by Robert Fox
March 8, 2006 – As we drive today I reflect on the last few days and feel that today was the most rewarding – we were able to help set up the camp to have enough spots for all the Hillel volunteers. If our groups have been able to get week-long jobs done in two days, I have to wonder how much those 450 people can get done in three weeks.
There is a part of me that is highly tempted to find out if I can come down here for two months during the summer. I want to be able to work with these people and help motivate and organize groups in the camp site and the work sites. I’m surprised by the fact that my working as hard as I can actually motivates people, and that’s a fact I’m thankful for because other than saying “keep it up, you’re doing great” and similar phrases, I’m not much of a cheerleader.
I’m conflicted on my feelings about the damage I see. On the one hand, I can see the terrible losses that these people have experienced and know that this is a massive heartache even for those who came through relatively unscathed. On the other hand, and maybe because I’ve followed this story or because I see that there is still life here, there is still hope and I’ve seen places with neither anymore.
Robert Fox is a Coe College senior from East Troy, Wis., majoring in biology and philosophy.
