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Expectations
In our humanities class, we are humanitarians. We are to look at the world with a critical eye, ask questions about the material we have been and are being taught, and challenge the way we see society around us. This year, we are learning about power and needs. What is power and how is it seen in our lives, but also our community? Who has that power? What is the difference between power and empowerment? Our first semester focused on these concepts. We dissected and discussed the nature of us as humans and shared our own stories of power. Second semester, we focused on the outer world and dove deeper into the structures that held it together. This also meant its flaws. By learning about the basic social and physical needs, we are able to identify who in our society is not having them met. Next, we can draw attention to the issue through art, writing, and organizing a community event to put it on display.
How have you grown as a humanitarian this year?
This semester, learning about emotional honesty has shifted my perspective on character development and its relation to the nature of people in general. I have developed a more rational view on conflict and have realized that the roots of many of my problems aren’t as deep as I think they are, and that I need to refrain from victimizing myself in order to look for solutions.
In my first draft of my TPW story, I did not say a single good thing about my dad. It wasn't that I didn't care about him in real life, but when writing, I immediately went to the cliches. He was a drunk and aggressive father who put us, ME, in danger. Me, the angelic child. Me the victim. After looking for emotional honesty in several writing examples, especially in the Joy Luck Club excerpt we read, a story about a mom and a daughter who deal with lots of tension but come from very different pasts, I learned that in order to make characters complex, that they have to have context. When I read my story on exhibition night, my dad was not a bad man. He was a good father with an addiction he couldn’t control and a difficult past that led him to do things that didn’t represent his true love for his family.
In social situations I am much more likely to see the best in and stand up for my peers. Some people have a lot going on, so yeah, maybe they are short with you or are lazy in class, but that doesn’t mean that you can immediately label them or tear them down. Listening to my peers’ stories helped me to see that. I know it sounds so cliche for a teenager to say, but it’s true. Everyone has a right to their emotions, and they also have a right to be reminded of the other person’s.
After hearing the stories from my peers and other guest speakers, I have realized that conflict is usually two people outwardly expressing the emotions they have about their situation. Different factors mix together and sometimes their product is very frustrating. Recently, I have been dealing with a lot of stress with my many responsibilities in and outside of school. This has caused me to be more short tempered with my family, which has led them to feel angry and defensive. They also have busy lives and other struggles that they are dealing with. Now that I see that, I can change to help the situation.