Day 3: Settling in

So day 3 is complete. Today was the first day we wore our uniforms, let me tell you, they are SOMETHING. It is nice to not have to think about what I am going to wear everyday, but if I were going for looks, this is definitely not what I would be wearing.

Today we went through several different trainings and activities. I was drug tested and given 2 shots, which wasn’t so bad. We had our pictures taken, played some really fun and silly games, and found a poisonous little lizard in our bathroom. We haven’t named him yet, but I will report back when we do. I also had to take out my nose ring for good, so dad, you can rest easy knowing there are no longer holes in my face that shouldn’t be there.

Today we went over our PT regiment for the next 10 months. We will be required to exercise at least 3 times per week for 45 minutes each time. We will also be required to do a baseline test every time we return to campus which consists of a 1.5 mile run, 1 minute of sit ups and 1 minutes of pushups. I don’t think that any of this will be much of a problem for me as my roommate thinks I am crazy for getting up early every morning to go running in the heat.

As a whole our group learned about the history of the AmeriCorps program as well as the various branches and organizations associated with the AmeriCorps today, which was really interesting. I feel honored to be part of a program that has been around since 1933, especially one that is modeled after the original program, the CCC. One interesting fact that I learned today was that the AmeriCorps pledge was written by someone who remains a mystery to all of us, yet it has stuck with the AmeriCorps since it’s early days. The program originally started during the Depression as a military training program and became useful when World War II began. The program only had men at the beginning, and didn’t incorporate women until pretty recently. The program also had more members during the early years (1933-1942) than it has total since then. All of this was just really interesting me, along with learning about the meaning of the pledge as well as how important this program is to all of us who have been accepted.

As with many of the things that I have done in the last 4 years, I feel that the AmeriCorps is about being part of something bigger than yourself and those around you. It is amazing to me how a group of people can come together and make such a huge change. My only hope is that at the end of these 10 months I will feel that I have made a large impact on this region and the people who I come in contact with. I have already met some very amazing people here, including one team leader who said something very meaningful to me. She said, “it is amazing to me how easy it is to get caught up in meaningless priorities and spend our time thinking and talking about things that are pretty irrelevant in the grand scheme of our lives when there are much more important things going on in our country.” This really hit home to me today when we were reading the pledge and going over its meaning to us and the work that we are doing.

I will get things done for America,
to make out people safer, smarter, and healthier.
I will bring Americans together to strengthen our communities.
Faced with apathy, I will take action.
Faced with conflict, I will seek common ground.
Faced with adversity, I will persevere.
I will carry this commitment with me this year and beyond.
I am an AmeriCorps member, and I will get things done!