Week 4 Reading Reflection

1. I wasn't surprised by what the chapter said this week. I'm in IA and my teacher was the one who told me about how everyone is creative one way or another. The different definitions found in the chapter were new to me though, so I did learned something.

2. I am confused at how muddling concepts are a completely bad thing. Sometimes it is good to stop and critique yourself and say that something will not work out. It stops you from investing in a project that was set for failure in the first place. At the same time, I do understand that this shouldn't be used often and it is better to really expand one's mind in the different ways a project can be carried out.

3. How can one critique themselves in the beginning without being unnecessarily cruel? This is important so that we can keep an honest and open view of possible projects and how well they could work. Why do we doubt ourselves and our creativity so much? I ask this because it is sad that only a small number of people are given permission to be creative and everyone else is denied this gift. I ask this also because some people think there is only one or two kinds of creativity and not several.

4. No, there is nothing that I disagreed with, except for how we aren't allowed to critique ourselves in the very beginning. I think if we have a healthy, small dose of critique in the start - not in all cases, just some projects every now and then - it might actually help the progress instead of hindering it.

Customer Interviews No. 1

1. While I left my "opportunities" general and open, I usually asked my first set of questions in reference to college and the overall college experience. This allowed the people I interviewed to have at least one place of focus that they can share and relate their personal issues with. There is a lot of potential found within the college sphere.

2. While I was open to have anyone be interviewed, like teachers and other faculty members, I decided in the end to interview students enrolled in my college. I realize that this was a better way to hold my interviews because the issues that teachers and faculty members have are likely different to what students have. I can focus on unmet opportunities in the circle of students.

3. Here are my questions: Do you have unmet needs in your college experience? What are they and why; Do these unmet needs affect your experience/life? How and why?; Do you think this affects everyone or some?; What could be done to change or improve this?; If this is done, could this improve your experience, lead to more challenges, both, or neither?

4. I held interviews with five female students at my college:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0Z5D3mh6GA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a78HunkS--0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATWt93qd1F0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfWUh3D46eY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQy0EhZgfck

5. What I learned from this is that the problems the students mentioned actually affect a large number of people. Whether it be buses or the lines for food, it does affect a large number of students and alters their ability to do well in college. It is interesting how small, everyday nuisances can actually build to stress and lesser quality of school work and thus a lower appreciation of the college experience.

6. Holding the interviews with 5 different people just proved once again that I hate these types of interactions. Of course everyone was friendly, willing, and polite, but I still felt uncomfortable for having to ask and then hold the interview. One person expressed surprise when I told her I had to do it on video, so while interviews do happen from time to time, they do not always occur in this particular way. Still, I learned a few things that I enjoyed, like one interview where the girl mentioned how 5 more minutes in the day for classes would help students and teachers so much. That piqued my interest.

Top 5 World Problems

Top 5 Problems:

1. Religious Rights Being Taken Away

2. Divisions Over How We Treat Refugees

3. The Media Twisting Everything

4. Poor Foundation of History

5. Discrimination Against Those With Invisible Illnesses

Top 5 Solutions:

1. Poor Foundation of History - Educate people on the most accurately documented records of history. Ask questions from experts and scholars and be open to discovering the truth.

2. Discrimination Against Those With Invisible Illnesses - Educate people and help them to be more aware of different types of illnesses. Raise awareness and help people be more sympathetic and understanding of people with invisible illnesses.

3. The Media Twisting Everything - Look outside of mainstream secular media and double check the facts. Make sure that what is being said is true. If it's false, continue looking for the truth.

4. Divisions Over How We Treat Refugees - Discuss different alternatives to treat refugees and try being open to assisting refugees.

5. Religious Rights Being Taken Away - Educate people with knowledge of human rights and raise people on the truth that religious rights are as important as the right to bare arms and free speech.

The top 5 problems were selected because they affect such large numbers of people today in current events. These are also issues that have long-standing affects as well and can influence people in the future for better or worse. My top 5 solutions are what they are because even though these are large and significant problems, there are ways for them to be better resolved and bring greater unity and peace to everyone. Also, practically everyone can implement these solutions, so many people can bring about the likelihood of a better world.