My program has been to a slow start. Initially, I started off trying to coordinate my project through the M.A.X. Office but I have not heard any responses even though I filled out my application two weeks ago. I had a feeling that my application was not received. The students who were running the office at the time had no order to their work and just took my application and sat it in a pile of papers I know were not other applications. I see those tutoring students in the House of Studies some days so I know the program is still running. Yesterday I decided to take action and went to the M.A.X. office and try to get some answers but that did not work either. I do not know. May be it was just the wrong time to go up there. Christy LaGaurde the lady over volunteer services was busy with the New Orleans Teen Summit and just told me to write my information on the back of her business card. I am pretty sure she either forgot or it just did not make it to her desk. I cannot worry about it though I just have to go in a different direction. This is one reason I do not do activities on campus. People who decide to be leaders of organizations do so just to have a title and not do any work. I think this is why many of the volunteer programs are unorganized now. I would like to do things on campus but I cannot do everything or fix everything. I guess that is the disadvantage of bureaucracies.
I have turned to my next option which was to contact Lafayette Charter School. I made an appointment with the volunteer coordinator for next Monday afternoon so I will know what I will be doing. After speaking to Ms. Loewry the volunteer coordinator, I do know that I must make a least a 2 hour commitment each week which for me is no problem. I plan to probably do 4 hours a week since I am not really active at Xavier. After speaking with her I have been thinking about my project and I think it needs to be altered. I remember from volunteering at the charter school last year how many of the kids at the school had problems with reading. Depending on what the coordinator says I might change my project to address literacy. Reading is the basis to every subject. At first I stressed science but if they cannot read they cannot follow written directions to carry out a lab experiment. I also read a recent article that noted that minority children do not read at their grade specific level. Lafayette has a program that promotes literacy amongst its students. I feel that it would be a better project. Who knows? I may be able to do a combination of the two.
Last year when I found out about all the core requirements we have to complete I wondered how many of them actually connected to becoming a doctor. I know Xavier does this to continue funding but I do feel it is also beneficial. Theology gives insight into the dominant religion of this country and indirectly aids you in understanding patients and alternative ways in treating the whole patient. Most doctors see their relationship with their patient as technician-customer neglecting the fact that patients come into the office with beliefs which at many times is more important that the treatment or can be used to help treat the patient. People and their micro-scale interactions shape reality and this in part gives us insight into why things are the way they are in the first place. Theology helps to explain why this country explicitly condemns services such as abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research and contraceptive and how the growing trend toward agnosticism and atheism will eventually change these perspectives. Being that I am in no way religious, when I finally become a physician my teachings in theology could possibly help me understand and relate to my patients. For instance, Some patients who do not believe in taking medications because they believe it goes against God’s will can be assured in another way without going against their beliefs. Just being knowledgeable will get some patients to trust you even if it is not what you believe. I am not saying deceive them. Just give the appearance that you are religious so they can see you as a human with frailties too.
Feminist criticism is a useful tool because it allows us to see the Bible from a female perspective and to see how androcentrism and patriarchy were embedded in the world from biblical times. Many historians are not females so of course not all research will shed light on experiences in which they know nothing about. Feminist criticism allows a women’s perspective on issues uniquely our own.
I did better than I thought I would do on the midterm. I am not a person to accept a C or a B for that matter but with such hard classes as Organic (which with all my hard work is still not going successfully) my energy is channeled disproportionally. Since I am done with midterms I have to do better. Norman Francis sent us an email telling students who were recipients of scholarships basically that we better make good grades because in this recession it can be snatched away from us. I thought it was kind of rude but it has added to my eagerness to do better because I cannot and I mean I cannot come back home. Everybody in my community who goes off to school comes back and ends up selling drugs or pregnant and on welfare. I do not want to fall into that cycle. I think my downfall in this class is my lack of reading in conjunction with my notorious procrastination. I end up running around like a chicken with my head cut off at the last minute trying to get stuff finished. I thought about retaking the test but I will have to settle with the grade (even typing it makes me cringe). I have too much work on my plate. I know now that I have to get on the ball.

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