Multimedia Essay

Volunteering at Escuela Vieau has been the highlight of my past few weeks. It has also opened my eyes to a new career path that I had only briefly considered. I helped the children with homework, arts and crafts, and played games with them in the gym. I also volunteered on their Easter Bunny Day. This consisted of set-up before the event, egg dyeing, face painting, and pictures with the Easter Bunny. My favorite part of volunteering at Vieau School was reading with one of the students. He picked out a book and sounded out the words, " The Pigeon Wants A Puppy".
All of the children were very welcoming and eager to work and play. It was especially great to begin getting to know the teachers. They all have such a passion for teaching. I especially witnessed this when one of the students was having trouble with his math homework. Ms. Jessie and Ms. Espinosa made it a priority to immediately talk to the students to see if all the children were struggling with multiplication. They collected the homework from the children and talked to the math teacher. They really come together as a team to care for the children and their education.

Volunteering at Vieau

My experience volunteering at Vieau School has been excellent so far. I really enjoy helping the kids with their homework. I also help with the art projects. Its a lot of fun for me to get to know the kids and the teachers. Yesterday the parents came for the parent teacher meeting. Some of the teachers and kids went to the gym and played games. I watched the older children play soccer and catch. The younger kids played jump rope and tag.
Volunteering at the school is what I look forward to the most during the week. The kids always brighten my day. I feel really good about spending time helping the teachers out with all of the kids they have to be responsible for. I hope to continue volunteering there even after this semester is finished.

Escuela Vieau Orientation

Thursday, February 25th

I attended the orientation for the after school program at Escuela Vieau. I am very excited to start working with the kids. I'm sure I will have a lot of fun and I hope I will learn a little Spanish. I'm planning to volunteer Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3PM to 6PM. The Hands on Science, Art, and Health and Fitness groups sounded like the most fun. Maybe I will volunteer on a Friday fun day. I'm most excited to work on the projects with the kids and hear what their families are like. I want to learn about their favorite games and foods, and what their dreams and goals are.

When I was in elementary school, I remember being part of a school program. The high school students came to our class and helped us with art projects, math, and science. They read to us and played kickball with us at recess. My "paws pal" name was Tara, and I looked up to her so much. I remember how tall and smart she was, and how she was always happy. She was a great role model for me, since my home life wasn't the greatest at that time. She helped keep me excited about school, and made the difficult subjects more fun. I hope that I can make a difference for these kids like Tara did for me. I am excited to become friends with them and help them study and have fun.

Photograph Comparison

There can be many stereotypes associated with any group of people. Typical generalizations about white Americans are that they are rich or poor, hillbillies or high class, and uneducated or college graduates. These misconceptions are displayed and exaggerated in the two images I have chosen.

The first picture frames the man and woman, and includes the interior of their home. They are seated in the corner on one chair. Because the people are almost backed into a corner it puts them at a lower angle. This causes the viewer to look down at the people. The main focus of the photo is the flag and the man and woman. Another important point of focus seems to be the gun, held by the man. They appear to be comfortable but protective of one another. The setting of the frame contains two people sitting in the living room of a small house or a trailer. There are two cans of beer and one bag of potato chips. Another key prop within the frame is the confederate flag on the wall. The man is also holding a gun. Both people in the image are performing typical gender roles. The man has a stern, strong look to him. He looks tough and angry. The image focuses on the hillbilly stereotype; uneducated southerners who might live in a trailer, drinking beer and eating an unhealthy diet of potato chips and junk food. The picture suggests that the woman must be defended by a man, and the couple must be one white man with one white woman. These Americans look to be middle aged and are not outwardly happy looking. They seem to be ready to defend their southern roots using anger and violence.

The second picture emphasizes the stereotype of rich white Americans. The image frames six people, three men and three women. The people are all in one room and are standing around a table. The image gives a straight on angle of the people in the room and the image is wide and open to display all the people. The image focuses on five main people. One man in the left front corner is out of focus almost completely. He is standing halfway out of the shot and is also the only man who does not seem properly dressed for the classy occasion. The people within the image are focused on a statue on the table or on each other. They are not paying any attention to the viewer. The room is well lit but the subjects are all wearing dark clothing. They are in an open room with plenty of lighting. There is a large piece of artwork hanging on the right wall near the corner. All the visible men are wearing ties and have shaven faces. The women are wearing long modest dresses that are all black. They are also wearing necklaces, rings, and earrings. The man at the back of the room appears to be a butler. The image is set within a large open room. Artwork and statues are visible. The furniture and walls are white and the people are dressed in black. All of the people are white and appear to be in their late fifties, with the exception of one younger woman. They are not looking at the man at the back of the room or at the viewer. They seem to be very high class and are not drinking or eating anything. They are all standing. They look rigid and almost stiff. Everyone looks very formal. No one is touching. It appears that this is a secret glimpse into a high class function of some sort. The voice of this photo shows white America as rich, successful, educated people. They live in a sterile environment and all appear to be healthy and lively. They look rich and superior to others.