Livin' like Laken

Last Wednesday, I got the chance to help serve a local elementary school with a group of students from my church. At this elementary school, there is a high proportion of students who are not guaranteed access to a good meal over the weekend because of various home situations. These kids rely on school lunch during the week for food, but over the weekend, many of them may be on their own when it comes to having food to eat. The group I was helping packed bags of soup, vegetables, fruit, milk, cereal, and other food items that the kids could eat over the weekend. We started at 7pm and packed until 9pm at Higher Ground Baptist Church in Kingsport, TN. It was a very rewarding experience knowing that I had helped young kids who may not be able to help themselves.

Last Thursday, September 14, I attended the Paper and Ink artist reception in the Reece Museum. I'll have to admit, this was the first art exhibit I've ever attended, but I enjoyed it very much. There were two artists, John Hilton and Laken Bridges, whose works were displayed. John's work was primarily black and white, and inlcuded himself incorporated into his work. For example, he had one piece that showed his face on the body of chicken. He explained that this reminded him of his humble beginnings and how far he'd come because he had grown up around cock fighting, but that kind of culture does not represent the person he is now. While I loved John's art, I was truly inspired by Laken's work. Her work portrayed some of the "dirty work" in society that we often don't think about when we think of beautiful art. Laken explained that growing up, her family relied on blue collar jobs and they weren't always the most glamorous. Still she found beau

Tangible objects that we cherish can often reveal a lot about our identity and what we value. When kids leave home for college, the items they choose to take with them and shove into whatever space they can find in their dorm usually represent the parts of themselves that they value the most and do not want to leave behind. When recently asked about an object that I took to college with me that represented a value or belief of mine, I immediately thought of the paintings that my sister had made for me, because they represent a few different things about myself that I cherish enough to keep throughout my college years. These paintings are valuable to me, first of all, because my sister made them for me. They remind me not only of my sister, but of my entire family. I consider my family to be one of the most important aspects of my life. My family has been overwhelmingly gracious and supportive ever since I can remember. They've provided me with everything I've ever needed and