Week Elevan: Busy Work

This week I have been working on condensing down some more of the success stories.  I have been finding all of their pictures and placing them in the according folder to get them ready for upload.  This is the frustrating part of the job.  Sifting through files and attempting to bottle up all of the feelings of hatred towards the PC (I’m a Mac guy); at least I’ve learned something from this.  The world can now move on because I know I made the RIGHT decision to WRITE instead of going into computers.  If I could have my way with the disorganization, frustration and mass confusion, I’d smash this computer with all its files. 

It’s coming along, though.   Every job has its busy work.  I’m also working on an article about the ride along and Chief Keese’s internship program at the Denver Police Department.  This is the fun part of the job.

Week Ten: I'm Not Just Here for the Delicious Free Food

     This week I spent condensing the success stories down.  There is a multitude of them, so it’s proving to be a time-consuming task.  I also went with some of the staff at the ELC down to interview a possible candidate for the position of ELC Director. 
     In hindsight, the Led Zeppelin t-shirt with shorts, though complimenting my sideburns and mustache well, may not have been the best option to go with here.  The feeling of being out of place becomes apparent when you choose to dress casual instead of professional.  Note to self—buy some nice shirts and slacks; always dress classy with your finest cologne (just a pinch) and apply your mustache wax evenly.  Then, if you  say something stupid, at least you’ll look like an idiot in style and people won’t just think your there for the delicious free food.   

Bessie's Hope: Helping us Listen

I didn’t know what to expect when I volunteered at the Health Center at Franklin Park (a nursing home) with the UCDenver Experiential Learning Center staff.  It seemed as if only seconds passed before I found myself kneeling in front of an elderly man sitting silently in a wheelchair.  Though he was nonverbal, I could see his mind was active.  He was sporting a Bronco’s hat and deliberating which plant would best adorn his windowsill.  He didn’t seem to notice that the plants had begun to wither; they were tinged with neglect and lacked the attention needed to bloom.  However, a bit of sunlight and water would encourage these plants to blossom.  Like these plants, just a little attention and care would encourage the people in this nursing home to flourish.

When I looked around the room littered with wheelchairs, walkers and canes, I saw people who refused to be defined by the metal that confined them.   Each individual took his or her own path to assisted living—but that was not the end of their lives.  Each remained full of life, rich with personality and brimming with valuable history to share.  The lady in the corner was wearing a Captain Morgan sweatshirt.  The man next to her couldn’t speak, but a smile clung to his face as his fingers signed with dancing determination.  The stark contrast between the long haired man decorated with tattoos—and the clean-shaven, neatly dressed man next to him emphasized the diversity and culture of acceptance within this facility.  A World War II vet sat next to a lover of hymns.  It was wonderful to see all these people from different walks of life brought together in the winter of their lives.  They had an endless vault of stories to offer the world—if the world would only listen.

             Many residents in assisted living receive few to no visits from loved ones each year.  Their lives are strictly regimented, whether it’s waiting for the next meal or the next round of Bingo.  Some might believe this is the destiny we all must face as we age.  It doesn’t have to be.  Especially when compassionate organizations like Bessie’s Hope exist to bring generations together. 

            The mission of Bessie’s Hope is to enhance the quality of life for nursing home/assisted living elders.  Bessie’s Hope achieves its purpose by bringing together generations in mutually rewarding relationships, by honoring the human spirit and by providing life-enriching volunteer opportunities for youths, families, individuals, community organizations and businesses.    

To brighten their day, Bessie’s Hope facilitates visits between people in the community and nursing home residents.  The surprise happens when volunteers realize that, they too, feel the day brighten and their hearts swell. 

              After a brief introduction between the volunteers and residents, we engaged in activities, sang songs, talked, hugged, and cheered each other up.  One particular lady, solemn and quiet, pointed a crooked finger at my facial hair and asked, “why do you have all that stuff all over your face?”  She proceeded to ask if I was married (she, herself, was not).  Her frankness was refreshing. 

I was grateful to Bessie’s Hope for providing us with such an excellent opportunity to connect with the community, learn about ourselves and others, and make a difference to a small corner of the world.   Bessie’s Hope brings out the gems in each human’s life.  These gems are not to be forgotten, but to be shared for generations to come.  Though all the residents differed in one way or another, all held one thing in common; they wanted someone to listen.  Thanks to Bessie’s Hope, we were enabled to listen.       

Week Nine: A Toothsome Cup of Article Fun

I spent much of this week going through the success stories that I already edited and condensing them down to about two paragraphs each.  I also typed out and organized the many points that I got from interviewing Chief Keesee and one of her interns about the internship program they have at the Denver Police Department (DPD).  This, along with the brainstorming of the ride along that I did, helped me begin the article about the DPD internship.  Slowly but surely, it’s coming along. 

The article-writing process is a grand mixture of the tedium, the tiresome, and the exciting.  I haven’t written an article since high school (and those were mostly creative bits), so I’m getting back to the process and learning new techniques to make the articles come alive.  I find myself mixing statistics, emotions, quotes and personal experience into the blender of my mind and trying to come out with something.  Sometimes it’s too chunky and sometimes it’s too smooth, but I’m hoping with the right combination, a toothsome cup of article fun will come out of it. 

Week Eight: I'm a Real Journalist

This week I continued to go through all of the success stories and make edits.  I also went to interview a Chief of Police at the Denver Police Department.  I walked through the doors and couldn’t help but feel like a real journalist.  I was going in there alone with slicked-back hair, box-framed glasses and a pad and pen in hand, to conduct an interview with a Chief of Police.  When asked by the guard at the front what I was there for I couldn’t help but crack a little smile inside when I replied that I’m working on an article and have an appointment to interview the Chief.

I was intimidated at first by the office, chock full of framed awards and degrees.  This quickly subsided after being introduced to the polite Chief Keesee.  The way she spoke and carried herself expressed a rare kind of assertive intelligence.  It was hard for my cramped-up hand to keep up with her million dollar answers to my questions, but I got through it alright.  I hope I can articulate this interview in a way that will do the DPD and Chief Keesee some justice (pun intended). 

Week Seven: Bad Boys, Whatcha Gonna Do?

This week I went on a ride along with a police officer in District 13.  If you want to experience the most bipolar day of your life, just go on a ten hour long shift with a police officer.  One moment I was flying down Colfax the wrong way at high speeds—sirens blaring (now I know why that floppy little handle hanging from the roof is there).  Cops were whipping out there guns all around and I stood awkwardly behind a dumpster.  Then, in the blink of an eye, I was sitting in an office waiting for my policeman to finish his two-hour report while drooling over a book describing police procedures.  It was quite an experience, though, and I’m excited to transcribe this rollercoaster of a day into words on the page. 

 After doing this I came back and brainstormed what happened on the ride along and began thinking about how I could turn that into an article.  I set up a meeting with Chief Keesee to interview her about the Denver Police internship that she heads.  What a day, what a day!   

Week Six: Rogue Writer

I began the day by heading down to the District 13 Police Station and filling out paper work for a ride along.  I got approved and scheduled to do one on Wednesday, July 28^th from 2-12pm.  Who knew a simple Staff Writer Intern would soon be sitting shotgun in a police car as it raced down the night streets, sirens roaring and lights flashing, weaving in and out of the city buildings? 

Week Five: Chief of Police

     Today was interesting.  Tam (my direct writing supervisor and mentor) and I worked through the blurbs of the companies and made the final edit on those.  I worked through about half of the success stories left by Fred (the previous Staff Writer) and made a few minor edits in spots that needed them.  Tam and I went on a site visit to the Denver Police Administrative building and talked to Chief Tracie Keesee, who is the head of the Research, Training and Technology division.  It was very interesting to hear about their internship program the DPD has and how they accept such a wide variety of majors.  Tam and I decided that I should write a spotlight article on Chief Keesee and the program that they are running, and I will hopefully get to do a ride along for this article.