Video by Gabe!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
OUR EXPERIENCE
So we just got back from War, let us tell you a bit about what we did:
We left on Friday afternoon at around 3:00 and drove straight there. It was cold and raining when we left, and the bus we tried to take was broken so we had to all cram into a smaller van with all of our tools and gear. We stopped at a McDonalds somewhere along the way for a break and some hot chocolate. We finally got to War at around 7:30 that night. We were greeted by Scottie who showed us where we were sleeping and told us a little about what we would be doing the next day. The building we stayed in was an elementary school that was shut down because of funding issues about 15 years ago. Now it is the headquarters for Big Creek People in Action. Downstairs is a huge kitchen, an old-school gym (where we played many games of wall-ball) and a little room that is like a museum of the history of coal mining in the area. The second floor of the school is the business center for BCPIA. On the third floor all of the old classrooms are filled with beds and are used as dormitories for when different groups come to stay. It was clear from all of the university logos painted on the walls that college students come here to help out all the time.
After we got settled in and picked our beds upstairs it was time for the fun to begin! Chester, a local musician, and Manuel, a local flatfoot dancer put on a great performance for us. As Manuel danced, and tried to teach us some flatfooting moves, Chester played and sang songs about coal, the mines and several disasters that had struck the area in the last few years. The songs were beautiful and informative, and in between songs, we had discussions with Manuel, Chester, and the BCPIA directer, Marsha about the culture, history, and politics of the area. We learned about two devastating floods, how the area used to be wealthy and prosperous, but was left in shambles when the mining companies left, and heard stories about what it was really like to be in the mines.
After the music and dancing was over, we all called it quits and head upstairs to get some sleep before our big day of work.
In the morning we all got up, ate breakfast together and broke into our work groups. Dillon, Frankie, and Buzzy stayed at the headquarters and helped put sheetrock on the cieling to bring the building up to code for it's next inspection. Dan, Gabe, and Alex went to a house with Scottie to rip up and replace a rotten floor in a bathroom. When they were finished they went to Marsha's house to help insulate her basement. Doug took Madalyn, Nora, Connor, and Sam to a house that we had worked at last year to tear up the linoleum flooring and put down some nice looking faux hardwood floor. The whole day was a really interesting experience for everyone. We got to drive around the area to our different job sites, and finally see what the place looked like during the day. We also talked to the different homeowners and heard their stories about living in War and working in the coalmines. That night we all met up again at the headquarters and cooked a huge spaghetti and meatballs dinner with beef donated from the WWC farm, and veggies and salad donated from the WWC garden.
Since we were there on Halloween weekend, we took a drive up to the haunted trail that BCPIA set up as a fundraiser for their cause. It wasn't very scary, but it was fun to participate. Our anticipation about being scared was probably scarier than the actual trail. We headed back to the school and after Doug and Buzzy went to bed we stayed up late playing wall-ball in the gym and talking about what we had seen, felt, and learned that day.
In the morning we packed all of our belongings back into the van and were led on a tour around War and it's neighboring towns by Marsha. We got to go up into a coal mine, where we talked with a worker about the different ways they mine. We also heard a lot about how they keep the miners safe using new technology. We drove over to the next town, Coalwood, and heard stories about Homer Hickam, the writer of the novel, Rocket Boys, which the movie, October Sky is based off of. He was from Coalwood and the book and movie are about his experiences growing up there in the late 1950s. We also learned about the political system, racism, problems with the schools and board of education, and the housing crisis. It was a lot to take in.
After our tour it was time to head back to school. We reflected on our experiences on the drive back and over lunch at Golden Corral. The first thing anyone said when we all piled back in the van was, "Let's definitely come back in the spring!" Everyone agreed.
We left on Friday afternoon at around 3:00 and drove straight there. It was cold and raining when we left, and the bus we tried to take was broken so we had to all cram into a smaller van with all of our tools and gear. We stopped at a McDonalds somewhere along the way for a break and some hot chocolate. We finally got to War at around 7:30 that night. We were greeted by Scottie who showed us where we were sleeping and told us a little about what we would be doing the next day. The building we stayed in was an elementary school that was shut down because of funding issues about 15 years ago. Now it is the headquarters for Big Creek People in Action. Downstairs is a huge kitchen, an old-school gym (where we played many games of wall-ball) and a little room that is like a museum of the history of coal mining in the area. The second floor of the school is the business center for BCPIA. On the third floor all of the old classrooms are filled with beds and are used as dormitories for when different groups come to stay. It was clear from all of the university logos painted on the walls that college students come here to help out all the time.
After we got settled in and picked our beds upstairs it was time for the fun to begin! Chester, a local musician, and Manuel, a local flatfoot dancer put on a great performance for us. As Manuel danced, and tried to teach us some flatfooting moves, Chester played and sang songs about coal, the mines and several disasters that had struck the area in the last few years. The songs were beautiful and informative, and in between songs, we had discussions with Manuel, Chester, and the BCPIA directer, Marsha about the culture, history, and politics of the area. We learned about two devastating floods, how the area used to be wealthy and prosperous, but was left in shambles when the mining companies left, and heard stories about what it was really like to be in the mines.
After the music and dancing was over, we all called it quits and head upstairs to get some sleep before our big day of work.
In the morning we all got up, ate breakfast together and broke into our work groups. Dillon, Frankie, and Buzzy stayed at the headquarters and helped put sheetrock on the cieling to bring the building up to code for it's next inspection. Dan, Gabe, and Alex went to a house with Scottie to rip up and replace a rotten floor in a bathroom. When they were finished they went to Marsha's house to help insulate her basement. Doug took Madalyn, Nora, Connor, and Sam to a house that we had worked at last year to tear up the linoleum flooring and put down some nice looking faux hardwood floor. The whole day was a really interesting experience for everyone. We got to drive around the area to our different job sites, and finally see what the place looked like during the day. We also talked to the different homeowners and heard their stories about living in War and working in the coalmines. That night we all met up again at the headquarters and cooked a huge spaghetti and meatballs dinner with beef donated from the WWC farm, and veggies and salad donated from the WWC garden.
Since we were there on Halloween weekend, we took a drive up to the haunted trail that BCPIA set up as a fundraiser for their cause. It wasn't very scary, but it was fun to participate. Our anticipation about being scared was probably scarier than the actual trail. We headed back to the school and after Doug and Buzzy went to bed we stayed up late playing wall-ball in the gym and talking about what we had seen, felt, and learned that day.
In the morning we packed all of our belongings back into the van and were led on a tour around War and it's neighboring towns by Marsha. We got to go up into a coal mine, where we talked with a worker about the different ways they mine. We also heard a lot about how they keep the miners safe using new technology. We drove over to the next town, Coalwood, and heard stories about Homer Hickam, the writer of the novel, Rocket Boys, which the movie, October Sky is based off of. He was from Coalwood and the book and movie are about his experiences growing up there in the late 1950s. We also learned about the political system, racism, problems with the schools and board of education, and the housing crisis. It was a lot to take in.
After our tour it was time to head back to school. We reflected on our experiences on the drive back and over lunch at Golden Corral. The first thing anyone said when we all piled back in the van was, "Let's definitely come back in the spring!" Everyone agreed.
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