Dear Sean,
This course is so unique and so beautiful. When I was looking up what textbook I'd need for this class and saw that it was just 5 young adult books I was very curious as to what I'd be doing in the class and what we'd be learning. All I can say is that this class opened my eyes. The museum display made me think about who I am and what makes me, me. The border issue project was unbelievable for me because I'm not a huge political fan and so I tend to avoid the news because frankly I get confused and don't feel like any of it is important, but doing this project and hearing everyone else's projects made me realize that there is a lot going on around the world and it does effect me and it is something that I need to be aware of. It was really interesting for me to do research on random countries and really get myself involved in what was going on in a country and what makes a country so unique. It was all very eye-opening.
The graffiti wall was I think my second favorite assignment in the class because it made me realize the big themes around the world affect children and it's not just politicians who have to manage worldly issues. Thinking about each book and then remembering the main character and what they went through and comparing it to myself was really hard for me. Here I am in America, enjoying playing in my fenced backyard playing tag or whatever with my siblings with no cares in the world at age 10 when kids around the world are either leaving their family in order to leave and become something to benefit their family, or running for their lives from people trying to take advantage of them or kill them at the same age as me. These hardships aren't just from history books, they are happening here and now all around the world. It's really sad that what we complain about is something extraordinary to people in other countries. The discussions we had in class were hard, but really good for me. I finally feel the need to look up what's going on and try to get involved as much as I can.
Participating in the discussions and the projects made me realize how in order for me truly help the world, I have to be involved and really stay educated on the issues and actively participate in order to leave my mark. I have a hard time thinking deeper and asking questions to extend discussions or conversations just because I'm typically trying to just wrap my brain around what's on the surface of the discussion, but I found myself more and more thinking deeper and deeper throughout the course. I feel like this course really opened up my eyes and made me realize that it's not just me and my bubble, it's me and a magnificently huge world, and it's my job to explore it and stay familiar with it.
My plan of action...I have quite a few ideas, but I think what my heart keeps settling on is being active and going on as many mission trips as I can. My goal is get my BA in fall 2015, get my Master degree by spring of 2016 and then going on either 3-4 month long missions trips, or one 3 month mission trip to a country/place that needs help. Needs builders, educators, friends, financial help, etc. I want to be there for someone else and help someone get through a struggle. I need to look into it more, but I've contacted a few missionaries and they have sent me information and I've started looking into it. I want to travel, experience as many cultures as I can, and bring hope to people of all ages as much as I can.
Thank you so much for teaching this course and allowing us the opportunity to experience the world in such a unique way. There's a huge road ahead of all of us, but one by one, we will get involved and lend a helping hand and it all starts by opening up eyes, which is something you have truly accomplished.
Thanks :)
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Graffiti Wall Explanation
For my graffiti wall I chose to write seven major words that encompassed the themes we talked about during this class. Surrounding the words were the titles of the books and some other small theme words that correlated to the seven chosen words. My seven main words are: struggle, adventure, family, innocence, companionship, survival and responsibility.
STRUGGLE= I chose struggle because in Sold, Crossing the Wire, Revolution is Not a Dinner Party, and A Long Way Gone there was struggle. Struggle had a different meaning in each book but overall, each of the main characters in the books all had to struggle through some sort of challenge that was thrown at them. Everyone all around the world suffers through struggles on a daily basis. Some people struggle through living each day, where some struggle to be motivated to do things. Overall, struggle is a huge part of culture for everyone.
ADVENTURE= In all of the books we read this term each character had some sort of adventure. Some characters traveled, some were faced with mental obstacles that made them adventure through maturity, and some had to adventure because they were forced into it. Traveling is such a blessing. When traveling because it's to save your skin, it may not seem like a blessing, but to just travel to see the world is 100% a blessing. It's something we take advantage of and sometimes under-appreciate. Everyone needs to go somewhere and experience someone else's culture and be able to see the world through their own eyes and not through a magazine or the internet.
FAMILY= Once again, this theme was found in all of the books. The main character either was losing family, doing something for family, or only had family. Family is what shapes a person. People have to overcome challenges and that does shape them, but family whether blood-related or just "adopted" is what can hold or break a person apart. All of the characters in the book were affected by their family in some way, and the same is true for all of us.
INNOCENCE= With all of the characters in this book being under 16 years old there was a sense of innocence that I felt while reading these books. All of the characters were young and naive and didn't fully grasp what obstacles were in front of them until they were knee-deep in the problem. It's reality, kids are involved in worldly issues, and they don't know the extent of what's going on, and all they see is pain and they don't understand it, it's heartbreaking, but it's reality.
COMPANIONSHIP= I really felt this theme in Sold, Crossing the Wire, and A Long Way Gone. In all of these books the main character formed relationships with other people and it helped them get through what they were struggling with. This theme makes it apparent that human beings need to be social, and they need help. Nobody is perfect, and we need people to be able to fall back on, other than family. The friendships in these books were beautiful and so innocent, and it was the bigger issues in the world that tore the friendships apart.
SURVIVAL= I felt this theme in all of the books except Kampung Boy and that might be just because Kampung Boy didn't have a heavy issue in the book and the boy really didn't have to overcome much of an obstacle until the end of the book. In all of the other books obstacles were apparent in the beginning and lasted until the end of the book.
RESPONSIBILITY= This theme was in all of the books, and is such a huge obstacle that every person around the world must overcome. What makes this theme hard is that all of the characters were so young and had to become responsible or they would lose their life or respect. That's a huge weight on such a young person. I thought middle school was tough, but to think about being that age and being sold into sex slavery in order for my family to get some money, I can't imagine having to overcome that burden. Or being 12 years old and seeing gory, bloody war all around me and being okay mentally as an adult. That's really rough.
All of these themes are apparent in the books and the topics we discussed. They are what I thought of while reading each of these books and what stuck out the most when reviewing my feelings and thoughts on these books/discussions. Kids are so amazing and to think that so many around the world have stories similar to these books absolutely breaks my heart, but it's good to be informed and to remember these themes.
STRUGGLE= I chose struggle because in Sold, Crossing the Wire, Revolution is Not a Dinner Party, and A Long Way Gone there was struggle. Struggle had a different meaning in each book but overall, each of the main characters in the books all had to struggle through some sort of challenge that was thrown at them. Everyone all around the world suffers through struggles on a daily basis. Some people struggle through living each day, where some struggle to be motivated to do things. Overall, struggle is a huge part of culture for everyone.
ADVENTURE= In all of the books we read this term each character had some sort of adventure. Some characters traveled, some were faced with mental obstacles that made them adventure through maturity, and some had to adventure because they were forced into it. Traveling is such a blessing. When traveling because it's to save your skin, it may not seem like a blessing, but to just travel to see the world is 100% a blessing. It's something we take advantage of and sometimes under-appreciate. Everyone needs to go somewhere and experience someone else's culture and be able to see the world through their own eyes and not through a magazine or the internet.
FAMILY= Once again, this theme was found in all of the books. The main character either was losing family, doing something for family, or only had family. Family is what shapes a person. People have to overcome challenges and that does shape them, but family whether blood-related or just "adopted" is what can hold or break a person apart. All of the characters in the book were affected by their family in some way, and the same is true for all of us.
INNOCENCE= With all of the characters in this book being under 16 years old there was a sense of innocence that I felt while reading these books. All of the characters were young and naive and didn't fully grasp what obstacles were in front of them until they were knee-deep in the problem. It's reality, kids are involved in worldly issues, and they don't know the extent of what's going on, and all they see is pain and they don't understand it, it's heartbreaking, but it's reality.
COMPANIONSHIP= I really felt this theme in Sold, Crossing the Wire, and A Long Way Gone. In all of these books the main character formed relationships with other people and it helped them get through what they were struggling with. This theme makes it apparent that human beings need to be social, and they need help. Nobody is perfect, and we need people to be able to fall back on, other than family. The friendships in these books were beautiful and so innocent, and it was the bigger issues in the world that tore the friendships apart.
SURVIVAL= I felt this theme in all of the books except Kampung Boy and that might be just because Kampung Boy didn't have a heavy issue in the book and the boy really didn't have to overcome much of an obstacle until the end of the book. In all of the other books obstacles were apparent in the beginning and lasted until the end of the book.
RESPONSIBILITY= This theme was in all of the books, and is such a huge obstacle that every person around the world must overcome. What makes this theme hard is that all of the characters were so young and had to become responsible or they would lose their life or respect. That's a huge weight on such a young person. I thought middle school was tough, but to think about being that age and being sold into sex slavery in order for my family to get some money, I can't imagine having to overcome that burden. Or being 12 years old and seeing gory, bloody war all around me and being okay mentally as an adult. That's really rough.
All of these themes are apparent in the books and the topics we discussed. They are what I thought of while reading each of these books and what stuck out the most when reviewing my feelings and thoughts on these books/discussions. Kids are so amazing and to think that so many around the world have stories similar to these books absolutely breaks my heart, but it's good to be informed and to remember these themes.
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