December 2nd, the day we finally met up to discuss the ideas that we were brewing within our small sub-groups. A highly anticipated day due to the curiosity of discovering all the unique individuals that we have at Phi Theta Kappa. Each small group had unique individuals, with unique experiences and passions that resulted in the formation of a solution to fix a problem within the community. Surprisingly, the overall problem that everyone unanimously agreed upon was the societal problem of homelessness. There are many people who currently live on the streets as a result of many issues, whether personal or financial. In current society, homelessness has become a problem that has caused many individuals to feel a desire to go out and assist in any way possible. When we all came together, each sub-group had a particular interest on the issue of homelessness, and each group advocated for their topics as presented:
Small sub-group #1: Advocated for 'Nature of the Quest' (Sub-theme #1)
The issue of focus for this group was the growing homeless population, which not only includes the adults, but also the youth. The young generation is supposed to be the future of the world… they fill the world with hope, passions, and dreams of their own goals coming true; however, in current society, the reality is something else. Not everyone is financially stable or properly educated enough to receive the benefits that we all have here at Santa Monica College. One idea was to hold a clothing drive where Honors in Action would distribute clothing, in person, to those on the streets and also to children in shelters. Another idea was to offer activities to children, such as a museum day, as a way to allow these children to have fun, all while learning about exciting educational topics. It would be similar to a Big Brother/ Big Sister program due to the fact that we would be actively involved in these kids lives.
Small sub-group #2: Advocated for 'Exploring the Natural Environment' (Sub-theme #4)
Something surprising to hear from this group was the problem with both food waste and homelessness. Food waste is a problem seen in places such as restaurants and hotels, as a result of the majority of unsold food being thrown-out at the end of the day. This group decided to research and find out the regulations set by the government that address the concept of giving away food. What this group discovered was that it could not be done unless the food was packaged. One idea was to talk with businesses, such as restaurants and markets, to discuss any possibility of receiving their leftovers (those untouched, but produced food) and distributing them to the homeless, who would greatly appreciate this gesture. Not only would this minimize unnecessary food waste, but it would also provide us with the opportunity to work with businesses in the process of taking steps to reduce methane pollution caused by food waste.
Small sub-group #3: Advocated for 'Exploring the Political Economy' (Sub-theme #8)
Advocating on a broader perspective, this group decided to analyze how responsive people have been to the recent sightings of businesses growth. While business expansion may seem like a good thing, these business areas have had a hidden negative impact on the community. These business areas have become luxurious areas to live in, resulting in an increase of rent around the area. The problem that this causes, is that many people who have lived in these areas for a while, now find themselves unable to afford the rent, therefore, causing them to lose their homes. In recent times, many people have become homeless due to the increase in property value and to the general standard of living. This group advocated for taking action action to educate people on the issues of gentrification and how it affects those in the middle class. Another idea was to work directly with the homeless by providing certain necessities (soap, clothing, food) to the homeless community.
All these groups advocated beyond the scope of what would be expected of college students. When it came time to a vote on the topic, it was almost a unanimous vote on what would be our Honors in Action project... Nature of the Quest! It was an amazing preliminary experience to challenge ourselves and to wonder what issues revolve around the community in correspondence with the sub-themes and overall theme for this period's H.I.A. topic.
We will be moving forth with Nature of the Quest as our sub-theme with the project name being:
Quest for Compassion
After voting for our topic: Quest for Compassion will be our Project!
For any members of Honors in Action who have anything to say about the discussion, feel free to comment below and share personal insight! For anyone who has questions, feel free also to comment and get anything answered.
Hope you join us in our project that will run until December of next year 2015!
Link to Handbook: Honors in Action Handbook