Poverty Simulation
Going in to the poverty simulation, I thought that it was going to be a quick and simple event that I could fulfill this assignment with. Coming out of the poverty simulation, I was shocked by the impact it had on me. For the simulation, we were given an identity that we had to become for 2 hours and we were given backstories and income of that identity. With what we were given, we needed to manage resources, feed ourselves, pay required bills. In two short hours, I learned so much about the difficulties of impoverished people. I often found myself rushing from place to place with little time in between to unwind, and I had to deal with being taken advantage of by others, and struggling to pay basic utility bills. I also learned about what I can do to help these people. Through this experience, I feel like I learned how to be more compassionate and am more understanding of their situation.
International Festival
My Elementary School hosted a lot of International Festivals, so I'm not a stranger to them. However, because I was so young I never stopped and appreciated the amount of culture that is jam packed into one of these events. This time around, I went with the intention of taking something from it. I was able to try exotic foods and beverages, look at accessories from foreign countries, and examine the lifestyles of people from other nations. Because of this, I feel like I am a more open minded citizen.