Today marked the start of the second half of the trip and our group is starting to think more how we have changed and how we can bring back our newfound knowledge back to Gannon. After making some pancakes this morning, we headed off to our third day working at EarthWorks. Today they had a large variety of tasks for us to that needed to be accomplished. There were about twenty volunteers and they decided to split us up into four groups. The first group walked around the property and picked up trash in the gardens and surrounding areas.The second group worked on cutting up tree limbs so they were more manageable for the waste management company to collect. The third group worked on filtering soil and preparing it for gardening and the fourth group dug up tree roots.
After spending some time at our respected jobs, we headed to lunch in the soup kitchen to meet new people over lunch. Everyone went off in pairs of two and picked a random table in the room. The funny thing was that every table we sat at had a discussion on a topic we never expected. These individuals who were significantly older and lived in a different area from us still had similar problems and struggles to us as teenagers. They still struggled with relationships, social situations, and other daily issues. It was profound to be able to apply our lessons on kinship from the previous day to these discussions. Even though we seemed so different from one another, we were still human beings who deal with similar issues.
Following lunch, we headed back to work. We then split in to two groups, one for composting and sifting dirt and one for raking leaves off the field and removing trash. After a few hours we finished our day at EarthWorks and collectively made the decision to visit the Father Solanus Guild, which contained a chapel and exhibits of information about the friar. As soon as we walked in the door we saw the casket of Fr. Solanus, who was in desperate need prayers as he is being considered for sainthood. He felt the call to be in Detroit during the beginning of his life as a priest and worked towards helping to alleviate the pain of the poor.
As soon as we left the chapel, we were back on the original schedule and visited the Heidelberg Project. It is a public art display in one block of Detroit. At first glance, the group did not see much meaning in the work and was rather confused by it. When we started to look deeper and explore further, we began to see how the art reflected the struggles of the time in which it was created. This included struggles which are still present today. The project was started by an artist who lived in the area and saw how much his neighborhood had changed once he returned from the Vietnam War. His work was in responds to the race riots of 1967 and it called attention to the issues that were present while helping people realize the need for change. Ryan, one of the student group leaders, stated today “Traveling to the Heidelberg project today was undoubtedly a startling and striking experience for our group. I think there is something truly beautiful in art that immerses oneself into a narrative decades in the making, forcing you to question your reality and surrounding world, and leaving one wondering what is and can be.”
The group traveled back to the retreat center and cooked dinner. Our second group decision of the day came when we began to crave something sweet. Heather was gracious enough to drive us to a frozen yogurt place nearby. It was a quick trip and we made great conversation with teenagers who grew up in the area. We started reflections on our day shortly after we returned to the retreat center. Our main focus tonight was the Heidelberg Project and our interpretations of it. With some research and insight from the artist’s sister, we came to the conclusion that the art had a distinct purpose of enacting change for the community. For us today, it served as a reminder that sometimes we forget that these issues still exist.
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