PoCo to SoBro: Carney visits NY

By JEFF GRAHAM

The idea of transporting a bunch of fresh-faced Canadian Catholic school students into the South Bronx may evoke images of prey and a lions den, but from March 15 to 22, that happened to students from Archbishop Carney Regional Secondary School on their service and justice trip. The goal of the trip was to help the poor by volunteering at soup kitchens and youth centres, and Carney students were stunned by the welcome they received.

Rey Corpuz / Special to The B.C. Catholic Although the time they spent together was short, many close friendships were formed.

"Never in my life have I met more kind, helpful, and genuine people," said Marta Zemojtel, a Grade 12 student at Carney. "The most rewarding aspect of helping the poor was not so much what I did for them, but what they did for me."

Helpful? Genuine? What about cab drivers angrily honking their horns in rush hour traffic? What about ruffians spraying graffiti on the subway? What about pizza eating, cigar-chomping Mafioso types constantly asking, "How ya doin'?"

Trips once had cultural focus

"When I first arrived at St. Ann's (a centre for disadvantaged youth) a little boy came up to me, introduced himself, and then proceeded to take my hand and lead me upstairs to one of his classrooms to play," said Grade 12 student Nickol Tschenscher. "The openness this boy showed me was so uplifting and heartwarming."

Is this really the same New York City we all keep hearing about on television and in movies? Apparently not.

According to Carney students, the South Bronx is far from being the hard-nosed rough-talking area so often portrayed in the media. Carney students found people in the South Bronx who were similar to them in many ways, and found people who were happy to welcome them with open arms.

While there students volunteered in capacities that ranged from praying the Rosary while peeling potatoes with the Sisters of Charity to taking a group of primary school kids to see the Blue Man Group, an interactive Broadway play that featured bald men with painted blue faces shooting tapioca pudding, and giant rolls of paper towels.

"One of the coolest moments on the trip was taking these kids to see the Blue Man Group. It was exciting for them, since not many get to leave their community, especially to see a show like this," said Zemojtel.

The New York trip was made by a number of Carney students involved in the Global Justice and Social Awareness course, which is taught by teacher Chris Seppelt.

"Thirty Carney students went to New York to find out what was being talked about in the books," said Peter Dawe, Carney's founding principal, who will be retiring at the end of the year. Dawe, who was on a year's sabbatical, and wife Mary Jo made the trip to New York with teacher Chris Seppelt and the Carney students. "The trip took head knowledge from the classroom and turned it into heart knowledge."

He explained that when Seppelt first started doing the trips to New York six years ago, they were meant to have a cultural focus, but over the years grew to incorporate strong social justice and service elements.

"The day we saw the Blue Man Group was just a wonderful day," said Dawe.

"The parents of these kids from the Bronx said there were more than a few tears at bedtime. These kids had made new friends, but knew they would likely never see them again."

"When you're really doing God's work, it's just so much fun," he continued. "The whole New York trip was just joy filled and so uplifting. It was a great way for us to have a vacation."

"The most rewarding aspect of this trip was learning from these people, and letting go of any stereotypes or preconceived notions I may have had before," said Tschenscher. "The people were amazing, extremely warm and open, and the children had so much life and exuberance in them despite the difficult situations many of them faced."

The trip seemed to have a way of helping students appreciate what they have by showing them the very basic things that other people do without.

"Mrs. Dawe, who was our chaperone, said something that I'll remember for the rest of my life," said Zemojtel. "She said we do not deserve what has been given to us, and the predicament we live in or are born into, and so we need to do all that we can, with all the resources and education we have been given, to help those who struggle to survive.

"Using my gifts to help these people is just the natural thing to do. I have no right to a better chance at life than they, and so it's simply a gift I just need to share."
Tschenscher has also come to a greater understanding of disadvantaged people.

"I have come to have so much more respect and understanding toward the poor in communities because of my involvement in the Social Justice class at Carney, and through the New York trip," she said.
"A lot of people judge the poor, especially in Vancouver. However a lot of people don't take the time to understand the reasons behind their poverty. The first step toward breaking down the barriers and stereotypes about the poor is getting people involved and seeing how things truly are."