Today was the first day of a new adventure. We are heading off to Kenya to learn all about the art of photography. Some of us are focusing on landscapes, video presentations, and street photography, but first we have to do some stuff that is not so fun. This whole day we spent organizing everything that we have to bring. The first half of the day we went through an Adobe Bridge class with Kerry Sharky-Miller, and the video kids went through a similar process with Kenny Kilfara. We each learned the basic tools of our applications. Then we made sure our cameras and video cameras were set up properly. Then Kerry checked out cameras to the people who needed them. For the second half of the day we spent many hours organizing what we need to bring to Kenya. Each student was assigned to a group and that group had a student team leader. They had to do different tasks such as dividing everything up into different piles, bubble wrapping delicate objects, and packing the items in their appropriate bags. We wrote down an inventory of what we were bringing to each community we visit. For example for Boy’s Town we packed a lot of balls and things for the young boys to play with. We also packed school supplies and things to help provide them with a better learning environment. All the students helped fold and pack each of the things we donated. Then when we were done with all of the hard work, the students gathered together to practice a performance. We are going to need to perform for most of the communities we visit because in Africa it is seen as a sign of respect for different communities to perform to each other. We decided we would sing Build Me Up Buttercup by The Foundations and Stand By Me by Ben E. King. Today was challenging but we are looking forward to actually getting to Kenya! Its going to be a great trip!
