My experience in this class has been interesting and educational. There are many things I've wanted to write but I couldn't find the right place to put them in, so this is a good opportunity to share some thoughts. I have never blogged before and this is my first experience with it and after attending the JPNA board meeting and hearing the residents thoughts on it, I can see that blogging is a great way to get messages out and sort of promote yourself. Until now I haven't had much trouble with blogger except for uploading pictures and the time it takes to do that.
This is my first time working with a group. When I first attended the meeting over spring break and met with Mr. George Lewis, I didn't know what to expect. After going through Johnsons Park, taking pictures and meeting long time residents with so much history and so many interesting stories, I feel happy that I've gone through this experience. I enjoyed working with other students it took some of the stress off, knowing I wouldn't have to do this by myself and that there would be other students going through the same things I was. We did have a hard time getting together and arranging what we would do on the project and how we would present it but through e-mail and phone calls and meeting on the weekends we worked it all out.
It is because of this class and the service learning component that I feel I was more involved with this class then any of my other classes.
At first I was nervous about going to Johnsons Park because I had grown up in an area where everyone said don't go near there but after actually going to the neighborhood there was nothing to worry about. I was not very excited about service learning because to me that just meant more work but every time I went to an interview it didn't seem like work at all and the time just flew by.
The focus of my project is my experience in the Johnsons Park neighborhood and the its residents. I really wanted to focus on the residents during the interview and so did my group because it is really about them and we felt having out voices in the clips would distract viewers from the residents. In some cases there were complications where we had to put in something that would distract the viewer from the person being interviewed to make the clip work or be of better quality.
Now that it is all over I wish my experience had gone a little differently because I would have liked to explore different aspects of what JPNA has to offer but my schedule wouldn't allow it. When I went to take pictures for my photo essay, me and Joe didn't run into anyone because it was a cold Sunday afternoon and any one who was out just went back inside, however there was one person who flashed us the piece and that was cool. What I didn't get to do with other aspects of JPNA, the interviews made up for.
There was so much that went on during the interviews on and off camera. The residents seemed to enjoy the interviews and didn't mind us. They were really nice and welcoming, full of information and very helpful and I really appreciate that they helped us out. I appreciate the experience and the chance to meet so many good people. From Ms. Otis who doesn't really like Milwaukee but sticks around to keep fighting and the Jacobs and their work with the block watch and Ms. Craft and her family's history of living in Johnsons Park.
Ms. Otis seems really devoted to the neighborhood and she expressed many of her views on what's happened in the neighborhood in the past and what is happening in the neighborhood now. From people moving in and out of the neighborhood and businesses that should be in the neighborhood. She had a lot to say because she's gone through a lot in the neighborhood and its amazing that a person like her is around to fight for the neighborhood whenever it seems that there's sort of injustice in the neighborhood.
The Jacobs have daughters who live in the neighborhood and a son living in Las Vegas who doesn't gamble. They are really nice people and they too have a lot to say about Johnsons Park. They were very knowledgeable on the area and the homes. They have two plots of land and they got them for a great deal. The direction that the neighborhood is going in, makes them happy and they should be happy because its due to their contribution to the neighborhood that Johnsons Park is being revived.
Ms. Craft is a smart lady and very good host. As soon as we walked through the door she asked Jason and me to take off our shoes and have some pound cake and coffee. She shared pictures of her family and their history of living in the neighborhood. She has lived in the neighborhood several different times. She and her siblings went to school in another area and it was because of her brother who went to that school first that life was a little easier there. The house has been in her family a long time and has a lot of history to it. She seemed very happy that an archive was being made for JPNA because she wanted to get her family's story out there because they were a huge part of the neighborhood and they are a part of its history. In the end we all had a little discussion of whether Subways or Cousins had better sandwiches. I was the only one who thought Subways was better then Cousins.
I am really grateful for the experience and the cooperation of the residents with our project. I have benefited from service learning and this class and I am glad to see that a large part of Milwaukee is being revitalized and that these people are getting the home that they deserve.
No comments:
Post a Comment