Monday, July 21, 2014

Personal Legends

Personal Legends


What is a personal legend and why does it matter? The idea of a personal legend is at the forefront of the allegorical tale penned by Paolo Coelho in The Alchemist. Santiago, a young shepherd, sets out on a quest to find treasure but in doing so is truly in search of his personal legend. A personal legend is someone’s destiny, the way in which they are to make their mark on the world.

When I first began to think about what I wanted to do for my community-building project, I had no idea. Before panic set in, it occurred to me that as an English major at Portland State one thing I do a lot of is read. When I partnered up with Janus Youth and their HOPE partnership at MacLaren correctional facility in Oregon, I thought it was a long shot but I suggested a book club. I was surprised, and heartened, by the knowledge that the young men there had wanted to do one for ages, and I would be able to at least get them started. After offering up a list of seventeen classic novels, we chose The Alchemist to begin our book club journey.

Over the course of this term I have met with, spoken to, and engaged with young men I probably never would have otherwise. It was easy to be nervous the first time I entered the facility, unsure of who I would meet, and what I could offer. It wasn’t that I was scared of them; I was more scared of my ability to connect, to have anything of worth to say. What I soon learned was that it didn’t matter what I had to say. It mattered what they had to say. These young men were engaging, they were interesting, and they wanted to make an impact on the world. I was honestly touched to hear about their plans for the future. As a middle-class, white, college student I was often cynical about the world and about my ability to make any changes. Go figure, these young men weren’t cynical at all. Many spoke of plans to leave MacLaren one day and create the safety nets they lacked themselves. The Oregon community will one day be lucky to have these young men in their midst.

It is easy as a society to turn our backs on those we think we can’t understand or have nothing in common with. The truth is that we are all part of the human community. We all have something to offer each other. Paul Loeb says, "Hope isn't an abstract theory about where human aspirations end and the impossible begins; it's a never-ending experiment, continually expanding the boundaries of the possible." I have to say this is the quote that perfectly summarizes my journey at MacLaren. In asking the young men to think of their personal legends, it was my own attempt at bringing in the possibility of hope, that never-ending experiment that says you never have to give up on anything you think can be achieved. This was truly an experiment for me, and I feel as if it was very successful. I had three hour-long conversations with the guys about the book and about their lives. The book club will continue on without me, and I’m so glad to have had a chance to participate at all.

Mobilizing Hope is a one of a kind Capstone opportunity presented by Portland State. I couldn’t have done it without my engaging classmates and their discussions, and Deb Arthur, our fearless leader. Thank you for facilitating what can only be described as a life changing experience. My cynicism ebbs and flows, but I know now that the experiment of hope is always worth trying. 
~Kylen McCudden, Spring 2014

Hope on 82nd

For an account of a student's work on the urgent issue of sex trafficking, please see: Hope on 82nd.

What Matters



What Matters

Winding along the path
Unsure of my direction
Open and aware, I keep my head up

Opportunities arise to show me even more
To see these young men contemplating the world
“Aren’t you nervous?” my friends ask, as if they are predators

I recognize that fear well
It is unnecessary, I know
Stereotypes are shattered, I cannot tell them apart from myself

“What is wrong with the world?” I ask them.
Disconnection, competition, hierarchy, we agree
Disconnected from one other, disconnected from our purpose

“What is right with the world?” I ask them.
Underneath the problems we have created, lie connection and unity
We are each a cell in the human body of humanity

But still social injustice is alive
The issues of our day, our responsibility
The great chasm between white and black

The empathy within me pricks at my deepest nerve
Telling me to pay attention
God made me for a purpose, a profound one I learn

Will I put my power to use?
Will I be courageous enough to use my gifts now that I can see them?
Will I recognize my responsibility to this world?

Openness brought me knowledge
Knowledge brought me awareness
Awareness has shown me the system needs to change

The power of one
I am concerned and eager
I am passionate and ready

I’ll keep listening and seeking
For clear direction, I am ever so grateful
Because these are the things that matter in life

~Amanda Strang, Spring 2014

Transformation through Equine Facilitated Learning


 “Transformation is possible, but it takes time.”
-Thich Nhat Hanh

Since I was a little girl I have always had a passion for and a gift for working with horses. When I was in High School I knew that I would have a career within the therapeutic field. As I grew older and did more research, I discovered that there was a way to combine these two fabulous categories; Equine Facilitated Therapy (AKA: Equine Facilitated Learning). There are different types of EFT but they all endorse the principle of helping people through the way of the horse regardless of what the person may be troubled by (psychological, physical, emotional, spiritual, etc.).

Deborah Arthur and her Capstone Course at Portland State University, “Mobilizing Hope”, has given me the opportunity to further explore my interest in EFT through working with HOPE Equestrian in Central Point, Oregon.
 
As you can see, while there are only two certified instructors and one executive director, there are countless volunteers ready to help and learn. The staff was phenomenal in their communication skills, willingness to help volunteers with things they may not have encountered before, and most of all, were more than incredible with the students. This particular program sees a wide multitude of diagnoses as well as physically and/or mentally impaired and has made leaps and bounds of improvement with their students. What I found the most rewarding and fun was connecting with the students. Especially when you could connect with and help someone who experiences a completely different reality than you do. Even after this course has ended, I still plan on volunteering in the future.

The books that were assigned this course also contributed to my learning experience: The Impossible Will Take a Little While by Paul Loeb, Living Faith by Curtis Paul DeYoung,, and Mobilizing Hope by Adam Taylor. They spoke of mystic activists who fought for what they believed in even if they had to do some things or act in ways they were not the most happy about. Some of the amazing stories and hardships we read about were off Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Dalai Lama, Malcolm X, Nelson Mandela, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, and many others. One of the most important points that really resonated with me this term was that it takes small steps to make monumental changes; just as I have felt within my experience at HOPE Equestrian. Small moments spent with the students there created a ripple effect of positive change within their lives. We must never forget that no matter how great or how small, every moment, intention, thought, and action makes a powerful difference. 

Brandy Stromme, Spring 2014