Blog 6: Your call

For the last blog of the spring class, reflect on one or more of the following:

• Mini Break
• Independent Volunteer Project
• Your overall class experience
• How you envision your break going
• Suggestions for sites or issues Alternative Breaks should be involved with in the future
• More thoughts on one of our speakers from a past class

As always, blogs should be 300 words long and posted by 5 pm Sunday for full credit.

Blog 5: AIDS

This week, Olivia Burchett from the Douglas County AIDS Project spoke about HIV awareness, education and support. Some of the topics she touched on included HIV testing, client support, sexual health, volunteer support and more.

Post a 300-500 word reflective response to either her presentation, an article that you've read recently (include citation) or any of these HIV-related themes:

• Past and Present
• U.S. versus other countries
• Stereotypes/ Myths
• The Ryan White Care Act
• Funding
• Confidentiality
• Medication
• Volunteer support
• HIV testing procedures
• Sexual Health, safe sex, etc

Blog 4: Sustainable Agriculture

This week, Daniel Dermitzel spoke about sustainable and urban agriculture. Some of the topics he touched on included the history of agriculture, the current state of the American food system, and urban agriculture.

Post a 300-500 word reflective response to either his presentation, an article that you've read recently (include citation) or any of these sustainability-related themes:

• Food and Fuel Prices
• Food Shortages
• "Complex Farming Systems"
• Permiculture
• Organic foods
• Continuous Productive Urban Landscapes (CPULS)

If you're interested in learning more about food issues in American culture, we highly recommend you check out Mark Bittman or Michael Pollan at the New York Times. Michael Pollan has also written some good books if you're into reading.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/author/mark-bittman/ 
http://pollan.blogs.nytimes.com/author/michael-pollan/