Blog entries must be 200-400 words in length and must be submitted as comments to the main thread before the next class period.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Winter Class (6)
Hello!
For this week's blog post, please reflect on either the Environmental panel or the Stigma panel. You may discuss the advice they gave you or any of the issues they discussed.
The Environmental panel was really interesting to me. I have always believed that it is important to take care of the planet, but I have not been as serious about it as many others. I really liked how the panelists emphasized that environmental issues affect humans. The panelist who was a lawyer that worked with the human society especially emphasized this point. In order to help animals, the owners themselves must be helped first. By helping people, animals will be helped. Likewise, the panelist from Maggie’s farm talked about how growing crops was important to her because she wanted to feed her children food without pesticides or chemicals. Not only do her organic growing practices help the environment, but they also benefit people’s health. While it’s important to protect and preserve the environment, we must make sure that we keep people as the top priority. If we focus on people first, then other issues will inherently follow. By making sure that pet owners have the resources that they need, they will be able to provide for their animals. Thus, by helping people first, we are helping animals. If we make sure that people have food that is healthy and without chemicals, the soil and environment will also be healthier. As I go on my Alternative Break, I should remember that everything I do affects something else, even if I don’t realize what that is at the time. I should not only be environmentally aware, but aware of how my actions affect other people.
For me, I found great interest in the stigma panel. This panel showed not only some stigmas that exist in our society but also the how wrong each of these stigmas is. I really liked hearing from the founder of Jubilee Cafe and the experiences he has had. I was surprised by the amount of people that could be homeless in two paychecks. I think that one of the areas I struggle with putting a label on people is homelessness. Our society rarely sees homeless people as actual people or citizens. We rarely value their opinion. I am definitely interested in working more with the homeless and low income population so I can see for myself what their lives are actually like and how much this differs from America's perception of them. If we begin, as America, to change our perceptions on these people, then I think there will be less of a problem of homelessness. Today, people are disgusted by 'hobos,' but if people began to know them for themselves, I think there would be a lot more willingness to help them, not only financially but also emotionally and mentally. A lot of these people have mental disabilities and although some are offered help, many are not and have no way of getting out of the situation they are in. Jubilee offers a great way for KU students to begin their adult lives not as an adult who looks at homeless people in disgust but looks at homeless people and is understanding of their situation and interested in working with them to help them get into a safer and more comfortable situation.
Over the past couple of weeks, I have enjoyed listening to the experiences and advice of the different panel members. Last class I was really interested in hearing about the legal side of the Humane Society. I thought her suggested solution was very thought provoking. Once you change the problems conflicting people, then the animals can be helped. I feel this can be applied to many issues in America. By taking a step back and examining the root of the problem, then progress can be made. I think this could be applied to other environmental issues as well. In the case of Maggie's Farm, by providing community members with organic produce, the environment in turn will become healthier. The owner of Jubilee Cafe also touched on this domino effect solution to social problems. I thought it was very interesting that he suggested the problem is not the homeless population themselves, but the negative views and stereotypes about them. We can't expect to solve the on-going problem of homelessness in our nation without boosting awareness and understanding within the general population. He made it clear that the same social issue can be extremely different from state to state. That statement supports the importance of Alternative Breaks, because we are traveling outside of our comfort zone and our state in order to experience and better understand the broad spectrum of our specific areas.
I appreciated all the guest speakers during class. There was a lot of new information I was exposed to regarding communities within my environment that had never crossed my path before. The talk about the humane Society in Lawrence being able to assist humane societies smaller counties and regions within Kansas gave me deeper insight on how nonprofit organizations work. Together, NPO's such as the Lawrence Humane Society can create a larger force of good deeds and improvement for not only humans but also their companion animals.
It was also very interesting to get the perspective of the Jubilee Cafe director on the status of homeless people in Lawrence compared to New York City. Thankfully our group was able to witness firsthand what it is like to work there when we went to volunteer the next morning. The feeling was great and the vibe of the atmosphere was very positive and peaceful. It is a great feeling to be able to help out the needy and I am thankful to be able to serve others. The director also motivated me with his ideas on servicing others. He motivated me to believe that anybody with enough interest and care for others can make a difference and make a significant impact in the quality of life for other people.
I really enjoyed, like a few of the other commenters, the environmental panel, especially about the legal side of the human society. I have lived in Lawrence my entire life and never realized that he human society took such great action to protect the animals of the cities and the surrounding counties. It amazes me that they are willing and able to take in abused and neglected animals, to care and rehabilitate them, and then be able to release them back to family without much problem. Though I have never been particularly fond of some animals, I have also never thought they should be abused or treated inhumanly. It is great to know that the human society takes such great pride in their work, and has even left me to reconsider my own feelings about animals. I also like the stigma panel. I never really thought about the stigmas surrounding the sexual aspects of teenage girls. Generally when I think of stigmas I think more along the lines of the other two speakers work, handicaps and gender identities. It was interesting to hear all of their takes on the stigmas they fight, and to feel their passion for the subject. I think this panel overall gave me a better insight into the lives of these people, and has helped me to rethink my own assumptions about people. Overall I have really been enjoying the different panels. I think they are a great way to reflect on all the issues our groups will be encountering. I also like the way it provides different insight into the groups we may not be directly effecting, and helps me to better understand the issues surrounding our ever day life.
The Environmental Panel really struck a chord with me. I always knew it was important to do simple things like recycle everything you can, turn off the lights when not in use, turn off the water so you don’t waste, but I never realized that it goes even deeper than that. It touches levels that I never really thought about. The representative from Maggie’s Farm really opened up my eyes to this ‘new’ environmentalism approach. They grow as much food as they can organically, and without any harmful chemicals, and sell it to other willing healthy organic food buyers. It helped me put the dots together, that in growing organic, without pesticides or other chemicals, the land being used to farm, the insects and animals that may live around it, and ultimately the people who consume it, will not have to worry over getting sick. It brings to the forefront one of the main reasons for going on break: helping others, either directly or indirectly. Especially starting out with a simple concept like promoting a healthy diet, it can lead to bigger projects to benefit even more than just the local community.
I was really intrigued with the Stigma panel introduced to our Alternative Breaks class. Getting insight on the various stigmas within the LGBTQ, mentally challenged, and homeless communities really tied into our previous class about the power and meaning of words. In addition, I'd heard the word "stigma" a lot of times in my life but never had a strong grasp on what the word meant. This class provided a clear explanation of what it meant and why we must avoid creating stigmas. One speaker I connected with is the founder of Jubilee Cafe. As someone who has been a volunteer with this organization, I also have a drive to communicate to people that homeless doesn't equate to laziness, stubbornness, and the like. Granted, I may not always give money to individuals asking for it along Massachusetts St., but I'm always willing to offer them a smile and treat them as human beings -- which sometimes has a more positive impact than the former. It's important to learn that you cannot always make assumptions or judgments about the life of others because you never know what their situation is. All in all, I think it's crucial that all people view life from a myriad of perspectives and, in turn, have more respect for the people in this world.
The Environmental panel was really interesting to me. I have always believed that it is important to take care of the planet, but I have not been as serious about it as many others. I really liked how the panelists emphasized that environmental issues affect humans. The panelist who was a lawyer that worked with the human society especially emphasized this point. In order to help animals, the owners themselves must be helped first. By helping people, animals will be helped. Likewise, the panelist from Maggie’s farm talked about how growing crops was important to her because she wanted to feed her children food without pesticides or chemicals. Not only do her organic growing practices help the environment, but they also benefit people’s health. While it’s important to protect and preserve the environment, we must make sure that we keep people as the top priority. If we focus on people first, then other issues will inherently follow. By making sure that pet owners have the resources that they need, they will be able to provide for their animals. Thus, by helping people first, we are helping animals. If we make sure that people have food that is healthy and without chemicals, the soil and environment will also be healthier. As I go on my Alternative Break, I should remember that everything I do affects something else, even if I don’t realize what that is at the time. I should not only be environmentally aware, but aware of how my actions affect other people.
ReplyDeleteFor me, I found great interest in the stigma panel. This panel showed not only some stigmas that exist in our society but also the how wrong each of these stigmas is. I really liked hearing from the founder of Jubilee Cafe and the experiences he has had. I was surprised by the amount of people that could be homeless in two paychecks. I think that one of the areas I struggle with putting a label on people is homelessness. Our society rarely sees homeless people as actual people or citizens. We rarely value their opinion. I am definitely interested in working more with the homeless and low income population so I can see for myself what their lives are actually like and how much this differs from America's perception of them. If we begin, as America, to change our perceptions on these people, then I think there will be less of a problem of homelessness. Today, people are disgusted by 'hobos,' but if people began to know them for themselves, I think there would be a lot more willingness to help them, not only financially but also emotionally and mentally. A lot of these people have mental disabilities and although some are offered help, many are not and have no way of getting out of the situation they are in. Jubilee offers a great way for KU students to begin their adult lives not as an adult who looks at homeless people in disgust but looks at homeless people and is understanding of their situation and interested in working with them to help them get into a safer and more comfortable situation.
ReplyDeleteOver the past couple of weeks, I have enjoyed listening to the experiences and advice of the different panel members. Last class I was really interested in hearing about the legal side of the Humane Society. I thought her suggested solution was very thought provoking. Once you change the problems conflicting people, then the animals can be helped. I feel this can be applied to many issues in America. By taking a step back and examining the root of the problem, then progress can be made. I think this could be applied to other environmental issues as well. In the case of Maggie's Farm, by providing community members with organic produce, the environment in turn will become healthier. The owner of Jubilee Cafe also touched on this domino effect solution to social problems. I thought it was very interesting that he suggested the problem is not the homeless population themselves, but the negative views and stereotypes about them. We can't expect to solve the on-going problem of homelessness in our nation without boosting awareness and understanding within the general population. He made it clear that the same social issue can be extremely different from state to state. That statement supports the importance of Alternative Breaks, because we are traveling outside of our comfort zone and our state in order to experience and better understand the broad spectrum of our specific areas.
ReplyDeleteI appreciated all the guest speakers during class. There was a lot of new information I was exposed to regarding communities within my environment that had never crossed my path before. The talk about the humane Society in Lawrence being able to assist humane societies smaller counties and regions within Kansas gave me deeper insight on how nonprofit organizations work. Together, NPO's such as the Lawrence Humane Society can create a larger force of good deeds and improvement for not only humans but also their companion animals.
ReplyDeleteIt was also very interesting to get the perspective of the Jubilee Cafe director on the status of homeless people in Lawrence compared to New York City. Thankfully our group was able to witness firsthand what it is like to work there when we went to volunteer the next morning. The feeling was great and the vibe of the atmosphere was very positive and peaceful. It is a great feeling to be able to help out the needy and I am thankful to be able to serve others. The director also motivated me with his ideas on servicing others. He motivated me to believe that anybody with enough interest and care for others can make a difference and make a significant impact in the quality of life for other people.
-Eyad Gharaibeh
I really enjoyed, like a few of the other commenters, the environmental panel, especially about the legal side of the human society. I have lived in Lawrence my entire life and never realized that he human society took such great action to protect the animals of the cities and the surrounding counties. It amazes me that they are willing and able to take in abused and neglected animals, to care and rehabilitate them, and then be able to release them back to family without much problem. Though I have never been particularly fond of some animals, I have also never thought they should be abused or treated inhumanly. It is great to know that the human society takes such great pride in their work, and has even left me to reconsider my own feelings about animals.
ReplyDeleteI also like the stigma panel. I never really thought about the stigmas surrounding the sexual aspects of teenage girls. Generally when I think of stigmas I think more along the lines of the other two speakers work, handicaps and gender identities. It was interesting to hear all of their takes on the stigmas they fight, and to feel their passion for the subject. I think this panel overall gave me a better insight into the lives of these people, and has helped me to rethink my own assumptions about people.
Overall I have really been enjoying the different panels. I think they are a great way to reflect on all the issues our groups will be encountering. I also like the way it provides different insight into the groups we may not be directly effecting, and helps me to better understand the issues surrounding our ever day life.
The Environmental Panel really struck a chord with me. I always knew it was important to do simple things like recycle everything you can, turn off the lights when not in use, turn off the water so you don’t waste, but I never realized that it goes even deeper than that. It touches levels that I never really thought about. The representative from Maggie’s Farm really opened up my eyes to this ‘new’ environmentalism approach. They grow as much food as they can organically, and without any harmful chemicals, and sell it to other willing healthy organic food buyers. It helped me put the dots together, that in growing organic, without pesticides or other chemicals, the land being used to farm, the insects and animals that may live around it, and ultimately the people who consume it, will not have to worry over getting sick. It brings to the forefront one of the main reasons for going on break: helping others, either directly or indirectly. Especially starting out with a simple concept like promoting a healthy diet, it can lead to bigger projects to benefit even more than just the local community.
ReplyDeleteI was really intrigued with the Stigma panel introduced to our Alternative Breaks class. Getting insight on the various stigmas within the LGBTQ, mentally challenged, and homeless communities really tied into our previous class about the power and meaning of words.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, I'd heard the word "stigma" a lot of times in my life but never had a strong grasp on what the word meant. This class provided a clear explanation of what it meant and why we must avoid creating stigmas.
One speaker I connected with is the founder of Jubilee Cafe. As someone who has been a volunteer with this organization, I also have a drive to communicate to people that homeless doesn't equate to laziness, stubbornness, and the like. Granted, I may not always give money to individuals asking for it along Massachusetts St., but I'm always willing to offer them a smile and treat them as human beings -- which sometimes has a more positive impact than the former. It's important to learn that you cannot always make assumptions or judgments about the life of others because you never know what their situation is.
All in all, I think it's crucial that all people view life from a myriad of perspectives and, in turn, have more respect for the people in this world.