Spring Break's Here...

... and off they went! Seventy-five Calvin students left to various locations across the country on a mission-- a spring break trip to serve and learn (http://www.calvin.edu/news/2008-09/spring-break/). I am sure these students would gain valuable lessons, experience the local cultures of their service sites, develop closer relationships with those whom they would meet from the trips, and cultivate friendships that would last a lifetime. As I thought about the amazing things they would do and the questions I would ask them (because I figured they would return at least a little wiser), I thought about the many selfless men and women in uniform serving around the world (surely, if there are lessons to learn from reflecting upon one's week-long service trip, there must be even more lessons to unearth from multiple tours of duty that stretch for months). These brave troops placed their limbs and lives on the line so that we could keep ours. These brave troops stood up to defend freedom so that the rest of us could freely do whatever we wanted. Yet, our veterans are not treated with the kind of respect they deserve. Psychologists say that telling stories is therapeutic. I think storytelling has a two-fold benefit: We remember the hardship endured by the story tellers, and we learn about those parts of the world that we would probably never visit. We might surprise ourselves to realize that there are actually many valuable lessons to learn from those humble and forgotten veterans.

Technology: Our Friend or Foe?

Technology brings people together. It shapes the way how we, of this (privileged) generation, interact with one another. Phrases like “Google that” or “Facebook me” pretty much grew up with us. We probably didn’t realize such phrases gained meaning only recently. Ask Shakespeare or Aristotle. Then ask your 4-year-old niece. Consider where you are right now on this planet, reading this blog. You probably don't know who its author is. In a way, technology unites people of common interests and promotes community. If online communities do exist, how should such online communal relationships be cultivated? Can technology function like strong and deep roots to keep relationships growing? Isn’t technology amazing and scary at the same time?

Technology can keep people apart too. Some people would rather text or Facebook message their friends even though they live just down the hall. Could this be a cause of many people's fear of public speaking? If so, how are advocacy and lobbying affected? For its powerful society-shaping potential, those before our generation either have to learn how to keep up with technology so to keep up with their children or grandchildren, or they are left sitting on the sidelines.

Thanks to technology, human communication received a facelift. Shakespeare could have been a billionaire when he was alive; Aristotle could have started an online school. Wow.

CAVEAT: I have nothing against Facebook. In fact, I occasionally use it to ask people to lunch... and perform counter-intelligence on identified stalkers.