Third Saint Martin Service Trip in New Orleans

The following is an excerpted email sent out by faculty member and New Orleans trip leader, Ms. Devon Lynch-Huggins.

I’d like to share a short report and reflection about the recent service/immersion trip to New Orleans, Louisiana. We departed from school on Easter Monday in three vans: two rentals and "Merlot." We spent our first night in Nashville, TN at St. Vincent de Paul Parish. The St.VdP youth group cooked a dinner for us. We picked up a cake to celebrate Tyesha Cole’s 18th birthday. She nearly cried as we sang happy birthday. We played basketball and slept on the floors of two classrooms. The hospitality was magnificent. (Sidebar: alarm goes off in the school at midnight—I sleep through the whole thing…all other adults wake up…little do we know that an open window somewhere else in the building set off the alarm…several squad cars and the Nashville Canine Unit show up to investigate…eventually the alarm goes off and everything is ok). In the morning the pastor brought breakfast for us and we continued on our trip to New Orleans.

In New Orleans we stayed at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church. Their facility is gorgeous and perfect for hosting groups like ours. They have had to rehab a significant part of the building after Katrina, because after the storm they had eight feet of water in the Church. In addition to plenty of sleeping space and a number of nice showers, there was also a large kitchen—big enough that we could all stand around and admire as Rich cooked up feasts for almost every meal. (Sidebar #2: on our first night in NOLA we went out to dinner. Prior to dinner, Rich Clark decides to soak beans so he can make rice and beans the next day. He forgets to turn off the stove before we leave. We come home from dinner to a smoke-filled building [and some very well-done beans]. Three fire trucks show up…eventually everything is ok).

On Wednesday and Saturday of our week in New Orleans we worked with an organization called Greenlight New Orleans. They are a non-profit that provides a free service to residents of New Orleans and surrounding towns. Volunteers go into the homes of people who have signed up and switch out old incandescent light bulbs and install CFL bulbs. We then let them know how much money they will save over the life of the bulbs and how much less CO2 they will produce. In short, it’s good for people financially and it’s good for the environment. Some of the homes were beautiful—being refurbished with new hardwood floors and granite countertops. Some of them seemed nearly (or completely) uninhabitable. This was our second year volunteering with Greenlight. The best part of this project is that it gives us the chance to go into the homes of families, many of whom have been affected by Katrina, and hear their stories. We were welcomed in, thanked, invited back, etc. Our kids took the initiative to ask people about their stories, talk to them about us and our school and just do the work we had been asked to do. Each home and each family or resident threw something new and challenging our way. (http://www.greenlightneworleans.org)

On Thursday and Friday we worked with an organization called St. Bernard Project. They work in St. Bernard Parish (just outside of N.O. and just next to the Lower 9th Ward) rebuilding homes that have been nearly destroyed by Katrina. Apparently in this area, even though the average family income is very modest, almost 70% of the residents were home owners. Thus—their homes are their major investments. The storm and the subsequent flood devastated them. St. Bernard Project brings in volunteers (like us) to gut homes, put up drywall, mud, paint, etc. We put up almost an entire house’s worth of drywall. It was difficult work and it was glorious work. We broke up into small groups and took on one room at a time. We did walls and ceilings. We used T-squares, key hole saws and lots of other fun sharp object. We cut holes for outlets and light fixtures. A local resident (though not the owner of the home) came by to thank us for our work. St. Bernard Project put him back in his home and he expressed to us how grateful he was for volunteers like us. (http://www.stbernardproject.org/v158/)

We visited the Lower 9th Ward and stood in places where water had reached more than 12 ft. We stood in front of one of the levees that broke. We saw homes that have been completely rebuilt and we saw homes that look the way they did days after the storm. We met a man who swam four blocks days after Katrina so that he could get to his boat and rescue people in his neighborhood. We drove through areas of the city where million dollar homes went almost completely untouched by the storm. We met a young man who can’t get into college because his high school diploma was washed away by the flood. We ate crawfish and discovered praline bacon for the first time. Our kids taught Jack Myslenski the Stanky Leg.

Our kids were fantastic. Whether putting up drywall, going into homes, going out to dinner, bowling, participating in a Mass that lasted an hour and forty five minutes…whatever, they were troopers. Tyeasha Doss was sick the entire time and the smile hardly ever left her face. Jjay Simms stepped up in a way I couldn’t have anticipated and guided the 11th graders through the experience. On the last day we gave the kids their cleaning assignments and they actually went about their work (cleaning bathrooms, showers, etc.) while SINGING. Yesenia Bucio was responsible for cleaning a bathroom and she turned the ends of the toilet paper rolls to points! The kids were so genuine, so reflective and were constantly shouting each other out and building each other up.

Thank you for supporting us at all levels: for approving our budget, writing recommendations for the kids, filling out eligibility sheets, donating money for the car wash or dress down day, for letting us take Merlot, for praying for us, for seeing us off and welcoming us back.

Our group consists of:
Claire Bopp
Yesenia Bucio
Tyesha Cole
Tyeasha Doss
Shawnta Eberhardt
Luciano Galindez
Jalicia Ruffin (student leader)
JJay Simms (student leader)
Rich Clark (presidente)
Devon Lynch-Huggins (theology/campus ministry)
Adam Musser (theology/campus ministry)
Jack Myslenski (chair of CWSP board)
Molly Vaughan (CWSP)

Please congratulate the students (and grown-ups) when you see them.

100% college acceptance again!!!

The Saint Martin community gathered this morning to celebrate the Class of 2009. All 78 members of the Class have been accepted into at least one college or university. We are extremely proud of each member of the Class and are grateful to the parents, teachers, corporate work study sponsors, and friends of Saint Martin who helped make this dream become a reality. College counselor, Mrs. Susan Hren, deserves special recognition for all her work in ushering students and families through the challenging college application process.

During this morning's assembly, each member of the Class of 2009 addressed the student body and announced where he or she plans to continue his or her education and what he or she plans to study. Schools such as Miami, Oberlin, Spelman, and Xavier and majors such as biology, business, education, nursing, and psychology were announced and celebrated.

We are very proud of the Class of 2009 and eagerly anticipate their accomplishments as well as those of the Classes of 2010, 2011, and 2012 whom they inspired today.

West Virginia Service Immersion Trip

Six members of the Saint Martin community spent part of Easter Break participating in a service immersion trip at Bethlehem Farm in West Virginia. Sophomore Samantha Newton, and juniors LaDonna Duncan, Ariel Powell, and Dawn Ramsey were joined by faculty members, Pete Range and Lisa Ritchie, in what Mr. Range described as a "grace-filled week living in community with the members of Bethlehem Farm as well as three other high school groups from California, New York, and New Jersey"

Bethlehem Farm is a Catholic community in Appalachia that strives to transform lives through serving the local community and teaching sustainability. They enable volunteers to join them in living out the Gospel cornerstones of prayer, community, simplicity and service.

During the week, the Saint Martin team awoke every morning at 6:30 a.m. for prayer and then did their farm chores which included putting up fences, feeding the donkeys, planting onions and yes, even moving manure. A favorite chore was chasing down the pigs when they got loose.

The Saint Martin team was of service in the afternoon as well, bringing groceries to those in need, building a ramp for an elderly couple, painting houses, putting up siding, cleaning up trash, and getting to know the members of the community. The Saint Martin team learned a great deal from the warm, inviting, and gracious people of West Virginia!

Saint Martin Sophomore Headed to Georgetown University Summer Program

Samantha Newton `11 will participate in this summer's American Politics & Public Affairs summer program at Georgetown University. According to the Georgetown web site, Samantha will "learn firsthand from Washington experts about the presidency, Congress, the judiciary, political parties, women and politics, public opinion, and political behavior. In the classroom and on field trips, you’ll meet with key elected officials, Capitol Hill staff, lobbyists, and policy makers to discuss campaigns, legislative priorities, and emerging national issues. Then put what you learn into practice and gain hands-on politics and policy experience as you work on a realistic campaign simulation."

"Georgetown was founded in the same year the Constitution took effect, in the city that is the center of power and politics. It is rumored that the original Declaration of Independence was hidden on campus when the British invaded Washington in the 1800s. Nowhere else will you get such a uniquely intimate view of the people, institutions, and processes that shape American policy."

Congratulations, Samantha!

Track Team Off to a Promising Start

The following members of the Saint Martin Lions track team set new personal records in the Beachwood Invitational meet Saturday, April 11.

Paige Black
Kamaya Galloway
Brittany Gregg
Alexis Johnson
William Null
Brittany McDonnall
Jeremiah Parks
Kyler Smith
Shawnetta Stephens
Quean Williams
Dameyonna Willis

Also, Brittany McDonnall finished 1st in her heat of the 400 meter dash and Jeremiah Parks finished 2nd in his heat of the 200 meter dash.

Scholarship news for outstanding students!

Two members of the Saint Martin Class of 2009 recently received incredible scholarship news:

Lyla Wakut has received a four-year full scholarship from Loyola University Chicago. Congratulations, Lyla!!!

Elena Sanchez learned last week that she will receive over $49,000 in renewable non-repayable grants and scholarships for her Oberlin College education. Very well done, Elena!!!

The entire Saint Martin community is proud of Lyla and Elena and the Class of 2009.

First Boston College Acceptance!

The Saint Martin de Porres High School community recently received word that senior Una Ilisinovic has been accepted to Boston College. According to the BC website, "for the Class of 2012, there were over 30,000 applications for 2,250 places in the four undergraduate divisions." Congratulations to Una on this tremendous accomplishment!

We have much to be thankful for at Saint Martin!

We have not blogged for a few weeks and lots of great things have happened during that time!

• Senior Renee Makupson received the Morrill Multi-cultural Scholarship from The Ohio State University. This scholarship will cover FOUR YEAR'S TUITION. Congratulations to Renee!

• Five of our young women were recently selected to receive the Thea Award sponsored by the Diocesan Office of African American Ministry. These students are:
  
  Samantha King
  Chelsea Murray
  Sunni Wenson
  Tyler Hughley
  Ariel Powell
  
  Below are the criteria used for selecting recipients for this award as well as a short biography of Sr. Thea Bowman, for whom the award is named.
  
  Criteria: The “Thea” Award will be given to women in the African American Community who have provided strong and effective leadership and service. Award recipients foster educational opportunities, demonstrate strong personal faith and compassion for others, and have an intense interest in encouraging Black Catholic identity. They continue to dedicate their time and talents to evangelization efforts in the African American community and are concerned with and sensitive to the social teachings of the Church.
  
  Biography: Sister Thea Bowman, a Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration, lived life with hope, love and justice for all people. A tireless advocate, Sister Thea always educated and preached about the need to break down racial and cultural barriers. Her spirited presentations combined singing, gospel preaching, along with prayer and story telling, inspired all to live deeply the Christian values of justice and peace. Through her teaching, she was described as a “soul liberator, a mind liberator”. Thea also used music as an important part of her ministry. Sr. Thea died on March 30, 1990 of cancer.

• Junior LaDonna Duncan has been accepted to the Stephanie Tubbs Jones’ Summer Legal Academy. This program will take place on the campus of Case Western Reserve University and is sponsored by the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association.

• Sophomore Angel Caban-Alvarez was accepted to the Learning About Business summer program at Lake Erie College.