Life, Camera, Action.

A US Marine on his quest to change the world through film.

Rewind to 1987, Sierra Leone. A 9-year-old boy, Folleh Francis Shar Tamba, stealing 5 dollars from his grandmother’s purse to miss school and watch movies at the village theatre.

It’s rain season, and Tamba is having trouble hearing the film over the rain, roaring against the thin metal rooftop of the small square building with no air conditioning, no windows and just one door. There are no cushioned seats and armrest drink holders, but wooden benches lined up on dirt floors.

For $5 Tamba could watch three movies in the theatre, dripping with sweat, drawn into the action films projected from VHS tapes. But he didn’t care about the heat, the sweat, or the rain. Nor did he care about the fit his mother would have when she discovered the missing money. At a young age, Tamba discovered a love for the arts that would shape him for the rest of his life.

“You can just escape the real world through film and I fell in love with it,” he said. “I realized how powerful motion picture was and I knew I wanted to be a filmmaker.”

Relocating with his family to Monrovia, Liberia, Tamba found himself in the middle of civil war breaking out in 1990. Along with his parents who were medical practitioners but accused of belonging to rebel groups, Tamba was pulled out of his home with a rifle barrel pressed against his head.

“That day changed my life,” Tamba said. “At that moment I knew someday I would fight against oppression.”

Displaced to a refugee camp without anything except the clothes on his back, Tamba survived his childhood by selling fruit and cigarettes to provide for his family. When the war ended, Tamba—18 at the time and barely knowing any English—traveled to Chicago and enrolled at Amundsen high school. Late after school hours, Tamba would work with his English teacher Ms. Landers, reading poetry and stories to develop his literacy.

“As I started to learn English, I began to discover great artists,” Tamba said. “Like Shakespeare, Hemmingway and even Pink Floyd.”

Continuing to follow his dream after graduating at 21, he enrolled at Columbia College to study film where he met another student, Juan Montelongo. Throughout college they worked on numerous projects together, and just like many students, they were faced with the question of what was next after graduation. They needed a big project, and needed to get serious. So they decided to start a film company.

“We told each other we would do whatever it takes,” Montelongo said. “Even if it means walking into a Chase Manhattan Bank asking if they gave out money to produce films.”

At which they did. “How hard could it be, right?” They asked themselves.

It was hard. Banks don’t offer money for films.

“We knew we needed to be a little more serious than that,” Montelongo said, laughing. “But it showed that we were willing to go as far as embarrassing ourselves.”

Not long after the bank incident, Montelongo received a phone call from Tamba, telling him he was joining the U.S. Marines.

Press play on any news program and you will see coverage of Marines urinating on dead combatants, or an Iraqi war veteran murdering innocent lives, assumed of suffering the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. In 2011 the New York Times attested to a veteran crime wave due to PTSD, stating that there have been 121 accounts of murder from Iraq or Afghanistan war veterans.

“The news conflicts with what really goes on there and never show all the positive things that the military does,” Tamba said. “The media is a business and because of politics, it’s hard for it to be neutral. I want to show people the real footage. Then they can draw their own conclusion.”

Deployed to Iraq in 2004, and armed with a video camera, he set out to show a truthful lens of the U.S. military. Months later, Montelongo receives a phone call.

It was Tamba, returning from his deployment. “I got some really good footage,” he said.

And so began their company, Wolfdog Films.

Their first film, “The Triangle of Death,” documented Tamba’s deployment during one of the most dangerous times in Iraq. Screened in numerous universities and 40 film festivals across the country, it has won numerous awards for best documentary, aired on the Military Channel, and is soon to be placed in the Library of Congress for historic record.

“It’s difficult to explain war—but to show it—is powerful,” Tamba said. “I never dreamed I would be surviving in America with people watching my films.”

Fast forward to the present, a 34-year-old Tamba, lifting weights at a local gym. Wearing his US Marines sweatpants and sweatshirt—worn during his eight years of service since 2003—he’s well spoken in English after attaining two bachelors degrees from Columbia College and is currently working on his masters.

Since “Triangle of Death,” Tamba has created one other documentary, “The Line of Departure,” another award winning documentary giving a retrospective look into the last day of a marine before deploying to Afghanistan. He’s currently working on his first fictional feature film, “The Quiet African,” a story of a man whose father was killed in civil war escalated by political arms dealing.

In post-production are several other projects, ranging in content from the training of U.S. Marines, to the $11.6 billion deal between Chicago and Morgan Stanley to lease out Chicago’s parking meters.

“The films I make have to have a global issue that people can learn from,” he said. “I take an element of injustice and infuse it into my movie.”

Pause for reflection. “The best thing I ever did was become a Marine,” he said, feeling honored to educate himself, bring his family from Sierra Leone and fight for his adopted country.

“There’s a debt that I owe to America for giving me everything I have,” he said. “But how do you give back?”

According to Montelongo, Tamba is constantly talking about living in a better society, service to your country and service to your community. Montelongo assumes it may be the Marine in him, or the paternal-like qualities he displays to his family and those he meets, or the desire for memories of an oppressed childhood not to be experienced by anyone else.

“He’s more concerned about helping you and that stands against the stigma society has about Marines,” Montelongo said. “For me, he changed my perspective of what an action hero really is.”

#7. Looking at the history of man and examining our  natural will to explore distant lands, develop new technologies and expand our knowledge, are very being is designed to tackle the unknown. To test our own capabilities. To see what our character is made of. To create. Explore.

To find adventure.

But as we fall into the routines of our daily lives: Wake up, eat, work, eat, sleep, repeat… we feel like the only way to get a grasp on that adventure in life is to travel to the far ends of the world, jump out of planes, help the third world in need, etc. Which can result in those of us without the time or money to be able to accomplish such things in our lives, we day dream and wish we could be “more adventurous”… and “experience more.”

But being adventurous is not a manufactured item you can purchase online and it isn’t an event a ticket will grant you access to.  Adventure is the internal experience of what happens when you’re driven by the willingness to be carefree and take more risks to do things you’ve never done before.

We act as if we are already experts on the odds and ends of where we currently exist and there is no potential for more. As if we’ve already passed up amazement with a “been there, done that” attitude.  We need to accept the fact we are full of b.s. and we don’t have everything figure out around us AND within us… that the only reason we desire “adventure” is because we have become too comfortable and complacent in our routine. The only thing we have “figured out” is how  NOT  to take more risks. Once we realize there is so much more life to be experienced outside our doorsteps, at our jobs, in our homes and in every moment in any place which presents the opportunity to discover more of ourselves and develop a character which has more depth than the people we were yesterday–Then, we will find adventure.

My adventure is writing a book. Making as many new friends as possible. Dropping the walls between my father and I with the goal of becoming closer. Creating an invention. Finishing first in a race. Getting in touch with performing art again. Finding God in different faiths. Testing what I am physically capable of. Becoming a stronger leader at work and with my friends.   Inspiring others to know there is more to themselves than they give credit to or could ever imagine. And of course, for me to do the same.

Yes. There is an entire world out there just waiting to be explored which most of us might not ever get the chance to see. But that does not mean we can’t recognize that the same feeling of climbing Everest can also be experienced by overtaking the obstacles which stand in the way of our day to day happiness. Mountains can be climbed every morning when you wake up to the same timezone and the same life you do everyday. The wonders of the world can be found in the wonder and awe of discovering things you never believed you were capable of.

Learn a new language and engage in a conversation with someone through your new found skill. Pick up a new hobby you’ve been wanting to do and connect with the community of people with similar interests. Take on a new project at work. Go to a show or sign up for that class. Ask for the raise you’ve desired and deserved. Share a vulnerable truth with someone you’ve been carrying on your shoulders for longer than you can remember. Say hello and strike up a conversation with a random stranger in a coffee shop. Reconnect with an old friend. Do something which you have historically told yourself its something you would never do. Then take pride in feeling, “I can’t believe I just did that.”

I believe there is a common fear that resides in the back of our minds dreading the possibility that we will one day come to a point in our lives and realize we wasted our time doing nothing, never finding our true selves. That’s the reason we decide to jump out of planes and travel to the far ends of the earth. It is also why we start businesses and do whatever we can in order to be able to successfully raise a family. It is why we feel the way we do when we run marathons and create works of art, indulging every moment of our achievements.  We try and find the true meaning behind the event in hope that it will lead us to something greater, inspiring ourselves to one day wake up from our dreams and turn the things we want to do with our lives into a reality. What is the point of being blessed with a long life if we didn’t take the initiative to live it to it’s full potential?  These are the defining moments which will bring happiness knowing  at one point we were able to persevere through our struggles and overcome the obstacles that test our physical and mental abilities. Time is limited, and the world around us is changing.  We must set out to experience that change. While having the clarity to clarity to understand  the change we find within in ourselves.

Stop daydreaming. There is an endless array of opportunities outside of your usual cycle in life. Take more risks, hesitate less, and embrace the unknown.  Adventure doesn’t have to cost a penny. So regardless of where you are, who you’re with, and what you’re doing…. the possibilities are endless… and the memories are priceless.

We all have ideas. It may be an idea to improve the world around you or an idea to improve your own well being. Ideas are the inspiration which occurs when you’re engaged with life and you take the time to process what goes on around you and apply it to your own ideals and ways of being. “Aha!” moments which create visions of how life could be if we only acted on our urge to create change and possibly do something better. Be someone better. Create something greater.

Next time you have an idea, write it down. Whether it’s an idea for a work of art… an idea to improve something at work… an idea to be more healthy… an idea to connect with an old friend…an idea to start something you’ve never done before… Make it real. Make a commitment to it. Own it. It’s yours. Share it with someone so they can give you feedback through another perspective and hold you accountable for not letting this great piece of you go to waste. Plant the seed, make it grow, watch it evolve. Above all, don’t put it on the back burner and justify all the reasons why you shouldn’t do it which can only add another item to the long list of “What If?”s in your life. Don’t set  yourself up with a self-fulfilling prophecy that you don’t have time, might fail or that you’re incapable. Stop playing small. We all have the power to create the change we want to see in the world around us or within ourselves and once we own up to that and take responsibility for the effect of our actions or even lack of action, we will have more appreciation for our ideas and have the audacity to share them with the world. For an amazing and life-changing idea without effort and execution is only time wasted hopelessly daydreaming.

For the time being, until i can figure out a way to categorize and collect these “random isms,” they will be categorized under “What I know”

#5. I’ve come to realize that there is a “line” bewtween not doing something and actually doing something. Far too often do we stay on the side of not taking the chance to cross it, living in our fear of what might happen once we do so; a fear based not from actual reality, but past experiences or external influences of others telling you- “maybe this isn’t a good idea.” We live in fear of being judged…being hurt… isolated… rejected… alone… wrong… different. So we stay on the side that allows us to be comfortable, not taking the risks necessary to experience more depth and meaning in our day. On the other side of this line are the promotions we deserve and demand, the truths we need tell,  the words we want someone to hear, the introductions we want to make of ourselves, the love and anger we need to express, the freedom to be ourselves.

You can either live in fear, or act in fear. You can choose to only exist in your imagination and contemplate all the negative things that might happen so greatly to the point where your mind makes you feel like it actually happened already…or you can  exist in reality– and experience the excitement of leaning into your fears and facing the actual outcome of a situation when you go for what you want and act in a way that is authentic to you. For that is the adventure of life, and that is the adventure that can be found in every single moment around you presenting all the lines between not doing something, and just doing it. So rather than feeling unsatisfied just playing the story in your head, you can choose to act…and have a great story you’ll be able to learn from and share.

For the time being, until i can figure out a way to categorize and collect these “random isms,” they will be categorized under “What I know”

So I just bee-lined it straight home from the office, telling myself while driving, ” Today it’s going to happen. Today I’m going to write. And won’t do anything else until I finish.”

This isn’t the first time I’ve told myself this. But maybe this time I won’t have to deal with the guilt of another failed attempt.  The length of time between now and my last post which cna’t help but keep getting longer is intimidating. So is the blank screen staring me back in the face for about ten minutes telling me to make it more interesting.

I sure am hungry…okay… lets make a steak. No one can write hungry. 

And its a special occasion happening here! It’s been months since I last took some time for myself to write something. I actually have an ongoing list of drafts–a collection of failed attempts– from occasionally trying to write a few sentences out, only to close my laptop in frustration. For the months I’ve been on hiatus from personal writing, I’ve been asked numerous times, “Why did you stop writing?” But I never really have an answer. I could make any excuse revolving around time and being too busy. We all use that one. I most likely use it the most. And its true, I AM busy. But too busy? Truth of the matter is, regardless of how busy a person is, If you want something bad enough, you’ll make it happen.

So I had to figure out, why haven’t I wanted it THAT much? I love writing. And I’ve done great things with it. Shared some great stories. I even had the pleasure of receiving great amounts of positive feedback for which I’m grateful for. I write as part of my job. And I’ve been told I’m a great writer. One of my coworkers and closest friends, Justin Lopez (Check out his new blog), came across my writing and, knowing that I used to write for myself but now stopped, challenged me and said,

“If you don’t go back to writing and share all these awesome stories you have, you’re a God Damn Waste of God Given Talent.“

Thanks, Justin. I needed that. And it’s been lingering on my mind for a while. Sort of haunting me. So here I am.

Justin Lopez, Wright Business Sales Manager

And its not like I haven’t been inspired.

I work one of the greatest jobs imaginable. And a Job I never even imagined I would be doing.  I’m currently a marketing coordinator and Lead media Developer for a company downtown- Wright Business, Inc– a company that offers trainings, products, coaching and seminars which focuses on Social Emotional Intelligence. Consciousness. Self Awareness. Success.  Developed by my two CEOs, Drs. Bob and Judith Wright–Best Selling authors. Executive Coaches. Educators. Motivational Speakers. Researchers and Psychologists. Experts in Human Development.– They based their programs on the research proven fact that we limit ourselves by the beliefs we have about ourselves and the world around us developed by the environment in which we were raised. We help people accurately see themselves and the way we’re scientifically programmed-why we think what we think when we think it– and constantly and consistently live outside of their comfort zones in pursuit of what they want out of their lives…until it becomes a habit. And a way of being.

And it’s not any type of—You’re great! And you can do what ever you want!– type of fantastical bullshit. It’s not glamorous. It’s nitty, gritty and painful when you have to face the things you don’t want to face in your life and sweep under the rug. But when you choose to see yourself for who you are and consciously make decisions in your life to become who you want to become, you begin to see the results in ALL areas of your life. your family. Friendships. Relationships. Career. And it’s grounded, psychological research and proven through the results I feel fortunate enough to see every day.

We partner with entrepeneurships to non-profits to Fortune 50 companies.  …and serve clients from a wide range of demographics with careers as artists, techies, stylists, accountants, writers…. helping people to get more out of their day and be more successful in their careers and at home. I never planned on it, but here I am, wearing a suit and tie, and to my surprise-happy. I never thought I’d ever be content with a job after the military. I always thought I’d go back overseas, in a war or outward bound somewhere in some third-world country. I’ll always miss the military. And wonder what it would be like if I stayed in. But post-war-life had me constantly striving for something to fill the void. The next big thing. Leaving me never satisfied with anything I was doing.  Loss of purpose. Not feeling like I mattered.

Then this job found me But doing this work has provided evidence that–it’s not what you do, it’s who you are…I see this on the non-coincidental common ground of a multi millionaire executive unsatisfied with how his life played out, the baby-boomer senior trying to find excitement and purpose in the final 1/3 of existence, the young entrepeneur looking to make large moves in his his career, or even the 27 year old military veteran seeking adventure and  meaning in every day life ( and finds joy in writing blogs in the evening), it’s a fact– everyone wants more out of their life.

And not only do I have a hand in helping others find that direction. I’m on the path myself. And have had one of the most eventful, craziest  and positive years of my life. Coming from a post-war vet, I think that says a lot. Bottom line- I feel blessed.   And now I hold a vision for society and humanity which encompasses the possibility of what the world would look like if every person asked themselves the question, “How can I bring out my best self which in turn, brings out the best in others?”

We just released a new book. TRANSFORMED! THE SCIENCE OF SPECTACULAR LIVING. It’s a damn good book and from someone that holds sacred the value of reading meaningful literature, I highly recommend it. Here’s a video of my two CEO’s, best selling authors, research specialists and psychologists, and just two amazing people in my life who has impacted me in ways I’ve never even considered possible, speaking about their new book at our recent book launch party.

If you want to check out the book and download Two Chapters of it FREE, go here. 

So I’m back on the writing. I’ve been through some crazy adventures these past few months. Great adventures with greater lessons. Adventures worth writing about. For whatever reason I stopped, it no longer matters. I just have to remember ‘m better off doing it than not. Cause it would be  some sort of selfishness to not share the amazing things I’ve seen.

Best Steak Ever.

It’s 2:30 in the morning and I’m walking to my car after a nice birthday celebration and this is what I come back to. The front passenger side window smashed and shards of glass covering the inside of my car. But not just my car, the whole row of cars down the block.

And it’s not even my car. It’s a rental. My truck is sitting in a shop after being in an accident (one out of my own control) just a few days before. The same truck that was also broken into last fall. Talk about bad luck. Maybe someone is hinting to me the benefits of public transportation.

But here’s what’s most interesting about this incident; The very reason I’ve taken the time to write about it. You see, I haven’t had a lot of free time lately to do any personal writing due to consistent news coverage with the NATO summit and everything else going on in my life, but sometimes you have to take a moment to reflect on the certain things you experience within yourself when life throws you curveballs and you see for whatever reason you adjust, adapt, and change. Simply put:

My reaction last year the first time this happened:

“What the $*(@#(&$))#*@! “

As I cursed up a storm at the top of my lungs, blood boiling, looking to get back at whoever smashed my window, stole my ipod, and would then force me to pay for the broken window. I even irrationally got into a confrontation with some guy in the middle of the street that told me to “quiet down.”

But…my reaction this time around:

“Well, what are you going to do? At least its not too cold out.”

I just couldn’t help but laugh at the situation. Maybe it was the de ja vu that made me recall how angry I was last year, and realizing that negativity doesn’t provide progress. I don’t know, but something just clicked. For whatever reason, regardless of how life changes–and I could definitely say life is very much different than that of last year– it doesn’t excuse you from the inevitable bullshit you come face to face with. Even if, as in my case, when it’s the same exact identical bullshit,  a new chapter in your life no longer presents the same exact person.

Maybe there’s nothing too profound about getting your window broken and I’m thinking too deep on the subject. But I kind of compare it to  the struggles we face in many aspects of our everyday lives, right? We get our windows–our hearts–our confidence–our personal pride– broken all the time. Not only in love and romantic relationships, but in our personal goals for accomplishment and everything else in between.

But it’s not about the material things in your life that can be broken or stolen from you. Everything can be replaced. It’s not about how much everything costs, or trying to do something about the people in this world who thrive upon looking out for their own best interests and add misfortune into the lives of others. It’s about appreciating the things  no one can break or take from your posession. No matter how many times someone or some type of bad luck comes into your life and starts smashing up everything.

It’s about sticking to your original plans and  sweeping the glass off the seat for your passenger and welcoming the breeze as you can’t do anything but smile and eventually forget why the window is down in the first place, because no one should ever stop you from enjoying yourself and doing what you want to do with who you want to be with. It’s about sharing old traditions with new friends of your late night eating spots, laughing while sharing stories between one another, because nothing and no one should stop you from appreciating the value in the relationships you make with others.  It’s about the 5 a.m. drive home with one of your closest friends as the sun rises and you both joke that you’ve both seen the same sunrise together plenty of times  before –(you’re just missing a window this time)– because one bad incident is overshadowed by the plenty of great memories you’ve had along the way.

We, as people, will experience a lot of broken windows in the inevitable ups and downs of life. Death, loss, stress, heartbreak… literally getting your window broken… but sometimes you just have to realize you can’t do anything about what you can’t control nor feel the need to understand the reasons for the unexplainable actions of others. I think the greater satisfaction and lessons learned in the end will be found when you were able to maintain positivity and appreciate the worth of what really matters. It’s not about the car. It’s the people in the car with you, the places you’ve been and the destinations you’re heading.

So clean up the glass and fix the window already. We got places to be.

Wilson Red Line Renovation in Uptown Chicago

By: Alex Thibodeau and Paul Tadalan

The idiom ‘dont judge a book by its cover’ goes a long way toward describing the attitude that many uptown residents have about their neighborhood. The area represents a cultural gem, ripe with opportunity, but the metaphorical ‘book cover’ – the Wilson Redline stop – truly is quite unappealing. The Wilson Broadway Mall, a laughable name for a bodega style convenience stand, has recently been gutted, and the perpetual scaffolding (void of any real construction) make the area surrounding the stop feel derelict, impoverished and abandoned.

This won’t be the case much longer, according to 46^th Ward Alderman, James Cappleman. Long-awaited plans to renovate the Uptown neighborhood’s ‘L’ stop are set to begin in 2014 but some changes are going to be seen long before that.

According to Cappleman, government officials have allocated $135 million in funding specifically for the Wilson station, part of the larger Illinois Jobs Now! capital program investment. The final renovation will include “track replacement, platform extension and station redesign” but the more immediate changes will come in the form of demolition. Plans to remove the ‘mall’ and the CTA carpenters workshop will be complete by the end of the year.

For Uptown resident Nick Blumenberg, 22, the ‘L’ stop isn’t a deal breaker but it also isn’t a selling point.

“I love living in this area,” said Blumenberg, “but the ‘L’ and its surroundings definitely don’t help the image.”

According to Blumenberg, he frequently gets solicited to buy drugs during the three-block walk from the station to his apartment.

“The whole area just needs to get cleaned up,” said Blumenberg. “And hopefully the people will get cleaned up as well.”

Crime has been a reoccurring problem for the area but according to Alderman Chief of Staff Tressa Feher, the new plans may change that for the better.

“The Wilson stop renovation is going to do great things for the community regarding employment and lowering the overall crime rate,” said Feher, explaining Mayor Emmanuel’s development strategy for Uptown. “The plan is to turn this into a place for entertainment and tourism and it’s going to be a positive change for the area.”

Terell, a lifelong Uptown resident, expressed his discontent with growing up in the lake-side community. A member of a neighborhood gang, he hopes economic development will not let his violent upbringing be shared by others.

“People are getting in trouble too much and getting killed for no reason,” said Terrell. “There needs to be change around here so my brothers can stop gang banging.”

While high crime rates may deter some from spending time in the neighborhood, Eleanor Hollingsworth says she rarely feels unsafe in her neighborhood and would love to spend more time in Uptown if she could convince her friends.

“A lot of my friends don’t want to come up here to visit me,” said Hollingsworth who lives right next to the Wilson stop but has never had a problem in the 18 months she has lived there. “But I can understand why they would be afraid of it. It’s gross.”

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen changes to the Wilson stop. The original entrance to the platform can be seen on the northeast side of the station reading “Uptown Station.” Due to population growth in the Uptown neighborhood, the 1920s brought renovation to the Wilson stop to make it similar to its current form. Still, the gerber structure from the former entrance remains nearly a century later and represents abandoned disrepair rather than the roaring twenties nostalgia that it intends.

Local Ethiopian restaurant owner Girmai Lemma, explained how he expects more customers as public transportation becomes more appealing to commuters.

“It’s going to be a lot of help,” Lemma said. “Transportation is the main thing for people to bring them to a business.”

As development brings more people to the area, Uptown residents seem united in the sentiment that it is important to keep the diversity and character that the neighborhood has developed, regardless of its impending facelift.

“One thing I like about uptown is that it’s very diverse,” said Zack Johnson a student at Loyola University. “So I hope bringing in more business wouldn’t change that, but bring more people of those demographics here.”

While gentrification is sure to accompany renovation of the neighborhood, for some of its current residents it is the affordable housing that draws them to the neighborhood.

“If they raised the rent three or four hundred dollars, I wouldn’t be able to stay exactly where I am now,” said Hollingsworth. “I would have to go somewhere else where it’s still not as nice.”

According to the Alderman’s office, Uptown consists of 18-20 percent affordable housing in the area for low-income households, compared to the average 5 percent in other areas around Chicago.

“As we decide how to improve the economy of the area, we also plan on keeping in mind the members of the community,” said Feher.

While the Mayor and Alderman seem to have big plans, they have expressed a commitment to the community and its current members. Rather than displacement, renovations might mean new opportunities for Uptown residents.

[View the story "Wilson CTA Renovation Commentary" on Storify]

I spent the whole month of May covering the series of protests leading up to the NATO summit, learning more about the issues within our society that affect all of  us in more ways than some may be aware of. I attended protests, debates, panels and workshops that, even though some may believe have no actual effect on the issues, I’ve realized  although change may not happen in a day, it all begins with making people more knowledgeable about the actual situation by giving people the information needed to understand-why and what’s wrong. Yes, some people won’t step out of their bubble to care. But some will. And they’ll want to learn more. And then they’ll do something to make a difference. And the only thing stronger than the determination of one person, is when it is met with the same determination of others. Hundreds. Thousands. Who knows then what can be achieved? I felt very fortunate to experience the audacity of those who choose to step forward and set the example for anyone- whether social activist or otherwise–what it means to stand up for what you believe in.

The right person at the right time

Life lessons in leadership from City Year Chicago.

It’s 7:15 a.m. and the sun is rising on Kelvyn Park High School in Chicago’s Hermosa community. The hallways are quiet and empty, but in room 132 the City Year team is meeting for their morning-ritual readiness check. All 10 members standing in a circle, they inspect their uniforms—khaki pants with red and white tops displaying their City Year patch—and end by reciting the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

“A heart full of grace, my mind up to pace,” they all said in unison. “And a soul generated by love.”

This is the motto of City Year, a nation-wide nonprofit organization immersing highly trained individuals ranging from 17 to 24-years-old within high-need public schools in order to combat the nation’s present drop out crisis where over 1 million students drop out of school every year. The program focuses on three areas: attendance, behavior, and course performance. According to a study by Johns Hopkins University, targeting these areas as early as sixth grade can enhance a student’s chance of graduating and continuing on to college.

After school sessions at Homework Hub

Right as the students walk into school, the corps members are outside the main entrance, greeting them with high fives, wishing them good luck and reciting motivational chants. Right at the start of the day, they foster a supportive and encouraging climate that makes students want to come back the day after.

“The greatest success happens when a student feels an adult cares about them,” said Kelvyn Park Assistant Principal Carol Garai.

“City Year creates a type of positive energy felt throughout the whole building.”

Carol Garai, assistant principal and educational motivator.

One year ago, positive energy was one of many things lacking at Kelvyn Park, along with the schools ability to adhere to federal performance and attendance standards placing the school under academic probation. Many students were failing in their classes or not even showing up for school.

“There’s a lot of cultural reasons such as single parent homes and children having children,” Garai said, adding that 95 percent of the student body is under the federal lunch program. “It’s likely many students are working full time jobs to put food on the table and school is seen as less of a priority.”

The City Year team at work.

Garai believes in encouraging youth with the benefits of a higher education, which in turn, can break the socially repetitive cycle when no one in the family has ever attended college. But Kelvyn Park’s tight budget limited it from the resources required to initiate such change. After a 2-year application process consisting of demographic and neighborhood problem reports, in 2011 Kelvyn Park received a federal education grant giving it the means of implementing new practices such as City Year.

“Working with students who come from difficult situations makes you realize the disparity of education,” team leader Carina Gonzalez said. “The system expects them to adhere to certain standards and go back to lives that aren’t conducive to that type of learning.”

Working along side teachers, corps members promote constructive learning environments by actively assisting students in the classroom, holding individual sessions with students throughout the day and hosting tutoring sessions after school.

“You make an impact just by relating to them, listening and being yourself ” she said. “It’s a great feeling.”

City Year team leader Carina Gonzalez

Working with Gonzalez is Alex Mclaughlin, DePaul’s former 3-year Lacrosse captain before graduating in 2011. McLaughlin is one of fourteen City Year members that are DePaul alumni, placing DePaul among the top universities across the country with graduates working in City Year.

“It comes from DePaul’s Vincentian model of Leadership,” she said, referring to DePaul’s ongoing mission to reach out to underserved populations. “DePaul wants its students to be active within the community.”

A psychology major with a concentration in human services, DePaul both required and provided an internship McLaughlin with an education-focused non-profit, inspiring her to apply for City Year shortly after Graduating. After experiencing first hand why 40 to 60 percent of freshman don’t graduate from urban public schools servicing low-income communities, after City Year she wants to continue working towards a solution.

“Working in this type of setting makes me want to become a social worker,” she said. “I’d rather have a job where I get something out of it by working in the community.”

DePaul Alumni Alex McLaughlin

Assistant principal Garai explained the effect City Year has on the student body is incomparable. In one year attendance rates are up and students voluntarily attend tutoring sessions as they become more actively engaged in their academics.

“They’re young, motivated and able to relate to students on a level better than any teacher can.” Garis said. “The students look up to them and are inspired to stay in school.”

City Year daily evening meeting

In a society where every 26 seconds a student gives up on school, instilling change in an environment where it’s needed most is not the easiest job. The days are long, the stress can be overwhelming, and the result of your work is sometimes hard to see when new obstacles are constantly arising. Overall improvement may not happen over night, but the City Year team is still hopeful their efforts at Kelvyn Park are creating a lasting impact.

“You’re not always going to get the reaction you want,” team leader Gonzalez said. “But there are times when you just get through to them…the smallest shift in behavior or attitude…even when you’re not expecting it.”

It’s 4:30 p.m. and the after-school tutoring session is coming to a close. As the City year team is saying goodbye to their students before heading into their evening meeting, a student says bye to corps member Lara Mbayed and begins walking towards the exit.

He stops and turns around. “Oh yeah, I’m getting a ‘B’ in that class now,” he said. “I raised it from a D.”

“That’s awesome!” said Mbayed. “Keep it up.”

“Yeah,” the student said, turning back down the hallway. “Just thought I would let you know.”

“Give a year. Change the world.”

City Year member Laura Mbayed

City Year member Gabriel Crockett

Occupy Chicago echoes through the Loop

 May Day kicks off a series of protests against the approaching NATO Summit

Tuesday’s rain didn’t stop more than 1,000 Occupy Chicago protestors from marching down Jackson into the Loop as part of their International Worker’s Day demonstration.  Led by a red, dump truck-sized pick-up truck and a set of loudspeakers, police lined the streets as protestors wearing masks and wielding signs linked arms and yelled in cadence; their presence resonating through the South Loop.

“You say cut back? We say fight back!”

“What’s disgusting? Union busting!”

Once the group arrived at the Federal Plaza, Andy Manos, lead-organizer of Occupy Chicago and the May Day demonstration, stood on the pre-staged podium and opened up the day’s events. He reminded his audience of current issues within Chicago, such as how schools are being handed over to private property and the closing of six mental health clinics in the city just this week.

“We ask ourselves on this May Day why we are here. But to me, it seems very simple,” Manos Said.  “We make this city run. And the 1%, they don’t do anything. They’re unnecessary and we don’t need them. “

“Welcome to NATO,” he added. The crowd was in uproar.

While people danced in circles of percussion bands and brass horns playing music in the streets, members of labor unions, health care clinics and the immigrant working force spoke on behalf of their organizations regarding issues such as wages, tax reform, military funding, and the demand for a nuclear-free world.

Speaking on behalf of immigrant rights was conscious hip-hop artist Rebel Diaz, who has played a major role in raising awareness of immigrant issues within the academic community by speaking at universities across the country about the need for social change.

“This is where May 1 started. Chicago is a city that was built on the back of immigrants and on the back of workers,” Diaz said. “As a community, we can’t sit here and be content with receiving crumbs, we want a seat at the dinner table so we can eat with the whole community.”

Another key speaker was Joe Iosbaker, Chicago spokesperson for the United Antiwar Coalition.  Iosbaker emphasized to the crowd that the NATO Summit meets only on behalf of the 1% to cut needed social spending in order to maintain profitability from war efforts in overseas.

“On May 20, we’re going to march in our tens of thousands and deliver them a message,” Iosbaker said. “They cannot carry on these wars in our name and spend money on wars while our clinics are closing, our schools are closing and while our neighborhoods are in crisis. Join with me and say money for jobs, and not for war!”

The protest concluded without conflict, injury or arrest. Winding down from the day,  Manos took a moment to discuss the impact he believes the demonstration will have on the issues the movement wishes to change.  He explained how on May 1 2006, when more than 30,000 people marched through the streets to fight for immigrant civil rights, it inspired multiple worker’s occupations, and gave people the confidence to stand for what they believe in. Since then, May Day has been an annual milestone for undocumented workers to fight for equal treatment and access to public services.

“Every time we have a mass-march, we hope to inspire more militant actions in the workplace, in the schools, or at the point of production,” he said. “It always feels awesome when workers come together and demonstrate their collective power.”

According to Manos, the next step between now and the NATO summit is the “10 Day’s of Action,” beginning with the “People’s Summit” the weekend of May 11 when key members in the Occupy movement will speak on issues and struggles with austerity both internationally and locally in Chicago. Between May 14 and 21, each “day of action” will be centered on a certain theme such as education and transportation.

“The thing that will tie all of these days together, and not only NATO, Is that we need more money for these issues and not war,” he said, emphasizing the message he wants to send as the summit approaches.

“They can’t scare us,” he added. “And they can’t take what’s right fully ours. “