Tipping Point- Final Project

"Discussion/Lecture with Michael Lerner" - Busboys & Poets Immersion

I really enjoyed the Michael Lerner lecture. A few things really stood out to me as I listened to him share. For starters, his lecture was not at all what I was expecting. I cannot tell you what I was expecting because I do not really know, but when I went the last thing I was expecting to hear was a lecture on hope. It really reminded me of what we have been talking about in class with law of attraction and making things happen and believing that anything is possible. Michael talked about the difference between hope and optimism. It was a comparison that he had heard before that really stood out to him that he had never forgotten. “Optimism is the belief that everything is going to go away; whereas, hope it a choice to fight regardless of the consequences.” Michael made the comment that without hope it is difficult to live.

Michael asked a really thought provoking question during his lecture: “how do we live with the brokenness of the world?” I thought it was a really good question because I feel as though that is what everyone is trying to figure out. The world we live in is undoubtedly a broken world: it is a world that is hurting and searching for the hope that we talked about earlier. As I think about my response to this question, I think that everyone has to find their hope. Everyone is searching to fill the same void but everyone fills it in a different way. The goal is ultimately to not have to live in a broken world, but until then we must learn to cope. I do believe that seeking to change it is part of the “living with it” process. Settling is the worst thing that someone can do and simply accepting the brokenness is settling for it. Everyone has a small role that they can play and when you start making a difference it brings that hope that people are searching for in their own lives. As everyone starts making a change then before you know it that brokenness won’t be as strong as it use to be. Michael’s response was “the best way is to truly feel it and to feel it deeply. We have to see the brokenness as a source of awakening. We need enough of us to feel that brokenness to make a difference.”

The most impressive thing that I learned about Michael was that he is a Christian. The whole lecture was for the Smith Farm Center, a center that brings hope to people who are battling cancer. He was very honest as he talked about the despair that he got into as he dealt with his cancer. He said that he came to the point where he realized his need for absolute surrender to the living God. There is no better hope than Jesus Christ and knowing that He loves you and that you can have a real relationship with Him. He is the rock that gets you throw the storms of life like cancer, death of family members, and the numerous other things that make this life hard and this world broken. Michael made the comment “many people deny the spiritual world exists” and I believe this with my whole heart. Very few people do I think have an absolute denial that there is anything higher than this world. I would say that most people have a knowledge that they accept about a higher power or spiritual being even if they don’t really embrace it. It is sad because I truly believe that the belief is God brings a hope that nothing in this world can ever bring. It also brings a healing on a deeper level that is indescribable and easily attainable.

As Michael talked, he said that “true healing takes place in the unique particulars”. They talked about how they go on natural walks at the Smith Farm Center and how it helps people heal and I thought that it was a really good concept. You can’t help but look around and see the hand of a higher power in this beautiful world that we live in and I think that seeing how intrinsically the trees, flowers, birds, and everything in nature is made it brings a healing and hope to us as humans that if someone out there could make all of these things flow so perfectly, He must care about us.

Michael made the comment that “being broken evokes kindness and makes us receptive to kindness”. He said that kindness is a word that people understand and that it’s a good way for us to help each other heal. Kindness is easy to understand but it is seen less and less in this world today. It was a good admonition for me to just not take lightly the impact that kindness can have on people. Simple gestures like saying hello and smiling to people can make someone’s day. “We must hope that we find the golden thread together as human beings…the golden thread relates to the planet as a whole and it goes back to deep spirituality.” We are all here on this planet together and it’s about time that we start acting like it and help each other.

"Creative License" - Busboys & Poets Immersion

To be honest, I’m not the biggest music guru. I enjoy most of it from hip hop to country but have never gotten really deep into the history or even the legal issues with it. I come from a strong “music obsessed” family where my dad has a pretty strong passion for a lot of music- especially Motown, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, and many other black artists. My youngest sister got that same obsession that my dad has and my older sister falls somewhere in between with a deep love but not as passionate as my dad and younger sister.

As soon as I got to Busboys & Poets and saw Mazi from “Words, Beats, & Life”, I was really excited for the presentation. I knew that it was going to be a panel discussion but I didn’t really know what that was going to be like. We have panels at my church at least once a month where all the pastors share on what we’ve been talking about in service and then they open the floor for questions, comments, and testimonies. I figured it would be similar but I wasn’t exactly sure. The discussion started with Casey Rob Hunter, from “Future of Music Coalition”, interviewing Peter De Cola, a law professor who had done a study on sampling and its effects on society. Peter had stated how he was first introduced to sampling on an airplane and quickly learned that sampling happens in every genre. That is what prompted him to do his study on sampling and see what people think about the topic, especially musicians. He gave a lot of insight that I didn’t know- because I’m essentially ignorant when it comes to this topic, because it isn’t public knowledge, or a mixture of both. Peter explained how music has two copyrights: sheet music/lyric copyrights and music/sound copyrights. “According to the 6th Circuit, no matter how much of the sound you take from a song, you can be sued unless there is Fair Use” he stated. I had been exposed to Fair Use very briefly last semester while I was making a video for my Community Leadership course. We were required to add a song to our video about our Experiential Learning project and we had to make sure we had permission to use the song. I had wanted to use a song that I felt really represented my project but wasn’t able to because of copyright and was forced to choose from the Fair Use websites my professor provided or from the music already given on iMovie.

Peter went on to talk about how specific people get with their music when it comes to sampling: “who can sample this”, “what will they do with it”. As I thought about it, it really did make sense to me that people would want that control since they work so hard to create it and don’t want it to be butchered by some other artist. It really is an example of leadership because as the author/creator of your music, you wouldn’t want it to be used for an artist or song that you don’t support. It’s one of the aspects we discussed a lot in class- how we need to be fully aware and involved in whatever our name is attached to in life.

After the interview, two DJs- DJ Robbie Rob and DJ Two-Tone Jones- joined Casey and Peter and they discussed the heavy influence that sampling has on Hip Hop. They discussed a lot of the pros and cons to sampling. Two-Tone Jones made the comment that people have learned about different genres of music because they heard it later in a hip hop song where it was sampled. When asked if the music can still be considered creative or artistic if it’s used samples of other music, Robbie Rob responded “It’s a work of art to sample and sample so well that people can’t even tell that you did.” I was talking to a friend of mine who is really into hip hop music and writes and records his own stuff the next day about the panel and he strongly agreed with that comment. He felt as though it’s almost harder to take something from somewhere else and transform it into something brand new that is still amazing and people have no idea that it was taken from this song or that genre. One of the cons was talking about technology and how it has oversaturated the market today allowing anyone to “make music” by simply downloading an AP on their iPhone. Two-Tone Jones stated how many people who were considered “legendary” didn’t have everything that people do today. Ultimately, sampling is a double-edged sword for the hip hop industry.

I really enjoyed this experience because it showed how leadership is truly all around us: from music to the more blatant leadership of being a manager to President. Everyone has the ability to make an impact in whatever “world” they are part of and making good leadership choices are essential.

The Alchemist

1.) Discovering your Personal Legend

2.) The lesson would be a group discussion that would hopefully cause everyone to start thinking about their Personal Legend: whether they have discovered it or not, pursued it or ignored it. The discussion would ask questions like: "After reading this book, how many people feel as though they know what their Personal Legend is?" "How many people feel as though they know what it is but have been too afraid to pursue it for one reason or another?" "Out of the characters in the book searching for their Personal Legend, which can you most relate to?"

3.) This purpose of this exercise is to get people to start thinking about their lives and their purpose in life. As college students, the vast majority of us are searching for our Personal Legend if we haven’t already found it and this exercise will be beneficial to get us thinking about all the “omens” in our lives that we’ve been ignoring. I truly believe that God created everyone differently for a reason and that each of us has a job that only we can do.

4.) I believe that everyone can relate to one of three characters in the book: Santiago, the boy on his quest to fulfill his Personal Legend who goes; the crystal merchant, the man who knew what his Personal Legend was but was so paralyzed by his fear of change that he never pursued it; or the Englishmen, searching to discover his Personal Legend by studying other people. Everyone has their Melchizedek, caravan leader, and alchemist- these are the people that God places at different points in our lives to keep us heading down our path. They don’t give us the answers we are looking for but they cause us to discover the answers for ourselves. Their truths are brought to our minds continually either through circumstances or in the words of others. While we are on our Personal Legend, we will run into other people on the same quest that can very easily discourage us from persevering. When Santiago met the crystal merchant, he was at a very low point and had resolved to give up and go home. During his time with the crystal merchant, Santiago came to realize that this man hadn’t pursued his Personal Legend out of fear and it ultimately became the fire underneath Santiago to help him continue his quest and not settle like the merchant. The same way we can be hindered in our quest by others, we can try to walk out other people’s quests the way Englishman did without fully pursuing our own. He had to get past reading about things to experience things for himself. Every circumstance we find ourselves in is a learning one: from a shepherd, to a crystal merchant, to an oasis counselor. If we take the time to pay attention to what happens around us- the omens- we can be part of some amazing things. Ultimately I feel as though the personification of the heart, wind, sun, etc. represent our personal battle with ourselves and with God. The answers we need in life come from our relationship with God even though we have people who help us along the way to discover it. We need to look inside ourselves: listen to our conscious and the truths we have learned from our relationship with the Lord in order to fulfill our Personal Legend.

"The Forgotten Bomb" - Busboys & Poets Immersion

“The Forgotten Bomb” is a documentary about the atomic bomb that the US dropped on Japan, July 16, 1945, during World War II. The video showed people from both the United States and Japan and their responses to the event. The response was the same for many of the Americans interviewed in the film: dropping the bomb won us the war. However, consequently by dropping the nuclear bomb on Japan, the United States catapulted the world into the atomic age.

I really enjoyed this video because it shed a lot of light on not only the atomic bomb, but the events that surrounded the situation and the horrible repercussions of it. The consequences of negligent leadership were truly emphasized in this video. It is amazing how selfish we can be as human beings and sad to say, especially Americans! The video expounded on how the atomic bomb wasn’t as necessary to use as many people think. In fact, the world had a chance to get rid of the atomic bomb but President Truman ruined those chances. Our leaders didn’t know and, even worse, didn’t care to know what atomic bombs could do. It reminded me of what we talked about in class this past week about the responsibility for our leaders to know the meaning behind the symbols that they use and I think that this is an example of it. What the United States told the world by dropping the atomic bomb is that we will stop it nothing to win and appear the best. It doesn’t matter who we have to step on, how many innocent lives we will destroy- we WILL get our way at any cost of others. And what is even worse in my opinion, is that afterwards we will cover up how gruesome our behavior was so that the Americans will continue to be ignorant of what our country is capable of. The video talks about how many people are currently fighting to keep the effects of radiation a secret. The museums in the United States don’t show how intense the bombing was in Japan compared to Japanese museums which are incredibly graphic about what happened and how people were impacted. The exposure to the radiation caused survivors to be unrecognizable to others. Stories were told about how maggots were growing in and eating the flesh of people, how insides were completely destroyed and how people were forced to watch neighbors, friends, and loved ones die excruciating deaths without being able to help them.

I wonder how many of our leaders would have thought twice about dropping the bomb on Japan if they were forced to watch the video of the damage they would create in these lives. So often I feel as though we see things very generally: we are at war with this country. Do we ever stop to think that this “country” that we personify is made up of hundreds of thousands to millions of people just like us? The choice to drop a nuclear weapon on a country is choosing to destroy millions of human lives. I know that there are instances where people are going to be hurt, especially in a war. It is the responsibility of the country’s leaders to keep them safe, but at what point does it turn from self-defense to murder? Then at what point does it turn from a leadership issue to everyone’s issue? As we talked in class this week about responsibility, we also mentioned that it is our responsibility as the people to be educated on the issues so that we can correctly support or not support what our leaders’ decisions. Sometimes there is very little that the people can do to sway the opinions of leaders once in office, but during elections we have all the power. We need to take the time to learn about our leaders so we can place the right person in office: the person who stands for the same things that we do and who we know will accurately represent us in this world. But for now, we can still make a stand. The effects of radiation are a serious matter. Many workers right here in the United States have died due to the exposure of radiation. The video gave numerous contacts that are fighting against these issues that people can support. Once we are exposed to a situation, we have a responsibility to speak out against it if we don’t agree with it. The purpose of the documentary was to expose nuclear weapons for the terror that they are so that people can help put an end to their use. It’s risky exposing the government and our leaders the way that this video did, but you have to take risks if you want change. It always amazes me the common theme throughout all the key players in any significant change and that is their ability to stick their necks out for what they believe. The response for the video at Busboys & Poets alone was phenomenal and I can only assume that it is continuing to grow as the video is spread throughout the nation and it is all because one man’s conviction.

"Pushing the Elephant" - Busboys & Poets Immersion

“Pushing the Elephant” is a documentary about Rose Mapendo: a Congolese Tutsis who was in a refugee camp during the 1996 war in the Democratic Republic of Congo and her story of forgiveness. Rose was married, the mother of eight children, and pregnant with twins when she entered into the refugee camp. One of her daughters, Nangbire, was forced to live with her grandparents when Rose and the rest of the family moved because in their home city the women do everything and the grandfather wouldn’t take one of the many sons. Nangbire was separated from her family from the age of four: although this spared her from the refugee camp, this separation was the cause of many personal issues for Nangbire later in life.

While Rose was in the camp, her husband was killed and she began to curse God for what had happened to her family. At some point, Rose came to the realization that her bitterness was a choice and that it was only making things worse. She made the choice to forgive her enemies and not let the bitterness and anger continue to destroy her. When she gave birth to her twins in the camp, she decided to name them after the commanders who had killed her husband because it was the biggest demonstration of love that could be shown in her country.

After her husband died, her oldest son John became the “father” of the family. When the soldiers came to kill John, Rose begged them for mercy and asked if there was anything that she could do to spare her son’s life. The soldier told her that if she gave him her oldest daughter, Aimee, that he would spare John’s life. Rose gathered John and Aimee together and told them both about the situation. Aimee told her mother that she would sacrifice herself to save her brother’s life and was ultimately raped and became pregnant in order to do so. The situation was later turned for good as it was the same soldier that got Aimee pregnant who helped deliver the Mapendo family from the refugee camp.

Rose, who now lives in the US, travels around the world telling her story of forgiveness. She shares about the struggles her family faced and encourages 1) the people who have/are facing similar circumstances to not be bitter, but love their enemies and 2) the people who have the ability to make a change in these countries to do so. Her focus is on unity, reconciliation, and peace- not on retaliation. Rose explains how change is like pushing an elephant: one person can’t move an elephant alone, but many people can move it together and it is the same for change. As people band together they have the ability to make a drastic change for the better.

I was really inspired by Rose’s story as I always am with people who overcome such major life circumstances. The most impressive and encouraging part of Rose’s story for me was her strong emphasis on forgiveness. I can’t even imagine having to face what she did and then having the ability to love and forgive her enemies. It is a principle that is stated all over the Bible: “love your enemies, do good to those who persecute you” and Rose was the perfect example of practically applying that. I believe that there are many ways to make a change in this world and anger and retaliation is very often the most popular method. Rarely do you see people killing others with kindness and pursuing change in a way where they aren’t stepping over others to get it. I am the biggest proponent of leading by example and that is what Rose did by forgiving her enemies and then using her experience to bring awareness to the world. It wasn’t all sunshine and roses for her after she moved to the US either. When Rose was finally reunited with her daughter Nangbire, she had to balance work and her family since Nangbire especially needed a lot of attention. In her story they showed the reality of how in life we have to choose between important things. What Rose did was rather than pick one over the other she brought Nangbire with her on some of her speeches and presentations. She not only gave her daughter the attention that she needed, she was also able to show her daughter how important it is for them to be strong role models for the world. Their story is so important and the fact that her mom takes the time to share it with people has a lasting impact on many lives. There were times where Rose’s son would also try to discourage her from going places to share out of fear for her safety but she explained that very truth to him about their responsibility to speak out against the war. The courage that Rose depicts is astounding because she is living what she is preaching. She is showing even her children how necessary it is to truly fight for change. The documentary shows the family constantly praying for the war to end in the Congo and Rose is taking it a step further and doing all that she knows to do. She knows that the future is in the hands of the Lord, but she also realizes her responsibility to be an example in word and deed. As she continues to speak out at seminars and travel the world telling her story of forgiveness and change, Rose is able to continuously gather more people to help push the elephant of change for the Congo.

Culture Night: Hellenic Society & Italian Club

When I went to this event, I was really excited to learn about Greece and Italy. All that I really know about them is that they have good food and gorgeous scenery, but I was really looking forward to learning more about their culture. I even brought a friend with me to the event because he is really into different cultures and languages. I knew that we would both have a great time. Boy was I wrong...

The description of the event said that we would be learning about both cultures and that we would be exposed to their music, dance, food, and other entertainment. When we went into Dewberry Hall, the lights were turned down very low. The music was blasting, along with the DJ, as if we were in a club. I figured that maybe it was just the "introduction" as everyone ate before the activities started. There was a slide-show behind the DJ that had pictures of Greece and Italy and there were also a few articles of clothing spread out on a table. They had pastas, Greek salad, and a few other items that were specifically from those countries. My friend and I each made ourselves plates and sat down at the tables that were spread out. The food was really good and we both went back for more. We sat and talked for a while while we waited for things to start. After about an hour with nothing happening,my friend had to leave for class. I stayed a while longer waiting for something to happen until I finally went up and asked the instructors if anything else was going to be happening besides the music blasting and people sitting around doing nothing. They told me that a few people were going to be performing some music but for the most part it was going to just be that the entire night. I sat back down and continued to wait until the DJ made an announcement talking about how they were going to be turning up and the music and encouraging everyone to come out on the dance floor and dance the night away. I was pretty amazed at hearing that. I had noticed that the event was scheduled for 6 pm - 12 am and of course I thought that that was a pretty long time but never did I think that it was simply a dance party. After the announcement I left because I had another meeting to attend but I planned to come back. When I came back an hour and a half later, the music was blasting even louder, the lights were off but there were colored spot lights on the dance floor, and people were dancing. I could tell from everything that was going on that this was simply a dance party so I left.

I have to say that I was really disappointed with this because I feel as though this club really missed out on a great opportunity to expose their culture to their attendants. Maybe I was the only oblivious one who came expecting to learn something about Greece and Italy, but there were older adults at the event as well who I'd assume were expecting a different experience. I walked away with nothing except some pasta in my stomach. Although at first I was just really upset about the experience, I am happy that this was the even I attended. All semester long I've had great experiences learning about people who did things right and made the most of opportunities that they had, but this time I was able to see a time where the leaders DIDN'T use their time to the fullest. How often do you have a big audience of people in front of you coming to learn about culture- YOUR culture- something that you supposedly take a lot of pride in? All I could think about was how if that were the Chilean women, Anita Hill, Tupac, Martin Luther King, Maya Angelou or any of the other people I've learned about this semester and they had the chance to talk to people about their culture, there is no way that they would just throw a dance party and not take full advantage of educating people on their culture. It really showed me the necessity of everything I've been hearing from my professor and our guest speakers as they've been emphasizing the need to truly DO something. Make a stand- make a change- don't just waste the time and opportunities that I'm given. As much as I learn from the good events, I take a lot more away from the ones that fall short because it really stirs me to make sure that I never squander my chances because you never know when it's the only chance you will have!