Week 4

This week was marked by Larry's departure from the Siena Summer Service Scholars program and AUMS, the site we were filling the same capacity within. For personal reasons, Larry has decided to return to Florida and complete his Summer of Service there. I wish he could have stood on with me here in Albany, but I understand his need to leave the program early and hope he can resolve the issues he was facing.

With Larry gone, the tasks previously assigned to the both of us fall upon my fellow Summer Service Scholar Maura, who is acting as our supervisor Elaina's assistant, and myself. I am not worried about this change, as much of our work has been accomplished prior to Larry's exit and the I can certainly accomplish the rest. Most of the curriculum for the camp was already completed and I will have help completing our preparation of the building.

On a daily basis, I arrive at AUMS at 9 am along with Maura and Cari, who works in the garden. We have been fitted to our own room in the office level of the building and settle in each morning.  Elaina typically checks in on us within the hour, leading to a forty-five minute discussion of the day's tasks and what has been taken care of so far. She is often joined by Peter Fisch, the executive director of AUMS. The two of them discuss possible opportunities and try to make sure we have access to all of the materials and personnel we require to build the program. After this, we are left to our own devices for most of the day, working on whatever was discussed in the morning meeting. It can be tedious work, but we make it manageable by bouncing ideas off of each other, joking and playing music to keep spirits high. When the day has come to a close, Maura typically drives me back to Siena's campus where I am staying.

Our Wednesday night classes with the rest of the Summer Scholars have been based on a different topic each week, making it slightly difficult to get a read on them. We have not had nearly as much emphasis on sociological ideas as originally expected. Instead, Dr. Kassel, our supervisor, uses the meetings to check in us and go over ways to deal with problems common to working with non profits. It has a tendency to run somewhat on the boring side, but there is plenty of useful information and opportunity for discussion throughout.