debriefan online publication of Bridge Builders® Alabama

BELIEVE IT.Visitors from Kazakhstan

march 2011

MOTIVATION

Footprints 5k

& Reach Out

events pg. 4

marchread all about it3 Thoughts and RamblingsBy Josh McFall

4 Reach Out to the Poor and Homeless/ Footprints 5kUpcoming Events

5 BELIEVE IT.Kick-off

6 Visitors from Kazakhstanmeet the BB staff

7 COMmon By Tiegen Kosiak

8 Be AggressiveBy Catie Malone

9 Winter is MehBy Jacob Call

10 Finishing StrongBy Andrew Szymanski

11 drivemotivationBy Daniel Pink

12 Poetry Workshopand Slam Competition

13 Events CalendarMarch & April

2

®

pg. 6

Believe it.

we believe...bett

er schools, be

tter montgom

ery.

pg. 5

pg. 8

Thoughts and Ramblings by Josh McFall,

Bridge Builders Alabama Director

Thoughts and Ramblings

Summer Conferences Dates

Junior Conference for the Class of 2013 - June 13-17, 2011 @ Huntingdon College

Senior Conference for the Class of 2012 - June 20-23 @ Children’s Harbor / Lake Martin

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Josh

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We want to see YOU! That’s right...we want YOU to come to events! We focused this month’s issue of debrief on motivation, in hopes, that we’d inspire you and motivate you to fulfill your commitment to Bridge Builders by serving your community. Take some time and review the events we’re offering over the next 2 months. There’s lots of cool things coming up. Take some time to think about what you’d want to do and plan your schedule around it. Remember, Juniors need 6 credits and Seniors need 3 credits + a completed senior project. Get to work! The time is now! Let’s build some bridges!

© despair.com

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@ Gracepoint ChurchSaturday, March 12

7:00 – 11:00 a.m.1565 Ray Thorington Road

Reach Out to the Poor & Homeless@ Friendship Mission

Saturday, March 129:00 – 11:30 a.m.

3561 Mobile Highway

5K 5K

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BRIDGE BUILDERS’ COMMUNITY CONVERSATION

On Thursday, February 3, senior Bridge Builder and Robert E. Lee high school student Erica Ware hosted the first Believe It conversation! Six eager Bridge Builders were in attendance.

Believe It is a program designed by the Montgomery Education Foundation that is devoted to changing our communities and our schools for the better. To accomplish this, MEF is holding conversations all over Montgomery County, at supper clubs, book clubs, churches, voting precincts, etc. For more information, including how to plan a meeting of your own, please visit http://believeit.cacfinfo.org.

Early in the school year, Erica was selected to serve on the Believe It steering committee, which includes church, business, and community leaders from around the county. Bridge Builders Alabama is so proud of Erica and would like to commend her efforts.

KICK-OFF AT OLD CLOVERDALE SCHOOL

On Monday, February 21, Believe It kicked off its campaign to transform Montgomery County’s school system. Steering committee chairpersons Dr. Lawson Bryan and Ms. Kathy Sawyer shared their thoughts about the initiative and their hopes for the future of public education. The student choir from E.D. Nixon Elementary School serenaded the media and the rest of the crowd with the ABC’s, spirituals, and the Whitney Houston classic “The Greatest Love of All,” which begins, “I believe the children are our future…”

Congratulations, MEF, on a splendid kick-off off event! And good luck with your inspiring initiative!

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On March 1, the Open World Leadership Center in partnership with Friendship Force International brought delegates from Kazakhstan to BB headquarters to discuss leadership, diversity, service, and the AmeriCorps VISTA program. Andrew, Catie, Jacob, and Tiegen volunteer through VISTA, a government initiative designed to end poverty in the United States. Friendship Force International was founded in 1977 in order to “create an environment in which personal friendships are established across the barriers that separate people.” A 1992 nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize, Friendship Force is active in 125 American communities and more than 55 countries, promoting friendship and goodwill!

Written by Tiegen

See more at http://centralmontgomery.wsfa.com/news/community-spirit/delegates-kazakhstan-visit-bridge-builders-montgomery/72351

Visitors fromKazakhstan

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Common, Kanye West, Jamie Foxx, Jill Scott, Jewel, Erykah Badu, Dave Chappelle, and even Cedric the Entertainer have all appeared on Def Poetry Jam, record mogul Russell Simmons’ sloppy wet kiss to the art of the spoken word poetry, which (as I like to explain it) is like rap without the track; it’s just an artist on a stage with his own words and his own rhythm. It’s freedom. Like all great arts, someone found a way to organize, publicize, and legitimize spoken word poetry. Slams are competitive events where poets interpret their pieces for a live audience. Performances are scored by a panel of judges and eventually a winner is chosen. However, the nice thing about slams is that, unlike a rap battle or a bad basketball game, no one is made to feel inadequate. There are always beautiful words and plenty of applause, and respect is always given to each poet’s point-of-view. Considering this month’s debrief is all about motivation, I thought I’d get y’all excited for the Bridge Builders Alabama/Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts Poetry Slam Competition and Workshop, my pet skill-building project for the spring semester! There are currently 9 more spots open for Bridge Builders, and I’d love to fill them soon! Here’s how the whole thing will work: each Thursday in April, Bridge Builders will meet up with MMFA students at the museum to learn about spoken word poetry as well as realistic and abstract art. At the end of week two (April 14), each student will choose a painting to influence their writing and compose a two-minute performance poem.

This poem will be practiced in week three and performed for an audience on April 28! The top three finishers will receive awesome prizes (hint: I’m talking to Best Buy and Books-a-Million). Some of you may be thinking, “How in the world will poetry help me become a better Bridge Builder?” That is a valid question, and here is my response: poetry will not only make you a better Bridge Builder, it will make you a better person. Performing at the slam will heighten your public speaking skills and improve your confidence. The composition/editing process will sharpen your creativity and critical thinking skills. Being exposed to different kinds of writing, different kinds of art, and different kinds of poets will increase the degree of diversity and kick your people skills up a notch. And on top of all that, IT’S GOING TO BE SO MUCH FUN! I have a Masters degree in poetry, which essentially means I’m very good with words, but I’ll be the first to admit that words are common; everyone knows a good number of them. However, it’s how you string them, say them, sing them, scream them that makes people listen, that makes words worth something. So… what are your words worth?

NOTE: You must compete in the slam to earn skill-building credits. The number of credits is determined by how many workshops you attend. You must attend a minimum of two.

COMmonBy Tiegen Kosiak

On display at MMFA

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We’ve all heard it at a football or basketball game: “Be aggressive. B-E aggressive. B-E-A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E. Aggressive. B-E Aggressive!” And while those bouncing cheerleaders were most likely supporting being physical, there are other ways to be aggressive. While dictionary.com first defines aggressive as “being hostile,” it offers a second definition of “being vigorously energetic.” It is with vigorous energy that we must approach the opportunities to serve others in our community. Notice that I said vigorous energy, meaning that just going through the motions of an activity isn’t enough. It takes some amount of energy to do anything, from running a marathon to turning a page in a book, but every action we take does not require vigorous energy. Think about it: how much energy would it take you to pick up a pencil in comparison to the amount of energy it would take you to hike Mount Everest? That is the difference between just doing something and doing something with vigorous energy. When we meet the chance to make a difference aggressively, we not only make a positive impact on those we serve with, but we also improve our sense of service and help ourselves. It will take more effort to do things aggressively but it’s worth it. Just think of how many times you’ve had to go back and re-do something because you didn’t do it the best at first. Chances are that you didn’t do it right the first time because you didn’t attack the task aggressively. This is the case for volunteer opportunities and our skill building meetings also. If you volunteer without vigorous energy someone is going to have to fix a mistake you made, a person you forgot to help, or a mess you made. If you choose not to be attentive and apply skills learned in meetings then you’ll have to go back and re-learn them or find a different way to apply those skills. As we begin this new semester of skill building meetings, remember that aggressively serving our community is best not only for the communities and organizations we serve, but it is also best for us. Who knew a simple cheer could inspire people to serve?

BE AGGRESSIVEBy Catie Malone

PHOTO: http://www.creativecheerleader.com/

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Winter is MehBy Jacob Call

Winter is worse for me than for most other folks. I’m Depressed, capital d. My brain is sick, just like other parts of the body can get sick. There are better days and worse days. Most days, I feel fine: I wake up on time, I’m excited to build bridges, and I love my job. Other days, I don’t. I will wake up half an hour or a whole hour later than my alarm, and then lie in bed listening as Tiegen gets up, as Andrew gets up, as Goose gets up, and they all get ready for the day. It is hard to explain how I feel. Have you ever stayed up late working on an assignment or out with friends, and the next morning after just a couple hours sleep, you don’t think you can do anything? That’s the best comparison, except this will be on nights I went to bed at ten and slept until eight. When there was nothing stressful to wear me down, yet all I want to do is lie there. Some days are filled with melancholy, but more are meh: no desire to eat, drink, think, move. My motions and reflexes are slow, like running underwater. Then, each morning, somewhere in my addled state, a thought forces me to eat, drink, breathe, stand, get ready, and go to work. That thought is you.

It might not be enough to give me a good day, but it is enough to give me a day, to get me out the door and off to work. You can ask the rest of the office: on these days I am pretty much useless. However, there’s a sun shining on the other side of the clouds; it’s part of the faith I talked about in my very first article: the firm, unwavering belief that I can make a difference. Regardless of how I feel in this moment, I know I can benefit one of you somehow, and that thought brings me back from darkness into light. That knowledge is better medicine than laughter or Prozac. When you’re down and troubled and you need a helping hand, find a way to lift up someone else. I promise that as you clear away the clouds of trouble from a friend, you will find your own skies become more blue. If your heart is frozen in the frigid grip of feelings foul, warm it by serving others, by brightening their day. Find one thing, anything, which will give you the gumption to get up and go, and remember it. Every day, remember it. You made it into Bridge Builders because someone believed in your power to change the world. We write debrief and do all we do because we believe you have that power. You can change someone’s day and change the world, make life sunny like summertime even in winter’s grasp. Please, do it.

Hello Bridge Builders! I hope that everyone is a having a great spring. The weather has been good to us, so I imagine many of you have been enjoying being outside, and if you haven’t you need to get out before it’s too hot! This month we are talking about motivation and how being motivated can create momentum within us to succeed. Motivation is not something that we innately possess. It is something we have to create within ourselves in order to complete a task. We motivate ourselves every day in everything we do. When I wake up I have to find motivation to come into the office. The enjoyment and fulfillment I get from working with Bridge Builders is all the motivation I need to show up. Every one of y’all get up and go to school (even if you don’t want to) because you are motivated to become educated. We have to motivate ourselves to get off the couch and play, go to practice so we can improve, or sacrifice for the benefit of others. As Bridge Builders it is important for us to be motivated to live out the principles of this program. One of the most important aspects of the Bridge Builders program is your involvement in your communities. We have all made a promise to give back to the areas we come from and to give our time and talents when necessary. Your motivation for volunteering with Bridge Builders is most likely to get enough credits to either graduate the program or to return to senior conference. Unfortunately A LOT of y’all are behind on your credits and will be getting the ‘envelope of shame’ if things don’t change. Last year Bridge Builders gave over 4,000 hours of community service and I want this year’s classes to do the same! We have some wonderful opportunities coming up this spring to help get credits and showcase your talents. One of the skill building meetings I am particularly interested in is at the Montgomery Humane Society. Be on the lookout for registration for that event on Saturday, April 23. We will take a look at the mission of the humane society and spend a day walking and bathing dogs as well as caring for other animals. I have a four-year-old dog named Smudge who was a rescue pet. He was originally found under a bridge and changed hands a couple times before I got him. I have been so happy with the responsibility of being a dog owner. Smudge has made my life so enjoyable since day one! He has moved from house to house, state to state, city to city with me during and after college. The Humane Society provides a vital service to our city by taking in animals that have no home and placing them in families that want pets. They make sure animals are well cared for and that the families they go to are ready for the responsibility. We hope to see more and more of you at each event this spring. Please remember that you made a commitment to us just like we made one to you. Every day we are motivated to create opportunities to help you grow and develop into leaders. We have created a killer skill building calendar for this spring and I hope that there is something everyone can enjoy! The end of April is coming faster than you think so make sure to get on www.bridgebuildersalabama.org to register for some skill building events! If you have any questions about where you stand credit-wise, don’t hesitate to call or email any of us. Good luck this spring!

Finishing Strong

By Andrew Szymanski

Andrew & Smudge

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Harry F. Harlow was a professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin who, in the 1940s, established one of the world’s first laboratories for studying primate behavior. One day in 1949, Harlow and two colleagues gathered eight rhesus monkeys for a two-week experiment on learning. The researchers devised a simple mechanical puzzle. Solving it required three steps: pull out the vertical pin, undo the hook, and lift the hinged cover. Pretty easy for you and me, far more challenging for a thirteen-pound lab monkey. The experimenters placed the puzzles in the monkeys’ cages to observe how they reacted — and to prepare them for tests of their problem-solving prowess at the end of the two weeks. But almost immediately, something strange happened: Unbidden by any outside urging and unprompted by the experimenters, the monkeys began playing with the puzzles with focus, determination, and what looked like enjoyment. And in short order, they began figuring out how the contraptions

worked. By the time Harlow tested the monkeys on days 13 and 14 of the experiment, the primates had become quite adept. They solved the puzzles frequently and quickly; two-thirds of the time they cracked the code in less than sixty seconds. Now, this was a bit odd. Nobody had taught the monkeys how to remove the pin, slide the hook, and open the cover. Nobody had rewarded them with food, affection, or even quiet applause when they succeeded. And that ran counter to the accepted notions of how primates — including the bigger-brained, less hairy primates known as human beings — behaved. Scientists then knew that two main drives powered behavior. The first was the biological drive. Humans and other animals ate to sate their hunger, drank to quench their thirst. But that wasn’t

happening here. “Solution did not lead to food, water, or other gratification,” Harlow reported. But the only other known drive also failed to explain the monkeys’ peculiar behavior. If biological motivations came from within, this second drive came from without — the rewards and punishments the environment delivered for behaving in certain ways. This was certainly true for humans, who responded exquisitely to such external forces. If you promised to raise our pay, we’d work harder. If you held out the prospect of getting an A on the test, we’d study longer. If you threatened to dock us for showing up late or for incorrectly completing a form, we’d arrive on time and tick every box. But that didn’t account for the monkeys’ actions either. As Harlow wrote (and you can almost hear him scratching his head), “The behavior obtained in this investigation poses some interesting questions for motivation theory, since significant learning was attained and efficient performance maintained without resort to special or extrinsic incentives.”

What else could it be? To answer the question, Harlow offered a novel theory — what amounted to a third drive: “The performance of the task,” he said, “provided intrinsic reward.” The monkeys solved the puzzles simply because they found it gratifying to solve puzzles. They enjoyed it. The joy of the task was its own reward. If this notion was radical, what happened next only deepened the confusion and controversy. Perhaps this newly discovered drive — Harlow eventually called it “intrinsic motivation” — was real. But surely it was subordinate to the other two drives. If the monkeys were rewarded — with raisins! — for solving the puzzles, they’d no doubt perform even better. Yet when Harlow tested that approach, the monkeys actually made more errors and solved the puzzles less frequently. “Introduction of food in the present experiment,” Harlow wrote, “served to disrupt performance, a phenomenon not reported in the literature.” Now, this was really odd. In scientific terms, it was akin to rolling a steel ball down an inclined plane to measure its velocity — only to watch the ball float into the air instead. It suggested that our understanding of the gravitational pulls on our behavior was inadequate — that what we thought were fixed laws had plenty of loopholes. Harlow emphasized the “strength and persistence” of the monkeys’ drive to complete the puzzles. Then he noted:It would appear that this drive ... may be as basic and strong as the [other] drives. Furthermore, there is some reason to believe that [it] can be as efficient in facilitating learning. At the time, however, the prevailing two drives held a tight grip on scientific thinking. So Harlow sounded the alarm. He urged scientists to “close down large sections of our theoretical junkyard” and offer fresher, more accurate accounts of human behavior. He warned that our explanation of why we did what we did was incomplete. He said that to truly understand the human condition, we had to take account of this third drive. And we do. What is it that drives you? What motivates you to move forward each day? Are you only looking for food, water, shelter, or money and grades? What more do you live for?

drivemotivationBy Daniel Pink

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Tuesday, April 54:30 – 6:30 p.m.

“Conflict and Communication”with Josh McFall

@ BB Headquarters

Thursday, April 7, 14, & 216:00 – 8:30 p.m.

BB/MMFA Poetry Slam WorkshopsWith Slam Champion, Tiegen Kosiak@ Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts

Blount Cultural ParkOne Museum Drive

EARN 1 CREDIT for each workshop you attend!

Saturday, April 167:45 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

AMBUCS Pancake Breakfast@ Applebee’s

3195 Taylor RoadONLY 5 VOLUNTEERS NEEDEDSIGN UP A.S.A.P. FOR A SPOT!

Friday, April 22 (Good Friday)10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

AUM American Humanics Easter Program

@ AUM Taylor Center

Saturday, April 23@ Montgomery Humane Society

1150 John Overton DriveONLY 15 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

SIGN UP A.S.A.P. FOR A SPOT!

Tuesday, April 266:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Class of 2011 Party!@ BB Headquarters

SENIORS ONLY

EVENTS CALENDER

marchThursday, March 3

6:00 – 8:00 p.m.Ja-Ja-Jacob’s Improv

Wonderland@ BB Headquarters

Saturday, March 129:00 – 11:30 a.m.

Reach Out to the Poor & Homeless

@ Friendship Mission3561 Mobile Highway

Saturday, March 127:00 – 11:00 a.m.

Footprints Ministry 5K@ Gracepoint Church

1565 Ray Thorington Road

Friday, March 256:30 – 8:30 p.m.

“Invisible Children”With Jackie Walker, AmeriCorps VISTA@ Union Station300 Water Street

Thursday, March 314:30 – 6:30 p.m.

Brantwood Children’s Home Truck Raffle

@ Brantwood Children’s Home1309 Upper Wetumpka Road

april

Thursday, April 287:00 p.m.

BB/MMFA Poetry Slam@ Montgomery Museum of

Fine ArtsEARN 2-3 CREDITS

BY ATTENDING THE CORRESPONDING

WORKSHOPS, OR JUST SUPPORT YOUR BB BUDDIES

AT SHOWTIME!

Saturday, April 303:00 p.m.

Bridge Builders GraduationClass of 2011

@ Ligon Chapel, Huntingdon College

NO CREDIT

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