I-Search

I started working on part one of my I-search project and after watching the video a second time I think I’m going to have a different approach to the argument than I originally intended to have. Personally the most interesting part of this argument is how money is running the way we feed our neighbors locally and internationally. For restaurants, farmers and food companies the amount of money they are brining in affects them more than the effect they are having on their fellow population. I hope to do research to prove that our world is run by money and hope to present ideas to change the way people view food security and the ways they help their neighbors no matter where they live. I hope I won’t come across the problem of not being able to come up with enough actual facts to support my argument. An argument like mine is based almost 100% on real facts with people in our world and it would be very hard to prove my argument without these valid facts. With proper facts I feel it will be easy to present an effective argument on how our food system is run by greedy companies and how it’s ruining our human family. What are your thoughts on companies like McDonalds being one of the most profitable companies internationally, but also being very responsible for the obesity epidemic that is sweeping our world. Do you think the companies are more to blame or the consumers who chose to buy their goods?

obesity+hunger

I really found myself interested in this particular TED talk. The concept of food security has aways intrigued me and have have grown up with a family and lots of friends who are involved in different local food security organizations. After listening to Ellen Gustafson's talk it really astounded me that there are just as many obese people on earth (the majority coming from America) as there are starving people on earth. She explains this is because the idea of farms is changing in America and products are starting to include more sugars and trans fats than they use to causing a new generation of obesity. Even at UT we don't have to go far to see how things have changed in the foods we eat. There are fries, pizza, fried foods, a 24 hour IHop, slushies, soft serve, etc all located just in Presidential courtyard! It's unfortunate that unhealthy food has become the choice for most families because it's cheaper and coke is cheaper than milk so that's what they send with their kids to school for their lunches. I already support Gustafson's FEED program and have a FEED bag, but her idea that we can change hunger and obesity all in 30 years is very optimistic. GMOs are becoming very popular and organic foods are becoming unreasonable for most family budgets. I'm excited to start this project on food security mostly because I'm planing on being an elementary school teacher and one of her main focuses is on school lunches and how they can really change a life.  What do you think about the connection between obesity and hunger?

Boys and Girls Club

I'm planning on being an Elementary School teacher so recently I've been looking for ways to volunteer around Knoxville with children. The Boys and Girls Club of the Tennessee Valley takes in kids ages 5-17 who are enrolled in school. The Club is open after school and throughout the whole summer. For underprivileged kids in the area the Club provides them with a safe place to have fun and get a lot of opportunities to grow, learn, and give back to their community while meeting new friends. They offer a wide range of activities for the kids including everything from homework help to sewing classes to sports teams. Not only do they provide activities for the kids, but also mentoring is something the club strives for. Specifically the Club has a program called “Women in Philanthropy” that encourages women to be leaders in their community. The girls in the club are exposed to women who are established leaders in their professions and teach the girls to develop those characteristics in themselves. Their annual philanthropy event Purses with a Purpose helps to fund the opportunities that are given to the girls at the club. Volunteering at the club is very easy to do! You can select the age group you feel most comfortable working with and pick which kind of work you are most interested in. The Club has volunteering options for every interest. They need tutors, coaches, music leaders, chaperones, craft instructors, etc. You simply give them the hours you would be willing to work and they fit it into your schedule. You can volunteer once, for a semester, or for years at the Club. The Club not only offers great experiences for children in the Tennessee Valley region, but also great experiences for adults who chose to be involved in such an amazing organization! I'm planning on adding some volunteer hours to my schedule and I encourage you to do the same if you enjoy children. 

colleges

Since being home on fall break I visited a friend at a local Nashville college. I visited was Lipscomb University. Although Lipscomb is located about five minutes down the road from my house, I had never actually been on campus. I met a friend who is a student there and parked in the only parking lot on campus. I was shocked when it took less than five minutes to walk from the parking lot to her dorm. The first thing she said to me when we got to her room was "You remember where you parked? My farthest class is closer than that lot." I was shocked to find out that to make it to her farthest class she only has to leave her room give minutes before it starts. The other things that shocked me about Lipscomb life was their "visiting policy" if you can even call it that. Boys are only allowed in girls room on their open door nights which are once every two weeks. When a boy is in a girl's room they must have the door completely open and everyone's feet have to be on the ground. These were very shocking to the 1 a.m. weekday curfews we have at UT and the 20 minute trek across campus we get to experience every day. As shocking as it seems this made me love UT more. I went to a very small high school and while listening to her explain her college experience and their rules it made me feel like I was back in the hallways at my old high school and I hated that feeling. College is suppose to be a time to branch out and become part of a new community and I don't think I could have done that with such a small student body and such tight rules. My visit really made me love the community at UT that I am apart of. What are some of your favorite and least favorite things about UT?