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A Bonner Scholar's Reflections on Civic Engagement
by David Thon
Thon (right) making the world a little greener
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As a Bonner scholar at Mars Hill College, I have been actively involved in serving the local community as well as the wider community by working with local organizations and agencies. I have had the opportunity to work with the poor, homeless, abused, and refugees. Throughout my service, I have realized a growing weakness in the connection between the United States Government and its peoples. I would have said, "our government", but unfortunately I am not an American.
I am pointing out this kind of realization, because before I came to this country two years ago, I heard and read a lot about good things in this country. But when I got here, I was surprised to see poor and homeless people. And this led me to question how democracy works in this most powerful and rich country. Sometimes, I even ask myself, would it be right to say, it is the United States Government's role to be arrogant and wasteful and leave its people to decide the fate of their lives?
Again, I would like to share another incident of poverty in another part of the country. Over the spring break this year, we went to Coretta in West Virginia as a Bonner group to work with "Big Creek People in Action." The local community they serve has been affected by poverty for many, many years. I was shaken by the power of the stories of poverty I heard from the local community people.
Also, we had the chance to go to local high school and talk with the children about the possibility of going to college. The children did not see the possibility of attending college because they knew well their parents would not afford to pay for them. This disease of negligence, poverty, as I may call it, was well known to these children. They were born and raised in it!
I heard one of the children saying, " I will never come back to this community once I go off." And my concern was what the future of that community will be in many years to come. I really symphasized with the children and I was afraid to tell them that nowhere in the United States is poverty not a social concern.
The issue of poverty, which is the mother of homelessness, is of great concern to me as an individual and a Bonner Scholar. I am wondering how many Americans will make poverty their number one election issue in this 2004 presidential election, which is just around the corner.
I wish I had the right to vote in this country and the political power to influence and win the favor of all the Americans, who care to change the way we create and look at poor people in this country. But, I hope as I continue to serve both the local and the wider community, I will be able to create and raise a sense of awareness and advocacy among the people. It really bothers me when I hear the presidential candidates making promises, which they don't fulfill when they come to power or remain in power.
I am glad for the opportunity to be a Bonner scholar. My active involvement in the community life has enabled me to see both the local and the wider community in a big social mirror. Of course, you cannot really understand how poverty and homelessness are serious problems in our society today, unless you are personally engaged in the community life. So, for the next two years of my Bonner service, I will rise up to whatever it takes to make the United States Government more aware of this human disaster. I think fighting poverty should come next to fighting terrorism in the world today, of which the United States Government is fully committed. And this should begin first here in the United States and then in the whole face of the earth.
Above all issues, poverty appeals to me most in my community service. It is poverty that causes homelessness. I realize a big gap that exists and continues to enlarge each day between the United States Government and its people. I would like to appeal to my fellow Bonner scholars and leaders to advocate strongly the issue of poverty as they go out to serve both the local and the wider community. I understand that dealing with governments like the United States Government is not an easy task. But I believe that is what it takes to be a Bonner Scholar, to make the impossible, possible. I am glad and grateful for the opportunity to be of help to others. The kind of experience I have gained in my community service is a valuable asset for my future life. My Bonner service has changed the way I look at the United States and the world.
Click for David Thon's own story
A Bonner Scholar's Reflections on Civic Engagement
by Katie Kellett
Kellett making the world a little brighter
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My experience this year in Bonner has influenced my life greatly in the aspects of getting involved in public policy and political issues. Before this year I didn't really care about political issues, and I had no idea how important it was to be educated about the different public policy issues. After hearing the various speakers come talk to us about the issues that were important in their lives, and the things they did to try to better the problems facing the issues, made me realize that I really know nothing about what goes on outside of my life.
Also, it wasn't until this year that I decided I should pay attention to the political events going on because they do affect me and vote. Until about two months ago I wasn't even a registered voter, and my decision to register influenced some of my friends to go register also. Throughout the course of this year, I've become interested in and more enlightened about the issues concerning voting, educating the public, and I've been engaged in numerous debates about public policy issues and political issues.
When I turned 18 and became old enough to vote, I had no desire at all to go out and register. I was more concerned with the fact that I could now buy tobacco products legally, even though I don't use tobacco products. However, last year when President Bush decided to invade Iraq, my thoughts about registering to vote changed dramatically.
I thought his decision to invade wasn't well planned, but there was there was nothing I could do about it except maybe protest, or vote for a new president so something like this won't happen again in the future. I registered, and now that its nearing election time and people have been campaigning and having debates, I began paying attention to see who it was that I wanted to elect. Realizing that I don't want someone like Bush making poor decisions, at least in my eyes, and knowing that I can do something to change who gets to make those decisions in the future, motivated me to go out and become involved in the political process of voting.
With the journaling that we did first semester, and relating our placements to our Civic Life class this semester made me think about how important it is for the public to be well educated about issues that could at sometime affect them or someone they know and care about. People need to know about what is going on in their schools, in their communities, and in places that provide services to them such as the hospital. My personal case study in Civic Life is healthcare because my placement this semester, and the past two semesters, has been Mission St. Joseph's hospital.
I had no idea about all of the problems the elderly, and the poor face with insurance, especially dental insurance for children. My dad works for Met Life, and he along with research of my own has opened my eyes to the harsh reality of people going without insurance because their jobs don't offer it and they can't afford it. As a result they do not receive the proper healthcare, go without needed medications, and worsen conditions that could be easily cured by a doctors visit.
Thinking about this breaks my heart, especially the idea of innocent children suffering, and has influenced me to consider different job opportunities that would involve working with the less fortunate and helping them find a way to receive the proper healthcare.
I'm not really someone who eagerly gets involved in debates, but learning about the No Child Left Behind policy has led to me being involved in several serious debates. I feel that it is very important for schools to do the very best that they can to educate their students. Although, I do not think that it is a good idea to close schools down and bus students to far away schools, and to punish teachers simply because a few students are not doing as well as the others. I feel the students not doing so well need special attention, in a smaller class centered around students with special needs.
This is no reason to punish the teacher when he or she has done their best to educate the students to the best of their ability. I do not think it is the teacher's fault, or anyone else's, that he or she may have a student with special needs that does not do as well. Firing the teachers will make class sizes larger, and as a result all of the students will be affected negatively by not receiving as much one on one time. This issue boggles my mind, because I agree that no child should be left behind, but I feel that there has to be another way to go about achieving this goal.
My education has been furthered a great deal this year by learning about and becoming more involved in issues regarding voting, public education, and stepping up to debates on issues I feel strongly about. All of these things are important to everyday life, or civic life, and becoming involved with these things like voting can make one realize how important their role is as a citizen in society. If something happens that someone does not agree with there are numerous things that can be done to change that, all it takes is getting involved.
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