Week 5: In Life and Debt we heard this quotation near the end of the film. How do you respond to the following words now that you have seen both films based on events separated by a century?
“Once you cease to be a master, once you throw off your master’s yoke, you are no longer human rubbish, you are a human being, and all the things that adds up to. So, too, with the slaves. Once they are no longer slaves, once they are free, they are no longer noble and exalted; they are just human beings.” (Jamaica Kincaid, A Small Place)
Life and Debt greatly impacted me because I went on a vacation to Jamaica when I was seven. It was on a private resort, all inclusive, everything the film warned against as bad for the community. I was the typical tourist. I stayed on the resort grounds, got (ill-advised) cornrows that made my scalp burn in stripes, and was generally ignorant of what was happening outside the shiny floors and white beaches. The only time I truly saw the “real” Jamaican population was on the flight to and from Montego. The only flight available from Cuba was a military cargo flight in which earplugs were required and Motion Sickness Kits were handed out by the dozen. There, we saw a whole plane full of migrant workers with bags of american toys and snacks traveling home to see their families. The government paid for them to go home once a year, and you can tell by the look on their faces how much they had looked forward to this.
These people escaped the economic devastation of Jamaica, but their families and loved ones didn’t. Because as happy as the people looked, there was a glimmer of something worse, the knowledge of the situation they are in.
Week 6: Our panelists each offered advice for the trips. Whose advice do you think it most relevant to your experience in New York? What was the advice? Why is it relevant?
Though it was repeated ad nauseum, the phrase “okay, good” stuck with me. I am an extremely anxious traveler who does not like situations I have not planned for, and with this trip there’s a large possibility something unexpected will happen. Even if I don’t deal it like an absolute champ, forcing myself to see the bright side will, at the very least, distract my brain from completely panicking.
Week 7: Complete your learning contract and email it to Katherine at your earliest opportunity! Write a reflection log entry about the process of creating the contract.
I am in love with my Learning Contract, it’s great. I get to write poems and design costumes and get credit for it. I love the fact that I can tailor this class to focus on the academic areas that I want to excel in instead of writing papers on assigned topics. Also, this way I can learn from other people’s choices of Contract choices. I really feel like an artist now that I’ve solidified my contract.
Week 8: Considering the common discussion on Tuesday and the in-class discussion today, write about one thing that you confirmed about what your learned from being in New York AND one experience/perspectives shared by one of your peers (in another class or in ours) that is different than your learning experience. Be sure to articulate the “so what” of your ideas – why is the first (yours) significant for you and why the second (from your peer) is noteworthy to you.
I kept using the term “independent” in my conversations about this trip. I hate to say it but I now feel more comfortable using the public transit in New York than in Atlanta. I trust myself to be able to source what I need and problem solve if there is an issue, instead of giving up and panicking, something I’m afraid I do often. Someone else in my group used the word “empowering” and I feel that too. I feel like everyone who traveled came back as more of themselves. Themselves but with the volume turned up. I left agnes a theater major and I came back an aspiring designer with an interest in art history. If that doesn’t speak volumes about the values of summit I don’t know what will.
