Sample of CCW and ACLAMO reflections

CCW notes 1/31
Did
1. Took a tour.
2. Made snowcones.
3. Met the instructors who we will be working with.
4. Talked to Owen about his favorite TV shows and favorite Parks and Rec character.
5. Watched Cassie's music video.
6. Listened to one of Owen's songs.
7. Discussed how we could best keep the ACLAMO students engaged but not too rowdy during the snowcone-making activity.
Noticed
1. There was a beautiful water-bottle sculpture hanging from the ceiling that reminded me a lot of a sculpture that I'd seen in a museum in D.C.
2. I felt like the atmosphere was very different from the group home that I volunteer with back home.  The artists at CCW had much more responsibility -- it seemed like they were really respected as adults with authority and knowledge (which of course they are).  That is not the case, I feel, with the group home in Arlington.
3. Similarly and perhaps relatedly, I felt like everyone was a lot calmer at CCW than at the group home I volunteer at.
4. I noticed I was worried to say that I was here for a "Critical Disability Studies" class if it came up because of how Stephanie mentioned that many of the artists at CCW don't self-identify as disabled.  I was nervous that they might reject being labeled in that way.
5. There are artists in the group we're working with named Patrick and Owen, which are also the names of my two brothers.
6. A few of the art pieces that we had seen in Stephanie's slideshow were hung/displayed around the CCW building
7. The studio itself is absolutely huge and has individualized facilities for different art forms (including a recording studio and a ceramics area with a kiln).

CCW reflection 2/7
Did:
1. Chose a purple baseboard for our clock
2. Used the special saws to carve out wooden shapes
3. Learned about the different ways to sand those shapes
4. Drilled a hole in the middle of the baseboard
5. Nailed the baseboard to the stand
6. Set the clock to the right time and put it in the hole we drilled
7. Played Uno
Noticed:
1. There was a wooden craft lying on one of the tables that said "Property of Team Rocket," which I liked because it's from pokemon.
2. There were more disagreements amongst the artist this time than last time; it reminded me more of the group home that I go to in Arlington, but I think most of the differences I noticed last time were still there.
3. We didn't need to use any glue or nails to put the clock into the hole we drilled -- it just fit in there.
4. Some of the artists played memory while we were playing uno: they used cards with spanish words so when they go to ACLAMO, the kids who are bilingual can help/teach them, which I thought was really nice because it empowers the kids as well.
5. A lot of the artists were asking if they could go to lunch -- I think they usually eat at 12, and we're sort of disrupting their lunchtime.
6. I thought that it would be difficult to set the time on the tiny clocks, but it was actually pretty easy.
7. There were written and spoken instructions on how to complete the clock project.  I think that this will be very helpful for the kids at ACLAMO because some of them might learn best by reading, and others by hearing.

 

CCW at Haverford 2/17

Did

1. Ate lunch

2. Met the CCW participants

3. Chatted with them

4. Saw some of one participant's art on his phone

5. Talked to Sherina about Hell Week

6. Went to the bookstore with the CCW participants

7. Waited with them for their transportation to get there

 

Noticed

1. I notiecd that I had expected the CCW participants to seem out of place in the dining hall

2. I noticed that they didn't really feel out of place at all; if I hadn't known where they were sitting, it would have been hard for me to pick them out of the dining hall.

3. It was a different group of participants than the ones we see when we go to CCW

4. I noticed that the time that I was going to be able to be there (because of my class schedule) was a very limited part of the artists' time at Haverford, so I won't really get a lot of insight into the photography project we are doing.

5. I was very confused about Faith's name because I thought it was Faith but it also sounded like people were saying "Fate" or "Fade" and I didn't want to get it wrong.

6. The CCW participants really seemed to like the bookstore (I too am very impressed by Haverford's bookstore)

7. It might be nice to get the CCW participants some Haverford appparel as a gift (I don't know where the money for that would come from, though).