Photographic Proof

One of my unofficial jobs here at Starfish is event photographer. It's another throwback to the reporting career when I'd have to grab a digital camera and go take crowd shots of football games or overturned semitrailers on the sides of highways.

Actually, neither of these is photo I took (since I'm in them) but these are some shots from my first week of being a VISTA.

This is me (on the left) and fellow new AmeriCorps*VISTA member at Starfish Lauren Hunter being sworn in to our year of service by Louis Lopez, the Indiana state director for the Corporation for National & Community Service. (If you're curious, VISTAs take the a very similar oath of service that people enlisting in the military do to uphold the Constitution of the United States and defend the country from all enemies, both foreign and domestic.)

This is (L-R, front row) former VISTA Julie Taylor, Starfish Executive Director Joyce Johnson, Starfish Scholar Coordinator Beverly Ann Roche, Bethany -- your blogger, VISTA Deandre Thompson, VISTA Nora Stewart, VISTA Lauren Hunter (L-R back row) Indiana Youth Institute President Bill Stanczykiewicz, Starfish Administrative Assistant Dominique Duncan and Starfish Mentor Services Director Bob Goodrum with the big check from IYI. Starfish was a recipient of IYI's 2007 Youth Investment Award, which included a monetary reward of $5,000.

Tonight is Starfish's Halloween party for our students and their mentors, and I'll be there in costume and with camera to document the event. Check back to see photos of the scarily good time we will all have.