This morning was a scramble as some people hurried to find
their business casual clothes, and others just struggled to get out of
bed. It was going to be an interesting
day to say the least.
We began with the Nutrition Symposium, which was extremely
educational. I didn’t expect the first
talk to be as fascinating as it was. The
lecturer discussed how it is possible to use video games as a more motivating
experience for children and help them learn more about nutrition, and eating
healthy. It was cool to see how
something that people do just for fun could be used as an educational
tool. After that, the group split, as
there was an option to stay in the obesity side versus going to the ecology
lectures. I personally stayed in the
obesity lectures. One of the most
interesting things I learned from those lectures was that the way in which a
story is told dramatically effects how much information one gets out of it.
Soon, the symposium was over, and we got
to eat lunch!! The baked potatoes and salad made for a filling meal that
everyone enjoyed.
We headed back to the church to pick up our shower stuff,
and headed to USC to steal all of their showers—which were amazing for a school
gym, by the way! We finished faster than
expected, and headed to Starbucks for a quick stop just to pass some time
before we needed to get to the Palmetto Shelter.
It was now time for the Palmetto Shelter, where we were
going to cook dinner for all the kids.
When we first arrived, no one was really there, and also it seemed that
no food was there either…and we were slightly worried. Luckily, the lady checked the fridge and
someone had gone to the grocery store to get what we needed. Since it was pointless to have 13 people in
the kitchen cooking food, half of us went out and played with the kids when
they came home from school. I actually
had a hilarious experience. We played
cops and robbers, basketball and even just talked (I got laughed at a lot!) Two
of the girls were definitely troublemakers and LITERALLY cackled at every
single thing I did, whether it was funny or not. I had no idea what was going on. They even made me sing for them—but I refused
to do it until they did it first. I was
so happy that we were going to go horseback riding with them as well because it
was amazing to be with these kids and just spend time with kids who probably
don’t get a chance to see too many people who care for them.
We picked up and left soon after though, which I was kind of
sad to do cause I was having a great time.
Once we got home, we made some great beans and rice, and Cyrus and I
tried to have a battle with the hot sauce labeled “Death,” that he bought. Unfortunately (or fortunately), it wasn’t
very death-like, so it was a pointless competition (which I won anyways, so it
doesn’t matter J). The rest of the night was nice as we started
to wind down from such a busy day. It was one of the best days on the trip for
sure! -Shruti
Today was our second
to last day of service and I think we are all in denial about this week ending.
Luckily, we filled our day with plenty of fun activities to keep our minds off
of the inevitable end of our trip. The morning began with a drive to the
Columbia Metropolitan Conference Center for the 4th Annual Nutrition Center
Symposium sponsored by the University of South Carolina. The keynote address
was given by Dr. Tom Baranowski, who researches how video games can be used to
promote a healthy diet and physical activity in children. He showed us clips of
the games and talked about the challenges and accomplishments associated with
his work. This was followed by two breakout sessions, sustainability and framing
the message on nutrition. We heard a lot of great talks and then were treated
with a lunch that I will remember until the day I die. Between the potato bar,
biscuits, and tasty soups, we left the conference full and ready for the next
big adventure! After our midday showers and relaxation, we were ready to head
our evening service activity. We drove to the Palmetto Shelter, which is a home
for children who were removed from bad family situations. About 14 children
ranging in age from 2 to 18 years old stay in the house under the supervision
of a full time staff. We were invited to prepare dinner for the kids. The menu
was spaghetti and meat sauce, garlic bread, and salad. While a subset of our
team stayed behind in the kitchen to cook, most of us got to go outside and
play with the kids in the backyard. We had a great time working with the kids
and it really pumped us up to spend more time with them on Saturday. Today was
great in that it allow us to learn more about the current research in the field
of nutrition as well as spend time working one-on-one with local children. We
grew academically and personally and look forward to continuing our with the
Palmetto Shelter tomorrow! -Danielle
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