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CST 361S - Week 4

Service Project

This week, I spent 4 hours at the warehouse working on refurbishing and testing laptops for the first time. The laptops came from several elementary schools in the San Diego Unified School District, and although most were getting somewhat slow and old, they were in much better shape after I and the other weekend volunteers were finished with them. If I remember correctly, the warehouse supervisor said they were going to be donated to an elementary school in a low income part of the city, or sold at a deep discount to some private buyers. 

I was in elementary school myself when I felt like I "owned" a computer, since we inherited an old desktop that a family friend gave to my parents that only I used most of the time. Of course I was beyond ecstatic, and I can only imagine how these kids will feel once they get to use their own laptops in school.

Helping, Fixing, and Serving

This week's discussion was on helping, serving and fixing, or more specifically, how to define and distinguish between all three actions. In my opinion, I agree with the author that serving is best when done in proximity rather than from a distance - however, I disagree with how she states that others in need of help are seen as "weak". I think that helping others comes from good will and benevolence, not as a matter of who is "stronger" or "weaker", comparatively. In the end, I do agree with her overall statement that we should learn to understand and be kind to one another.

 I found the discussion interesting and enlightening, as it made me reflect on my past experiences helping and serving others? Were they acts of service, or did I simply provide a helping hand when someone needed me to? It's something I'll have to think more about. 

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