Reflection: Weeks 8-14

  

The two photos above are of my junking project, which ended up being one of my favorite assignments.  I bought a bottle cutter online, then cut wine bottles!  I'm making different parts of them into different things - candle holders, wine glasses, drinking glasses... it's been really fun!
I liked that we focused on junking and re-purposing.  I think it's really fun, and it's an easy way to do a lot of good for the environment!
Visiting Goodwill was awesome.  Before this class, I had no idea that there was so much going on behind the scenes.  It makes me that much more willing to drive down there when I have donations.  I also got a nice laugh from the huge, smushed cube of stuffed animals we passed during our tour - kind of terrifying to my inner child though!

I really enjoyed the second half of this semester - and man did it fly by!  Doing the Share & Voices were fun because we had more freedom to get creative with our subject, and research new things!  All of the ones I read were really cool.  The photo essay was possibly my most favorite assignment we did, because it is totally "me", haha.  It was interesting to see what everyone else chose to do theirs on too!

The advocacy project was a little more challenging, for a couple of reasons.  Firstly, I chose a subject that I didn't know much about, so that forced me to research is a lot more.  I'm glad that it turned out that way, but it was still kind of hard sometimes.  And secondly, because I don't know much about politics and government, so making a list of our political leaders took a while (and a lot of Googling).

All-in-all, this was one of my favorite classes I've taken at UMD.  I learned so much, and something sparked in me that makes me want to change my habits, along with other people's.
Thanks so much for the great time and knowledge! :)

Good luck with finals guys! Remember:

OR..

Whichever one helps you ;)

Share & Voice: Roxaboxen

"Marian called it Roxaboxen. (She always knew the name of everything.) There across the road, it looked like any rocky hill -- nothing but sand and rocks, some old wooden boxes, cactus and greasewood and thorny ocotillo -- but it was a special place: a sparkling world of jeweled homes, streets edged with the whitest stones, and two ice cream shops. Come with us there, where all you need to gallop fast and free is a long stick and a soaring imagination.In glowing desert hues, artist Barbara Cooney has caught the magic of Alice McLerran's treasured land of Roxaboxen -- a place that really was, and, once you've been there, always is." (here)

Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran was one of my favorite books growing up.  It's a short book filled with beautiful illustrations, and a wonderful story about a group of friends who build their own town out of just nature and few boxes. 

I always wanted to build my own Roxaboxen - it seemed like such a special and beautiful place.

But I did have my own similar adventures created by imagination when I was growing up.  That is the beauty of nature - when kids (and adults) are unleashed into it, magical and amazing things come out of them.  We don't need the computer games, television shows, or even books to provide us with hours of fun. 

I recommend this book to anyone of any age, if you haven't read it already.  And also encourage you to spend some more time outdoors, building your own version of a Roxaboxen. 

Advocacy Project: Letter to Elected Official

Dec. 11th, 2011
Senator Amy Klobuchar
U.S. Senate
302 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Vote yes on amendment H.AMDT.631.

I am writing to encourage you to vote yes on the amendment to the Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act.  The purity of our drinking water in vital to the health of every community, especially in our schools. By requiring a report on water, we will be ensuring that our children are safe from lead.

As a health educator and community member, this issue is important to me.  Lead can cause many negative health conditions ranging from upset stomachs, to brain and memory damage.  It can seep into our drinking water from old pipes used to carry and distribute water.  Many of our older school buildings could easily contain such pipes, and lead could be slowly damaging the children, staff and parents who come in contact with the water.

Others may think that testing and repair if our school's water and pipes is too costly.  Or that the health concern isn't really there.  But can we really put a price on the health of our children and community members?  Lead poisoning is very real, and very serious, and we should do everything we can to protect our future from it.

Thank you for your time.  If you want any further information, or have and questions, please don't hesitate to call me at 321-555-1234.  Again, I encourage you to vote yes for this amendment.


Sincerely,
Sierra Wilson-Beckman
safewater@us.yes.com