MIDTERM REFLECTION

The middle of the semester approaches the same way a clock transitions to noon. The class or the day is halfway over, yet feels as if it just started. The end is coming closer, when really a whole new day is a long, twelve hours away. The mixed emotions of excitement and panic start to originate, and thoughts begin to reflect over how the journey has been so far. Reflections cannot last too long, for the halfway mark has been reached and the course stills has goals to reach.

I started this semester by defining citizenship in terms of equality; an indication of nationality and someone deserving of the same rights as their neighbor. When really, the meaning of citizenship is much broader and can change based on a person, a goal, or a time. I still cannot give an all-encompassing definition of citizenship; however, I have learned more about the ways citizenship can be instilled within a community through helping at the grassroots level.

Optimist Park is place where I would have not invested my time prior to this class. The town is intersected by a busy street and is slowly transitioning from a local neighborhood to a suburban apartment zone. The end result of the Habitat for Humanity homes will, unfortunately, be destruction to supply the busy metropolitan demands, and I feel that more could be done to prevent this outcome. By walking around the neighborhood and seeing the lack of community involvement, I understand why the need to capture oral histories about Optimist Park is relevant, but I do not see how one oral history per group will help the community on a long-term basis. I really wish we were doing more than one oral history this semester to exponentially increase community involvement and bring more awareness to the timeless quality Optimist Park contains.

The middle of the semester is here, and the coming months will be spent raising awareness of Optimist Park though a few oral histories, previous website updates and improvements, and by trying to increase participation in the community. The halfway point has been reached, but more work can be completed to preserve the quality of Optimist Park prior to the end of the semester and before time runs out.