Day 14: Final Reflections

Reflections of these past two weeks            

Upon my return to El Paso, I still have a lot of work to do. The Gila still needs to be planned, O’Rourke still needs to be thanked, and my parents still have to be appreciated. But the lessons and the new parts of my character I learned and developed over the course of these two weeks gave me a new perspective on these actions. These aren’t just things to be done and forgotten, they are experiences worth committing to, worth that extra mile and that spring in my step, worth the experience they have given me in shaping myself, others, and the world. I have to thank all of the friends I’ve made and people I have met to realize that the effort was worth it.

Submitted by Daven Cheu

  

I entered this program as a shy and nervous person, unsure of what was going to happen in the next two weeks. I felt I would be unable to complete some of the tasks scheduled, such as conducting research on an official vessel or talking to a congressperson. However, as the days progressed, I learned so many important lessons that will benefit me throughout my life. One of the most important lessons I learned was commitment. I entered thinking that I would only need to stay committed to the academic work, such as writing papers and taking class notes, but it never really occurred to me that I’d need to be committed to the group as well. At first, it seemed a bit uncomfortable to be stuck in a small group with a bunch of strangers, but after a few days, the fear and tension seemed to melt away.

I also learned the benefits of collaboration and working towards a common goal, and how much everybody can gain if we all invest time and effort to the group. I was scared to step outside my comfort zone by doing things such as writing the issue paper or the congressional meeting because I’ve never done any of these things by myself. However, the group had each other’s backs in all of the meetings, and the RAs and instructors were always there for anything I could possibly need help with. After completing the meetings, I realized how much of a difference we can make. I used to think that it was only politicians who had the power to make change in government, but I learned that citizens can make just as much of a difference through hard work, research, and passion. Finally, I learned that I’m still learning.

I did things I wasn’t sure I’d be able to do because I had the chance to work with and learn from others. Working closely with this group has taught me that change and growth are necessary (and sometimes challenging) parts of life. Overall, these past two weeks have been some of the most educational, exciting, and memorable experiences I’ve ever had.

Submitted by Jen-Li Barry

 

 

Highlights for this program for me were the day on the research vessel, the day that we flew to Washington, and the night time Trolley tour of the monuments. On the research vessel, we collected samples of the water to see the pH and to see the amount of minerals every so many meters. I also steered the ship and that was one of the highlights for that day.

 

Another one of my favorite things from this trip was the day we flew to Washington for two simple reasons, it was my first time on a plane, and I lost my luggage. Well, my luggage wasn’t really lost, it got there before me. Sure made my day go from a 10 to a zero and back to a 10! Seeing the monuments and seeing them at night was awesome. Besides our driver MJ, was informative, attentive and entertaining.

Submitted by Juan Martinez

I came into the GELS program unsure of what to expect in the next two weeks. Who could blame me? I would be thousands of miles away from home, and participating in a environmental and leadership program having limited knowledge on both topics. Little did I know that during these two weeks, I would learn a lot about not just the environment and politics, but about myself and my peers. Throughout these two weeks, we participated in various activities, ranging from icebreaker games to 8 hour research vessel rides. As different as these activities were, they all encompassed the seven C’s, which we learned were the components of the social leadership model of change. For example, by meeting with our congressional staff members or representatives, we expressed citizenship. All my peers and I worked towards a common goal, which was to have our representatives take action to address our respective environmental issues. Although I was nervous about meeting someone possessing such a high position of authority, I was committed to making a positive change in my community, so I fought down the urge to run away from my meeting, and followed through with what I signed up for. After the GELS program ends, I hope to be able to incorporate these values into my everyday life as well. Whether it be in my interactions with my family, to encouraging my school's student body to incorporate eco-friendly changes into their lifestyles. The GELS program has offered me insight on the environment and leadership that I would never receive from any other person or program I attend.

Submitted by Annie Yu

 

 

 

Photo Highlights

Juan and Juan

Juan just before his meeting with Juan Vargas

 

 



Beto O'Rourke

Daven Cheu

 

 

Iowa Jima- nighttime monuments

Jefferson Memorial

 

Peaceful protest at Lincoln Memorial

 

Washington Monument

 

Capitol Hill

 

EPA tour with Kara Koehrn

 

 

Issue Papers

Issue Papers

Day 12 Second Day On The Hill

Submitted by Annie Yu

Despite feeling anxious for our second round of presentations, we were much more at ease knowing that we (most of us) had gotten through our meetings with our individual representatives and would now be experienced at introducing our legislations. Now on to the committee meetings!

Meeting with NOAA representatives



Beto O'Rourke from Texas meeting with Daven

Each committee had an entirely different role in the government, and were working on unique projects. It was interesting and informative being able to hear about the issues they were addressing, and being given advice about entering government positions on the hill and post-high school opportunities in general. In our meeting with the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Jen Li’s proposal on funding solar window research was a hit!  The Committee is presently working on a bill for renewable energy and was impressed with her research and said they might put a provision in their bill. WOW! This made us all realize how much of an impact we really could have with just the work we did in these two weeks. With my Representative potentially cosponsoring the Trash Reduction Act of 2015 that has been sitting in Committee, Jen Li’s proposal for Solar Window Research and Daven meeting with Beto O’Rourke and being offered an unpaid internship in his local El Paso office, we walked away from the day feeling empowered and productive.

In the Botanical Gardens

After our meetings and lunch in the Senate Cafeteria, we visited the Botanical Gardens. It felt so humid at first, and I could feel myself start to excessively perspire as soon as we stepped into the “tropical” room. Despite this, being surrounded by lush green plants, brilliantly colored flowers, and feeling the mist around me made me feel relaxed, despite the heat and humidity.

After dinner in Union Station, we were off to an evening trolley tour. Our driver, M.J. made the ride unforgettable by making jokes, playing songs, and narrating boisterously, filling us up with a bit more energy during the ride. While a majority of the trolley ride consisted of relaxing in our seats, and feeling the evening breeze, we were able to hop off for 15-20 minutes at a few memorable stops and take both individual and group photos, at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, the Iwo Jima Memorial, and the Lincoln Memorial. Despite being probably the most tiring day of the whole program, the experiences were unforgettable and the memories will be forever imprinted in my mind.

Day 11: Perspectives on the DC Metro System

Submitted by Daven Cheu, July 13, 2016

The DC metro was constructed, to the best of my knowledge, during the 1970s. Its architecture definitely shows that influence: stations of concrete with curves and weight saving cutouts in the vaulted roofs in a minimalist fashion that mimicked the sights of the streets above. It was built as part of a city made to facilitate the smoothness of government, a manifestation of the government America hoped to be.

The trains also reflect that atmosphere, but I can’t help but see the dream hasn’t aged well but is still well loved by millions, myself included. I once rode these trains from Fort Myers to the heart of the city three years ago. Wear and scraps of paper left in crevices reveal the many stories that followed these train lines. The angular, metallic design alludes to a vision of the sleek future long since passed.

Daven in his meeting with Beto O'Rourke- After our ride on The Blue Line Train

Today, we got a special treat to the antiquity of the system despite the attempts at modernization. After Susan tried to find a way to avoid paying $2 for smart trip cards for all of us as the paper tickets had been phased out two weeks before, we waited on the platform for a train to Farragut West. She told us a story of how her little brother was left behind at a subway station in New York, them going back for him, and realizing they were on the wrong train the whole time. After a few minutes of waiting on that platform, we took a train that would never let us forget which one it was.

“This- is -The –Blue- Line- Train- to –Pentagon- City.”

It was Federal Center SW when we stopped at a crowded platform, the train announcing which direction it was going, but the doors didn’t open, and we spent the next two minutes slowly inching up the station until it finally stopped. The intercom didn’t, and the conductor continued without fail to repeat the name of the train for the rest of the stops extremely slowly as if everyone in the station was hard of hearing until we finally arrived at Farragut West. It still continued to ring in our heads and I think the only way we could get it out, at least the way the rest of the group agreed upon, was to turn it into a mixtape. The humidity outside was suffocating, so I’d rather take an UBER. For just a little more than the cost of a Smart Trip card and fare you could go to the Capitol in under 10 minutes from the hotel.

Day 9: George Washington University

Submitted by Juan Martinez

 

Today we had a lot to do and my favorite was going to George Washington University. After breakfast we went to UCDC to work on our congressional meetings and then went to GWU after lunch. When we were walking out of GWU, I saw a railing and it looked awfully tempting so I decided to slide down it with a shout along the way, and then all of a sudden, I heard “JUAN” in an authoritative voice. Susan did not look pleases and so like the well behaved guy that I am I apologized and decided to behave or the rest of the tour

 



Juan and George taking a break together

The tour guy did a good job explaining and pointing out some of the best places or some of the most well-known. I have never been to GWU before so that was a new experience for me. I felt like the campus was fairly big and very different compared to other Universities. I thought that with this tour and a walk around the campus, I would be more inclined to come to this university, but it did not have as big an impact as I anticipated because it felt exactly like going to school in a city. The campus is literally the streets of Washington D.C., and that made it feel small and not very interesting to me. The reason this was one of my favorite parts of the day was because what the tour did do for me was to have me learn that I am leaning more towards a place that is not already like where I live.

Day 8: DC Here We Come!

Submitted by Susan Moerder

As our first week of research at SIO comes to a close, we packed and got ready to embark on the second week of our journey.  So no one in their right mind would be up at 4:00 in the morning to get to the airport but not only were we up at that time but so were the three RA’s who were driving us there. Sleepy and groggy we loaded the vans and said goodbye to Tioga dorm and UCSD for now. As I reflect back on the first week of the program I am thankful for Veronica Tamsitt and Bonnie Ludka for their dedication and expertise in teaching the students about data analysis and patterns to discuss. The students began preparing their first draft issue papers and their first practice run through of their Congressional meeting. We’ve got a lot of work to still do for them to be ready for Wednesday!

Veronica Tamsitt and Bonnie Ludka, SIO Researchers 

The flight was uneventful except for the fact that this was Juan’s first time EVER flying!  It was fun to see his excitement and his anxiousness with every detail that we had to cover from checking in, checking luggage, going through security, take off, landing, and not having his luggage turn up in DC. Well it did turn up, seems it was sent on an earlier flight from Austin (our stop-over) and so his apprehension about losing his stuff was calmed quickly.

Sporting our AC GELS shirts!

Juan and his "Build Your Own Plane"

After checking in to the hotel, we walked to a local pizza place. Ah- east coast Italian food- can’t beat it!

Now we are ready to take on the hill!  Well, we do need to practice more first so we are looking forward to working with Danny Richter from Citizens Climate Lobby tomorrow to learn how to handle ourselves in our congressional meetings this week.

Day 7: Issue Papers

Submitted by Jen-Li Barry

 

Today each person in our group researched their congressperson to write their own issue paper. Exploring past bills and legislation they supported, we searched for an issue to write about. Creating this issue paper was much more challenging than I had originally expected, because I learned that we each had to pick a topic that our representative would likely support and that we were passionate about.

My representative, Lois Capps is passionate about many issues, including the environment, public health, and education. After reading about her previous accomplishments and occupations, the website ontheissues.org gave me insight into how she had voted on these issues. I was excited to see that I agreed with her on many of the topics, disagreeing with offshore drilling, being pro-choice, and being pro-gun control.

I then turned to some of the environmental problems that affected my community/her district. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the majority of ideas I had were already being implemented in the area, including free mulch deliveries, rain barrel subsidies, and a renovation to make a golf course more water-efficient.

Reflecting on this past week and the different topics I learned about, I remembered a display at the Birch Aquarium. It featured two windows, comparing the amount of heat each type captured, in an effort to conserve energy. I realized I hadn’t seen or heard anything about solar windows, so I decided to investigate further. I found a few different companies that either sold or were in the process of developing solar windows, which would capture the light and generate energy for the building.

Jen Li at the Birch Aquarium

Working on issue papers

After reading what each website had to say, I figured this would be a great topic to introduce at my meeting with Rep. Capps. I am very excited now that I found a topic; however, I am still pretty nervous about presenting this paper. Our group did a mock run through with our first drafts to get an idea of how the meeting would feel. I felt immensely unprepared, I could hardly remember what I was talking about, and eventually I ended up reading off of my paper. I made some notes of specific questions I needed to be prepared to ask, but I realize that I need to be able to think on my feet, as I can never know what may occur during a meeting with a busy congresswoman. I am not very good at conversing with people of status without having everything somewhat planned out in my head, but I simply have to remember to take a breath and just say what seems appropriate to the situation.

Even though this process and the meetings are challenging, I am glad that I get the chance to experience lobbying in DC, since it will only help me learn and grow as a U.S. citizen and a human being.

Day 6 Trust Circle

Submitted by Juan Martinez

   

Today we accomplished a lot but the activity which impacted me the most was at the end of the day on the 11th floor of Tioga Dorm. We formed a circle with a rope in front of us. We trusted each other to support our weight as we planted our feet on the floor and then slowly leaned back. We were tugging the rope and eventually leaning so far back that we supported everyone else's weight. Similar to a trust fall, we were depending on each other while relying on the strength of the rope. We exercised teamwork and trust for all of the other people in the circle.

While still in the circle formation we sat down and talked freely about whatever we wanted. What we talked about was really our choice, it could have been personal or just anything we liked about the week. The rope formed a circle with a knot tying the two ends and whoever had the knot in front of him/her had the chance to talk without being interrupted. Once done that person would pass the knot to the next person and then they would have the chance to talk about whatever they wanted. This also involved trust and vulnerability as well because some people shared a part of their life that they probably had not told anyone and was very dear to their heart.

Intro teambuilding before the rope

This activity affected me in an emotional way because I opened myself up and addressed a topic that was very sad and brought back bad memories. The activity also made me feel safe because I knew I could trust my peers and speak freely about whatever, whether it was an embarrassing moment in my life or a very joyful moment of my life. I truly liked this activity and enjoyed it quite a lot.



Not the trust circle but definitely trusting when the captain let Juan drive the boat!

Day 5 Presentation Do’s and Don’ts

 Submitted by Annie Yu

 

Being a very independent person by heart while having a natural fear of public speaking, I was somewhat anxious about the team presentation we would do today. After an ordinary morning, of breakfast at Pines, and the 7 minute ride to SIO, we entered the Vaughan building being greeted by our instructors Veronica and Bonnie. We were separated into our “Hot” and “Extreme” groups and while the “Hot” group left to work on ocean warming in another room, I was left with Susan, our program coordinator, Bonnie, our instructor, and Daven and Trae, my two other classmates-and team members for the day to examine decade long data regarding rainfall in Bakersfield, CA.

Quickly, I was immersed in a land of numbers, spreadsheets, and silence while my teammates were indulged in their own work. Bonnie, was very efficient in walking us through the techniques used to get standard values and soon I was calculating means, maximums, and standard deviations like it was basic math. After three hours of analyzing data, and a short but much needed break, we were on to working on the presentation. Working on our power-point, required more communication to be organized. My group divided up the work in a way in with each person addressed a different part of the power-point. One was calculating the means, while another was typing text, and the third was finding images. Quickly, I wanted to dominate the formatting of the presentation. However, I realized that my group members had inputs that invalidated those of mine, so I loosened my control and tried being more receptive towards my group mates’ ideas.

Annie and Trae

Annie practicing her presentation skills

Daven getting more comfortable speaking to the group

Our teamwork was a bit choppy at first, but we adapted and finally finished. Even though we received criticism the first time we practiced presenting, I felt that as a team, we were able to significantly improve and repair our power-point without expressing much opposition or conflict in regards to each other’s ideas. After presenting a second time, with significant improvement, we presented in front of our peers. The third time was met with more confidence and ease. Finishing the part I was supposed to present felt like a weight being lifted off my shoulders. Hearing feedback from others, despite the criticisms we received, gave me insight on the skills that I needed to improve upon. Although I’ve gotten used to being an independent worker over time, today’s activities revealed the importance of teamwork and being conscious towards the ideas of others. Additionally, it showed me that having the courage to present in front of others and being receptive towards constructive criticism makes presenting a much easier task. 

Day 4: A day aboard an SIO research vessel

Submitted by Jen-Li Barry


After a very early start and a few safety lessons, our GELS group parted from the Point Loma dock aboard the R.G. Sproul prepared to explore the ocean. After touring the ship and watching the boat gracefully skim the ocean, we were ready to begin our research experiments. There were a variety of tests we conducted, from recording water temperatures at varying depths, collecting samples with the CTD, and tossing M&M’s overboard. While every moment on the trip was filled with curiosity and a sense of peace at sea, my most memorable experience of the day was examining a mud sample retrieved from the bottom of the ocean.

The crew lowered the bottom trawl, a large metal claw-like instrument, over the stern of the boat to the bottom. Once the claw scooped up a large sample of mud from 55m deep, it was raised so everyone could explore the mud and search for creatures. The mud was smooth and soft and it made us all wonder what having a mud bath would really feel like.  We found quite a few brittle stars and a variety of worms, but then a splash was noticed in the water. We spent a good 5 minutes trying to grab what it was with our hands, but it managed to elude us. I felt the animal slide past a few times, so when Bonnie handed me a bag to try and capture it, I was able to scoop it into the bag when it appeared again.

Setting the CTD

  Mud!

Brittle Stars

Using a plastic cup with clear water from the CTD, we dropped the creature into the cup for observation. It resembled an eel, being flat and ribbon-like, and it had two clear stripes. It was trying to swim in a downwards direction, probably wanting to bury itself again, and its motions reminded me of a ribbon in the wind. After the eel paparazzi ended, we tossed it overboard, hoping it would be able to return to its home.

 Our mysterious find

 
Our day continued with examining collected plankton under microscopes, touring the ship’s bridge, and viewing the ocean from the bow of the ship. This trip really made me realize how much I truly enjoy the ocean and getting my hands dirty. I hope to gain more experience collecting data in the field and spend more time learning about life at sea. The glass-like conditions of the sea, the relaxing waves, and the engaging activities, all helped create a perfect day on the ocean.

 

Relaxing while heading back to shore

Day 3- Our Introduction to SIO

Submitted by Trae Rabago

Today was a very special day in the sense that we became a part of a mere 4% of the nation that was given access to the vertebrate collection held at Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO). When we arrived at SIO, we were greeted by our tour guide, Dan who led us into a room that was home to approximately 6,000 different species of fish, which makes this collection one of the largest in the nation. He showed us some of the most interesting fish they had, ranging from whale sharks, to flying fish, and stonefish, with some eels, and others I’d never heard of before.

Dan explains what each specimen is to the group from the sampling he set up on the table.

Shelves and shelves of specimens collected from as far back as 1912.

Also interesting to me was the technique they use to preserve the fish. Clearing and staining, and then storing in jars of alcohol and water, allow them to keep this large collection of fish. The preserved jars contain 50% water and 50% isopropyl alcohol so that the people at SIO limit their use of more hazardous substances like formalin. Clearing and staining, for those who are unfamiliar with the technique, is where the fish is cleared by putting the organism into ethyl alcohol and letting it soak until it becomes clear and then dying the bones and cartilage with colors to helps distinguish the parts of the fish.

This part of the day exposed me to so many new species I didn’t even know existed and helped me to realize that this is only a small taste of what our ocean has to offer.

-Trae Rabago