written by Emily Marrow '07
This Fall Break, 11 students chose to swap their vacation plans for a trip working with refugees in one of the most densely-populated and poorest neighborhoods in Dallas. At least 45,000 people call this crammed, 3–square mile area home and of those, roughly 10,000 come from war-torn and impoverished countries in Africa or the Middle East, where people pray everyday to just stay alive. Before leaving to go to the neighborhood Saturday morning senior Katie Croft still had reservations.
"I wasn’t sure what to expect or what was going to happen. I knew a lot of other ways I could be spending my fall break, but I was tired of just talking about changing things around me. I wanted to be the person who actually got out there and acted on her beliefs, " admits Katie.
Many of the people we met were children and youth, which make up 35% of the neighborhood’s population. Major concerns affecting these youth include low literacy, lack of English language skills, lack of good role models and the general despair and mental health issues that often accompany poverty conditions.
"I wish we could have stayed even longer. Leaving was the worst part of the trip, because I just felt for the kids and the refugee families so much, " says first-year Laura Arellano-Weddleton.
While cooking dinner for the refugees, SMU Plungers soon realized that the families didn’t know how to use their own stoves, because they couldn’t read the numbers or directional words.
"We tried to show them illustrations in a special picture dictionary, to indicate what appliances we were using to do their laundry and cook their dinners, but they didn’t understand, because they had never even seen them before; they had no clue what a washer and dryer looked like, or even a stove, " recounts Laura.
Like Laura, we experienced language and educational barriers, which forced us to confront the real hardships of the refugees and the effects of social injustice in their homelands.
The Plungers also volunteered at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, including senior Rob Denninger. That’s where he met David, a Sudanese refugee and personal witness to the genocide happening in Darfur. "I want to go back regularly. I don’t want this to just be a one-time thing, " says Rob.
While half of the students worked with families at St. Pat’s, the other half cared for the little ones in the nursery. A nursery teacher expressed deep gratitude for the SMU volunteers saying, "I am so glad they are here and helping us in our goal to nurture and protect the refugee youth of our parish."
Along with working in the churches, and with refugee families near our apartment, Urban Plungers spent an entire day tutoring new comers in the local Dallas public schools including, McShan Elementary School. Katie began her day at the school cleaning out the administrative storage area followed by a visit to Ms. Casey’s classroom.
"Ms. Casey was a hoot. Even though she has only worked with English-speaking kindergartners for over 35 years, she really knows what she’s doing, and makes an overt effort to understand the new comers. She cares deeply about their educational and social development, and concerns herself with what’s going on in their homes."
During their free time, Katie and senior Tina Schlaprizzi would take jogs around the apartment complex, accompanied by our five-year old neighbor Ali. Ali lived next door to the SMU group, and very quickly became our little friend. Jogging steadily uphill with little Ali on her back, Tina couldn’t see his face, but she could sense his joy. Katie would trail behind and laugh about the scene.
"With a wide smile stretching across his cute face, Ali bounced up and down on Tina’s back, with a glow in his eyes that showed not a care in the world."
Ali mixed well with his new college friends, as well as with his usual neighbors, including a four-girl Bosnian cheerleading squad, which performed every night, free of charge, their 3-part Mustang Cheer (for the McShan Mustangs).
During Fall Break, we really only dipped our toe in the water, now we want to plunge in and invite others to go with us. We want our connection to Vickery Meadow to become permanent and want to network with SMU students in order to expand the experience and provide students the opportunity to work with persons and grassroots groups. We want to address the needs of the poor and marginalized, and to learn from those who raise questions and share insights about the social, political, economic, religious and cultural forces operative in the Vickery Meadow neighborhood. Are you ready to plunge in with us?
For more information contact Erin Duffy at: eduffy@smu.edu
Working-class Catholic Irish immigrants brought Halloween to the US during the 1840s. Britain’s Protestant authorities discouraged public Catholicism, making it difficult for Irish subjects to celebrate three important days on the church’s liturgical calendar: the vigil for All Saints (Halloween), All Saint’s Day, and All Soul’s Day. Halloween festivities combined expectant Catholic belief in a heaven and earth without borders together with authentic pre-Christian traditions. When the 1840s potato famine pushed millions of Irish farmers and laborers across the Atlantic, Halloween flourished in American cities, where Irish laborers functioned as the new industrial workforce.
