Hello, friends!
Why don't we post this week about panels. Please write about the panel from this week or last week that touched on the issues you'll be working with. Let us all know what the panelists said, what questions they answered for you, what questions they left for you, etc.
Can't wait to hear what you thought!
Stephanie and Julia
This week's panel discussion was really interesting, especially because the panel that my group, one colorado, listened to pertained directly to the subject matter we will be working with on our alternative break. One man on the panel was involved with KU's Queers and Allies, and a leader in the Gay, Bisexual and Transitory Fraternity on the KU campus. He spoke about the alternative break that he had participated on in the previous year, and shared stories about the LGBTQ center in Ohio that he and his team worked to build and improve. He said something interesting, that I think pertains to every group this winter, "You are only there for one week, and then you will most likely never see these people again. How can you help them? How can you make a difference that will last beyond your week long stay?" Another panelist stood out in particular, and that was the man that spoke last. He opened with "I'm a trans dude. So like, legally I'm a female, but most of us would agree that I look like a dude, right? I mean, I look like a dude." So obviously I instantly fell in love with him. Everything he spoke about was an eye opener, and he made some interesting points regarding the LGBTQ community. I feel like I'm fairly well educated on many of these issues, but I was also inclined to apply for the One Colorado trip so I could become MORE educated on the issues surrounding the community, and essentially learn how to use my powers for good. The panelist stressed the importance of knowing facts and statistics that will benefit a specific cause. I also found it interesting that he did not necessarily support the constitution of marriage, or the legalization of civil unions, which I have to say I agree with on some level. I think it would be most beneficial to do away with the word "marriage" in any legal document, and change the idea to "civil union" no matter what the gender combination. "Marriage" brings a religious connotation to the table, which in my opinion should be kept completely separate from state situations. CONTROVERSY. So anyway, those are my thoughts...I loved the panel this week, and can't wait for next week's class.
ReplyDeleteThis week’s panel was extremely interesting! My group got to choose which panel to see, so we stayed in Alderson Auditorium and listened to the panel of people who talked about stereotypes and stigmas. The speaker that inspired me the most was a man who was extremely involved in the LGBT community. He talked about living through the struggle of prejudice every single day, and using that experience to help others going through the same thing. This struck me as especially admirable, because a lot of people who deal with social pressure on a daily basis might let that affect them in a negative way, rather than using it to create a positive influence. This reminded me of my senior year of high school. Toward the beginning of the school year, a group of students teamed up to form a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) club, where students of every sexual orientation could meet up and learn from each other. It ended up taking them the entire school year to get approval from the administration (who kept giving them interesting “technical excuses”). When they were finally established as a club, they hit their next roadblock – apparently, they weren’t allowed to hang up signs around the school. After a year of frustration, the GSA is now up and running. However, they still encounter daily struggles, all based on the nature of their club. The reason I tell this story is because, after hearing the panel, I seriously hope that the students in the GSA will use their struggles to make themselves stronger. Facing opposition is something that I don’t often deal with, and honestly, I don’t know how well I would deal with the daily pressures involved in stereotypes and stigmas. After experiencing something like the opposition of my school’s administration, these students are probably well equipped to teach others about the nature of society and its view on the LGBT community. I hope that during my break, I learn about the stereotypes and stigmas experienced by the homeless community. I especially want to break through those stereotypes and get to know people as just that – people, nothing more or less.
ReplyDeleteThe panel this week in Alderson Auditorium was especially important to me because it was focused on social issues that I am most passionate about. There were representatives for refugees, the LGPTQ community, and the elderly that were extremely knowledgeable and also challenged me in ways I did not expect them to. For example, Mahasweta Banerjee stressed the fact that these people that we are volunteering with are not ‘voiceless’ or helpless. We should not focus on the things they can’t do, but instead help them to achieve the things they want to do. This seems like an obvious statement, but I found that I actually had been focusing, in my mind, mostly on the things that these communities are being discriminated on. I’m inspired to volunteer with the LGBTQ community because I find it so completely ridiculous that they have to deal with this inequality at all and I have watched many documentaries about injustices and other stories of discrimination in our society that has fueled my desire to help. Of course it’s important to educate myself about these inequalities so that I can fight to change them, but I need to make sure that I don’t allow these injustices to be the focus of my volunteerism. The focus is to make the change, not just feel the passion to. At the same time, as all of the panelists discussed, it is important to have the stories and the facts to back up our efforts. Another focus of the panel was how to make these changes in our own community. One of the suggestions was to speak out when you hear offensive statements, such as ‘gay’ being used in a derogatory sense. I think this is something I need to challenge myself to do since it always bothers me when I hear it. I’ve sort of taken on the self-challenge to really have those conversations with people, even if they are difficult. Overall, I am so excited to go on my break so that I can learn more from the many different people I will be working with, but also to listen to them to hear what they are trying to accomplish and do my best to help meet those goals.
ReplyDeleteThis week’s panel was very interesting. My group stayed in Alderson Auditorium to listen to the panel who spoke about stereotypes in communities and society. All of the speakers were representing different stereotypes in the community and their experience with those groups. There were two people representing the LGBTQ community; there was a woman presenting information in regard to the elderly and a woman in regard to immigrants. I found that all of the members of the panel had so much insight into their issues, and I learned a lot about the stereotyped people, and I also learned some great advice—how to treat the people we would be working with as well as what to get from the experience. Although I thought all of the speakers were good, the speaker that obviously affected me the most was the woman talking about aging in the community, considering my alternative break is all about the aging members of society. At one point, she used a metaphor, saying that after a certain point, people start to form these buckets. The buckets are labeled with different questions, such as “What have I done good in my life?” and “What could I have done better?” Everything they do is placed in one of these buckets. She wanted us to realize what impact this has on what they do and how they think. I realized that even though we will not be in the people’s lives for very long, we can make an impact and can help add experiences to the positive buckets. One of the other speakers was a member of the Queers and Allies club on campus as well as a member of the gay fraternity on campus. He had been on an alternative winter break the year before, so he talked about his experience with that. He said something that made a very good point; he said that we were only going to be working at our alternative break site for a week, but the people there were going to be there for much longer. We should be trying to help them the best that we could, and we should make a difference that would last much longer than the week we would be there and working. His talk made me realize that we should be going for our own enrichment and learning but that we should be also be trying to make an impact that will last much longer than our time there.
ReplyDeleteI found the LGBT panel this week to be particularly engaging. First, the age and experience range of the panel was important -- the older members offered a unique perspective that I was unaccustomed to hearing. On the other hand, the younger members always prove easier to relate to. The second panel member’s experience I found to be a very motivating. And I think the light in which he casts his break was important for everyone to hear. For him, the value of his break consisted in spreading the awareness of the work he was doing, rather than just showing up to contribute thoughtless labor for a week. So, what his anecdote demonstrated was that a break can have different values for the people going on it. Some may just want to contribute their labor, others may have visions for their breaks that read larger than lending a helping hand. The third member was another favorite panelist of mine. She offered some invaluable advice on how to approach the people you’re working with. You have to believe that people have some inherent value that they’re going to contribute. If you don’t believe the people you’re helping are useful then you’re work becomes a Sisyphean task and you’re just wasting your own time. This past Summer I interned abroad in Vietnam, working in orphanages to teach children English, computer skills, and cultural knowledge. One of the biggest hurdles during this internship was the foregoing idea of seeing value in the people you’re working with. Because I didn’t speak Vietnamese and the children didn’t speak English, our communication consisted solely of gestures, indications, and the like. Anyway, it was hard to shake a sense of hopelessness while working with the children and that made the volunteer work that much more challenging, but ultimately that much more rewarding as well. The most salient ideas I gained from the panel were to remember to stay well in touch with your own humanity. For this panel in particular, it seems to me somewhat preposterous that, even after so much effort has been made toward equality, stigmatization surrounding these issues is so prevalent.
ReplyDeleteOn Thursday, I decided to stay and listen to the panel discussing issues about groups facing stereotypes because I thought I could gain some information that would be helpful on my trip to the Lower Nine. This panel was very interesting, and whether or not it helps for my alternative break, I think it was very eye opening on a day-to-day perspective. The one statement that really got me thinking wasn’t anything mind blowing or world changing. It was the simple suggestion to watch the words we use in every day conversation, such as “retarded,” “lame,” or “gay.” For people who aren’t around individuals dealing with these stereotypes, it might seem like minuscule difference or they may even think that society is past these slang words and that it doesn’t matter anymore. The suggestion to stop using these words brought back to my attention that they do still have an impact on individuals, and we should be considerate of the people they are affecting.
ReplyDeleteEven though the panel for my break was the week before, I did find one thing that was similar between the two discussions. During both panels, it was strongly advised to find out what it is those we’re helping need and give them that. Too often volunteers can fall into the trap of thinking they are aware of what these individuals need, and end up giving the wrong kind of support. It is so important to remember that we are there to help a group of people so it is imperative that we know what they need help with.
During the panel pertaining to the Lower Nine, I found several pieces of advice interesting, the first being to wear plain clothing. This is something that never would have crossed my mind but seems very sensible. Wearing clothing with no logos or sports teams is a very small act that can have a huge impact when trying to relate to and gain the trust of the victims we are helping. I also liked the advice of going into the week without expectations. For me, this is a very hard thing to do, so I’m glad they brought it up. There is so much that I want to do while I’m there, but it is important to keep in mind that we will only be there for a week and there is only so much we can do in that short amount of time. That being said, it is important to be open-minded while down there and get the most out of time that is possible. These panels just made me even more excited to leave for our trip!
I really enjoyed the panels we attended last week and this week. Last week, I got to hear from people with experience in populations in poverty. They suggested some practical ways of connecting with the people - something as simple as wearing plain clothing could make us more accessible and approachable. Each of the speakers said repeatedly that we though we may have certain preconceptions or expectations going into the week of service, we have to try hard to let go of those things and just be as open as possible. We have to remember that we are not there to do some community service for a week and leave. We are supposed to be aiming for a higher and greater impact, and just do whatever we can to be of assistance in our short time there.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I have already worked in a few areas of poverty and despondency. I have seen the small impoverished town of Croc, Mexico, where no kids wore shoes and I wasn’t allowed to drink the water. Then there was the heart of Los Angeles, among the homeless and in a place that forced me to forget my personal comfort for the sake of doing my job. Even in Kansas City, one cannot walk around the high-end shopping district of the Plaza without encountering people asking for spare change. So as I approach the week I will be spending in West Virginia, I know I have to let go of any expectations I might have as a result of those experiences. I think it is quite likely that the people of this coal mining town will provide me with a different experience from those I have had, and I really just can’t wait for that. The diversity panel this week also reminded me that I need enter into this with an open heart and mind. I enjoyed hearing from all the speakers; I think it’s great that we get to hear from so many different people that set an example for us in how passionate they are about their work. It’s also nice to see people who have made a life and a career out of their passions for serving others in various ways.
The panel discussion from this week in Alderson Auditorium was relevant to my Alternative Break site Fifty Forward in Nashville, TN. In the Fifty Forward project we will be helping the elderly pursue fulfilling lives. The panel discussed social justice for minority groups such as immigrants, refugees, LGBTQs, and the elderly. An important idea that was stressed by the panelists was that none of these minorities are voiceless. They each have their own personal story and have the same desires and dreams as the rest of us. When working with them it is important to listen to what they have to say because you are more likely to get more from the experience than you will give. Just because certain individuals are more quiet or reserved does not mean they are voiceless. You should gain their trust and help them open up by sparking discussion. One of the panelists is a leader in the student LGBTQ group on campus and talked about his experience last year with Alternative Breaks. Their group traveled to Ohio in order to help expand an LGBTQ center there that was at the time not very large or active. He emphasized the importance of helping to get kids in the community more involved. Most of the time kids who are in a minority group just want to feel appreciated and welcomed. Another panelist talked about her experience working with the elderly, which was most relevant to my site. She talked about how the elderly most of the time are focused on the two questions of what they have done good in their lives and what they could have done better or differently. When talking with them, it is important to listen to what they have to say, but you should also add some of your own insight that there is more to life than just those two questions.
ReplyDeleteThis week the panel that my group decided to hear about those who would be going to assist those who are going through sexuality issues. The people who were on the panel discussed their own personal experience with their encounters with those who deal with the problems that come with being gay or transgendered and a couple of the panelists dealt with the problems personally. One of the panelists actually was able to go on an alternative break himself to help out with the people who deal with the same issues he himself went through and how it taught him a lot. They all expressed the need for people to be open to others and to be understanding to be there to listen to what people have to say and to not go on the break with any pre conserved notions about the people we would be working with. I felt this was a very powerful panel as well as a very important one, because there are a lot of people in our society today that are extremely prejudice against anyone who is the least bit different from themselves. Be that someone who is gay or someone who is homeless. Many people look down on these people or show aggressiveness or cruelness towards them. Many people have committed suicide because of the hatred many people have shown towards people who are gay and have even been the victims of horrible hate crimes. It is very important for us as a society to understand that being gay does not make anyone less than human or make them bad people. People need to be more accepting and understanding so that people do not have to be the victims of hate crimes. If people just accepted people for who they are and tried to get to know them on the basic human level, then everyone will understand everyone is the same.
ReplyDeleteThis week’s panel gave me quite a lot to think about. I attended the panel on that discussed working with populations of people that battle stereotypes and stigmas. Since I will be participating in the One Colorado alternative break, this related directly to the work that I will be doing this winter. I have never done any volunteering with or for the LGBT community. However, the legalization of same-sex marriage is something that I strongly support, so I was ecstatic when I was selected for this trip. Despite my enthusiasm, I hadn’t thought much about what to expect from this experience. I also hadn’t considered the mindset I should have going into it. The statements the stuck with me the most were in response to how best to stand up for groups that seem to be silenced or without a voice in our society. The panelists were all in agreement—Everyone has a voice; if you cannot hear it, you are not listening. This was particularly impactful to be because it made me realize that when we work to make their problems recognized and repression alleviated, we don’t let them speak for themselves. We are the advocates; we are the saviors that must speak for them because society will not listen. When we go about servicing those communities in that way we are no different from anyone else in our society; we have turned a deaf ear to their ideas and injected our own. This is an incredibly important concept to understand when I participate in my alternative break. During the course of the week, we will be working with the organization One Colorado to lobby for a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage in the state of Colorado. Sitting through this panel made me realize that I must be an advocate for this bill without making this same mistake. In any campaigning I do, I cannot complete it with the notion that speaking for a community that is not capable of speaking for themselves. I am there to learn and become more about an issue that I care about strongly. In campaigning, I am merely raising awareness for what has been spoken by others in the community.
ReplyDeleteIt was unfortunate this week because I had an exam scheduled during the class, so I wasn't able to go to the panel pertaining to my organization's issue (environmentalism). However, last week I was able to attend the panel discussing populations in poverty, which helped address some ideas and expectations of working with these groups of people. Although it didn’t really pertain to my winter break trip, this panel, I felt, was still very helpful and applicable to other volunteer or non-volunteer experiences. The speakers in this panel stressed the importance of handling your expectations and mindsets specifically when volunteering with those in poverty. They repeated, “don’t expect anything”, emphasizing the value of this action. I understood clearly from this panel how damaging it may be toward your ability to do good when you’re weighed by stereotypes, expectations, and reservations. These types of influences are what fueled the motivations of those do-gooders so despised by Ivan Illich, and the panel seemed to resound his argument: go there to learn; listen to their stories, connect with them on a personal level, dress casually to avoid flaunting your status, et cetera. By making a conscious effort to sway one’s expectations and apprehensions, you have opened yourself to a broader network of influences and experiences that may have been perturbed by stereotyping the population.
ReplyDeleteOne of the speakers was a woman who worked with those stricken by poverty as a result of natural disaster. It was somewhat profound to hear her stories of Hurricane Katrina disaster relief, for example, because, and I admit, I didn’t immediately consider those impoverished by natural disaster when I attended this panel. This feeling only resounded their assertions regarding getting to know those you work with in order to learn about them, to lend a listening ear and dropping your stereotypes about their lives.
In class two weeks ago we had a panel talking about working with children. I really didn't realize that children don't really ever express what they're actually going through because they don't see it as bad. While in class a women on the panel was talking about how she has an afterschool program for third grade girls where they have basically a big sister and they do activities every wednesday with them. I think that it's important to realize that it's the little things to the children that are important. The panel talked about how children just love to get positive attention and that it's important to be a good role model at all times when on the alternative breaks. I think that this does really hit home because I will be going to Playworks, and it's important for my group and I to be positive role models throughout our experience. Another thing i Learned from the panel was that we need to get as much if not more from this experience then trying to make an impact. Although we will only be there a week we can learn a lot from these children and we can be positive impacts on their life, but we will most likely learn more from them then they will learn from us. I feel that this panel was extrememly interesting and I felt it was so powerful in helping me understand things for my break in january.
ReplyDeleteThrough a handful of encounters I’ve had this week, it has become ever more apparent that the issue of aging is a critical one facing us today. It is also something that needs to be addressed now, with the large amount of baby boomers retiring in the near future. I think this week’s panelists on stereotypes really made the importance of this issue clear to me.
ReplyDeleteThe panel member who spoke particularly on aging, which is the issue I will be working most predominantly with at the Fifty Forward site in Nashville, spoke about a major shift in the mindset of people in that age group. Young people tend to have a positive, look-to-the-future mindset. But as people near the end of their lives, the speaker said, they begin to separate everything into two ‘buckets:’ good things, and regrets. Because we are young, lively college students trying to figure out what we will “do with our lives,” it’s hard to even conceptualize such a foreign mindset. As I thought more about it, I was struck with how sad and unmotivated I would feel if I was concerned with labeling every action as either good or regretful.
So what do we do about this? I think the other panelists really spoke to how to combat a mindset of meaninglessness, whether they meant to or not. By realizing that we will only be present for the very short time-span of a week, we first need to ensure that we are making an impact that is consistent with the organization’s (and it’s constituents’) needs. We also need to make sure that we realize that the people we work with are not ‘voiceless’ or ‘helpless’ or simply ‘cute old people.’ The aging population faces stigmas and obstacles, just like many of the other more prominent populations that nonprofits serve. To make a difference, we must understand that people are people; we’re all on that same human level, and we all learn from and enrich each other’s lives.
This past Thursday, I attended the panel that discussed marginalized populations, including refugee, elderly, and LGBT individuals. One idea in particular stuck with me upon the panels’ conclusion, and I have continued to digest it in the days since. This particular idea is that of “learned helplessness”, which was mentioned by one of the social work professors who sat on the panel. According to this concept, at least to my understanding, marginalized and oppressed individuals have been taught to assume their subordinate statuses in society. Perhaps I am misinterpreting this theory, but personally, I find this idea rather offensive, and I suspect that my feelings are caused by the fact that the words “learned” and “helplessness” have been combined to broadly explain or summarize the plights of many, often ostracized populations. First, I have a problem with the inclusion of the word “learned”. It has been my experience that learning is a two-way street. Learning requires the active participation of both the teacher and the student. In order for learning to take place, a student has to show up, be present, pay attention, and apply him or herself. Essentially, the student must do work and put forth effort. Therefore, I think it is quite ridiculous to apply this term to the state of an oppressed people. It seems to imply that their oppression, or lack of equality, is at least in part their own fault, and not solely the fault of those in power, who have likely carried out the act of oppression itself. It is insulting to insinuate to an oppressed person, whether individually or part of a group, that their lack of equality is their own fault, and not solely the fault of their oppressors. Second, I have an issue with the inclusion of the work “helplessness”. In my opinion, no one is helpless. Every individual is endowed with skills and abilities that allow them to provide for themselves, take care of their needs, and carve out a place of their own in this world. Applying the word “helpless” to oppressed individuals theoretically robs them of this possibility or potential, and labels them as people who cannot help themselves, which is certainly not the case. For instance, LGBT populations have been advocating and protesting for equality long before the famous Stonewall riots of 1969; elderly individuals have advocated for proper health care and dignity as they have navigated their golden years; and refugees have survived war, famine, and political upheaval, all in an effort to provide safe havens for themselves and their families. Clearly, none of these populations are helpless. They are talented, capable groups of people, who have experienced inequality and oppression, at no fault of their own.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I unfortunately had a Developmental Biology Exam AND an Organic Chemistry exam last Thursday, and was unable to make it to class, I was able to talk to Jordan Wade for a little about Austin. Jordan emphasized to me that Austin is a very segregated city. She didn’t know how that impacted Austin Zoo directly, however she did bring up an interesting point regarding school field trips and which schools were able to attend the Zoo. Because the Zoo is non-for-profit, they do charge an entrance fee in order to counteract the expenses of taking care of, well, Zoo Animals. The Zoo is run primarily on donations and the revenue generated from the entrance fee. Austin is so financially segregated, that living in a certain part of the city or going to a certain school means that your elementary school class doesn’t get to take a field trip to the Zoo because the students can’t afford the eight dollar entrance fee and the school cannot financially cover the costs of the students to attend. However, in a different portion of the city, classes may take field trips to the zoo more than once a year, or even every year. The city is very diverse, and the schools in the financially less table areas often and obviously suffer from the lower tax bracket and the cities in ability to pay for the field trips to the Zoo. Jordan also offered me some advice on how to get the most out of my trip. She told me to “ask the hard questions,” regarding animal justice, animal neglect and cruelty and other questions the Zoo personnel may want to avoid. Jordan’s suggestion to “ask the hard questions” really got me thinking. In order for me to get the most out of my break, and to learn the most I can to in turn help my site the most, the hard questions are the most important ones to ask. These questions are the ones that can often lead to taking action and causing a change for the better in any situation.
ReplyDeleteThe panel I attended last week talked about environmental issues. The panelists really emphasized that although we might not be doing the most glamorous work while working with environmental issues, we really are making a difference and we are there to get the most we can out of the experience. We will most likely be doing a lot of painting and chopping down weeds and tree branches with other trail maintenance, and it will be mostly physical work. It is up to each group to really get something out of the trip by taking advantage of the people that are working with us. By asking our on-site supervisors the hard questions, we can learn a lot about environmental and community issues. The on-site supervisors will know the community, wildlife, and environment around us, and will help us understand all of the issues and positive efforts being made on location. The fact that a lot of environmental justice issues affect more people living in poverty conditions is often overlooked. For instance, students in certain areas of the Dallas zoo and rehabilitation center might not get to visit the zoo because the schools and the parents of these students cannot afford the required admittance fees. The Cumberland Trail is pretty far out in the wilderness; so, many people might not have the resources to experience this massive trail. The panelists also told us about ways we can get involved with environmental issues locally. Alternative Breaks focus on doing work outside of our community, but we also need to focus on the issues at hand. The man from the Jayhawk Audubon Society told us about water issues right here in Douglas County. There are several groups all working towards different goals that rely on volunteers and a few paid staff to teach the entire community about environmental issues. There are many opportunities right here locally for people to get involved and take positive steps towards living an eco-friendly existence.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the panels we had these two past weeks. They were very informative and I wish I had the opportunity to go to all of them. The panel that had to do with my group was the poverty and national disasters. The panel was very interesting in terms of what the difference of opinion was. It was clear that the lady dealing with national disasters dealt with people from a government stand point while the other panelist were more from grassroots movements. She did make an interesting point about the clothing we wear. While it may not be true for every disaster site, what a volunteer wears may very well indicate what people think about them when they first see them. While we may not think of it, visiting someone who just lost their house wearing designer items is not the image we want to show. It was also interesting to hear their opinion on image of poverety. I never really thought about it before, but poverty is caused by many variables. Before I had simply just thought of it as someone being homeless being in poverty. I learned that there are many variations, that may due with having a job, where money is so tight that a person has to make the painful decision weather to eat or not. It opened to my eyes that every single topic has a grey area and nothing is simple. I think the panel help me understood that while what we’re doing in New Orleans seems straightforward, that the people we will meet are not just cutouts from any one experience. Even though every person we will meet will have been affected by Hurricane Katrina that does not mean they have the same experience or troubles. I look forward to meeting these people so I can learn more about the thing I actually know little about.
ReplyDelete-Laura Damon
The panels that we had the last two weeks were very interesting. The first week, I went to the panel that discussed working with children. I have worked closely with children for over four years, so most of what I was hearing during the panel was not new information. I do, however, think that it is very important knowledge for everyone to have. I have a particular passion for working with children; my break will work with terminally ill children, and I plan to go into pediatric medicine. I believe that improving the quality of life and education of children is one of the most pressing issues in our society. I was excited to hear that many of the techniques and strategies I have developed over the years are also used and suggested by professionals, like the play therapist. I was also interested to hear about the site that Emily visited on her break. It sounds a lot like the Montessori school that I work at, which is a method of teaching, learning, and living that I am very passionate about. I believe that these kinds of communities are very important for children, and it is awesome to see that they are becoming more common, especially in less affluent areas.
ReplyDeleteLast week, I went to the panel that discussed socially marginalized groups. I would consider myself fairly well-informed on these issues, but I thought that the panel brought interesting perspectives that I had not heard before. I was particularly interested to hear from Joshua, he is someone that I have class with and have worked with for Dance Marathon. I was not aware of how involved he was with the issues he discussed, and it was cool to see that side of him. It got me thinking about something that was brought up in one of the panels: we should never assume that we know what is going on in another person’s life. My break site deals with people who are marginalized, but in a very different way than those our panel members discussed. Terminally ill children and their families do not fit into “normal” society. They have hurdles to overcome that the rest of us can’t even begin to fathom. These children will never have a normal childhood, their families have enormous medical bills, and they must be constantly prepared to drop everything and rush to the hospital. The parents must live with the reality that most of them will outlive their children. It is a reality that none of us can understand, but that we must attempt to be sensitive to while on our break. The most important thing that I took away from the panel was the need to be aware that we cannot possibly understand what they are going through; the best that we can do is be as conscientious as possible.
I have really enjoyed getting to hear all of the perspectives displayed in the last two weeks of panel discussions. As my alternative break deals with children I fully expected to learn the most from Panel One. This discussed strategies and things to consider when working with children, particularly those in poverty. Though I learned a lot from this discussion and appreciated the stressed necessity of being aware that poverty can affect every aspect of a child’s life, I was more impressed by the second panel. Like a lot of people I have met at the university, I am from a small town with relatively one-dimensional demographics. In my home population, as well as in many parts of the country, there are certain groups of people who are either not present or are voiceless within the community.
ReplyDeleteWhen working with underrepresented populations there are many things to consider. The most important thing is to simply be aware of their individual situations, needs, and feelings. Admittedly, I tend to lump all members of a population together as having the same ideals. For example, when I think of the LBGTQ community, I tend to think they all have the same political goals, including equality in marriage. However, one panelist explained that he, like some other gays, does not feel like the marriage issue is the most important challenge facing him. I had honestly assumed that this issue would be at the top of his list. His story showed that just because a person belongs to a certain group in society, does not mean that they do not have individual beliefs and wants. This is something that is easy to forget, especially when exposed to populations one does not typically see on a daily basis. The panel on Thursday reminded me how essential it is to go into new situations with an open attitude and a mind so that I may learn while I am serving.
The panel from two weeks ago about working with children was so close to my heart. I am so excited to embark on this trip for Give Kids the World and listening to these inspiring women added to that. The Theraplay was one of the most unique concepts in working for sick children. It was so innovative I and Truly believe this can touch the children and get through to them on levels we aren't always able to articulate. The emotions the children are facing are so unimaginable to us and even them that they need to use their imagination. It was a beautiful thing that she does and all of the women who have dedicated their lives to helping children is incredible. These children are our future and I couldn't be any more happy knowing how progressive the ways of help are becoming.
ReplyDeleteI found both of the panels I attended to be very interesting. It was particularly helpful to hear the panel on poverty and disaster. Having gone on the break to Lower Nine in New Orleans last winter and going to the Atlanta Center for Self Sufficiency this winter, all the speakers were very relevant to my past and future experiences. I found it very interesting when one of the speakers pointed out that how you dress is very important. I obviously knew that how you present yourself can effect how people perceive you and that you should not show up to work with people in poverty in flashy clothing. However, I had never thought about how every symbol can set you apart. The guest pointed out that even a shirt that may have been inexpensive but has a reference to University of Kansas on it can be a sign that you are not on the same level because you have access to higher education.
ReplyDeleteI also was really interested to hear that all of the panelists felt like we should have open discussion about the things we see while we are down there as well as when we come back. I think that it was really helpful to hear this said out loud because people often seem to have the attitude that it is silly to have open discussions about what we saw when in reality it can be very helpful. I hope that all of our group members took not of this and will be more willing to participate in those discussions as a result. Overall, all of the panelists brought many interesting points to the table. Everything they said was something we will want to take into consideration during our trip.
During Thursday’s class I opted to stay and listen to the panel about stereotypes because I felt that not only would it help with my experience in New Orleans, but that it was also something that I encountered all too often. I grew up on a farm in Western Kansas and there are only about 5 non-white people within a 30 to 45 minute drive. It’s pathetic because many of my elders as well as peers judge, stereotype and are close-minded to anything that’s not cookie-cutter normal in our community. I think that it is disgusting the extent to which some of the people take it and I wanted to see another side of the issue- those that were being judged and stereotyped. Their perspectives were very eye-opening and I really enjoyed listening to each of their stories. One of the biggest surprises for me was when they talked about the little words that many people use in their daily conversations that were completely ignorant and offensive to them. My Uncle is gay and one of my best friends in high school had a mentally disabled sibling so I have never really used the words “gay”, “lame” or “retarded”. After hearing the way it impacts their life and thinking, I am proud that I do not have the habit of using slang words like that out of context.
ReplyDeleteOne of the most simple ideas that were discussed by the panel the previous week was to give people what they ask for, what they really do need. I know that I have already been thinking about all of the things that I think that the people down in New Orleans may need, and yet I haven’t asked to really find out how we could most effectively help their needs. But now I will definitely ask and try to help in a more appropriate manner than I maybe would before. I’m so excited for our trip!
I attended the panel in the Pine Room concerning environmental sites. Our panel consisted of an environmental studies major who had previously gone on an Alternative break, a graduate student who had taught environmental education, and a member of the Audubon Society. All of our panelists had a variety of experience and advice to give us. However the information that impacted me most was concerning environmental privilege. It is easy to forget that not everyone has the privilege to attend National Parks or go hiking in the mountains. I think it is important for us, as volunteers, to realize that yes we are affecting and learning from many people but there is also a group of people that we are not reaching. Such as families that are not able to use the benefits of national parks. I grew up in a community where I believe everyone was treated equally, but the important thing for me to learn from this experience is that this is not true in every place. Everyone does not have equal access to resources and equal opportunity. What I learned from panels was that racism and segregation exists even in regards to access to environmental sites.
ReplyDeleteAnother important thing I learned from panels is to be aware of your surroundings when you are working at your site. One panelist touched upon how certain behavior while creating trails could actually end up harming these trails. I think we all need to be aware of our input on these sites. Our goal is to do more good than damage, even while we are learning. While on these trips we need to be aware of how our actions could affect the environment and also how it affects the people around us. We could always benefit from being more aware of our own actions, while on the trip and also when we come back to Lawrence.