11-19-09

Today we met with Phyllis at the recycling center to present to her what we have done with the Vermillion Recycling Center web site thus far. We took the suggestions she gave us and worked to create a web site that is user friendly for her to update and for the Vermillion public to be informed about what and what not to recycle and about the new curbside recycling program. We included recycling routes, information about what and what not to recycle, and other key information about the recycling center. Pictures were also added to increase the appeal of the site. I was nervous about presenting the web site to Phyllis because I really hoped that she would like it and recognize the hard work and time we have put into creating it. I feel that our group has been great at communicating and meeting whenever our schedules allowed us to create something that we are all proud of. When presenting the site to her she commented a great deal about how she likes how we have laid the entire site out and included the information she wanted. We used a green color scheme which she liked because it relates to “going green.” She also liked the graphics that were used. I was very pleased and thankful that she liked it. We told her to give us any suggestions that she would like further changes made to, and she said she would send us an e-mail with a graphic of the curbside recycling route and some other minor changes. Before leaving, Phyllis made a comment that really made our group feel good about what we have done for the recycling center and for the Vermillion public; she said that she has worked with several USD student groups in the past which have been very unorganized and had a poor work ethic for the projects they were working on. She told us that we have been the only group that she has enjoyed working with and have presented her with something that is worthwhile for the use of the recycling center. Just to hear Phyllis say those words really caused me to feel that we have made some type of improvement for the center. I feel that we listened closely to what the center’s wants and needs were and created something they can use to inform the public about. Upon the start of this project at the beginning of the semester I did not think that this service learning project was going to appeal to me at all. I just wanted to get it done and over with so I could focus on my other school work. After meeting with Phyllis a few times and recognizing that there was a need for this web site to be created I started to become engaged in the project and wanted to put the time and effort to create something that is professional and useful for the recycling center. This course has involved a lot of time, work, and patience, but I feel that had I not taken it I might never have experienced creating something for an organization that will hopefully improve the success of their mission. I am thankful and proud that my group members and I were able to help a community organization and present them with something that they are able to utilize and better inform the public with.