The first seminar was very interesting and eye opening in many ways. I found myself listening and learning from my classmates. Due to the fact that I am as old as or older than most of their parents I felt compelled to just listen what they had to say. I must admit that their areas of focus were very different than mine. They all brought great topics to the forefront with considerable passion. I found their unique perspectives insightful.

I was amazed to analyze my perspective and compare it to theirs. Being a very empathetic individual, I am frequently drawn in to the more emotional driven areas of the readings. I find myself tying to imagine just what they really went through what on an emotional and physical level. There was an abundance of injustice that many of the characters were able to overcome, but there were so many that were unfairly exploited and manipulated.

Includes: class notes as well as observations on program readings and a synthesis of ideas across program texts