Symphonies, Rock Stars, and Cable

Update Time! Here's a random splattering of events that have happened over the past few weeks...


... We took the After-School kids on a field trip on the 17th, to take a tour of the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall here in Baltimore. I had contacted and set up the trip, and I have to say, it went very well! The kids were well behaved and seemed to be paying attention to the tour guides. They loved the view from the highest balcony, and they especially liked singing out into the hall from the front of the stage. The trip turned out to be a nice way to expose them to a different side of music than what we've been doing week-in and week-out (mainly because I don't have a full orchestra at my disposal). Overall, a good time was had by all.


... I had mentioned the need for instruments in a previous blog post, and my good friend Brad met the challenge. He graciously donated an electric guitar and amp to the After-School kids, and it made it's debut this past Thursday. Oh. My. Goodness. The kids went wild! I could barely keep any semblance of order once I took this bad boy out and let them strum away on the strings. It didn't matter that not one actual note was played, and that the sounds they created reminded me of the Titanic scraping an iceberg- these kids loved experiencing the power and energy that can only come about through some good ol' rock 'n roll. Now that I have this guitar, I can start teaching some basic chords, notes, and scales- maybe we'll soon have the next Hendrix on our hands. From the kids...Thanks, Mr. Brad! You're the man!


... Much like the kids, my other good friend Zach is also trying to become a rock star. He and his band, the Zach Caruso Band (clever, I know) opened up for legendary guitarist Johnny A at the World Cafe Live in Philadelphia this past Saturday, and I was fortunate enough to make the trip up to see him. Mind you, Brad and I have been playing music with Zach since we were all starry-eyed rock dreamers playing in his basement, roundabout almost 10 years ago, so needless to say it was pretty cool to see him play his best on a big stage like WCL. His set was great, and he really captured the attention of the audience, as well as Johnny A himself. Hopefully this show will open some more opportunities for him! The Zach Caruso Band is currently in the studio recording a new album, so put that on your "To Buy" list once it comes out. Check out his sound here.


... Back in Baltimore, the housemates and I are eagerly awaiting the arrival of spring- we've got some big botanical plans for our backyard that we are excited to start. At work, Mr. Moore and I are making plans for the Comcast Cares Day on April 24th. The Comcast Corporation recently awarded St. Frances a sizable monetary grant, so the two communities are joining together for a day of service to commemorate this partnership. We've got plans to paint playgrounds and murals, do some trash pick-up, and plant and maintain some gardens. It should be a great way to kick off Spring and a day to revitalize the Johnston Square neighborhood. I'm looking forward to it.


... I'm also looking forward to spending the Easter holiday in DC with my family! Have a great Passover/Easter everyone!

Westward Ho!

Well, my faithful blog-followers (can I call you blogowers? Yes? Ok, good), the verdict is in. After months of application-filling, essay-writing, interview-having, and test-taking, I have finally discovered what I where I will be going after I vacate the premises of Baltimore at the end of July. In a mere four months time, I will commence another year with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in...Phoenix, AZ! (I tried to convey some drama and magnitude with that announcement, but apparently blogs don't allow for such ebullience. So just imagine that I yelled -Phoenix, AZ!- in your ear).

I think it all came down to the fact that I'm not ready to turn the page on this experience just yet. I view a second year in JVC as a whole new experience in which I can go deeper with the mission of this program and how I can incorporate the values into my post-volunteer life. The experience I've had this year, with my community, my job placement, and with Baltimore in general, has thoroughly convinced me that another year in JVC is what I'm meant to do. I am especially excited about my new placement- I will be working as a Job Developer for Catholic Charities. In this position, I will work with refugees (many from countries like Iraq, Haiti, Iran, Burma) to help them get settled in Phoenix and to assist them in finding meaningful employment. The experience I had with the Job Fair event that we hosted back in January sparked my interest in working to facilitate more and better jobs for all of this country's citizens, and I view this new placement with Catholic Charities as a way to fully commit to that line of work. Plus, this will give me an extra year to decide on a grad school, and then decide on how I will pay for said grad school. Needless to say, I'm excited.

So the Great Westward Adventure will commence on August 7th, my first day of orientation in the southwest. But for now, there's a certain Baltimore city pool that may get closed this summer due to budget cuts, leaving our summer camp kids with nowhere to swim...





...and you know this just won't fly with Mr. Moore and I...

Take Me Home, Country Roads

Last week I was fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in my alma mater Saint Joseph's University's Appalachian Experience. Now, seeing as that I currently have a big ol' diploma hanging on my bedroom wall, and I'm pretty sure I still have my graduation gown, you might be wondering, "Hey, I believe Scott graduated. How can it be that he believes he has not?"

Well, my shining stars, I was able to partake in yet another Spring Break due to the fact that I served as an adult facilitator for this trip. Each year, SJU sends around 10-13 groups to different sites in the Appalachian region, where they participate in a week's worth of home building and renovation. I participated in this trip 3 times as a college student, and I led a group last year (so you might deduce that I have a strong affinity for this whole service in Appalachia thing). Anyway, in addition to the student leaders that organize the group, SJU also sends 2-3 "adults" along to act as responsible voices of reason among the cacophony of collegiate chaos. And somehow, I was asked to be that voice of reason. Go figure.

This was my third trip in a row to Franklin, WV, to work with the Habitat for Humanity site there called "Almost Heaven." And let me tell you, it is almost heaven. The drive in never gets old; I still get inspired and amazed at the view of Germany Valley as we make our descent into Almost Heaven. The people of this region are special- everyone looks you in the eye and with every word they speak, they are trying to get the most authentic person out of you. Four years ago I made my first trip to Appalachia, and each time I go back, I am reminded of the impact it has had on my life.

The group and I spent the week working on two 2-story houses located near the main street of Franklin, and there was always plenty of work to go around. I'd have to say that this was one of the best work sites I've ever been on because there was such a variety of work to be done. On any day, we had people digging trenches, working with mortar (or "goose grease", as our foreman referred to it as), nailing braces into walls, and using a circular saw to cut wood. We had perfect weather until Friday, and with a group of 38 college students, humor abounded (to which I contributed my share, of course...hey, you can make me responsible, but you can't make me serious!)

Aside from the work, we also had plenty of opportunities to explore our surroundings. On our first night, a number of students and I thought it would be a good idea to climb the mountain behind our lodgings; we ended up getting to where we could get no higher, and turned around because of the falling darkness. Later, we would learn that the mountain is called Spruce Knob, and is the highest in West Virginia. Go figure! We made another ascent the next day as we climbed to the top of Seneca Rocks- words fail to describe the exhilarating view from the jagged perch atop the mountain. We also took a tour of caverns, experienced an Aikido class, and went bowling and roller skating with some of the locals. Again, humor abounded.

Though physically taxing, this trip was a true vacation for me. It allowed me to reinvigorate the ol' mind and spirit by placing me back in the same setting that inspired me to pursue a year of service after graduation (hey Appalachia, JVC says thanks!). It allowed me to take in the beauty of the natural world, one with mountains instead of skyscrapers and rivers instead of gutters. It allowed me to get my hands dirty and use the energy I have to make something useful. It helped put this year of service in Baltimore into perspective, and it helped me refocus on what I want to do with my remaining time here. It also allowed me to reconnect with my school, and made me feel like a kid again (although when someone said something about studying for a quiz, I almost dropped the power drills I was juggling blindfolded whilst standing on a 3-story scaffold from the sheer hilarity of that statement...oh, to be young and in college).

I am so very lucky to have been able to pay homage to the experience that set my life on its current path, and I can only hope that I will be able to do what I can to continue to stay involved in these trips. These are the kind of real-world vacations I can get used to.



Pictures from my week can be found here. The website for Almost Heaven Habitat for Humanity can be found here.