Co-Curricular Events Log with Reasoning Why I Could Not Make Four(Baseball)

Co-curricular events: Students Participation Log

Students are expected to attend a minimum of four co-curricular events during the semester. These events may include film screenings, field trips, speakers, etc. The purpose of the events is to build community and continue a rich exploration of wicked problems in Austin. Some of these are events will be mandatory, others will be optional. A calendar of these events will be updated on the seminar canvas page. A written reflection from each of these events serves as evidence of your participation.

Use this form to document your participation. You will need to upload this form at the end of the course.

Event 1: Kelsey Timmerman Lecture at RCC

Date: October 3rd, 2016

Reflection on experience:

This event was a great time for me to get to see the different ideas that Kelsey Timmerman had behind the creation of his multiple works, including Where Am I Wearing? and Where Am I Eating?, which allowed for me to get his realistic stories in his own words. This gave me a more personal outlook on the actual occurrences and what they meant to Timmerman. Also, I got to talk to Timmerman and get my book signed, which allowed for me to ask him about studying abroad and how to make an impact that way. His feedback was extremely valuable, as it gave me a different outlook on what to look for in studying abroad. I appreciate his visit, as it put a face/personality to the voice I had read from.

Event 2: Mouthful Play

Date: November 15th, 2016

Reflection on experience:

Mouthful was a well put together play with multiple scenarios throughout. The different extremes that they developed throughout the play were admirable, from the government going against any organic crops to water rationing and having people wait in line for days to get water, sacrificing anything and everything they had. It gave a strong image for what society could become if an extreme event is to occur and the environment takes a hit. I enjoyed the seriousness it created with each skit, and thought it was correlative with what I expected.

I was only able to make it to two WiP LLC Co-Curricular events this semester, and this was due to my tedious fall baseball schedule. As I am an athlete, I had a busy schedule not only during the weeks, but also on the weekend. For the Dia De Los Muertos Festival, which was on a Saturday, the SEU Baseball team had the alumni game during the same time that the festival was going on, therefore I could not make the event. During the different panels, like the Sexual Violence panel, I was not able to make it because I had a meeting for the baseball team for an hour that evening that interfered with the timing. Earlier on that day, October 26th, 2016, I had individual practice, which is required, for our baseball team, and I could go to the Fusion Discussion. These are only three events, but the rest also conflicted with my schedule and did not allow for me to go to the LLC Co-Curricular events, therefore I had to settle with the two I was able to complete. Dr. Fletcher and I talked about this, and he said I just needed to explain myself as to why I could not make it, so here is my response.

Assignment 5: Step D – Blog Reflection

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  1. A personal reflection on the final project/presentation. What new insights did you gain?  What questions did it bring up? What are your current feelings/thoughts about your Wip?

The final project/presentation for Group Q was a strong conglomeration of statistics, potential solutions, and current scenarios of our Wicked Problem, which was Homelessness. We had some difficulties when we had to reallocate the designations after our group lost a member(Annabelle), but we were able to create a presentable and solid final product. The insights which I gained included a closer look at the homelessness not only in Austin, but also in the entirety of Travis County, as it spreads beyond downtown. It also allowed me to analyze different viewpoints of people throughout the Austin area and from different socioeconomic standpoints, whether it was a teacher’s perspective or a ACC student’s perspective. The questions that I began to develop in my head were “What does the public expect to see out of homelessness in the next decade”, “Will the different groups supporting and helping the impoverish and homeless groups grow and increase in the eyes of political figures in the next five years”, and “What will need to happen in order for people to want to help solve/contribute to solving this Wicked Problem of Homelessness”. My current feelings about this Wicked Problem is that Homelessness is only given a general glance, but it is an issue that needs to be given thorough analysis. While people are aware, they do not want to take steps to see the realistic situations and issues that arise from Homelessness, and are disengaged to the point where they do not want to help.

CAN Presentation Blog Post, Re-Post(From 09/19)

The most interesting element of the presentation was the disparity slide. I was never truly aware of the unemployment among different ethnic groups, and while I did expect for African Americans to have a higher rate, their unemployment rate nearly doubles the other three ethnic groups’ unemployment rates. This, along with the disparity rates, were eye opening, because people do not always pursue an education at the college level, which furthermore results in the unemployment our region experiences. It truly is a wicked problem that is hoped to be improved. I am appreciative of the fact that we are trying to address these issues so that as we progress as a society, we can continue to move towards a stronger, healthier world holistically, because these issues exist far beyond the Travis County/Austin area.

Austin Stevens Blog/Reflection Step B

  1. Below are the interview results I have compiled along with the brainstorming results our group has put together.
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2. The new insights I have gained include both the naiviety of the issue on one side and the ambition to make this issue better on the other. Some people just do not know what the situation is regarding the homelessness in Austin. The questions that it brought up for me were questions like:

-“What causes the people in society to develop this negative connotation for the homeless?” Being from Portland, Oregon, I have been exposed to homelessness from a young age, and have developed this stereotype. I know some people have developed different stereotypes though, and it would be interesting to see what they think and why they think that.

-“What is the cost to get food for these homeless people in Austin once or twice a week?” It is a really interesting topic, because some people want to help, but are not willing to give their money in the fear that the homeless will splurge the cash on street drugs. But if one finds to costs to give food to the shelter to feed the homeless more often, they are being helped on a large level.

My current thoughts about my Wicked Problem of Homelessness is that it is an underrepresented issue that the everyday public frequently frowns upon. It is important that they have organizations that support them to try to help get them on their feet, because without that they will not progress. For this Wicked Problem to improve, the general public needs to acknowledge its prominence and existence, which is not a simple task.

 

Blog/Reflection of Interview

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Here is my interview with Forrest Cormier, a college student at  ACC, which is within Austin City Limits.

I gained insight on how a student who is not at St. Edward’s sees homelessness, and how his personal views impact his certain perspectives. It made me question why he had not been involved in helping the homeless population, and brought up that homelessness may not get the amount of attention from college students as it should.

Dr. Kennedy Reflection

Dr. Kennedy’s presentation on the nature of photography was enlightening, as he elaborated on interpretations and intended meanings of different photos. With the sophisticated title of Walking the Threshold of Unknown Worlds, it was nearly an exposition of his ideas and how they can be interpreted compared to other photographs. From Ansel Adams to Wynn Bullock, all of the students were able to see diverse photographs created by different photographers. His preface to the art interpretation segment was inclusive of Dr. Kennedy’s learning style, which was slower, making his apprenticeship difficult. He went on to explain that photographs can be translated differently across different cultures, which was a great point. According to Dr. Kennedy, we search for meaning in the photographs, which is good because we are indulging in images beyond what is originally seen. Overall, the presentation was eye opening to what photography really is, and how large its impact is on a global level, as well as the interpretations it can create.

Photography is a wicked problem in the way that it can enhance our vision/expose issues among different cultures, as photography is an immutable reality, and leaves everything out in front of us. Photos are subjective to our interpretation, yet they create a language that the whole world understands in Dr. Kennedy’s eyes. To Dr. Kennedy, the fact that this is a universal language really allows for the world to find a common ground in a unique way, therefore issues at hand become universally recognized.

What surprised me about the presentation was that photography truly is a universal language, and also the truth the ambiguity causes dissonance. The entire world can see a photograph, and will interpret it in either a similar or different way from the entire world. But regardless, it is something that the entire world is familiar with, and thus creates a similarity and familiarity on a global scale. When Dr. Kennedy said that ambiguity causes dissonance, I realized how true that saying actually was. Nothing can work if ambiguity is present in a mind of somebody trying to accomplish. I just have not heard that enough. But hearing it from him was eye opening, as it is applicable to many things.

Course Project Team Planning – Individual Response

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Reflection of Visual:

Above is my branch of my group’s Wicked Problem: Homelessness. I tried to focus on what the city is doing for the homeless(food, shelter, overall what they are providing) while also questioning what they are not being provided that could be given to them. I also touched on the volunteering aspect, and what people could potentially offer to the homeless. An important piece I also touched on was unemployment, and how that is displayed through Travis County compared to the United States. While this is not as narrow or inclusive as the wicked problem of homelessness is, it is a strong base to grow off of.

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