St Ignatius College Prepatory - Ignatian Yearbook (San Francisco, CA)

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International Immersions El Salvador “Community has a new definition in our eyes—not only a collection of people but also a feeling of be- longing to a group of people. We learned from them; they learned from us.” -Alena Chaps ‘02 n July 21. Allie, Gina, Jen, Julie, Kelly, Molly, Ivan, and I embarked on a journey that forever changed the way we viewed our country, our attitude, and ourselves toward the world. Through our immersion experience to El Salva- dor, we all learned what being men and women for and with others truly means. We learned about our own materialism, our country's disturbing foreign policy, and our interconnectedness and sameness with every human that walks the planet. The first week we spent in a small village, Guarjila, about two hours away from the capital. ...The backbone of the youth community is a group, started by former Jesuit John Guillano, named Tamarindos, to which Juven belonged. After the long civil war. the group was formed to encourage community and discourage destructive behavior. Many of the Tamarindos shared their stories with us. A young man our age named Mauricio told us about his experience during the the war. A shiver shot up my spine to think that my government contaminated the childhood of Mauricio while I watched Sesame Street and finger-painted, totally oblivious to others’ struggles. Guarjila was a time of sharing and community. After the small village of Guarjila, we moved into the capital and largest city, San Salvador. We spent most of the time sightseeing. One place that inspired powerful feelings was the cathedral where Archbishop Oscar Romero was assassinated. ...We passed the next two days in another village, Usalatan. Our sadness dissolved into the joy of folk dancing and sharing stories with a local youth group. When we returned to San Salvador, we met with yet another youth group, Nueva Generacion. They gave us a bleak tour of the city and shared their struggles with drugs, gang violence, and hopelessness. San Salvador and Usalatan extended our community. The most beneficial result of the Immersion program for our group was discovering a sense of community. We formed a community within our group, but, most importantly, a community with El Salvador Group: Jenny Driscoll, Alexandra Livezey, Kelly Kramer. Gina Julie Casey, Ivan Molly Van Houten, Alena Chaps (with directors Pat Cody and Jorge Garcia) the people we encountered in El Salvador. Community has a new definition in our eyes—not only a collection of people, but also a feeling of belonging to a group of people. We learned from them; they learned from us. The feeling of community could be seen through friendliness, kindness, and openness. Relationships become the most important possessions in one’s life. Returning to the United States was difficult. I felt disillusioned with the govern- ment and the materialistic attitude that capitalism creates. No, I did not come back a communist (whatever that is), but I came back with a critical eye for the world around me. Most of all, I, along with the rest of the group, returned home with a sense of community with mis amigos from El Salva- dor. Written By Alena Chaps for Inside SI nml 9S 26 Immersions

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Immersions San Francisco: Rick Scott, Ryan Bjorkquist, Leslie Velasco. Pheobe Meharg, Megan Cotter,Caroline Vaughan. San Francisco “So hopefully our group from Tacoma (we fondly call ourselves the ‘Narx - don’t ask, long story) can bring back to SI all the things we learned about ourselves and our community mem- bers. Try not to look confused if we ask you, ‘What’s the haps?’Trust me, it’s a Tacoma thing.” -Jessica Brown Tacoma: Dan Mason, Catherine Payne, Kim Roth, Allison Mistica, John Gannon, Ms. Schwarz. Liz Gress, Carla Holleran. Jessica Brown, Ms. Ahlbach (not pictured). It is hard to find a way to deal with these problems in our so- ciety without offending a few people. Whatever Fr. River Sims’ approach, fulfilling need where need is seen is a noble and practical way to help the poor and downtrodden of San Francisco.” -Rick Scott anoiaiemml 25 Immersions

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Guatemala “Going to Guatemala wasn’t just ‘good.’ It was amazing; and suprising; and beauti- ful; and inspiring; and wonderful; and horrible; and tiring; and disgusting; and and fun; and Guatamala group: Sam Wolffs, Anna Kolhede, Sarah McDonaugh. Annie Leese, Rachelle Rebong, Herman Chen, Zach Barulich, Caroline Pieters- Flemming, and George Flemming -Kat Van Sciver ince returning to school, I have had numerous people come to me and ask, “How was Guatemala? I find myself struggling to find the words to describe all that my trip encompassed. Inevitably I’ll spout, “It was ... good.”The inquirer, satisfied with that answer, leaves it at that and changes the subject. “But wait!” I'm screaming on the inside. “No, that's not it; good is not it - good doesn’t come close to it. Good is this awful word that slips into my vocabulary, just waiting for the moment when something big and meaningful needs to be said, then jumps into the spotlight and prevents anything from following after. Going to Guatemala wasn't just “good.” It was amazing; and suprising; and beautiful; and inspiring; and wonderful; and horrible; and tiring; and disgusting; and eye opening; and fun; and challenging. At times I hated it, but overall, taking into account every thing and every moment...I loved it. ...I can see tangible changes in myself. Things and people that were important to me four months ago no longer are, and now I think I have a better idea of what and who I should be. -An Exerpt from “Guatemala 01” written by Kat Van Sciver ‘02 for Inside SI. Ireland Group: Enzo Benedicty, Jamie Sammut, Marie Malone, Amanda Nichols, Angie Carmignani, Christina Wang. Stephanie Kushner, Melanie Wu. Not Pictured: Faculty members Paul Hanley and Sarah Curran “There seem to be no words to explain how my life has changed since Derry.”-Amanda Nichols Marie Malone ‘02 Ireland iving together for three weeks, we all slept in one room on a cement floor and cooked in a small kitchen. The “Stardust quickly became our home away from home. On weekdays, we split up and worked in various parts of the city for different organizations that deal or play a role in Northern Ireland and the Troubles. The Bloody Sunday Trust was a common worksite, along with Sister Brigid’s daycare center, the Peace and Reconciliation Group and the Gasyards. We discovered the depth of the hatred that lies between the Loyalist and Nationalist parties through the work we did and the many different people we talked to. ...The experiences that we each received are unique and hard to explain to those who haven't been fortunate enough to go through similar experiences. Iwhen trying to tell others about the emotions and events I encountered and discovered in Derry, I always end up at a loss for words, finding myself replying that “It was the best experience of my life” or something else stupid like that. There seem to be no words to explain how my life has changed since Derry. We seem to be more aware of global situa- tions, maybe just because we opened our eyes to the complexities of our everchanging world and took the time to notice the ongoing struggles of different cultures. I know I have changed forever and I am thankful everyday for the experience and people of Derry, -from Immersion in Derry, Northern Ireland,” by Marie Malone and Amanda Nichols for Inside SI 27 Immersions