By Al'Lavee Miller

It would only be fitting for me to summarize my last day working with the community. The morning started as usual, breakfast in the morning, followed by group reflections. The nearly hour long van ride to the community was no different. Once the van turned into the community, it really hit me that this was the last day. The journalism group worked fast to get stories wrapped up, before we headed back to the hotel in the afternoon.

Lunch at the community was different. Brazilians believe good-byes are important. They wished us good-bye in a very emotional way. The community sang us a song, and wrote a poem about how thankful they were for our presence. Daniel Hickey, one of the leaders, and translator for us, translated the poem. It was hard for him to hold back his emotions. I looked out to the crowed, only to see other Park members crying from the heart-felt poem. I must say, a lot of things don’t bother me, but once I saw how touched and grateful the community was, and how touched my peers were, it was hard for me not to shed a tear or two.

I’ve never really been in a situation that my actions affected so many, so deeply. After the song and poem, hugs were exchanged. I sort of regret that we left the community after lunch, but I needed to go back to the hotel. Some of the community members came to us, the journalist students, and told us that they didn’t have the opportunity to get to know us like they did other students and faculty members.

Their statements were very true. All week we worked hard, and the chance to mingle, other than to do an interview was limited. Overall, the chance to help others, and the chance to see another country was great. I truly had a transformational journey.

By Alan McArthur

Tonight we went to a local stadium to watch a local futbol team play.  The home team was ranked second and was playing against the first ranked team.  The final score of the game was 6-0 with the home team winning.

It was a great chance for everyone who went to be really immersed in the local culture.  A large part of many Latin American cultures is soccer and this was an excellent chance to see the cultural reaction to a major event.  There were fans for the opposing teams at each end of the stadium waving huge flags and lighting sparklers when a team scored a goal.

The game itself was enjoyable to watch.  There were a few questionable calls by referees, as there are in any sport.  The game was fast paced and could have kept anyone entertained.

Nearly 30,000 soccer fans packed into the stadium hoping to see their favorite team win.  The fans chanted “Kazod,” a word in Portuguese that does not really translate to English.

Of course after all the hype by Professor Youngblood, many of us had to try the cheese on a stick.  It was surprisingly good for a salted hunk of cheese that gets put onto a stick and then grilled.

A very disheartening thing happened when we left the stadium. We found that the bus was blocked into its parking space by several cars.  Fortunately, the cars blocking us were manual transmissions with soft emergency brakes.  This allowed Michael Fitzmorris and a few other students the ability to push two cars out of the way of our bus.

All we needed for a good time was, a large crowd of exuberant people, a group of overwhelmed Americans, cheese on a stick, and someone able to move cars by sheer force.  With a combination like that, how could anyone not have a good time?

By LaToya Williams

The most memorable part of being in Brazil would have to be the first night we arrived.  After almost 15 hours on three separate airplanes, and knowing that the moment we landed we had an event to attend, I didn’t believe things would get any better.  We finally got checked in to our hotel, changed clothes and hopped in the vans for nearly an hour ride.  Little did we know that we would be spending most our time over the next week in these three vans.  Seeing the city for the first time was a bit intense.  For a person that has never been out of the United States, to see people on corners washing windows for money was quite a culture shock for me. We were able to see both sides of Recife, the good and bad.  Coming from our hotel that was located in downtown Recife, and a couple of blocks from the beach, to seeing the slums of the city was very overwhelming.

Fortunately, things became better after arriving at the community.  The welcome that the community had planned out for us cannot be put into words.  The people that were there are the only ones who can explain the feeling that we had when we arrived.  I can honestly say that I felt like a celebrity from the moment we got out of the van.  There was music playing, people singing and dancing, and I could just feel the joy in the air. 

            As we got out of the vans we were greeted by singing children who led us into the shelter of the community.  We were led in various songs and dances throughout the night.  The moment that sticks out most in my head would be the moment where each and every person came up and greeted every one of us with hugs.  The reason this was the highlight of my night is because right then and there I could see how big of a heart that the Brazilians had, and how truly happy they were to see us.  After the hugging I was overwhelmed with joy and also disbelief because I never would have imagined a welcome like this.  From that point on I knew that the trip could only get better.  It made me that much more interested in learning about their culture and their way of life.

By Kevin Scobee

These are humble surroundings. I guess I could say that’s the first thing I thought of when I turned onto 26th street on Kansas City’s Westside. There’s not much to look at, a crowded neighborhood with narrow streets and some sort of construction yard, or something that produces a lot of dust, is not more than two blocks away. But, there isn’t a lack of comfort at Sacred Heart. It very much feels like one of the “old gyms” you hear basketball greats talk about playing in in their youths. With the “beat up outside and the gym itself that is constantly hot and muggy.” There is obviously work to be done aesthetically. The mail-box on the front door hangs crooked by a nail and the sign on the corner shows nothing but graffiti. But nothing on the inside needs work. Well, nothing about the people on the inside needs work.

It doesn’t take long when sitting down and talking with those that have made this community apart of their lives to figure out why they do it: the kids. Over and over again they come back to that. The reason why Manuel Hernandez, the Athletics Director based out of Sacred Heart, works a full-time day job and comes every night at 3:30 to the gym is for the kids. The reason why parents, from all over the city not just the west-side, volunteer as coaches is for the kids. The building itself could use a face-life sure, but to everyone this place is so much more than just the brick that encloses it. It’s the idea of community and self sacrifice for others. It’s amazing just to be around all those involved. I was a stranger to everyone there, and the fact that I showed up with a pen and notepad writing down everything I saw and heard, didn’t alarm anyone one bit. They all had stories to tell if I was willing to listen. Folks kept coming in and out of the small office space tucked away in the front corner of the complex, and each one of them took the time to smile and say “hi” to me. Whether Manuel and the people that work for the Guadalupe Centers youth recreation programs realize it or not, they’re leaving a legacy on the lives of other people. It’s not why they do it. They are all completely selfless in their actions. But really it’s enough to make me rethink what it is I’m doing with my life. And what legacy it is that I’m leaving.

Without regard for their own time, and their own energy, the people that call this building home from 3:30p.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Friday, do all they can to make the community a better place. It was truly an honor to be there for the short time that I was.