National Newsletter

Something really exciting that happened was that the U.S national coordinator of SVDP for Youth and Young Vincentians heard about my Skype sessions with another conference and asked me to write an article about my experience! The piece was published in the national newsletter of the organization for the first quarter of 2010. Here is a link to the article:

http://www.svdpusa.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=p11Titiy7UE%3d&tabid=55&mid=381&language=en-US

Shower flip-flops?
Check.
Alarm clock?
Check.
Society of St. Vincent de
Paul?
Now that item posed a
slight problem. It didn’t fit
into my suitcase.
In preparation for college I
had made all of the
appropriate checklists about
what to bring. I had all the
items that would make my dorm feel like home, but
something was missing. This was also something I couldn’t
pack.

I joined SSVdP during my junior year of high school, and
I loved every minute of it. From meetings to volunteer
opportunities, I was always excited about helping my
community. I saw my actions changing the world. I saw
my actions positively impacting the people around me.
Just because I was leaving for college didn’t mean I had to
give all of that up…right? I began to stress out more as I
discovered there was no conference where I was going to
college. What was I supposed to do?!

After talking to my conference leader, it was apparent that
I had very few options. However, one caught my eye
immediately--Skype. Skype is an easy to use computer
program that you can download free from
www.skype.com. It allows you to video-chat with friends
amongst other great functions. As long as you have a
computer with a webcam and a microphone along with an
internet connection, you are good to go! The program is
extremely easy to use. After downloading the service, the
next step is to create an account and search for contacts
with whom to talk. When you find a friend,
communicating with them is as simple as hitting a button.

To solve my predicament, my leader suggested I Skype
with the University of Wisconsin-Madison conference of
SSVdP. The leader of that conference and I keep in
contact through email, so I know when they hold the
meetings. On these days both the Madison contact person
and I log into Skype on our laptops. One of us video
“calls” the other. To connect, the other person must
“answer” the request. From then on, we can hear and see
each other.

As strange and awkward as this meeting style sounds, it’s
completely legitimate. I feel completely included and do
everything--just as I would at a normal meeting. I get the
readings on the St. Vincent de Paul website to know what
is going on, and I also participate in discussions.
Not bad for a computer screen, huh?
I love that I can still attend SSVdP meetings even though I
am away at college. Skype is a great tool to keep me
connected. It’s good to see the Society utilizing technology
as an advantage in an age where it’s often seen as the
enemy.

As for me, I don’t mind being the floating head on the
computer screen. I think about how the Society was
created by another college kid. One can only imagine
that right now Frederic is stifling his laughter and agreeing
with the ingenuity of someone attending a meeting
through a computer. After all, it’s that same ingenuity and
determination that helped him form the Society.


-S