#wsffall17

by Maggie Cashman

(Gordon College Social Work major, interning at Eviction Defense Collaborative)

Here in this dreamy, vibrant city of hippies and techies and locals and in-betweeners like me, life feels like a mix of real, tangible, holdable, constructive “let’s go, we must” imperatives, and some mysterious simple way of being that requires nothing but being, breathing, and sighing with others. 

San Francisco is enchanting. It’s raw. It is a heavier version of worn, leathery faces, and heavy, burdened hearts. It is bright, starry, illuminating flexible spirits on hilltops dreaming of what could be and what most certainly is.

I am thankful to have worked at Eviction Defense Collaborative, I have learned so much from the sacrifice people are willing to make for the well-being of other humans struggling on the margins. My colleagues are real-life attorneys working for a fraction of what they could be making. 

People are seen at EDC in a way that honors their story and the struggles of San Francisco, and this little old liberal-arts educated, not-even-a-legal-student, kind of from the East coast but mostly from the Midwest me has been welcomed with readiness and warmth.

I appreciate spaces that remind me what it means to be human together, honoring our stories. Justice must be practiced with wide-open eyes of humility and persistence in a place where the opposing complexity, demanding, power-driven formalities of eviction cases constantly stream through the door. They tell a struggling story of San Francisco, and we at EDC are there to help rewrite it.

Here in San Francisco, I am grateful for the continual motion of words and actions around me that provide an affirming space for me to say who I am: a person who was and is called into a life of pressing in. Of shedding layers. Of seeking the lost and lonely. Of acknowledging the lost and lonely in myself. Singing the story of creation, sacrifice, redemption, and renewal in an eternal and sacred world. 

“The Bus Stops (to) Pick Us Up”

By Huijae (Joy) Han, Westmont student interning at 826 National

Something I grew to love here in San Francisco is the MUNI bus system. It’s a love hate-relationship, however.  Sometimes an unfilled bus comes at the perfect time; other times, a completely full bus comes and passes you by, leaving you waiting for an hour. Nevertheless, my interesting experiences on MUNI have given me a better understanding of the beauty of being in a shared space with people of multiple backgrounds.

At the beginning of the semester, we first took MUNI to explore the different districts in the city. Prior to this day, I had never taken the bus so I did not know what to expect. I was fearful, since Kailie (our Residential Coordinator) was telling us to be cautious of our bags. I felt like a mother tiger trying to protect her cubs, except I was protecting my things. I held everything close to me, but when I looked around everyone just had theirs hanging next to them. Although it is important to be cautious, my over protectiveness was over the line. I was so fearful to be in a new, unknown city.

As time progressed I began to get more comfortable and explore more. Sometimes I have found myself being the only one left on the bus on a late afternoon. These are the times where I find peace, because I am able to take time to process the places I pass, the people I have been with.

Things get more tricky when the buses get more crowded. Once after a long day, there were about five or more buses that came to my stop and passed by  because they were so full. I found myself cycling back into the fearful mindset that I had before. It took me an hour to gain the courage to just go for the next bus that came by, to squeeze myself on, but I am glad that I got on the bus and found a space for myself.

The MUNI has unintentional, unexpected metaphors that express how I became adjusted to San Francisco. 

by Ian Kistner

Westmont Economics & Business major, interning at Snapwire

There is something truly wonderful about out of the blue moments. Times where I never saw things coming shape me and stick with me the longest. They provide opportunities for breaching my comfort zones, exploring new places, interacting with new people, or witnessing the odd and unusual. With over 850,000 people living in a 7x7 mile space, San Francisco is the giving tree of these random experiences.

A special out of the blue moment I would like to share from this semester happened during the fourth week of the program. It was a Monday, and following my internship I was walking to the grocery store to get food for the week. I remember being in my own zone listening to “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye when suddenly, after turning a corner, I saw a skywritten heart above the street. 

I had never seen skywriting before. I was amazed at how nicely shaped it was and wondered if I was somehow imagining it.

While I was admiring the heart, a bus pulled up to a stop a few feet away and a small crowd of people filed off. Two of them walked down the sidewalk towards me, and I pointed out the heart to them. They both looked up and stood with me, commenting, “How ‘bout that,” and “You don’t see that everyday.” 

Then a few more people came around the corner I had previously rounded and noticed the heart just like me. In a matter of minutes, there were five of us there on the sidewalk staring at the beautiful white heart in the sky. We were a small congregation of unsuspecting souls, appreciating an unexpected sliver of beauty. 

We watched in silence as it began to spread and fade, still standing together and soaking it up. Less than four minutes after I had first noticed the heart, our small group disbanded. 

by Jessica Lim (Westmont Communication Studies Major, interning at Key Events)

We are nearing the end of our stay in San Francisco, and my housemates and I all agree that the semester has flown by. I’ve had enough time to explore the city, and, naturally, the foodie in me has visited and tried many of the places I had bookmarked on Yelp. 

Here’s a list of a few of my favorite spots around the city that I recommend:

1. Philz Coffee

A San Francisco chain that has expanded to multiple locations outside of the city is a must try coffee shop for both novice coffee drinkers and coffee junkies alike. A wide range of coffee blends and individual handcrafted cups of coffee truly make the experience of Philz unique. They have multiple locations throughout the city, making it a convenient pit stop for a quick cup of joe or a cozy place to sit down and get some reading done.

During my time in the city, I have frequented the one on Market Street the most, as it is nearby my work. It is a great place to go, whether it’s to get homework done after work or grab coffee with coworkers. I have had great conversations with friends and have spent hours here, so it is a must in my short list of recommendations. 

My Go-tos: Mint-Mojito Iced Coffee, Philtered Soul

2. Rose’s Cafe

I discovered this cute little Italian inspired cafe thanks to, Bella, one of the Korean students living with us in the Clunie house this semester. Located in Cow Hollow, it is a local hangout spot for many, attracting people in various age ranges. It is a great place for brunch on Saturdays, as you sit outside and enjoy the neighborhood and the silence it brings. The view from the cafe out to the peninsula is beautiful. The food is amazing, with a lot of Italian flavors blended into their dishes. The staff is always kind as well, making the experience more delightful.

After enjoying your brunch, it is also a great opportunity to explore the neighborhood, which is filled with lots of great architecture. I have had the chance to take multiple people along with me after my first visit and I keep going back for more. 

My Go-tos: Smoked Salmon Pizza

3. Boudin Bakery

You can’t be in San Francisco and not grab a clam chowder bowl by the pier. As an avid fan of clam chowder, I have tried many places, and I must say that my favorite is the clam chowder bowl from Boudin Bakery. With multiple locations throughout Fisherman’s Wharf and down the Embarcadero, the clam chowder bowls from Boudin are made complete by the sourdough bread bowl. It is a perfect pairing with the clam chowder, and helps you warm up from the chilly air by the water. 

My Go-tos: Clam Chowder Bread Bowl

4. B. Patisserie

It’s no secret that I have a weakness for pastries, and B. Patisserie is a must-try. With so many different selections of pastries and desserts, you are bound to find something that piques your taste buds. 

Located in Pacific Heights, it is visited by a variety of people, young and old. My favorite has been going in the afternoons to sit and people watch with a yummy pastry in hand.

You get to see little children jumping around excited for the cake they are about to eat, elderly couples enjoying each other’s company over some pastries and coffee, as well as others who come to get the most instagram worthy shot of their food. Because it is such a popular place, it can get a bit crowded and overwhelming, but the lines move pretty quickly and the pastries are definitely worth it.

My Go-tos: Kouign Amann, Banana Bread

5. Souvla

This has to be my favorite food find in San Francisco. With its cute interior and simple yet sophisticated menu, Souvla is the best place to get your Greek food fix. 

I had heard of Souvla from multiple people even before I got to the city and even when I first got here, it took some time before I tried it. Boy, was I missing out. The array of flavors go so well together in each salad and sandwich, that it really is a full-proof meal for any occasion. I have become such a fan of this place that it already makes me sad thinking that I only have a week left in San Francisco.

My Go-tos: Lamb Salad (with fries on top!), Cretan Wildflower Honey Frozen Greek Yogurt

by Conrad Robinson

(Kinesiology major at Westmont, interning at SOMA Sport and Physio)

There are many beautiful places in San Francisco, including many murals, walkways, and skylines. But the place where I have found my refuge in stressful times, which is in the heart of SF, is Golden Gate Park. 

This stunning park is over 1000 acres of land filled with large trees and meadows that give room for fun picnics and adventures. The beauty of the park is that this great green space lies in the middle of such a densely populated and fast moving city, and it gives us a place to catch a break.

I run and bike around the park each week for its therapeutic atmosphere which takes me away from the stresses of my long hours at my internship and classes. Inside the park lays a 9 hole golf course which was extremely fun to play in, as well as De Young museum which holds a 360 view of the city at the top of it, the Conservatory of Flowers, and the California Academy of Sciences which is an interactive science museum.

The Richmond and Sunset districts border the park and enable their locals to have a get-away within walking distance of their house. The park held the music festival Hardly Strictly Bluegrass this year, and it was a great opportunity to bring the city together and enjoy some FREE music! 

WSF students Grace Martino and Joshua Feliscuzo reflect on finding God in in ordinary moments and encounters with others, particularly while riding the MUNI bus. 

“People to People”

Grace Martino, a Gordon College student majoring in Urban Ministries, is interning at Because Justice Matters.

 Get up, go to work, go home, sleep, and repeat. Routines are all around us. They provide us with comfort and a sense of stability in what is a messy, messy life. We succumb to these thoughtless patterns that get us through the day. Since being in San Francisco, this truth about routines has magnified tenfold for me as people walking on the street and riding the bus are filtered as objects in passing. However, as many of these stories go, there is one moment that has changed the way I live in this city of thousands of people.

One day after work, I stomped onto the congested bus, whipped out my card, pressed it to the scanner *beep* and my fixed my eyes on an empty seat. As I was about to plug in my headphones my gaze met that of a woman who was smiling at me in a sea of people on their phones. I smiled back and surveyed the bus. My non-conformist spirit rose up, and I decided to put my phone in my pocket. 

I was almost tempted to give in to my technological addiction, but I turned to the older gentleman next to me wearing an intricate blue hat. I hesitated, but I mustered enough courage to tell him that I loved his hat. His eyes lit up as he told me that his Palestinian friend had gotten it for him, and from there a floodgate of conversation opened up about his 50 years spent in the city. We shook hands and smiled as we parted ways and, like in a cheesy movie, I looked back at the woman as she grinned at me again with eyes that gleamed and said “Well done.”

You see, routine is not the problem. Rather, routines have allowed me to forget that the person next to me has a story, that I am part of the backdrop in this scene of their movie called “Life.” I had forgotten the commandment to love the other, which starts with acknowledging the other. 

No interaction is too small. Life isn’t meant to be lived from task to task, but rather from people to people.

“God’s Presence in Public Transit”

Joshua Feliscuzo, a Westmont College student majoring in Communication Studies, is interning at R.O.C.K.

One day before I went to work, I prayed to God that He would embrace me. I then left the Clunie house, bought a white mocha, and got on the public transit. I had my earbuds in and a man who seemed to be struggling with mental illness started talking to me. I decided to engage in conversation with him.

I was uncomfortable, and probably other people were too. But I knew the Christ-follower thing to do was to listen and talk to him--I mean, sincerely listen and talk to him. Our conversation ended and he left the bus. And so did I. 

On my way to the second bus that I take to work, a man who had been on that same first bus told me that I was a good person. So I said, “Thank you.” He said he was having a crappy day and that he wouldn’t have had the patience to deal with the man on the previous bus who was talking to me. 

Now the point of this post isn’t to glorify me, but to glorify God. God embraced me when I talked to the man on the bus who seemed to be struggling with mental illness. The conversation reminded me of Jesus’s humble and gentle heart. A heart that is near to the oppressed and desiring to give rest to those who are weary. A heart that loves to embrace others. 

by Olivia McCarrick

WSF student Olivia McCarrick, Gordon College Psychology major interning at SF Public Defenders Office, Juvenile Division, reflects upon her first impressions at the beginning of the semester and how she views her relationships with the other Fall 2017 “Clunie Kids.”

A few months before moving to San Francisco, I was so ready to take on all that the city had for me. I was excited to meet new people, to be surrounded by the audacious residents I heard lived in San Francisco, and to intern with an organization of my interest. Once it started to get closer to the move-in date, I became overwhelmed by my nerves. I didn’t know anyone. I had never even been to San Francisco. 

The second I walked into the Clunie House, it was a magical moment. All of my nervousness went away. Little did I know that those strangers who immediately made me feel at ease would become some of the most extraordinary people I have ever met. These strangers would become lifelong friends. Not only that, but they would be my adventure partners from whom I would learn so much and with whom I would experience one of the most progressive cities in the world.  

This week our WSF students completed their group Neighborhood Study projects. So it seems fitting that our WSF Blog post this week is comprised of two students reflecting on distinctly different parts of the city. 

First, you’ll hear from Madeline Kilpatrick (of Westmont) commenting on her discoveries in the Outer Sunset. Then, you’ll hear from Max Mutch (also of Westmont), pondering the long reach of the 1960s in The Haight and wider San Francisco.

“Surprise in the Sunset District” by Madeline Kilpatrick

San Francisco is full of so many surprises. Perhaps the biggest surprise of all, however, has been the quiet. 

My time in San Francisco has been busy, exciting, fun, and, oddly, quiet. As an extrovert who has a love for the hustle and bustle of city life, I never expected to yearn for quiet. I certainly never expected to find it in San Francisco, either. 

So far my semester has been one of introspection, self-reflection, and a calm, peaceful quiet presiding over all of my experiences. Early last week things were slow at my internship. My boss sent me home a few hours early. I strapped on my backpack, heading out with a smile into my favorite district, the Sunset. 

It was a beautiful day. Usually I take two busses home from work. My first ride is short, maybe 8 minutes, followed by a longer 40 minute ride. Today, I decided to skip the first bus and go for a walk along the coast, planning to catch the second bus. What began as a mile-long, 20 minute walk turned into a 5 mile adventure through Golden Gate Park. I put away my phone, picked a path, and walked. It was nothing short of magical.

Since that day I have spent a lot of time in the Outer Sunset. The area is so unlike any other part of the city. Wide streets, boxy, pastel colored buildings 

and a calm energy of people going about their days.

Often, surfers in still-dripping wetsuits can be seen walking barefoot down the sidewalk carrying their boards. It is reminiscent of my beloved Santa Barbara, but different in so many uniquely San Francisco ways. Both before and after work, I love wandering the district with no destination in mind.

At the beginning of this semester no one would go anywhere alone. I think we were all too scared of strangers, or too nervous about the bus system. Now I spend hours each day surrounded by strangers, headed here and there with the confident step of one who knows the city. It feels empowering, exciting, and surprisingly restful. Something I once feared is now cherished. 

Throughout all the noise of the city I have managed to find the calm quiet that comes with being alone.

“Thank God for Time Capsules” by Max Mutch

Kennedy said that by the end of the decade, we would make it to the moon. We made it to the moon. The 60’s was a special time in history. No one would doubt it. There was a thread of divinity throughout us that suddenly ignited. We had momentum, we had an undeniable sense of purpose, and we had love on our side. Now I find myself in the birthplace of this movement that died out just as quickly as it came into being. But it didn’t die. It lay dormant until a more opportune moment. I think that moment is now. 

You see, the problem was that the 60’s social experiment failed. Timothy Leary sold us mind expansion for ten dollars a hit without knowing we would actually believe him. The drugs tainted our sense of purpose, and we became more infatuated with our own psyche rather than picking up the shovel and digging our way towards peace. 

I can see the repercussions of the failure today. We call them drifters, and they are plentiful on Haight Street and in the Tenderloin. They are paranoid, and many of them are mentally ill. The drifters, in their multi-colored attire, are still living in a past age where that lifestyle could thrive, but in some strange way, I believe they have unwittingly carried pieces of the 60’s across time in space to be here now. Call them time capsules if you like. 

When I walk through the city, I sense kinetic energy that has been storing up for years, and we’re about to see some dramatic changes. People are waking up. 

The younger generations, even with the many who have fallen captive to social expectations and ensnared by social media meme culture, are greatly distressed by the state of affairs in the world. Something is desperately wrong, and we must do something about it. 

I see a full circle that is really a spiral. We’re coming back around, but we are higher than we were in the 60’s.