End of the trip! Awh sad!

Studying civil rights in a place with such historical significance has been compelling. Walking down the halls in Little Rock Central High School, where so much resentment occurred, made all of the events come to life. With this being my first bear break trip, I've come to realize the importance of volunteering and how enjoyable it can be with fellow students! After the discussion we had tonight about how to become an "active citizen," I decided that I want to strive to be one. Woohoo!

Jordan Shalla

Central High School

     Central high school was build in the late 1920s and became the premiere white high school in Arkansas. In 1957, nine black students enrolled in Central high with the intentions to receive a quality education from one of the leading schools in the the area.
     On the first day of class in 1957, Elizabeth Eckford walked up to Central high to be greeted by a mob of protesters and the National Guard sent by the governor of Arkansas to bar the nine's entrance.
     It wasn't until three weeks later that the nine would actually attend their first classes under the executive order of President Eisenhower and an escort from the 101st Airborne division. The year that followed would test the resolve of the nine black students that endured verbal and physical torment from their peers.The only senior of the nine, Ernest Green, would go on to walk at graduation that spring, with Martin Luther King, jr. in the crowd watching.
     After that year, Central high and every other public high school in Little Rock closed by order of the governor. Many students moved away to finish school elsewhere. When the school reopened, the movement to integrate continued slowly, and it wasn't until 1972 that it was considered officially intergrated.
     The role Central high school played in desegregation did not end with the Little Rock nine. It was later established as a magnet school with several different programs. Magnet schools were historically established to combat the de facto segregration caused by the white flight to the suburbs. These schools received federal funding to bus students to school that lived outside the boundaries of the school or even outside the district.
     Today Central high school still stands as the premiere high school in Arkansas. In its halls you'll find a rich history of racism, the fight for racial equality, and eventually acceptance. This year, the funding for Central high's magnet programs will end. It will be interesting to see what will be in store for Central high in the coming years.

Ellen Herbig

Today in Little Rock!

It was an exhaustingly awesome day in Little Rock! Volunteering at Arkansas Children's Hospital was an extremely gratifying experience for me. I had a very positive initial impression when we walked in the doors and were immediately welcomed by the director of volunteer services, Melissa. Melissa gave us a tour of the building itself, and then sent us each off to our volunteer at our separate locations. I ended up doing grounds work, including weeding and planting fresh flowers for fall. Seeing the finished product was super satisfying!

One of the biggest lessons I took from today is that every successful organization needs all kinds of people in order to function properly. While the medical professionals are essential to the success of the hospital, those that aren't always in the spotlight - the administrators, coordinators, and grounds keeping staff, the custodial staff - are just as important. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know all the different people working at the hospital, because they all had a story, and they all contributed to the betterment of the hospital in their own unique ways.

Molly Pruett

First Bear Break Experience

I have wanted to go on a bear break trip after hearing the experience from friends that went on the spring break 2013 trips. Since race is a topic that is commonly talked about I thought it would be nice to learn more of the history of a particular social issue covering race. I know I have great aunts and other family members that remember the civil rights movement so I was excited to get a more in depth experience than just watching a documentary. I really enjoyed the Mosaic Templar Museum it was a very nice establishment full of rich testimony.  Today in a discussion reflecting on today’s activities I was able to discuss feelings that I have towards what went on here in Little Rock, AR. I am so glad times have changed enabling myself to have the many experiences I have had during my lifetime as a African American woman. I look forward to going to Central High tomorrow.

Jasmine Carter

Little Rock Fall Break Trip- Expectations 

Tonight at our pre-trip meeting it finally hit me that all of my planning for months would finally be realized in TWO days. Suddenly Little Rock was a destination instead of a place I was planning to go, and after meeting all of the participants and getting the chance to talk with them, I could not be more excited! We have an energetic and goofy group that seems up for anything, which is good because anything really could happen. I am looking forward to the time we will share and the relationships that will be made, and more than anything, to see how this trip affects us all. Civil Rights is always a touchy subject, and it will be a new experience to hear about it from the places where movements actually took place. I am also very excited for our service sites. On Thursday we are getting the chance to work with the Arkansas Children's Hospital, which is 29 city blocks wide, and we are getting the opportunity to tour before we serve! It'll be interesting to hear about all of the services they provide. On Friday we are getting the opportunity to serve at a homeless shelter called Our House. They are a little different than any homeless shelter I have been to before because they provide education and counseling to the people that live there, so it will be inspiring to hear their testimony. All in all I am anxious (in a good way) for Wednesday to get here so we can depart on our adventure!

-Emily Cassimatis: Trip Leader