The Redline Project

The purpose of this action project was to experience organizing and realizing a nonviolent intervention in my own city, practicing Satyagraha with the real world implications. In Global Peace we learned about Satyagraha which is Gandhi's principle for nonviolence. Satya means truth, graha means insistence in favor with the truth. Satyagraha means insistence of the truth. We used Satyagraha to understand how to make a nonviolent action happen.What I learned during this action project was to not be afraid of what you believe in. If you think something should be a different way protest or use any nonviolent way to solve this problem. We used a sheet of 198 methods of nonviolence actions to help me find a action that I want to take, mine was number 179, which is  Alternative Social institutions. I was first very scared about actually going out to a neighborhood to show my action, but at the end I felt very proud of myself and my classmate JV.

  My action project was to document segregation and violence. I picked this action because there is still segregation in Chicago and many people do not realize it .  I feel very passionate about this topic, and I know for sure that their is something we can all do to stop it. There should not be any segregation in Chicago. All people should be equal no race should be treated any lower. Segregation should have stopped a long time ago but it is still going on. People should care because segregation causes violence. I think nobody should treat any one lower because of what skin color, race, or religion they are. Segregation causes violence by people being separated and thinking they own a certain neighborhood. People thinking one side of the neighborhood is bad because of what race lives there when its just how the public marks the neighborhood as, and people not knowing segregation causes the violence.

We planned to schedule a date to take our action which was Wednesday Dec 11, 2013 on a FE day. We came up with a plan that we got inspired by a organization that is called The Red Line Project . Their form of nonviolence is to show that there are problems and violence going on,  on the red line. "Chicago is a city of neighborhoods, and The Red Line Project helps readers better understand and connect with them. The site covers news and urban issues in neighborhoods located near Chicago's Red Line El stops". Our plan was to show that there is still segregation in our city. We went on the red line our first stop was Chicago and the train was so packed. As we started going on down less white people were getting on. By Sox-35th the train was empty. On 47th there was mostly African Americans on the train ride .We wanted to show that people do not go by 47th because of the people and history, which causes segregation. 

Bouncy Boba

For this units action project, Like a Fungus, the class was assigned to create a slide show presentation about a product that we like, or we think can use an improvement. I decided to study and try to improve the process of Tapioca. I went to Chill Bubble Tea, a fruit smoothie shop, where they also make their own Tapioca. I was able to talk to one of the people who work in the kitchen and see how they prepare this delicious treat. I learned that Tapioca comes from a starch, something I would have never guessed because of its chewy texture. I was able to view Tapioca before it was cooked and after it was cooked and I noticed a difference in texture and color. The most difficult part of this project was having to create a whole new system with the process of Tapioca, but I got over that once I actually talked to a person who has the best understanding with that process. The most rewarding part of this project was actually finding out a lot of interesting facts about Tapioca. Thanks to this project I now know some of the most interesting facts about my favorite treat.

                                             Created by RD

The system of Tapioca before was very simple, but bad for the Earth and its surroundings.  It was just to collect starch from the Cassava plant in Thailand and ship them to stores. From there many shops cook the starch and eventually throw away the starch that they do not use, along with the plastic cups and straws that hold the teas, those going into landfills, where eventually they all decompose. My system is a bit different. It would all start out the same way, with the Tapioca being collected from the Cassava plant and the starch being cleaned out and collected. I would like to change and improve the way the leftover starch at Chill Bubble Tea gets thrown away and decomposed. The plan I had was to use the leftover starch to make new plastic cups to hold the bubble teas. It would be an example of Bio-Plastics. 

The beautiful Glow

For this action project the class was assigned to either learn from a animal, using that animal to create a design or to challenge that animal. I decided to learn from an animal using it as a sort of "model" to redesign a product. The animal I chose was a Firefly. I will be using a Firefly to create a more efficient lamp. The lamp would be able to conserve more energy, but yet create the same amount of light as a light bulb.

Pan, Licheich. "Firefly". Flicker. Yahoo!, 1 April. 2006. web. 20 November. 2013

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A Firefly is mostly known for their beautiful glow that they produce. The science of that is called bioluminescene. Its when the cells in the Firefly's tail make Luciferase Enzyme and then creates a chemical reaction that produces a light. The light they produce is different from a light bulb because the light is cold instead of hot, which saves them because if the light was hot they would die because of all the energy they are loosing. A light bulb uses 90% of its energy on heat, while all the energy put into Luciferase is simply light. A product that would benefit from a Firefly would be a nightlight that produces the same light a Firefly produces and also using the same amount of low energy.

To come up with this design I had to do research on how a light bulb works and contrast that with a way a firefly works. A light bulb produces light when electrical currents pass through a wire that makes the wire heat up and eventually it gets so hot that it produces a light. The Light bulb waste more energy because it produces heat, while a Firefly produces a cool kind of light. An idea that I had was create the same kind of light a Firefly uses which is called Luciferase. From that I can produce a more efficient light bulb.

RD, Photography. Fire Fly. Chicago Illinois  

The Light bulb would work very simple, the same way a Firefly works which is by a chemical reaction. I would apply luciferin and combine that with oxygen and then with luciferase making the bulb light up with a cool light. The light bulb would be able to produce any color light because each organism with luciferase has a different color light that they produce.

Citations:
"Why do Fireflies glow?" . huffingtonpost.com. NP. May 25, 2013. web. November 20, 2013 





















                                                                                                                                                                               

Letter to Alderman

For this action project in Global Peace the class was assigned to write a letter addressing an issue that is going on in my neighborhood and relating it to a term we discussed in the second unit called Swadeshi, which is discussing the local economy. I went on to realize how much my community lacks in having local businesses. 

Alderman John Arena

45th Ward Service Office
4754 N. Milwaukee Avenue
Chicago, IL 60630

November 14, 2013

Dear Alderman Arena ,

I am RD, a 14 year student who attends Global Citizenship Experience (GCE) high school in the Lincoln Park area. I am writing to you because I am taking a course in school called Global Peace. In this second Unit the class is discussing the word Swadeshi, which means me as in myself and place, as in location. For this project the class was assigned to discuss an issue that was going on in our neighborhood, which in my case is the Portage Park/ Jefferson Park area. An issue that I saw was the lack of local businesses going on in those areas.

The Portage Park/ Jefferson Park area is beautiful, but not many people get to notice that because of the lack of attractions and businesses. On my way to school I see huge businesses and restaurants that attract many people to the Lincoln Park area, and I don't see that kind of attraction at all in my community. There are many empty business buildings that are occupying so much space in our area. That not only takes up useless space, but it also makes the neighborhood look unsafe and bad.

The lack of businesses brings down the local economy very much. We are not selling any goods that benefit any business or our neighborhood. That also hurts the connection we have as a community.

I have many ideas that I would like to turn into actions with your help. There are many empty business buildings in 6 Corners. Many of those can be turned into bigger businesses or local businesses. I went to Andersonville to view all the local businesses that are established in that neighborhood and I was impressed at how they all connected. The community felt united because of all those local businesses. I would definitely like to see that going on more in the Portage Park/ Jefferson Park area. The Portage Park/ Jefferson Park Chamber of commerce can help support new local businesses like the one in Andersonville. I as a resident take this as an important issue because I want my neighborhood to look attractive and fun.

If this problem is solved the whole neighborhood would rise up. I’m using the example of Savordaya, which means everything and everyone rising up together, a term we used in the first Unit of the Global Peace course. We would see an excellent change in the local economy with all the income these local stores deserve in our neighborhood. I hope my letter inspires you to help me take action against this issue.

Sincerly ,

RD

Live Forever

For this action project in Bioneers the class was assigned to think like nature, so that we can learn off it. In specific we were to think like a plant or tree. I chose a Nelumbo Nucifera or a Lotus.In order to learn from a Lotus,I had to learn about a Lotus. I did research on its orgin, the way it grows and many cultural lessons it teaches. I am most proud of my drawing because I think I visually represented an understanding of how a Lotus flower works. I leaned that even though a Lotus flower is small they are still very strong.

By researching this flower I also leaned that it has a very spiritual meaning in other countries. In India and Vietnam, they use a Lotus as a national flower. In the Buddhist religion and Asian culture this flower symbolizes many things, some of those things include purity in the mind and body, long life, health and good luck.

Gailard, Jennifer. "Lotus Flower". Flicker. Yahoo!, 2 September. 2011. web. 8 November 2013

RD(2013) Lotus Flower. Chicago Illinois

The Nelumbo Nucifera is a plant of many names, but it is most commonly known as a Lotus. Its native home is mostly known to be in Australia and throughout Asia. They grow in water, which is why they usually grow with lily pads. The roots usually grow at the bottom of the river or pond and the flower or leaves of a Lotus float on the water's surface. It usually grows to be a height of 150 cm. The seeds are known to live for a very long time. Researchers investigated that the longest Lotus flower seed lived for 1,288 years!(Kew.org) A Lotus flower also can clean itself off when it emerges from the dirt, this is also known as the "Lotus effect".

Many people wondered how the Lotus flower is able to live for that long. It is said that the seed's long life is due to the heavy and strong coating.(ehow.com) The proteins also help the seed survive fungi attacks, and bad weather. The seed is also capable of controlling its leaves temperature within a range, just like humans and other warmblooded animals. The seeds, leaves flowers and roots are all edible.We use those for teas, beauty products and for medical purposes.  

The Lotus has an ability to clean itself out from coming out of the dirt. From that we can learn how Nature takes care of itself because that's all it has, so that would be a lesson of how we can take better care of ourselves.  Can we use the seeds as a medicine to maybe extend other life, or maybe even human life? We can take a sample of seeds and apply it to many medicines that can help us with a cleaner and healthier body.The Lotus seed is also very strong, it can survive some of the worst weather conditions, that could give a lesson on how to better adapt to our surroundings. We as humans can learn to boost the quality of life and the way we think of ageing, because even though a Lotus lives up to thousands of years, it is still very beautiful. If I were to be any flower, I would definitely choose to be a Lotus. Not only because of its beauty and meaning, but also because of all the things it has to offer to the world.


Citations:

• "Facts about the Indian Lotus Flower". ehow.com. ehow contributor. N.D. Web. November 7, 2013.

• "Lotus leaves health benefits and weigh loss effectiveness". divineglowinghealth.com. Susanna. June 4, 2013. Web. November 7, 2013.

• "Nelumbo nucifera". wikipedia.org. Wikipedia. October 30, 2013. Web. November 7, 2013.

Freedom Song- Gloria Steimen- RD

For this unit the class was assigned to write a poem about a famous person who tries to help end inequality by using Sarvodaya.  Sarvodaya means everyone and everything rising all together. In specific I chose Gloria Steimen, a feminist activist, writer and lecturer. She knew talking was not enough so she took action peacefully. The most challenging part of this project was having to see what women had to go through in order to get their voice heard. When I finished my poems I felt very proud of what I, and what other people can do to make Sarvodaya happen.

RD, Photography, Chicago Illinois, 2013

I am Gloria Steinem

Feminist activist, writer and lecturer

I am a warrior for womens rights and equality

I am a leader of myself

words are not enough for me

I take my time to take a stand for my sisters

I will not let society’s thoughts control me

My 12 organizations help find peace and direction

rather than covering women fashions I cover real issues

Ms. Magazine being an example of my courage and wisdom

passage of the Equal Rights Amendment

I was there

anything promoting equality between a man and a woman

I was there

because I cared

when women had no voice

I was there

and I still am.

My freedom song

I am RD

Although I am small, I have a big voice

thoughts building up in my head that are not being heard

people’s thoughts and shyness holding me back

but not for long

I’m tired of hiding

and being stepped on

I will be seen as someone important

my thoughts will turn into actions

they will get me to places I couldn't even imagine

Interview with Mrs. Mendoza

The purpose of this project was to interview a person who has experienced segregation in their life. I interviewed Laura Mendoza, who is a family friend. I was very surprised when I found out she has faced segregation. The toughest part of this investigation was having to hear what she had to go through. It all made me mad. Even though I was mad I felt rewarded to hear what she went through and how I can help others not go through the same. I was proud of actually talking to someone who went through this difficult time in their life and see how that shaped her as a person.

This was the very first time I had ever heard the word “sarvodaya” and I am happy that I had the chance to learn more about it. Personally it means that I must always include everyone and everything into my life. I can never exclude people or things from my daily life and give major importance to one specific thing. During my interview Mrs. Mendoza quoted Paul Harris and although it was a very good quote there was something else she said that was impactful to me. She said “segregation is abuse “ and I will always carry those words with me. From my interview I have learned that segregation happens everywhere even at work. I always thought that once you get older people would grow up and treat everyone with respect and treat them equally. I was wrong about this and now I know that I might one day face this at work in the future. I have also learned that if this does happen to me I need to be strong and not let anyone else decide my future or give anyone the satisfaction of winning. The world is a scary place and I need to be strong at all times to be able to overcome the things I might face one day. I know now that even unintentionally I have excluded people in my life and I am now aware of it and will work harder to not do it again. This course introduced a new word into my life that has had a great impact in my present and in my future.

The person I am interviewing is Laura Mendoza.

How do you define segregation? What images & feelings come to you when you think of it?

A :I define segregation as unfair actions taken to people just because they are not the same as the majority of the people around them.  The images that I get are mostly things that happened in the past for example the Holocaust and also the segregation with Black people.  When I think of these occasions in history I am saddened for whoever had to go through these unjust experiences.

Have you ever faced segregation in your life? If yes, how did you face it and how did you feel about it?

A: Yes, I have. I work in a upscale department store where most of the employees and customers are Caucasian and I am Hispanic. So from the beginning it was very hard for me to fit in. Employees and customers would give me looks like I did not belong there. Not only was I pushed aside from activities that everyone else was doing together but, when it came to asking questions related to work no one ever helped me. After that I decided to quit because I knew I deserved to be treated fairly.

What did you learn from this situation?

A: I have learned that there are still some racist people out in this world. I have also learned that if this ever happens to me again I will speak up. Now that I am older I wish I never would have quit the job I left. I know now that I gave them exactly what they wanted and that was to have the power over me. There is this great quote by Paul Harris that says “Segregation never brought anyone anything except trouble.” 

What advice do you have for people who experience or witness segregation?

A:I would tell people to stay strong. Yes, I know there are still many racist people out in the world, but together we can out beat them. Like I said in the previous question I would have stayed and showed that I was stronger than their hate. I would never have given them the satisfaction i gave them before.

Did you ever feel like you wanted to treat someone that bad because you were so angry?

A: No. not at all. When you’re that hurt it’s hard to imagine that you could ever be the cause of putting someone else through that kind of emotional abuse. In reality segregation is abuse!

Did you ever cross paths with any of the people who treated you badly?

A: As a matter of fact yes I did. One of my ex coworkers actually came to apply at the company I work for now. She was applying for the department which I manage, I interviewed her and she was as surprised as I was that after 15 years we would meet again and in those circumstances. Although I had the power to simply dismiss her and not move her application any further into the hiring process, I proved to her and to myself that I am a great person and a great leader and I can let the past stay in the past.

Forks Washington

For action project 3 in H2O the class was assigned to create a slide show presentation about a specific location and how global warming is affecting them. The location I chose was Forks Washington. Forks has a lot of risks when it comes to Global Warming, many of them because of how much rainfall they get.  The Earth is being exposed to many gases and chemicals that are let into the air. Air pollution messes with the natural environment, which can cause acidic rain. Forks Washington is known to get heavy rainfall so when I heard about how people are careless about how the Earth handles gases and chemicals I was worried for Forks Washington. Acidic rain can affect many things including, oceans, animals, forests and even people. The most challenging  part about this project was having to understand what was going on with the Earth and how Global Warming really is damaging it. I always thought that my help would not really make a difference, but thanks to this project I was finally able to realize that we all can. 

Beautiful, but deadly

For Action project 4 our class was assigned to write a poem about one of the 5 topics that have to do with one of the Millennium Development Goals number 7, which is to Ensure Environmental sustainability. The issue I chose was Deforestation. I studied a specific plant named buckthorn. This plant not only takes over plant species and animals but it also kills them, not allowing native plants to grow, which makes the future of Forests look weak. To get a better understanding about this deadly plant, I talked to Dan a former Archaeologist, he explained to me how this invasive species is like a disease that will not stop growing in the Forest Preserves of Cook County. This inspired me to write a passionate poem to help out the helpless species and forests being invaded by this deadly plant. The most challenging part about this project was having to draw and still show what the issue is all about. As I got more into my poem, the easier it became to get inspired with my visual understanding about this issue.

Photography RD  Buckthorn 2013

The image above represents a Buckthorn tree symbolized as a bully. I chose to represent it in that way because in reality a Buckthorn tree is a bully, kicking out all the native species living in the forest. The tree shows all the beautiful berries falling down and tricking the animals. In the corner I drew a chainsaw and fire because those two are the only ways to get rid of Buckthorn.

Beautiful, but deadly

Greedy as can be, not allowing other plants to grow near

tricking the world’s animals and plants

Born to North America in the 1880’s

100 species of Buckthorn invading 27 states

beautifully growing up to 25 feet

burned or chainsawed being deadly as can be
needing 37 trained people to kill it's beauty and deciet
birds and deer put under it's evil spell
not knowing that their end is right around the corner
this beautiful plant is the bully of the forest

If we don’t take action it will only keep growing and hurting Earth’s creations

Chicago Wilderness corporation day service giving animals and forest a second chance

by ripping out the evil hearts of Buckthorn
We can all make a difference if we step up and help
Together we can help bring back the beauty of the forests.

Citations:

Melone, Dan, personal interview with former Archaeologist from the forest preserve district of Cook County. 13 October. 2013.

"Corporate Council". chicagowilderness.org. 2012. Web. October 16, 2013.

"Forest Preserves of Cook County". fpdcc.com. Thornton C. Ralph. N.P. N.D. Web. October 11, 2013.

Water Filter

The purpose of this action project was to build our own water filter. I had to filter non-potable water into drinkable water. Thanks to this unit I learned how to purify water and find it's pH. I have had many challenges when it came to building the filter but it was all rewarding at the end. Not only do I now know the difference between many waters but I now know what kind of water is safe to drink.

 Photograph RD, Water Filter Graph. 2013

The picture above represents my understanding of how a water filter looks and how it works. First to start off I had to gather some materials. Luckily most of the resources I used were natural, so it was very easy having access to them.The highest I payed was $2.10. I needed one Jelly Jar, a pop bottle, sand, gravel, soil and coffee filters. Building this filter, I had to organize and follow each step carefully. The steps that I took to build this was to first of course gather everything I had. The second step I took was to carefully poke holes on the cap on my pop bottle in order for the water to get through. I then put 2 coffee filters in the pop bottle, after that I started filling up the bottle with sand, dirt and gravel.

 Photograph RD. Water Filter. 2013

My filter worked by it being layered with all my materials. I used the coffee filters so it can drain out all the contaminated particles in the water. My water filter worked because all my sources were natural. Each source has its own job to do in the cleaning process of this water. This filter is similar to groundwater because it filters the water will all natural materials. I chose this design of a filter because it looked like it would be the simplest and most productive way to filter the water.


Before filtering the river and pond water I tested the pH by putting it on Litmus paper. It had a pH of 4, which is acidic. After filtering the water the pH came out to be 7.2, which is somewhat basic but still drinkable. I calculated the pH’s differences which was 2.8(7.2-4). I know that the equation for pH is -log[H+]. If I convert to a power form and plug in the pH I will get 106^2.8 (631). This would mean that my water was 631 times more basic before filtering. That simply means that the number of hydroxyl ions was increased. Based on my observations and calculations I expect the water to taste fresh and clean.

 Photograph RD Water Filter. 2013

Citation

• "Practical Primitive". practicalprimitive.com. Starnater, Eddie. Martin, Julie.LLC. 2012. Web. 28 September 2013.
  
  

Letter Profile by RD

The purpose for this MDG's action project was to chose a indicator that focuses on the Millennium Development Goal. The indicator I chose was 3.2 which is Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector. I chose this indicator because I feel like that problem can affect me in the future. For this project I had to research another country that has a better or no wage gender gap in salaries then the U.S. This project opened my eyes to such an inequality that I didn't even know was an issue. It disappointed me, but at the same time made me think of ideas to help end this kind of inequality.

                                                                                                            RD's Salary graph. 2013

The Honorable Eleanor Holmes Norton 

2136 Rayburn House Office Building 

Washington, D.C. 20515. 

Dear Mrs. Norton 

I am RD and I attend Global Citizenship Experience High School in Chicago. I am writing to ask for your support to help end gender inequality in the United States workforce. I know that you worked with the Equal Employment opportunity commission (EEOC) and that is why i'm writing to you because I know you're one of the strongest people that could help me out. The wage gender gap in the U.S is very high. The difference of one chromosome can determine how much a person can get paid working in the same position. 

I did some research that would help me get a better understanding of what is going on in the United States'workforce. In specific I researched the wage gender gap in the teaching profession. In 2012 a male teacher made a weekly earning of $1,128.(bls.gov) Female teachers make a weekly earning of $921. (bls.gov) This is a difference of $207! When I saw the difference I was shocked and worried. There is a stereotype that most of the teachers in the U.S are female because of many natural unique skills a woman has, so why are female teachers getting payed less?

I chose Norway as a country to compare the weekly earnings as a teacher by gender. The weekly salary for a female teacher in Norway were much more closer to male teacher's salary in Norway. The more recent weekly earning I saw was in 2008. In that year male teachers made a weekly earning of $1262.25.(www.ssb.no) A female teacher made a weekly earning of $1262.(www.ssb.no) There really is no difference. 

In 2003 Norway became the first country in the world to pass a gender quota. The law stated that women must make up 40% of their workforce(The New York Times), since then the numbers have gone up. America needs to use Norway as an example.  I am very impressed at what Norway is doing to keep their workforce equal. Not only is Norway the best place for women to get close to equal pay, but it is considered to be one of the best places for people to live (USA today.com) Norwegian women are taking roles of some jobs that many U.S women would not even attempt to do. I still have hope that the U.S can change something about this huge inequality.   

The graph above represents all the data I collected representing the United States teacher salary and Norway’s teacher salary by gender. As you can see there really is no difference when it comes to the teacher salary in Norway by gender,which is a very good sign. One disappointing thing that caught my eye was that when you see the United States side of the graph the numbers look very far apart, which means that the wage gap is huge. 

I still have hope that the U.S can change something about this huge inequality. America needs to take action before the wage gap gets bigger. Since this issue is not very popular in the media, the U.S can hold many special groups to educate people about this unfair act. As a female I am worried. I do not want to grow up and have to deal with this unequal treatment. I would not want to move to Norway just to get the same pay as someone who has the same abilities I do. I decided The U.S needs more people like you who realize and see the unfair treatment women get in the workforce.

Thank you,

RD

---

  

"Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey". bls.gov. N.P. Web. 5 Febuary 2013. 1 October 2013

"Norway is good for women". thejanedough.com. N.p. Simmons, Laura. Web. 13 June 2013. 1 October 2013.

“Earnings in municipalities and county authorities”. ssb.no. N.p. Web. 1 October 2103.



“Norway tops U.N. list of best place to live, while U.S. jumps from 13th to 4th”. usatoday.com. Stanglin, Douglas. Web. 5 November 2010. 1 October 2013.

Lakeview Pantry Profile by RD

For my MDG's action project, I chose to research an organization that tries to reduce the number of people who suffer from hunger. I was studying MDG target number 1, which is to eradicate the number of people who suffer from hunger. To get a better understanding about this topic, I went to Lakeview Pantry. This pantry helps people get food, clothes and counseling. This made me realize that people in other countries are going through the same problems but they do not have access to that kind of help. I am very passionate about trying to end this problem and I plan on volunteering in the future.

Rd, Lakeview Pantry, Chicago, Illinois, 2013

Rd,Lakeview Pantry,Chicago, Illinois, 2013

The topic I chose was Target number one, which is to reduce the number of people who suffer from hunger. I chose this target because I feel very passionate about trying to end it. To be able to better understand the target, I went to Lakeview Pantry and talked to one of their executives, Erin Stephans. Lakeview Pantry addresses my target by distributing food to people who do not have access to it. Having food access is something that all humans need in order to survive. Lakeview Pantry not only tries to help end food hunger in the community, but it also tries to educate people about it. The organization believes if people are having a hard time trying to get food, chances are they are having a hard time with something else in life, and because of this they offer counseling for people to attend. Since this organization’s main focus is to help end hunger it would go under Malsow's physiological needs.

I talked to Erin Stephens, who is the director of the volunteering team and she said that they are able to access that human need by being open to donations, volunteering opportunities and also by fundraisers. Lakeview Pantry receives its food and produce through donations from Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. While at the pantry I asked Erin some questions that I thought would give me a better understanding of what she does to help this cause. One of the questions I asked her was, "what made her want to work there?" She responded by saying, her mother was a social worker, and all her life she had been surrounded in that kind of environment, and she knew when she got older she wanted to do the same by helping out others. Another question I asked was, "how does dealing and helping out in unfortunate cases and people affect her personal life?" She said it can be very hard on her at times, and there are days where work really stresses her out, but she is glad that her mom worked with social services for so many years because her mom is who helps her get through hard times at work since they can both relate to one another. I also asked her "how she liked working there", and with a big smile on her face she said she loved it, and it was a very rewarding job. Erin also said that having a very warm heart helps out a lot during work. One thing I really liked hearing from her was, “regardless of what I feel, I’m just happy to know that I help out so many people”(Stephans).Throughout this interview I was able to learn so many things. I learned that all kinds of people go to Lakeview Pantry, and not just "poor" people. Erin told me that many people who come in are not poor, but what they call “food insecure.” Food insecure describes people who have jobs, but after paying bills and other expenses they just don't have enough money for food. I also learned that the Pantry gets in about 100 people a day. The organization distributes 1.5 million pounds of food per year (Lakeview Pantry).


When I walked in and saw all the people waiting for their food I felt really bad. It made me feel guilty because I am always complaining about the food that I have at home, but the people at the Pantry are happy and grateful of whatever they can get. Erin also gave me a tour around the Pantry, and I was able to see where they kept all the food and produce and how hard volunteers and staff work to keep Lakeview Pantry the best place it can be. Thanks to this project I have a better understanding of how I, and many other people can do to help end world hunger.






Citations

Interview:

Stephens, Erin. Personal Interview. 13 September. 2013.

Photograph:

Dorantes, Rebecca. Lakeview Pantry. 2013. Original Photograph. Chicago, Illinois.

Dorantes, Rebecca. Lakeview closet. 2013. Original Photograph. Chicago, Illinois.

Website:

"495,000 Chicagoans are suffering from food insecurity." Lakeview Pantry. 16 Sept. 2013 <http://www.lakeviewpantry.org/>.

My Water Usage VS. Australia's Water Usage.

The purpose of this H2O project was to compare my daily water usage to Australia's daily water usage. In order to compare both, I had to record the number of gallons I use and research the number of gallons Australia uses. I thought it was very interesting finding out my own water usage because I never had a reason to do so before this project. I also had to find the closest water source to me and figure out how long it would take to carry my total amount of gallons (85)back to my house. This project taught me how hard people have to work in order to get clean water to drink and  how water is not always available to everyone.

RD SAVE H2O MATES.(2013)

On my poster the first thing I have is the title of my action project, which is “Save H20 mates”. I chose that title because I am comparing my daily water usage to Australia’s daily water usage. I divided up my poster into four categories. The first one shows my total daily water usage in gallons (85) and in a graph as percentages. The second box shows how many gallons Australia uses per capita (132) and its percents also. The third box shows the closest water source, which is the Chicago River(3.78 miles away) and how long it would take me to carry 85 gallons. According to my calculations it would take me about 170 hours to carry 85 gallons for 170 miles. The last box shows the differences between my water usage and Australia’s water usage.

There are many ways we can all save water and some of those ways are very easy. Since doing this project, I learned that I have been wasting unnecessary water. One easy step that I try to do every day, is trying to take a shorter shower. For me, Hygiene was the one thing that I kept wasting water on. Another way I can help lower the number of gallons I use for Hygiene is to turn off the water while i’m brushing my teeth. That would help save up to 10 gallons of water that i'm not even using.

I found out many interesting things about water usage around the world and Australia in particular during this project. One thing that I found really interesting was that I thought most of the water consumption in Australia would be for Yard work/ Agriculture purposes but it came out that the most water used was for Hygiene which was 54 gallons. I think they use that much water in Hygiene because they aren't as conscious about the water they use. I did not know much about water usage around the world before this project, but now that I do I will definitely be more responsible about the water I use.