SEEDS, which stands for Seek Educate Explore DiScover, is an non-profit organization here in Blacksburg that unites a focus on the environment and the challenges facing it with educational programs for school-aged children to produce a brilliant developmental experience for kids. Through trips, service projects, afterschool activities, and day camps, the children are taught not only the names of plants and animals and where to find them, but also to veiw environmental issues with a global focus and how to develop their own talents in a way that will benefit society as a whole. The dream of Dave Deshler and Dr. Mike Rosenzweig, the two men who founded SEEDS, was to give kids an opportunity to learn about nature through experience and exploration, rather than the conventional methods of books and television programs.
Because SEEDS is a local organization that conducts no programs outside of the New River Valley area, the vast majority of information about SEEDS is found in the Roanoke Times, a small newspaper. Just after SEEDS was founded in 1995, a lot of information began to appear about it in the newspaper. In a May 1996 article titled "Science Sessions Scheduled", one of the programs SEEDS puts on for kids was described. In that same year, SEEDS summer camps appeared in the annual listings of summer activities for kids. The camps had a different theme every week, and it was not uncommon for enthusiastic kids to enroll in mutliple camps, despite the cost. An article in August 1996 entitled "Sowing the SEEDS of Learning" described how successful and enjoyable the camps were for the young children who participated. As the years went on, other articles about the missions and successes of SEEDS continued to appear. In March 2000, "SEEDS offers a Growing Environmental Program a Backyard Approach to Learning" discussed how the increased focus on environmental issues in Virginia schools is supplemented very nicely by the programs put on by Rosenzweig and Deshler.
Other articles are not primarily about the SEEDS organization, but rather about noteable members of the community. "'I Like Nature and I Like Doing Stuff with It' 10-Year-Old is Virginia's Youngest Stream Monitor", published in September of 2000, talks about Cody Ross, a kid who participated in SEEDS summer camps. He actually worked as a stream monitor, despite his age, and was as good as anyone at recognizing the sign of stream health. In contrast to this uplifting article, "Student Channeled Love of Outdoors into Helping Others" is a bone-chilling account of Julia Pryde. The April 2007 article reflects on the life of Pryde following her death as a part of the shootings on April 16th. Pryde was a dedicated and capable environmentalist, and one of the VT SEEDS Chapter's most active members.
The coverage of SEEDS has been mostly interesting anecdotes of the activities and members, designed to entertain members of the Blacksburg community. However, what seems to be missing is the bigger picture. SEEDS offers something very unique to children. It is no coincidence that people as remarkable as Julia and Cody come out of this organization, when it has so much to offer to the youth of today. I feel that for SEEDS to be truly appreciated, more depth must be put into the coverage of its mission and what it contributes to Blacksburg.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
My Visit to SEEDS and Interview with Dr. Mike Rosenzweig
Last Friday, I left the Virginia Tech campus and walked a short ways down Main Street, to the SEEDS main location. I wanted to see what the "headquarters" looked like, and I had also scheduled an interview with Dr. Mike Rosenzweig, one of the men who founded SEEDS 13 years ago.
The office was not at all the way I imagined it, but after talking to Dr. Rosenzweig it seemed to suit the organization very well. It was not a large space, just a small suite in an office building. It seemed even smaller from the inside because it was full of furniture, educational tools, and just general "stuff". The office didn't exactly convey a sense of professionalism, but it was very unintimidating. It looked more like someone's basement than the location of a non-profit organization. But, as I learned from Dr. Rosenzweig, that's what SEEDS is all about. The image that the organization would like to maintain is one of a small, tightknit, low-key community.
Dr. Rosenzweig and fellow VT graduate Dave Deshler have a lot in common. One of those things was a love of exploration and experiencing the natural world as children. As adults, they noticed that with the changing times, kids didn't have the same opportunities to just go out and indulge their curiosities as they may have had in prior years. Thinking that this was too good an opportunity to allow an entire generation to pass up, they decided to found SEEDS to give kids the chance to learn about nature first-hand. The idea was to get kids away from TVs and computers and put them into the great outdoors so that they could experience it for themselves.
SEEDS is a very diverse group. Participants range in age from elementary school students to college kids. The group engages in all sorts of activities, from stream cleanups to tutoring to trips across the country. But the common theme is getting youth involved in experiencing and protecting nature.
After interviewing Dr. Rosenzweig, I talked a little bit with Robert Jacks, who is the President of the VT Chapter of SEEDS. The VT Chapter is an on-campus extension of SEEDS that tries to bring the ideals of the organization to the Hokie community. Since Virginia Tech actually does not rank amongst the more eco-friendly universities in the nation, environmental organizations on campus are very important for improving this position. Robert explained how the VT Chapter offers students an opportunity to play a role in bringing changes to make Virginia Tech a "greener" place.
I left feeling very impressed with the vision of Deshler and Dr. Rosenzweig. They could have gone anywhere or done anything with this idea of theirs, but they decided to launch it here in Blacksburg and keep it small. Their goal was to build a strong personal relationship with each and every SEEDS family so that parents would have no worries about sending their kids off with the group, whether on day trips or long-distance travel. I think it is an admirable cause and I can't wait to discover more about it.
The office was not at all the way I imagined it, but after talking to Dr. Rosenzweig it seemed to suit the organization very well. It was not a large space, just a small suite in an office building. It seemed even smaller from the inside because it was full of furniture, educational tools, and just general "stuff". The office didn't exactly convey a sense of professionalism, but it was very unintimidating. It looked more like someone's basement than the location of a non-profit organization. But, as I learned from Dr. Rosenzweig, that's what SEEDS is all about. The image that the organization would like to maintain is one of a small, tightknit, low-key community.
Dr. Rosenzweig and fellow VT graduate Dave Deshler have a lot in common. One of those things was a love of exploration and experiencing the natural world as children. As adults, they noticed that with the changing times, kids didn't have the same opportunities to just go out and indulge their curiosities as they may have had in prior years. Thinking that this was too good an opportunity to allow an entire generation to pass up, they decided to found SEEDS to give kids the chance to learn about nature first-hand. The idea was to get kids away from TVs and computers and put them into the great outdoors so that they could experience it for themselves.
SEEDS is a very diverse group. Participants range in age from elementary school students to college kids. The group engages in all sorts of activities, from stream cleanups to tutoring to trips across the country. But the common theme is getting youth involved in experiencing and protecting nature.
After interviewing Dr. Rosenzweig, I talked a little bit with Robert Jacks, who is the President of the VT Chapter of SEEDS. The VT Chapter is an on-campus extension of SEEDS that tries to bring the ideals of the organization to the Hokie community. Since Virginia Tech actually does not rank amongst the more eco-friendly universities in the nation, environmental organizations on campus are very important for improving this position. Robert explained how the VT Chapter offers students an opportunity to play a role in bringing changes to make Virginia Tech a "greener" place.
I left feeling very impressed with the vision of Deshler and Dr. Rosenzweig. They could have gone anywhere or done anything with this idea of theirs, but they decided to launch it here in Blacksburg and keep it small. Their goal was to build a strong personal relationship with each and every SEEDS family so that parents would have no worries about sending their kids off with the group, whether on day trips or long-distance travel. I think it is an admirable cause and I can't wait to discover more about it.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Course Goals
My goals for English 1204H are as follows:
1) To become more proficient in the use of semicolons
2) To become better at writing titles tat are brief yet insightful
3) To improve my library-research skills
And there's only one thing left to say:
Go Hokies!
Beat Georgia Tech!
1) To become more proficient in the use of semicolons
2) To become better at writing titles tat are brief yet insightful
3) To improve my library-research skills
And there's only one thing left to say:
Go Hokies!
Beat Georgia Tech!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Interview Questions
Here are the questions I plan to ask when I go and interview someone at SEEDs, an environmental education program here in Blacksburg.
Questions for SEEDs Interview
1. Do I have your permission quote you or otherwise use information from this interview in my report?
2. Who are the main groups of people who participate in SEEDs?
3. How many members does it have?
4. Your website mentions that SEEDs is involved in community service. Could you give me some examples of service projects that SEEDs has done?
5. Could you describe for me the afterschool programs that SEEDs puts on?
6. I also read that SEEDs involves some kind of travel. What are some places that have been visited on SEEDs trips?
What is your favorite trip SEEDs has taken?
7. How did you get the idea to form SEEDs?
8. What would you say is the most important contribution that SEEDs makes/has made to the community of Blacksburg?
9. What are your plans for SEEDs for the future – any new ideas you’d like to try, or new goals for the program?
10. What aspect of SEEDs do you personally find more enjoyable?
I know 10 questions isn't alot, but I'd like to ask additional questions on the spot based on the responses of the person I'm talking to.
Wish me luck!
Questions for SEEDs Interview
1. Do I have your permission quote you or otherwise use information from this interview in my report?
2. Who are the main groups of people who participate in SEEDs?
3. How many members does it have?
4. Your website mentions that SEEDs is involved in community service. Could you give me some examples of service projects that SEEDs has done?
5. Could you describe for me the afterschool programs that SEEDs puts on?
6. I also read that SEEDs involves some kind of travel. What are some places that have been visited on SEEDs trips?
What is your favorite trip SEEDs has taken?
7. How did you get the idea to form SEEDs?
8. What would you say is the most important contribution that SEEDs makes/has made to the community of Blacksburg?
9. What are your plans for SEEDs for the future – any new ideas you’d like to try, or new goals for the program?
10. What aspect of SEEDs do you personally find more enjoyable?
I know 10 questions isn't alot, but I'd like to ask additional questions on the spot based on the responses of the person I'm talking to.
Wish me luck!
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Connie and the Sandman Ladies Activity
Laundry Room Lounge
Miles Hall
15:10 September 7, 2008
While I was doing my laundry, I went to go sit in the lounge across the hall. It is a comfortable, carpeted room that's very well lit and good for doing homework or just relaxing. In the room there are two sofas, deep pink with wooden arms. In the middle of the rectanglar room are two sqaure tables, both of them wooden, each with three chairs. The chairs are wooden as wll, but still comfortable, with red cushions on the seats and backs. Two all wooden chairs rest against the side wall, and another red chair like the ones around the tables sits haphazardly in the centre of the room facing one of the couches. In front of the other couch is a low wodden coffee table. In addition to the furniture, the room is made appealing by the abundance of windows. There are four; two which face Washington Street, one looking towards Barringer Hall, and the last looking out into the hallway. It is a sunny day, and light pours in through the outside-facing ones.
When I enter the room there are three people in there already. I go and sit down at one of the wooden tables, and then take a look around to see who is in there with me. A boy and a girl sit on the couch. The boy has dark hair and wears brown shorts, a white T-shirt, and glasses. The girl wears jeans and a top with thin straps. She's pale and has rosy cheeks, a sharp nose, and long, dirty blonde hair. They aren't really doing anything, but the girl is stroking the boy's head. Just a couple minutes after I arrive, the two of them get up together and leave the room.
At the other table, a boy sits doing his homework on his computer. He has curly blonde hair, is pale, and is wearing a black T-shirt. There is a book sitting open on the table next to him, and he looks back to it periodically as he works. But no one makes any noise, and the room is still and quiet. In through the open windows drift the sounds of leaves rustling in the gentle breeze, faint conversation as people walk by, and birds calling to one another. Occassionally, a car or truck will pass. The only sounds coming from inside the building are the clanking of the washers and driers across the hall in the laundry room and the soft clicking of Computer Boy's fingers on the keys as he types.
I sit for a few minutes in the stillness. Outside Newman Hall there is karaoke, and if I listen very closely I can just make out the songs. Then, suddenly, a new boy enters. He is short with short brown hair and his cheeks are red as though he has just run several miles. He wears black mesh shorts with a white stripe down each side, a grey T-shirt, and flip flops. The boy greets us and goes to sit down on a sofa. Computer Boy and I acknowledge him, then go back to our respective assignments. He is carrying a sandwich and a smoothie from Owens, and after he sits down he unwraps the sandwich and begins to eat it.
The boy finishes his sandwich quickly. He crumples the wrapper that his sandwich used to be in and stands, glancing for a moment at the reciept from his lunch. He then picks up his detergent and smoothie, and exits the room. He doesn't close the door behind him, but rather leaves it ajar. The stillness and silence are relaxing but they make me feel restless, and I click my pen a few times. Computer Boy taps his fingers and feet as he works, and he even birps once, but then the silence returns. The gentle breeze blowing in from the window is all the disrupts the tranuility of the room.
A silver pickup truck drives past the windows along Washington Street, and the rap music from the radio can clearly be heard even over the noise of the engine. Somewhere in the ceiling comes the sound of running water. The noise persists for several minutes, and I think to myself that someone upstairs must be taking a mid-afternoon shower. I then notice that the clicking of computer keys has stopped; Computer Boy is no longer typing. He is either reading something on the screen or he is staring at it, pondering what to write next. But he remains completely silent except for the occasional sigh, shuffle, or sneeze.
Suddenly, Computer Boy stands and, leaving his laptop behind, walks out the door. I find it odd that he would leave the expensive machine behind. For the first time, I am completely alone. A new sound can be heard from outside; a clanging sound followed by either cheers or experssions of disappointment. I have no idea what it could be, but I wonder if it may be some sort of game. After about five minutes of absense, Computer Boy returns and goes back to his work, shutting the door and greeting me on the way. As the door closes I see Sandwich Boy walk into the laundry room. A few minutes later Sandwich Boy returns to the lounge with his smoothie, a sheet of paper and a workbook in his hands. However, he only remains for a moment before slurping the last bit of his smoothie, ooking once around the room, and exiting.
Miles Hall
15:10 September 7, 2008
While I was doing my laundry, I went to go sit in the lounge across the hall. It is a comfortable, carpeted room that's very well lit and good for doing homework or just relaxing. In the room there are two sofas, deep pink with wooden arms. In the middle of the rectanglar room are two sqaure tables, both of them wooden, each with three chairs. The chairs are wooden as wll, but still comfortable, with red cushions on the seats and backs. Two all wooden chairs rest against the side wall, and another red chair like the ones around the tables sits haphazardly in the centre of the room facing one of the couches. In front of the other couch is a low wodden coffee table. In addition to the furniture, the room is made appealing by the abundance of windows. There are four; two which face Washington Street, one looking towards Barringer Hall, and the last looking out into the hallway. It is a sunny day, and light pours in through the outside-facing ones.
When I enter the room there are three people in there already. I go and sit down at one of the wooden tables, and then take a look around to see who is in there with me. A boy and a girl sit on the couch. The boy has dark hair and wears brown shorts, a white T-shirt, and glasses. The girl wears jeans and a top with thin straps. She's pale and has rosy cheeks, a sharp nose, and long, dirty blonde hair. They aren't really doing anything, but the girl is stroking the boy's head. Just a couple minutes after I arrive, the two of them get up together and leave the room.
At the other table, a boy sits doing his homework on his computer. He has curly blonde hair, is pale, and is wearing a black T-shirt. There is a book sitting open on the table next to him, and he looks back to it periodically as he works. But no one makes any noise, and the room is still and quiet. In through the open windows drift the sounds of leaves rustling in the gentle breeze, faint conversation as people walk by, and birds calling to one another. Occassionally, a car or truck will pass. The only sounds coming from inside the building are the clanking of the washers and driers across the hall in the laundry room and the soft clicking of Computer Boy's fingers on the keys as he types.
I sit for a few minutes in the stillness. Outside Newman Hall there is karaoke, and if I listen very closely I can just make out the songs. Then, suddenly, a new boy enters. He is short with short brown hair and his cheeks are red as though he has just run several miles. He wears black mesh shorts with a white stripe down each side, a grey T-shirt, and flip flops. The boy greets us and goes to sit down on a sofa. Computer Boy and I acknowledge him, then go back to our respective assignments. He is carrying a sandwich and a smoothie from Owens, and after he sits down he unwraps the sandwich and begins to eat it.
The boy finishes his sandwich quickly. He crumples the wrapper that his sandwich used to be in and stands, glancing for a moment at the reciept from his lunch. He then picks up his detergent and smoothie, and exits the room. He doesn't close the door behind him, but rather leaves it ajar. The stillness and silence are relaxing but they make me feel restless, and I click my pen a few times. Computer Boy taps his fingers and feet as he works, and he even birps once, but then the silence returns. The gentle breeze blowing in from the window is all the disrupts the tranuility of the room.
A silver pickup truck drives past the windows along Washington Street, and the rap music from the radio can clearly be heard even over the noise of the engine. Somewhere in the ceiling comes the sound of running water. The noise persists for several minutes, and I think to myself that someone upstairs must be taking a mid-afternoon shower. I then notice that the clicking of computer keys has stopped; Computer Boy is no longer typing. He is either reading something on the screen or he is staring at it, pondering what to write next. But he remains completely silent except for the occasional sigh, shuffle, or sneeze.
Suddenly, Computer Boy stands and, leaving his laptop behind, walks out the door. I find it odd that he would leave the expensive machine behind. For the first time, I am completely alone. A new sound can be heard from outside; a clanging sound followed by either cheers or experssions of disappointment. I have no idea what it could be, but I wonder if it may be some sort of game. After about five minutes of absense, Computer Boy returns and goes back to his work, shutting the door and greeting me on the way. As the door closes I see Sandwich Boy walk into the laundry room. A few minutes later Sandwich Boy returns to the lounge with his smoothie, a sheet of paper and a workbook in his hands. However, he only remains for a moment before slurping the last bit of his smoothie, ooking once around the room, and exiting.
Friday, September 5, 2008
The Nature of Truth and How it Applies to Research
In our group, we faced a sharp disagreement about what truth is fundamentally. The only thing we managed to agree on is that a fact is something that can be proven. Beyond that, no more general statements about truth could be agreed upon. Certain anonymous group members insisted that there is only one "truth" that exists, and people who agree with it are "right" and people who don't are "wrong". However, to me "truth" is something that exists not at a higher level, but within a person. Therefore, someone can be "right" when they beleive what is "true" to them, and that doesn't necessarily mean that anyone who disagrees is "wrong". The basic arguement is whether truth exists on a universal basis or an individual one.
Of course, if truth is something that varies from person to person, it complicates the process of research. It highlights the reason why you cannot get all your information from one source alone, no matter how respectable or convincing the information seems to be. To find your own truth, you must be exposed to the truths of others. If you end up agreeing 100% with one source or another, that's great, but at least you heard the arguements of others before you made that choice. More often than not, though, you're going to find that what you beleive comes from bits and peices of many sources.
Of course there are certain things that must be gnerally recognized as truth. The fact that there are 17 protons in a Chlorine atom or that a year is 365 days isn't a matter of arguement; its a matter of counting. No one can dispute these facts, and thats what makes them facts. But so much of the information we will deal with in this community project will be things that can be argued such as purpose or value. In these circumstances, it is important to remember that everyone will have their own unique version of the truth, and your's does not have to follow anyone else's. So the "truths" you write about will be fully your's, and it will be up to you to support them and make them convincing.
Of course, if truth is something that varies from person to person, it complicates the process of research. It highlights the reason why you cannot get all your information from one source alone, no matter how respectable or convincing the information seems to be. To find your own truth, you must be exposed to the truths of others. If you end up agreeing 100% with one source or another, that's great, but at least you heard the arguements of others before you made that choice. More often than not, though, you're going to find that what you beleive comes from bits and peices of many sources.
Of course there are certain things that must be gnerally recognized as truth. The fact that there are 17 protons in a Chlorine atom or that a year is 365 days isn't a matter of arguement; its a matter of counting. No one can dispute these facts, and thats what makes them facts. But so much of the information we will deal with in this community project will be things that can be argued such as purpose or value. In these circumstances, it is important to remember that everyone will have their own unique version of the truth, and your's does not have to follow anyone else's. So the "truths" you write about will be fully your's, and it will be up to you to support them and make them convincing.
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