YAC Invitational: Called2Change: Day at the OKC Memorial and Museum

Participants (19) and Presenters: Reshwan and her grandparents (left at lunch), Caitlin, Chase, and Mrs. Samantha Anderson, Rebecca and Tina, Sasha, Shiva, Nicole, Mrs. Annie Powel, Respect Diversity Foundation Administrative Assistant, Dr. Gigi Hu, JASO Education Coordinator, Mrs. Jerry Clayman, Rose Creek Community Relations, Mr. Kendall White, MD Outreach Coordinator, Mrs. Carmen Clay, Rainbolt Family Service-Learning Chair, Joan Korenblit, Respect Diversity Foundation CEO (after 1:00 p.m.) Mrs. Lynn Roller, Memorial Education and Research Coordinator, Mrs. Lynn , Hope Trunk Presenter, Amy Petty, Bombing Survivor; Mrs. Hayley Thompson, UCO Theater and Communication teacher; Kelsey Fisher, UCO Student; Oklahoma City Police Chief Bill Citty, Archives tour by (do you remember the name of the person) ....

9:00 Outdoor Symbolic Memorial tour with Kari Watkins, Executive Director
Kari Watkins provided a memorable symbolic tour. I will ask participants to enter personal reflections. For me, the highlight was her passion for her job and her extensive knowledge of details regarding the relationship and process developed as the Memorial was constructed. I will remember her advise, "Be willing to compromise, be willing to see the gifts of compromises."
Other personal highlights of the tour:
At the SURVIVOR TREE,(caught on fire due to car fires), Mrs. Watkins stated that the museum provides 500 seedlings in the spring for planting and American Forest sells them. I requested one of the 500 seedlings for Casady School. The survivor tree is a symbol of the faithful spirit of our city. It made me think about faith in our humanity, not a particular religious orientation. Faith in loving kindness for each other, just like the car lights I vividly remember ON everywhere in OKC. The lights were to me the solidarity with the pain and the hope for us to be better in the future and not allow anything like this to ever happen again. Faith in living in harmony and working out what we allow to become our differences. I do not even remember how LIGHTS ON started, maybe that is something I should investigate. The thought of headlights ON brought to mind words I heard from a family member of a person who perished, "I felt a gentle, calming breeze, then I got a call, my mother said that my father was missing. In my desperate search what I remember most is a warm cup of coffee and a gentle embrace.

At the CHAIRS, Mrs. Watkins stated that they are representations of "someone missing" at a table, the emptiness of a season ticket, not a tomb stone. Mrs. Watkins invited us to get a close look at the chairs. My heart focused on Carrie and baby because there was a b-day balloon and flowers. I felt the pain of the relative(s) and the serenity of the souls. It was a senseless lost of lives. People in their daily routine disappeared because of someone's anger for what he believed to be injustice. The result of his anger, he hoped to be chaos; instead, the Memorial stands for HOPE.
Solutions through violence dehumanizes. Later on at the museum I read "The forces of hate and violence must not be allowed to gain their victory, not just in our society, but in our hearts. Nor must we respond hate with more hate."
Words such as immigration reform, oil, power base, fear, special interests wondered through my mind. We quickly forget the lessons of history. It is in these times when we have to focus on the resilience hope has to CALLED2CHANGE, choosing the right to do the right thing to do through respect, resilience, and responsibility. At the archives, I found myself telling the group that my goal, which I might not live to see the result, is to make PEACE as popular as NIKE JUST DO.

"...And right action is freedom
From past and future also.
For most of us this is the aim
Never here to be realized;
Who are only undefeated
Because we have gone on trying..."
-T.S. Eliot, The Dry Salvages

You are not obligated to finish the task; neither are you free to neglected.
-Pirkei Avot (Teaching of the Sages), Chapter 2,21


Regarding the FENCE, Mrs. Watkins stated that it was not part of the original design and people had a long compromise process. Every aspect of the Memorial speaks to me about Change starting with the image of the person standing at the Reflective Pool. The fence, as ugly as a cluttered room might be, also tells about our constant quest to interact with the past to make our present and future better; the spirit of our volunteerism for a world at peace with harmony and balance. Work for PEACE much like a quote I read at the museum, "People came, gave and left without anyone knowing their names, and that was the beauty of the whole effort." I really think PEACE can come to our hearts as silent as angel's wings, if we work at prioritizing it in our lives, which brings to mind another quote found during the tour of the museum, "I was struck by those who just picked up and came on their own to lend a hand. Some had useful skills, others just a willing heart."


9:40 Museum Tour Every time I go to the Museum I focus on something different. I wonder what the participants will share. Today, quotes about volunteerism were my highlight. I am proud my heart is 1/2 Peruvian, 1/2 Oklahoman when I am at the Museum.

"Oklahoma has earned its place in American Folklore as cowboy-tough and proudly self-reliant. Oklahomans may feel more vulnerable now, a little disconnected by what has happen to them, but in their response to this madness, they have showed us all with their essential sense of goodness, community, and compassion. Tom Brokaw, NBC News."

I remember making sandwiches and feeling frustrated because everyone told me I would be on the way if I went to the site. I wish I had listened to my heart instead. Everyone could help, no effort was too small and a helping hand finds a way be make a difference. "Rescue workers return from their shifts to find their clothes from the day before laundered and neatly folded. Their cots are turned down and a mint rests on their pillow, accompanied by a note of thanks."

11:00 Hope Trunk Information and Book Project Example: Because the group and I lost track of time touring the Museum, this part was short and we did not have time to discuss the book making project. The Hope Trunk aims to help students understand the impact of violence, the meaning of community, and the importance of making good choices. Violence is senseless. Personal responsibility is making the right choices: People who knew about the bombing could have prevented the lost of lives if they had revealed what they knew. The Hope Trunk has artifacts, videos, lesson plans, fence objects and more. Casady School will have 4 trunks the first two weeks in September as part of our initiative of KINDNESS OVER VIOLENCE. YAC members from every grade present at the Invitational were asked to consider becoming HOPE Trunk Ambassadors: (HTA's)

Shiva: Primary Division. Will contact PD Principal. Mrs. Czerwinski, Pinwheels for Peace and Miss Russ, Pennies for Peace project sponsor could be helpful resources and contacts.

Tina and Nicole: Lower Division. Need to contact Mrs. France. The Pinwheels for Peace teachers are the 4th grade team. Mr. Bush is also a service-learning teacher. The first grade team works of peace education.

Sasha: Middle Division. Mr White is a great contact there. Mrs. Crossno, Mrs. Sarah Zeidlitz, Pennies for Peace sponsor, and Mrs. Dubiskas could also be of great help.

Caitlin, Rebecca, Reshwan: Upper Division. Father Blizzard, Mr. Varela, Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Warden, Mr. Pena, and Mrs. Clay are faculty resources

11:30 First Person program with Amy Petty As amazing and personal as usual. Rebecca will like to invite her to speak at chapel. This time I was taken by the part of her speech were she starts bargaining with God as she realized the things she regretted not having experienced and her relationships with family, friends, and God. Amy, once again recalled the car lights outside her hospital window letting her know that she was not alone facing her second chance of life. Her enthusiasm for life and trying things even if she fails as she attempts, made me think about the one question I wanted to ask participants if we had had the time, What "really" matters to you?
Later on I shared with my friend Jerry follow-up questions

1. What is the task that you have been trying to contemplate in the world? Why? Another way to place the same question for younger audiences, suggested by my friend Jerry was, What will be the one wish you have for our world?

2. How would the world be different if you succeeded? What motivates you to keep on trying when it would be easier to give up? OR, as suggested by Jerry, If you were to be granted the wish and the only way the wish will come true is your involvement, what will you be willing to do? What will be your first steps?

12:15 Lunch by Panera with Hayley Thompson, and Kelsey Fisher. We saw Mason on video. This was a power presentation with a video I wish to take to the Shinnyoen Foundation next week. My reflection on Hayley's work in my second opportunity to hear her speak is that she is amazing! beautiful, young, and with the gift to empower others to find their way to make a difference. I hope we will work closely together in the future. Her journaling through the senses was a highlight among so many highlights. One has to have been there to have a full impact of her presentation. My words will not do her student's work justice.

1:30 First Person program with Oklahoma City Police Chief Bill Citty We joined a public presentation and I left to take a student to volleyball practice. I could not help but feel how impersonal the environment became. I was told it was informative, but not inspiring and perhaps too long.

2:30-4:00 Archives Tour and project brainstorming with Archives research time. I arrived when the tour was in progress. We did not have research time because the archives had to close earlier. The highlight for me was the Origami cranes which gave Dr. Hu the opportunity to tell participants about the story of Sadako. I wish I had remember to request Brandon Spivey's Reflective Resilience Collage to be viewed by participants. I also requested consideration of a traveling exhibit for September 11 of work done collaboratively by OKC and NYC.

Then we spent time at the Memorial store spending our $25 gift certificates to remember our time touching history.

Casady Service Learning wishes to thank Mrs. Lynn Roller, Memorial Museum Director of Education and Research for facilitating the Friday activities and admission to the museum. Special thanks to Mr. John Kennedy for providing the funding for the two-day retreat and a $25 stipend for each participant to spend at the Oklahoma City Memorial store at the end of the day Friday. Our heartfelt thanks to Mrs. Hayley Thompson, Ms. Kelsey Fisher, UCO student for sharing their project experience with the Oklahoma Memorial Museum.