Meeting+Notes+-+September+19

Notes – September 19, 2007 - Community Connections Meeting
General overview of the fieldwork day, Monday • We liked being locked out of the field house o Construction and city noises were loud • Improv was generally good – especially groups that did mostly collaborative game • Shanti made a suggestion that we hire Sarah Haskins to specifically focus the improv facils on the collaborative aspect and our group goals – pay them for a mini workshop
 * Some found it too loud
 * Others liked the city soundscape
 * Reality of being in the field house would have been equally loud + hot + crowded
 * We got our money back
 * • Kaplan** would like more specifically collaborative stuff

General issues –
• Gradeheads (**Kate and Mike**) will announce in graderoom and post a sign in the locker area - Friday, September 21, 2007 Community Action Show and Tell MX – all are invited
 * - Kate** asked for a list of graderoom dates that Comm Con will meet –
 * - All** will meet with our groups during MX on Wednesday, September 26, 2007
 * - Shanti** asked for a recap of the Sophomore Retreat and Gary’s 175 mile bike ride

Group sharing about Monday’s work day:
Note takers point of personal privilege – post your reflections to the wiki!!! I’m going to make these sketchy to give you a reason to elaborate.

Building Alliances: **Bigelow** recapped - Center on Halstead great. After talking about priorities and plans the students have one big question: why is it that if we are such a progressive place that students don’t come out as gay and lesbian until after they graduate? Students talked about connecting with the GSAs at Latin and Lab.

Women in the World: **Kate** recapped - Rebecca from Deborah’s Place came to talk about what Deborah’s/Marah’s Place does. We made plans, ate smelly Indian food, and talked about what was important to us.

Environmental Justice - **Shanti** recapped- Went to Little Village High School – saw presentation on coal burning power plants – Learned what the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO) does Took the toxic tour of little village – the air quality was perceptively terrible Went to a waste processing plant, coal burning power plant and a couple of factories NIMBY factoid – there are 2 coal-burning power plants in Chicago – the smaller one (not in LV) sends some power to Chicago. The one in LV sends no power to Chicago and no jobs at the plant go to LV residents. All of the pollution with none of the solutions.

PACTT – **Karen** recapped – 12:30 arrival confirmed why we go to PACTT in the AM – older students already out of the building. PACTT kids agitated and aggressive as the day goes on (tired). They were tossed in as always; it was a real eye opener. Our kids were exhausted when they got back.

SSDP – **Jeanne** recapped – Needle exchange came through again. The kids are way outside their neighborhood when they head to the exchange. Neighborhood is changing. Dan and Karen (folks at exchange) as always impressed with their intelligence and well considered point of view. Our kids asked good questions and made good connections. Saw the van that they take out into the neighborhoods. No one flinched when the rat walked by. Question of semantics- rat infested warehouse or rat visited warehouse?

Homelessness – **Kaplan** recapped – ended early –kids exhausted. Rev Packer (?) Parker parent emeritus talked about how much resistance there is in the neighborhood to the program (once a week lunch). 2 kids in the group worked in the kitchen – the rest served. 2 actually began a conversation with one of the guests. Parker kids surprised to see over 100 guest at the free lunch in their neighborhood.

Goals Wiki update (You can of course do this on your own –//“I’ll wave my magic wand – you too can post to the pensive, you’ve had the power within you all along.”// Glinda the Pensieve moderator)
 * Next week – Mark your calendar**