ReCap of Vamos a Panama: Fundraiser for Service Learning to Panama! By Ivy Ogbonnaya

The air seemed particularly enticing on the evening of Thursday May 24th. Next to an army of boys in burgundy who swarmed to Comerica park to cheer on their U of D brethren, stood a still and quiet church, Central, where clusters of talent filtered in. The repose of the outside was quickly broken by the bold, jazzy melodies of Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill and others. Smiles and laughter permeated the atmosphere and practically masked that there was a pretty small crowd.

The event, simply called Vamos A Panama, it was a fund raiser to help attain money to send Aisha Ruiz, Ber-Henda Williams and Jayden Marburry to Panama, where they would help rebuild schools. The trip is through AFS (American Foreign Service) and is donation based. The team is apart of a group of 10 others who are also going on the trip. Some of the sponsors include SV Mix Radio, Holla If You Hear Me Blog and One Single Rose.

The event, although having a relatively small turnout and a bit of a slow start, turned out to be a highlight of my week. The energy of the performers was amazing and inspiring. Powerful poetry was read by Ber-Henda, Natalie, who performed her pieces, "Girl In The 3rd Row, 7th Seat" and "The Reasons Why". Then there was Tonaya, who performed her pieces "We Just Don't Care" and "Poetrymusiclove" and a collaboration with Natalie on the piece "High School In Three Minutes".
They graced the audience with a smooth selection of hand crafted poems which were deep and resonating, giving chills to those who were lucky enough to hear. Poems that commanded respect, as they serenaded the audience, invoking memory and provoking thought at the same time.

Following the poems was a performance by the headliners: OTIS (Out There In Space), whose music styles range from hip-hop to house. Filling everyone with spirit as they covered classic songs and performed their own pieces, OTIS certainly had a memorable performance that the crowd undoubtably enjoyed. It's that type of dedication to one's craft that draws support. The fact that they performed as if they were in front of a crowd of 2000+ proved their passion for their craft and is very much respected.

Some of the high points of the event were the performances, the energy, and the camaraderie. Please join our blog so thaty you can witnes the enormous talent that Detroit and the youth have to offer.

A Day of Service by Aisha Tyler-Ruiz

One might not expect to learn much while working at a cemetery in the middle of May but you’d be surprised. Lessons about life, courage, and love can jump out and startle you. As I mentioned before, I spent some time working at a cemetery with my uncle (during both Mother’s day and Memorial Day Weekend) helping out with the irregular waves of people that come to visit loved ones. During that time my basic duty was to pass out flyers, work the hospitality tent, and ultimately help out my uncle with his sales. However, this was not all I ended up doing.

I first started working on Mother’s Day and unfortunately the day started off pretty dreary. There was a constant drizzle and a not so gentle breeze but nonetheless it was a day dedicated to the wonderful women in our lives and was going to be honored regardless. Once the weather started to clear up the first wave of people started to arrive. These people turned out to be a large group who all attended the same mosque. As more and more arrived, my fellow workers and I learned that this was a daily visit. The fact that it was Mother’s day was an irrelevant fact; this group honored their dead with such dedication and tenderness that all we could do was watch and offer any assistance needed. It made me think about how little I pay respects to my deceased loved ones. From that moment I made a pact with myself to find a way that I could more actively pay tribute to family and friends that have passed.

As the day progressed, I was sent out onto the “floor”. The floor was any one of the numerous memorial gardens that the cemetery encompassed. On the floor, I was supposed to approach a visitor paying respects, offer condolences and assistance, and if possible hand out an entry card for the raffle the cemetery was holding. I approached many people but there was one man in particular that stood out in my memory. He was alone when I walked up and was extremely open when I started to talk to him. He was a Desert Storm veteran whose entire family was buried in the same garden of the cemetery. The more he talked the more it became evident that he was facing an internal dilemma. He knew that it was tradition to be buried alongside his relatives but he really wanted to be buried in another state where he and his wife lived. As a 16 year old, death and all its accompanying decisions was something I had never thought about. But this conversation with this man helped me to start thinking about how important family can play a role in your life AND death. I do not know what the man will end up choosing but I hope that in his afterlife he will be satisfied with his decision.

A couple weeks later, I returned to the cemetery to help out during Memorial Day. I thanked as many veterans as I could but the most intriguing event of the day had nothing to due with war or veterans. I was working the front gate and stopping each car to welcome them and direct them to wherever they needed to go. When I approached one car, the driver rolled down the window and revealed that it was a middle aged man and a friend. After I greeted him and handed out the information about the cemetery he handed me a ten-dollar bill. I quickly handed back the bill and began to explain that there was no need to pay me. He cut me off mid-sentence to say that he had just left the hospital and only had a month to live. This statement shocked me into silence. All I could do was reiterate my previous offer of assistance and he rolled up his window and drove off. I am still processing that moment, feelings of thankfulness and wariness and sadness all run through my head when I think about it. I hope that someday I will learn how to understand what he said and how he was able to say it so calmly. All I know is that I greatly admire that man for the courage and strength that he obviously showed in that short interaction.

So as you can see, my brief time working there left a lasting mark on me. I am sure the things I realized and experience will late influence big parts of my life. I am not sure if I would want to work there again because I am still reeling from the dying man. But I am glad that I was able to have those eye-opening and thought-provoking moments. Like I said, it might surprise you what you can learn from working at a cemetery. It sure surprised me.