Elephant and Mouse

When I look back at my first year of college, I have a hard time believing that it is already coming to an end. Although it has gone by fast, it has been a year that I can look back upon and be proud. It has been a year of challenges, adjusting and self-discovery. With two semesters completed, I am confident that my May Term class will be the cherry on the already delicious sundae of my college experience. Friday, at 6:00 a.m, I and 8 others will board a plane and travel to the Dominican Republic.

As we learn more about the Dominican culture, we have come to realize that there are much more then beautiful beaches and wealthy resorts. The Dominican Republic is a county that has had a rich and challenging history which has led it to its current socioeconomic situation.

If you were to look past the numerous beaches you would find hard working people working for non-living wages. You would find children who are unable to go to school because they do not have proper documentation. You would find communities that have frequent power outages and that lack clean water. You would find beautiful people who want to live a simple and free life.

In our first few days of class, we read the following quote in one of the class texts:

“If you are neutral in a situation of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has his foot on the tail of the mouse, and you say you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate you neutrality.”
-Desmond Tutu
After spending some time thinking about what this quote means and how it is applicable to my life, I cannot help but ask questions. How can I live a life with an abundance of ‘things’, when there are people who barley have enough to survive? What can I do to make a difference? How can my faith play a role in fighting for justice and peace?

I look forward to the upcoming challenges and opportunities for personal growth that await me in the Dominican Republic.

Take Care- michael

Getting ready to leave

So, we're leaving to the Dominican Republic on Friday and I am really looking forward to it! It sounds like I will learn a lot about what life is like for the common people there.

So far in class we've been reading three texts:

The first focuses on the history of the Domincan Republic. After reading this book, I expect to see a lot of diversity in the Domincan. The book writes about how there is lots of mixing between the Africans and Spanairds who came to the country, along with the indigenous who were already there. In the second book we're reading, we learn that there is a marginalized poor population in the Dominican. Children sometimes are not allowed in school because they lack documentation. They often are helping their families to make ends meet by selling things on the streets. The third text focuses on justice issues and how we, by doing nothing, are just as bad as the oppressors. This class focuses on social problems in the Dominican Republic, so I'm sure that book's contents will come into play often.


As far as I know, we will be planting a garden in one of the neighborhoods, or "bateys." Also, we will be visiting a school for deaf-mute children, and we will be showing the locals how to use water chlorinators that will sanitize their water. I look forward to talking to people and seeing how they live. I'll let you know what I see!

-Ann