if I fell asleep I was going to be attacked by wild bugs!! I stayed awake almost all night to ensure that I did not die in the worst house I have ever stayed in . I am a little nervous about how the rest of this summer is going to turn out...

Whats in a name?

"What's in a name?

That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." - William Shakespeare

Well Juliet, a name is very important. Especially, when you are part of an Indigenous group in North America in constant battle over treaty rights with the United States government.

When a group of people have the freedom to name themselves, they are wielding power. People often ask me the question, “what is the politically correct term? Is it Native American, First Nations people, or American Indian?” Honestly, this is the best question you can ask any person part of a minority or majority group. I am an enrolled member of the Oglala Lakota Sioux tribe in South Dakota. (Oglala is my band, Lakota is the tribe, and Sioux is the Nation) Indian Nations are vastly different from one another. There are over 500 tribes in the United States alone, not including Canada, Mexico, Central or South America and the Caribbean. Each have their own language, religion, and customs. It would be the equivalent to thinking a person from England and another from Greece are the same because they are both European. . Ideally, I would want to be thought of as Lakota but I know people will have a hard time remembering that. Personally, I prefer the term American Indian. Other people may agree or disagree with me but I feel that I have done a significant amount of research and more importantly listened to my tribal elders to take an educated and cultural stance on this subject.

The way the United States government drew up treaties and policies to allocate funds, they used specific language in their writing. When referring to American Indians they mean the indigenous people on the North American content. Native American is actually referring to Alaskan and Hawaiian natives. One of the reasons why the term American Indian is so powerful is because it, “firmly holds the government to nation-to-nation treaties made with American Indians nations” (Gage 22). Basically this term helps hold the government accountable to the treaties they made, not that they have been so good at it in the past. The term American Indian may or may not have been forced on the North American indigenous people but we have given it meaning, and uniquely made it our own.

In the 1970's the Red Power Movement gave birth to the American Indian Movement. The American Indian movement allowed people the confidences to be proud of who they were. Up until the 1970's and after many Indians were victims of institutionalized racism. They were taught to be ashamed of their culture and religion. Hate crimes against American Indians at this time were and in some places still are a common occurrence in peoples lives. I don't agree with everything that the American Indian movement has done or does, however, this movement helped the lives of urban Indians and those living on reservations. They were able to catch the media's attention, to bring awareness about Indian causes. Specifically, about the violence and poor quality of life on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Marlon Brando, for example, learned about what was going on and actually gave up his award for the Godfather as a way to protest.

At the same time as instilling pride in Americans Indians, this movement worked on holding the government accountable for treaties that they had made. Because of the events in the 1970's we took possession of the term “American Indian”. This term is a reminder to the United States government of the treaties they made, institutionalized racism against Indians, and the cultural and physical genocide committed against the indigenous people of North America.

This is just a mini opinion paper that I wrote during the research I've been doing. 

Better Late Than Never

5/25/11-6/2/11: The first week of camp consisted of staff training. It was long and we spent a lot of time in workshops that were quite un-entertaining but they were all important. Getting to meet all the new staff members and reconnect with old ones was wonderful! This summer I'm even a certified lifeguard! (The past 2 summers I've been busy on the weekends they did it.) Here's to a fabulous summer!

6/6/11-6/10/11: Our first week of kids came from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Volusia County. They weren't the most well-behaved children we've ever had but they were a small group and a very good way to get everyone into the swing of camp. I found myself pleasantly surprised at how excited I was to be back out at the range! Shep bought new arrows too! They're electric blue aluminum and I can't wait to start using them. On Monday a bad thunderstorm came through and actually caught some of the woods on camp ON FIRE. It was kind of scary but everyone still had a great week. I call that a success!

6/13/11-6/17/11: This session (our second week of kids) was a real test for all the newbies. It was a full camp of 76 kids all from St. Lucie County, which was a 3 hour drive away. For the most part they were good kids and their deputies were fantastic. Seeing everyone laughing and smiling and generally having a good time always makes me feel like I'm doing my job to the best of my abilities...even when the kids try and make me eat chewed up gummi bears.

6/19/11-6/24/11: Session 2 (week 3) included Duval, Baker, Clay, Union, and Bradford counties. Some of my favorite kids from past summers were there which put a smile on my face. I had to be a group leader instead of an activity leader this week which was weird for me. I feel so out of my element not teaching archery but I enjoyed my kids and my co-counselor and the week. It was fun even if I did miss being at the range! The weekend before this Session started I found a scorpion in my bathroom. It was TERRIFYING! It took 5 people about an hour to get out.

6/27/11-7/1/11: Indian River County was here! That's the county I'm from so it's always fun getting to see the kids who come back every year and the deputies I've known since I started coming to camp 9 summers ago. It makes you realize how fast time flies! This week also made me kind of sad. This is most likely my last summer of camp and hearing kids ask me if I'll be back next summer makes my heart hurt a little bit. It's good to know that I've made a difference in the lives of youth across the state.

By the numbers

By the numbers. This week’s blog will focus on the physical make up of DTA by the numbers.Next week I will go over a brief history of DTA and reflect on this and next weeks experiences.


• Location- Wes Crile Park, 1537 Norbert Terrace. Deltona Florida 32725

• Total Counselors= 6
o 2-male
o 4-female

• Number of kids enrolled week to week=130-150
o 4-8 age group- 40-70
o Male- 30-40
o Female-20-30
o 9-13 age group- 40-70
o Male- 20-35
o Female- 15-25

• Demographics
o White-35%
o Black-10%
o Hispanic -50%
o Other- 5%

• Percentage of kids from low income families
o over 40%

• Program length / free lunch& snack provided
o 12 weeks
o 10 weeks

• Number of off site field trips
o 20