Reflection: Weeks 9 & 10

Week 9
On Tuesday, we talked about advocacy in class and how it relates to the job of a health educator. To be honest, I hadn't realized what a big deal advocacy is. Or, for that matter, what exactly advocacy is! I guess I always assumed advocacy was only for really outspoken, politically involved individuals (which I definitely am not), so I shied away from the issue. I never really stopped to think much about it and how it related to lobbying and grassroots efforts, especially in connection with the health education profession. Now I realize that anyone can advocate for something they have an opinion about and an interest in. Advocacy doesn't have to be risky or scary, but it will take thought, planning, knowledge of the subject, and a time commitment. I have now changed my opinion and believe that willingness to advocate for a cause is just another positive characteristic of an involved citizen.

advocacy: the act of pleading or arguing in favor of something, such as a cause, idea, or policy; active support.

Along with this discussion, we were assigned the first part of our Advocacy Project. For this, we were supposed to find out who our political representatives are. This was good for me, because I'll admit I didn't know who all of my representatives were before looking them up for this assignment!

In class on Thursday of week 9, we discussed photography ethics and how to take quality photography in relation to our upcoming Photo Essay. We also talked about how photo essays are an effective way to advocate for under-served populations. I thought this was very interesting, because I hadn't thought of it that way before, but once it was mentioned I began to think of all the times I have seen this sort of advocacy in action.

Week 10
We did not have class this week since Dr. V. was out of town. I definitely enjoyed the extra time this gave me! Also, we all eased up a little on the blogging posts so they were less overwhelming than normal.

Our photo essays were due this week, and I'm looking forward to seeing the topics everyone chose! Earlier this week, I got quite frustrated with my photo essay, but I think it turned out alright. I ended up switching my topic, and also my LCD screen on my camera is broken so I can't use the settings (such as the flash!) or see exactly what is in the frame of each photo! But, like I said, things turned out fine. Looking back, I'm not sure why I didn't just borrow a camera from some one else... oh well.

Since I've been trying to make my life more environmentally friendly these past few weeks, I was excited to learn that some of my friends were interested in celebrating Earth Hour this past weekend. We kept all our electricity off for a couple hours on Saturday night and had a great time helping out our earth!

Well, I think that's about it for these past two weeks. I can't believe we're at the end of week 10 already -- the semester is just flying by!

Eye Opener: Photo Essay

Hello everyone!

Alright, so I know that all too often people think, "Well, what can I do? I'm just a college student," when it comes to being more environmentally friendly. We tend to think that "going green" is out of our control because we can't afford it, or because we live in rental housing -- the list of excuses can be quite long. Other times I hear my peers (and I'm not picking on anyone in this class, I'm talking about all college students in general) say they'll become more conscious of the environment "once I have my own house" or "once I'm out of college." Admittedly, I'm definitely guilty of this myself sometimes.

The question we need to be asking is, WHY WAIT? There are numerous ways that we can lessen our impact on the environment right now! I know we all know this, and we have all learned about new creative ways to do so over the past couple of weeks through class discussions and everyone's Share and Voice posts.

The purpose of my photo essay is to reinforce the idea that college students can -- and are -- making a difference right now, despite our temporary housing situations, limited budgets, hectic schedules, etc. All of these photos were taken at residences of UMD students and show simple ways to make your home, and life, a little bit greener.





Take turns among housemates making family-style meals. You'll use less electricity when cooking, less water on the dishes, and even less packaging because food will be purchased in bulk. As a bonus, you'll gain extra time on the nights it's someone else's turn to cook. Even if it's impossible to gather everyone for a meal, it is always nice to have leftovers waiting after a long day at school and work.




Find creative ways to reuse items, such as turning an empty jar of pasta sauce into a cool-looking drinking glass!
























For items that can't be reused, be sure to recycle them.





Start a compost in your yard for food scraps and yard waste. This one was made last summer and used diligently until winter.







Speaking of food, try to purchase organic and local foods whenever possible.



Keep reusable bags in your cupboard or by the door so it is easier to remember them when heading to the store.














Buy natural cleaning products, or better yet, make your own.





Forget about those old, uncool, energy-wasting light bulbs...










...and switch to more efficient bulbs instead.



































Save energy by hanging clothes up to dry instead of using a dryer. This works especially well in summer when clothes can be hung up outside on a clothesline.




Keep the thermostat turned down, especially during times when no one is home or at night when everyone is asleep.

Make sure that precious heat is not escaping from your house - or that cold air is sneaking in. Plug up any holes...




















...and put plastic over windows during the winter months.


















Minimize vehicle use by biking and walking. It can be done, even during Duluth winters.


I hope this has inspired you to look for changes that could be made in your own homes!

Thanks for reading!

Share and Voice: Earth Hour

Hey guys!

As I'm sure you all know, this past Saturday, March 28th, was Earth Hour 2009. I had never heard about this event, but since it was brought to our attention weeks ago in this class, I was determined to participate!

On Saturday night, I ended up at my friends' house and a bunch of us were having a "Stone Soup" dinner. We managed to get our soup made by 8:30pm, and then we turned off all the lights, appliances, etc. in the house. Multiple candles were lit in the kitchen and dining room so that we could see and not spill food on each other (or ourselves). With no music, TV, or laptops, we all ended up having great conversation that otherwise may not have happened. Everyone loved the atmosphere so we ended up keeping everything off for the rest of the night instead of for just one hour!

Here are some pictures from the evening - they didn't turn out the greatest, but you get the idea. :)














I'm really glad I heard about this event so that I could take part in it! It was a great way to spend the evening, and as an added benefit, my friends and I got to spend some quality time together.