Attending Religious Ceremony

Reflection Number 4
Attending Religious Ceremony

Description

I went home to Whitby for the weekend, and on the Sunday morning I asked my Dad if he wanted to go to church with me. We found a church called Holy Family Catholic Church near my house. My parents always wanted me to choose my own religion, if any at all. I am not baptized and I know nothing about the Christian faith. I figured that because so many people practice it, that it would be a good place to start my learning. Religion seems to be a touchy subject with a lot of people, and when I say I’ve never been to church I feel judged, so this was the perfect opportunity to do so. When arriving, I just wanted to sit in the back and go unnoticed because I didn’t want to say anything to offend anyone. Watching everyone it reminded me of a community setting, everyone was shaking hands and had big smiles on their faces which made the atmosphere feel more inviting then I thought it would be. I talked to a man sitting in the same row as me, and he explained that if I wanted to join the church it should come from me and not outside sources pressuring me. I always thought religion resembled somewhat a cult, and that they almost force you into their beliefs, but this wasn’t the case. Also there was water at the back on the church on the wall, and someone overheard me ask my Dad what that was for, they told me that it was for baptisms that took place and was called holy water. When the mass began, I simply followed what everyone else was doing so that I didn’t stick out like a sore thumb. Communion occurred, but good thing I knew that I wasn’t supposed to follow along with getting the bread and water, as it was purely for the Catholics and who were baptized.

Examination

Relating to the reading “Rethinking experience: What do we mean by this word 'experience'?” written by Karen Fox I believe that every experience is what we make it, and that it is personal. She says “What counts as experience is neither self-evident nor straightforward;” which explains that experiences are necessary and depends on one’s interpretation. Indulging in a different culture than your own is an experience in itself, and how I see it will be completely different than someone else. This is why experiences are so important, you learn for yourself and on your own. This was just a type of experience; there is no set definition especially for religious experiences.

Articulation of Learning

I have learned that finding out about peoples cultures and religions can be beneficial to you, it broadens your knowledge and makes you less judgmental. Catholic religion is very popular and even if you don’t believe in what they are saying, you must respect others decisions.

I learned this when the man sitting next to me at church said that they don’t want to push their beliefs on anyone; therefore they aren’t judging you and you shouldn’t in return. Everyone should respect whatever you believe in, and the people of this church did.

This learning matters because it would make more people get along, I believe that if we attended more religious ceremonies or different churches we would appreciate others more and see that everyone is similar.

In light of this learning, I want to attend more services with all of my friends from different backgrounds, and see what their families and they practice. It has showed me that religion is not so much a cult, but something for people to believe in.

Reference

Fox , Karen . Rethinking Experience . Colorado : Journal of Experimental Education , 2008. Print.

St. Catharines Museum

                                                                                Reflection # 3
                                                                       St. Catharines Museum

Description

When planning my next OOCLO I wanted to attend a place that was inexpensive and in St. Catharine’s, so it was easier to get to. What came to my mind was the St.Catharins museum; others had talked about it in seminar the previous week and said it was worthwhile. I am not from around here, so I figured it would be a good way to learn about the new place I am currently living in. This class gives me the opportunities to learn about this area, and it has made me want to go home and learn about Whitby as well. Exhibits focused on local sports heroes in the sport of lacrosse and the Underground Railroad. The main focus was the Welland Canal. I found the Underground Railroad the most interesting, because I have learned about this way back in elementary school. I was excited to learn that Harriet Tubman lived in St.Catharines for ten years; also that St.Catharines was the last stop for a lot of the people travelling to Canada, which makes sense because it is so close to the border. My favourite part was called the lock 3. I had never seen locks before and it was amazing to watch ships go by.it was such close proximity to where you stand. Before leaving we visited to information booth, where we learned that 93 million litres of water raises and lowers the ships. We took many pictures and enjoyed being outside. I thought that visiting a museum would be extremely boring but I came away from the experience learning a lot.

Examination

The article “All that we Share” by Jay Walljasper talks about the commons, which is land belonging to a whole community. This relates to my OOCLO experience because the museum is a common, it is a place that is free, or takes donations, and all the community pays to have it running. Anyone can visit this place. It explains the idea that everyone can share the resources, and even though I don’t think this will happen, the St. Catharine’s museum is an area that no matter what socio-economic status you have, everyone has the same opportunities to attend. This article talks about shifting people’s thoughts and making them less egotistic. It is an idea that happened previously in history, commons were present in society. This also relates to my OOCLO, where you have to go back and learn about the past to affect your future.

Articulation of Learning

I have learned that you can’t judge activities before doing them and don’t “judge a book by its cover”. I never thought that I would have enjoyed my time at a museum, but now learning about the area that you live in is interesting to me. I also learned about the history of lacrosse and more about the people involved with the Underground Railroad.

I learned this when I interacted with people at the museum, and by going out and giving something a try. That’s what I wanted to take away from this class, and this activity allowed me to do so.

This learning matters because our history effects our present. I think that it is beneficial for anyone to attend a museum and learn about the past. It shows learning in a different light, not just out of the books.

In light of this learning I will change my perspective, when I was younger I thought museums were boring, probably from what I heard and saw in the media. I now believe that you have to try things before judging them.

Reference

Walljasper, Jay. (2010). All that we share Welcome to a new kind of movement—one that          reshapes how we think about ownership and cooperation. The New Press: 288.

                                                

Random Act of Kindness Day

Grace Week
Random Act Of Kindness Day

Description

Last Friday my roommates and I participated in Brock University’s random act of kindness day, we decided to join the activities that were taking place on Brock’s campus. We went at around 2 o’clock to the people organizing the event; the student who had seemed to be the head of the event was thrilled to see us. We were asked to make cards for the bus drivers who come outside the tower. My roommate Maddie and I teamed up and got very creative. We made a butterfly and Sun card out of cut out hands. We thanked them for the work they do, but these cards took a lot longer than I expected. There was 6 of us girls working on the crafts, and I was surprised to see that no one in the two hours that we were there had come to participate in the Random Act of Kindness day. We were inspired by the idea of giving out cards to complete strangers to brighten their day, and continued making smaller cards with inspirational quotes and sayings on them. After everyone had made their cards, we caught the 4 o clock bus schedules and handed them out to various bus drivers. Then three of us decided to pass out the smaller cards to people studying hard in the library, along with chocolates and juice boxes. We quickly but quietly shuffled through the library passing out our homemade cards and trying to make it completely anonymous. We had all hoped that this act had brightened their day, and on every card we wrote pay it forward in hopes that they might do the same.

Examination

The book “Notes from young activists” and activism in general relates to this week’s topic. If more young people go out there and support a cause that they believe in, I believe that things can change. Today’s society is becoming all about “me” and everyone only cares about themselves. The “Notes from young activists” narrates people’s stories and how they have made a difference and what they have done, whether it is overseas or here at home. This shows that we can make a change, even here in our own community. Helping other people seems like such an easy concept, but there are so few people who actually partake in doing so. The Random Act of Kindness day brings to light the idea of doing something for others solely just as an act, with no recognition involved.

Articulation of Learning

I have learned that taking even a few hours out of your day, and performing small gestures can make you and others feel better about themselves. I know that people are extremely busy in their own lives but this activity only took about 2 hours and I hope that it made people pass along the message.

I learned this when people smiled after giving them treats, and simply saying have a nice day. The people in the library were taken back and the looks on their faces showed that these small acts didn’t occur very often.

This learning matters because unfortunately for most people like myself, we need a day to remember to be nice to others, but it should happen naturally and every day. We shouldn’t need a reminder to be nice to one another.

In light of this learning I now try and go out of my way more often for the benefit of others. I try my best to do simple tasks such as smile, hold open a door or say have a nice day to strangers.                      

Reference

Nutt, Samantha , Daniel Cohen , Severn Cullis-Suzuki , Kris Frederickson , Ahmed Kayssi , and Cynthia Mackenzie . Notes from Canada's young activits . Vancouver ; Berkley : D&M, 2007. Print.

Getting Lost

                                                                             Reflection #2
                                                                              Getting Lost

Description

As I was at my friend’s house visiting last week, I met a few of her roommates and one happened to also be taking this class. She was headed out to an OOCLO, so I decided to tag along. We had planned to head to Welland to check out the farmers market. As we were driving, we were getting to know each other, and happened to have the same taste in music. After figuring that out we of course had to play some songs, while singing and dancing in the car we got completely lost and could not find the market. As we were driving around, I looked to my left and saw a Memorial park, so we quickly parked the car and decided to go for a walk. It was a gorgeous afternoon, and all of the leaves on the trees had changed to beautiful reds, yellows and oranges. We had a great time taking pictures, looking at the scenery and enjoying the peacefulness when all of a sudden, my new friend noticed holes in the ground. While saying this to me a snake slithered right by my foot, and I darted out of the park as fast as I could to the car. That was the end of our adventure at the Memorial park.

Examination

Erik Olin Wrights reading “real utopias” explains why we sociologists should study real utopias and not fantasies. He explains that by knowing when opportunities arise to build on institutions that we humans recognize this and act upon it to make our world that much closer to becoming utopian. The park we visited was so quiet and beautiful that it represented a utopian society. Because this certain part of the land was reserved and saved for animals and people such as ourselves to explore I understand why in the second reading “Implications of highway development in Canada’s Niagara fruit belt” by Suzanne Hill causes complications and issues. People of the region expressed their feelings that the fruit belt would no longer continue. I believe that we need to preserve land, in any region of the world such as parks, because it is important to not destroy the entire natural world around us. Niagara has a lot of things to offer and in Imagine Niagara by Lynda Scheekloth it explains this in further detail. The falls is an especially big attraction, dividing the United States and Canada. It describes that each region is built and represented by what is there and the surroundings. Imagine Niagara explains our class, it tells us that Niagara has history, stories and meanings to show.

Articulation of Learning

I have learned that the Niagara region has a lot to offer, it is a beautiful place and through this class it gives me the opportunity to go out and see these locations and learn new things. Through this OOCLO I learned that it’s not the destination, but the journey, and even though visiting a park may not have been the best OOCLO experience, the part I liked best is that I made a new friend.

I have learned this when I was driving around, looking at the scenery and discovering new things throughout St.Catharines and Niagara.

This learning matters because there is a bigger world outside of my little town where I came from. It is important to learn new things and it will make me a better and smarter person. I believe that these experiences will give me a better outlook.

In light of this learning I am excited to perform my next OOCLO and continue to discover the area that I’m currently living in. This past OOCLO has taught me to go along for the ride, and take different things from the experiences I have, such as meeting new people and friends.

References

Wright, Erik Olin. (2011). Real utopias. Contexts: Understanding People in their

Social Worlds 10(2). 36-42.

Schneekloth, Lynda H., & Shibley, Robert G. (2005). Imagine Niagara. Journal of

Canadian Studies, 39(3), 105-120.

Hill, A. Suzanne. (2002). A serpent in the garden: Implications of highway development

in Canada's Niagara fruit belt. Journal of Historical Sociology, 15(4), 495-514.