Fun at the farm

Up at the O'Claire (/Vitko/Smith) Farm outside of Tolley, ND with the kids this weekend. We spent most of the time inside, but did get out for a bit each day, including Saturday afternoon. This is a pause in the action, but a good bit of time was spent killing monsters, (spiderman/Levi), casting spells (firegirl/Solana), and chasing balls (icedog/Honey)

Journal Entry: Writing for oneself v.s for others (MDS 3001W)

Reflect on how your writing has been different when writing for yourself vs. writing for others. You can reflect on the writing experiences in this class or an experience in your past.

• Do you follow a different process when you are writing for yourself?
• Which is easier for you, writing for yourself or writing for others, and why?
  

  Although it would be easier than writing for others, I don't write for myself. At times in my younger days I kept a journal, but only sporadically. Even my long-standing propensity to create and refer to list has diminished greatly. At this point I write when necessary, or to communicate to many people at once, but I feel strongly that writing is as limited compared to actual face-to-face interaction as texting is limited compared to handwriting letters. I've made a deliberate effort not to write things that could wait to be said in person. I see writing for myself as an even more worthless exercise. To rationalize and calcify my inner experience on paper serves no direct purpose for me, any more than it would help to have a conversation with your sister translated to Cantonese and back between your lips and her ear.

   This class has forced me to do a lot of writing that could be thought of as “for myself.” However, given the rigid constraints on length, subject, and timing, the experience has in no way felt self-directed or self-gratifying, so labeling it “for myself” is meaningless. If you get zero points for taking too long, it's not “for yourself...” The writing in this class has the explicit audience of the instructor, your classmates, and the MDS committee. To find meaning in this writing, I have added another audience in the form of my blog, which I assume will be read primarily by friends and family. I have tried as much as possible to prioritize this audience while meeting the requirements of the assignments. This has, at times, been the only way I could overcome the difficulty I had in writing “for myself” work to be submitted for judgment by a higher authority.

educational autobiography first draught

I wasn't going to post this first draft, but what the heck...


Educational Autobiography

   My first clear memory of my education is coming home from kindergarten at East Consolidated Elementary crying about being bored in school. I started going to a first grade for a couple hours per day, then the decision was made to move me to first grade full time starting after Christmas. I must have been a real brat about it, because my second really clear memory is of my kindergarten teacher sarcastically asking me why I couldn't get my star-shaped Santa stencil lined up to fit on the just-right-sized-square sheet of paper I was to trace it on, if I was so smart.

   I had spent two years in my church's pre-school, back when half days was the only option. So, knowing my alphabet and a bit of counting wasn't too surprising, and moving to first grade made sense. By the middle of second grade, I was ahead of most of my classmates again, and my teacher suggested I take the test to try to get into St. Paul's gifted and talented magnet school, J.J. Hill. I scored high enough on the test, and with a lucky draw I began at J.J. Hill the start of my third grade year.

   Academically, the new school was a great change. Almost without exception my classmates came from well-educated families who valued and participated in their children's educations. And all of them were intelligent. But, the new school was on the other side of town, requiring almost an hour on the bus each morning. My school friends mostly lived miles away, meaning we needed to coordinate with parents every time we did anything outside of school. I had to balance school friends with neighborhood friends, and the two cultures didn't always mesh.

   In sixth grade, J.J. Hill moved to a new building and became Capitol Hill. The new school was housed in the same building as several other programs, the largest of which was a K-8 neighborhood school serving the I-94 and Dale area of St. Paul, one of the poorest parts of the city with a largely African-American student body. Starting in 7^th grade, we had shared electives with Benjamin Mays the last two periods of the day. Although, my first elementary school had a diverse student body, by age 12 I was aware of these differences. While in some cases my experience validated stereotypes, I also learned to see people who were different from me as individuals who didn't neatly fit into generalities.

   In 8^th grade, my family moved to the suburb of Woodbury, MN. I finished 8^th grade in St. Paul then started at Woodbury High School. I was again surrounded by and large by other white, native-born Americans with middle-class or wealthier, educated, involved parents. In Woodbury, there was a large concentration of engineers and scientists from the nearby headquarters of 3M, and their influence was palpable in the culture of the school. Math and sciences were emphasized, especially if you showed aptitude. I remember a guest-speaker from 3M coming in to my AP Chemistry class to talk about careers in engineering. $50k per year to do things that came pretty easily to me, probably in a relatively low-stress environment. How could I argue with that?

   As I began to look at colleges, it was through the lens of an engineering degree. I ended up choosing the University of Minnesota because it had strong engineering departments combined with the lowest cost to me. This decision has had lasting impact in many ways. Perhaps the most far-reaching has been in terms of location. I had never lived anywhere but the Twin Cities, but my college years are when I really fell in love with them. If I had attended college in Madison, Evanston or St. Louis I may have ended up with divided geographical loyalties instead of a strong identification with Minneapolis and St. Paul. Had I broadened my search and ended up in Appleton or Asheville, Morris or Bozeman, who can guess how things would have turned out?

   Through my first four years of college, I made somewhat slow, but fairly steady progress toward a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree. I got an internship through the Mechanical Engineering Co-op program, putting money in my pocket and invaluable experience on my resume. Besides internships and a tendency to take the minimum number of credits, I was slowed by my tendency to take extra elective classes in no furtherance of my degree. In 2002, I took this tendency to the extreme, deciding to study for two semesters in Ecuador through the University of Minnesota's program, Minnesota Studies in International Development. This was expressly for my own interest and would gain me no minor, credit toward my major, nothing. It was also at least consciously – if not expressly – to delay my entry into the world of being an grown-up engineer.

   If I went to Ecuador in part to avoid growing up, I was in for a surprise. Although I had been sensitive to the plight of the less fortunate for as long as I can remember, I had never subjected the systems and beliefs that lead to people being in that situation to serious questioning. In Ecuador I was thrown into the middle of the other end of the economic pyramid from my Mid-Western suburban home. In the classroom and out in the streets, we had long-held beliefs challenged by obvious facts. In a period of five months, I went from a general acceptance of our cultural narrative to a reflexive questioning of every assumption I could identify.

   When I decided to return early to the United States, I did not anticipate the degree of culture shock I would feel. It is easy to know that you will be startled by the unfamiliar, whether it's a strange face or a foreign culture. But, when the familiar looks suddenly unrecognizable, a moment's startle can become completely disorienting. A man who sees himself in the mirror looking older than he ever imagined may find himself suddenly questioning a lot of things. Similarly, when I came back I saw in concrete form some of the actions here that cause such damaging ripples down the economic stream. I struggled to find a new place in my old surroundings. I returned to my internship but quit within months over objections to the business practices of the company.

   Convinced by friends and family not to quit school altogether, I changed from majoring in Mechanical Engineering to an Inter-College Program degree using my previous coursework and a new list of classes from the Philosophy department. While the classes were interesting, I was frustrated by the disinterest of many of my classmates, and overwhelmed by returning to the enormous University of Minnesota after studying in Ecuador in an extremely intimate setting. Mid-way through the semester, I abandoned my classes and left the University.

   Without a degree or a desire for a “real” job, I delivered pizzas, worked construction for a friend's start-up business, and worked at Al's Breakfast near campus. When I learned that I would be a father, I started to think about how to move forward. I set my mind on working for the Postal Service: decent pay and benefits without having to feel like I was lending my talents and energy to a company I objected to. I took the test, but my daughter was born before I heard anything back. My girlfriend and I moved to near Minot, North Dakota to be near her family.

   On the day I was offered a job at the Minot Daily News, I heard from the Post Office in St. Paul. A job as a letter carrier paid twice as much, and I would be eligible to transfer to Minot after 18 months, so I took the job in St. Paul and we moved back. From the beginning of my time at the Postal Service, I took an active role in my union, the National Association of Letter Carriers. My activism continued after we moved back up to Minot. Eventually I became president of the Minot branch, and vice-president of the North Dakota State Association, and was selected to attend an exclusive training academy in Washington, D.C.

   While my future with the NALC seemed bright, my circumstances at the Post Office in Minot were dismal. Three Winters of short-staffing had splintered the membership and turned many carriers against the union. Local managers were powerless to fix problems caused by out-of-touch policies imposed from above. Discussions of leaving the Postal Service, whether to return to school or pursue other options, became more frequent. When my marriage finally fell apart and our house flooded, my decision to return to school and finish my degree was nearly finalized.

   When I contacted the University of Minnesota about my options, I was pointed to the Multidisciplinary Studies program. The flexibility of the program seemed like the best way to incorporate my previous coursework with new classes better suited to my current situation and interests.

Pre-train dinner party?

Another bonus for those of you interested enough to read this stuff:
Here's your invite to come have some food and hang out before I take the train to Minot.
Bring a beer or three if that's what you're into.

Finally seeing High on Stress

I'm giving myself a treat since I've been so "productive" today. So, I'm going to go see my friend Nick Leet's band, High on Stress play at the Fine Line. The plan is to do more homework, but I have a hard time doing homework when somebody I like is trying to talk at me, so feel free to stop by. Also, buy HoS's new album (if it's tomorrow by now):

Journal entry for MdS 3001W

1. This week's journal assignment asks you to write an autobiographical story.  In 3-4 paragraphs, reflect and write about a time when you were in transition. Write about the change that you experienced and your emotional response to it.  Try to break it down into stages if you can. Use Bridges's three stage model and reflect back on what you did.  Use the following questions to guide your writing.
   

1. What was the change that you experienced?
2. What emotions did you experience through the change? Did any of them surprise you?
3. Did you allow yourself time to experience the transition? 
4. If you took your time with it, what did you do to slow yourself down?
5. What did you do for self-care?
6. Did you take action and how so? How did it go? Was is positive or negative in the end?
7. Did you understand your discomfort at the time?
8. Did you see the positive side of things?
9. Did you isolate yourself or rely on others?
10. Did something good come of it? Did new learning emerge from old, disintegrated life?
    

  I am currently at a major transitional point in my life. In the past two years of work life I was elected to be president of my local union branch, selected for an exclusive leadership training program through the union where then stood out as a top performer, decided to quit the post office, and returned to working at Al's breakfast. In the past two years, my wife started two jobs, quickly quit one and slowly quit the other, we slowly argued more and more, then we separated and are now going through a divorce. I went from seeing my kids every day to sometimes not for months. I moved out of my house and still held onto hope of moving back in when it was severely damaged in a flood. I returned to Minneapolis and the U of M, and have changed addresses five times in seven months. My mother-in-law, who I was very close to, died under somewhat questionable circumstances.
  I've experienced a broad range of emotions during this time. None of them has surprised me much, except for how long feelings that seem like they should be gone linger. I have surprised myself at my ability to experience and express such strong and varied emotions pretty healthily (I think!) I have tried to allow myself to experience the transition, but outside forces are continually impeding. I need to work to make money, and school takes a lot of time. It's hard to say “no” when an old friend you haven't seen in years wants to take you out, just because you have homework due in two days or really should take a nap and a bath.
  I have been taking a lot of action, as noted above perhaps more than I should. I think it will be positive in the end, although I need to make sure not to get to settled on a path before I've had sufficient time to explore options. Through this process I have not felt a lot of discomfort. I have always been more comfortable than most with change, chaos, ambiguity, etc. I have really learned through this time to appreciate that ability and use it to understand how it can help me during times like these and more tranquil times. I have done pretty well at seeing the positive side of things, or at least at the cessation of negative things. I am still moving into the “beginnings” phase and defining what the next phase of my life will be, but I feel positive about the options and opportunities I have.
  More than usual I have relied on others. This has probably been the area where I have had to work the hardest. I usually like to work things out for myself, and to be the one that helps others. At this time, even I have needed to reach out to others for a lot of support. Making that reach, and the generosity that has met nearly every request, have been the most rewarding part of my experience so far.

Thoughts on Transition (MDS 3001W)

Here are my posts to the discussion of William Bridges' book Transitions. Again, I'll post the original questions, but not my classmates' responses...

1. Explain what the phrase "anatomy of change" might refer to.
2. What does Bridges mean when he writes, "that adulthood unfolds its promise in a rhythm of expansion and contraction, change and stability?" (p.40)
3. What advice would you give to someone who is going through the Neutral Zone?

1. Anatomy is the study of the structure of plants and animals. Presumably the phrase “anatomy of change” is meant to imply that change has a defined structure that is consistent enough from person to person and situation to situation that studying it can yield useful information. I think that this perspective clearly has some value, the sales of his book must indicate as much. However, I think that this idea can be overemphasized. Adapting to changes in your life, grieving, is not a linear process. Nor is it a half-loop with a beginning and an end and three clear phases. That being said, there are many similarities that are worth examining. In my opinion, hearing personally from people going through or having gone through similar responses to change is more valuable than trying to label and dissect the patterns, at least for the “average Joe.”

2. Bridges asserts that the overarching pattern of stability and change is similar in type, and even to a large extent in details about when and how changes manifest, between most adults. Around certain ages our roles and responsibilities change, and we have to readjust our mindset. The most straight-forward argument for this case is the very common shake-up around age thirty. Bridges refers many times to the rites of passage of many traditional cultures at various turning points in life. To me, this is dramatic evidence for the commonality of these experiences.

3. I am at the classic “age thirty transition,” (I took the Holmes-Rahe stress test and scored 536, without any box to check about a natural disaster destroying my house. Hopefully my "adaptability" strength will let me beat the 9:1 odds that I have a major illness in the next two years!) and still very much in the neutral zone. From inside the neutral zone I don't think I have the perspective to offer advice. Also, I don't like to give advice as a rule, especially in generalities or to someone who hasn't asked for it. With those caveats, I'll answer the question... :)

  Try to become comfortable with the ambiguity and confusion, to recognize it is also an opportunity. Take time to really examine your thoughts and feelings. Do something regularly that doesn't allow for a lot of distractions: yoga, meditation, bubble bath, walk in the woods, whatever. Read Bridges' book and Grieving Mindfully by Sameet Kumar. Appreciate your memories and what you learned from what you've lost without trying to hold on to them. Keep your eyes and heart open to new ideas, ambitions, and opportunities that may arise due to your new situation. Don't be afraid to imagine (and work toward) a path/goal that others say is unrealistic. Surround yourself with supportive people who know how to listen.

	I totally agree. Lately I haven't done it much, but I have a long history of making a big "to do" list of everything I have on my plate (many of them not tasks per se). It's interesting you see that as helpful particularly in the neutral zone, I tend to use that approach more in stable times...

[in response to two posts about people sharing too much on facebook/blogs - why would I have this opinion???] It's a side-point and technically it's next week already, so I want to just let this go, but I feel strongly the other way. I think people feeling comfortable sharing their experiences (even when they are challenging and painful) is extremely important. Holding things isn't healthy, so the question is how to get it out. I wish that everyone had a handful or more of people close enough to take big roles in helping them through tough times, but I don't think that's true. By being "too public" they allow many people to take a small role, which may be all most people are able to take. And, if it makes some people uncomfortable, those people can ignore whatever channel of communication pretty easily. This is in contrast to a situation where a friend calls or shows up at your door, where you alone have to face the responsibility of reacting, and the friend faces the (perhaps for many overwhelming) need to make themselves vulnerable enough to ask for help.

You write, "The forces for most of these changes are building until a certain point is reached and the manifestation of them has to be dealt with." I like that observation, and I want to think more about the idea. It makes me think of (what limited understanding I have of) plate tectonics and earthquakes. Also, does your idea imply that improving someone's ability to make minor course corrections as he or she goes would reduce the build-up and prevent or reduce the severity of the disruption later? Or, are those transition points just built into the human life cycle?

All for the revenue

Congratulations to somebody out there for being the first person to ever click on an ad (as opposed to the Amazon/Indiebound links) on my blog. I'm certainly not trying to encourage people to click on ads just so I can make a few cents. But, since big corporate brother has taken all the time to dig through my blog, your emails, etc. to figure out just what you want to be sold, you may just want to consider that they know better than you. What you do from there is really none of my business, so to speak...

Doomtree blowout

Last night I bought tickets to Thursday, Friday and Saturday of Doomtree's Blowout concert series. Why there are still tickets available is beyond me, but I would highly recommend you buy them soon. (I did miss out on two other nights I'd like to go to, if you've got an extra ticket to Sunday or Tuesday let me know). I've developed a possibly pathological tendency to listen to almost nothing else, yet have never had the opportunity to see Doomtree live, so I'm pretty excited...

In related news

Speaking of climate change vs. culture change (framed very differently, however), check out Naomi Klein's new column.

Climate change essay (ESPM 3011W)

  Time is short to act to avert climate change so extreme that no reasonable predictions can be made about what its effects would be, for humans or for the world as a whole. Yet, more time on the most popular news shows is devoted to the few holdout scientists who doubt either the magnitude or the cause of climate change than to the few brave scientists willing to risk their careers to speak publicly about their incredible fears about what is in store if we don't act decisively. Each potential solution is subjected to a cost-benefit analysis as if a growing economy is more important than (or can even exist without) a planet with somewhat near its current capacity to sustain life. Often, solutions are at the same time too timid to be likely to succeed, and to radical to have any chance to be passed into law. Real solutions to the climate crisis will not be found until our society and culture re-imagine the beliefs that guide our actions. In Albert Einstein's famous words, “We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” Real solutions to the climate crisis will not be possible without a cultural transformation of how we view the world and our place in it.
  Just as a fish cannot perceive the water in which it swims, people generally have a difficult time identifying the assumptions and shared beliefs that form the foundation of their ethical and moral judgments. In modern, western nations, these assumptions include a strong belief in the scientific method, atomism, a view that humans are categorically different than other animals, and a belief that economic growth should be pursued as a first principle. Although their origins seems to be in the west, most of these ideas hold great sway across the world, at least amongst the ruling elite. Whether the individuals involved are consciously aware of these beliefs (or more precisely that they are in fact beliefs about which others can and do hold other views) or not, their effects are felt throughout the world and will be felt for ages to come, through climate change and other impacts of humans armed with technological powers exceeded only by their hubris. An alternative way of viewing the world can be understood through both The Soul of an Indian, by Ohiyesa, and The Land Ethic, by Aldo Leopold. Both argue for an essentially ecocentric approach to ethics.
  The power and proper role of science are questioned in both The Soul of an Indian and The Land Ethic. Ohiyesa is willing to accept things the way they are – accepting the wonders and miracles without seeking scientific explanation. “We do not chart and measure the vast field of nature or express her wonders in the terms of science; on the contrary, we see miracles on every hand – the miracle of life in seed and egg, the miracle of death in a lightning flash and in the swelling deep!” (85). Leopold, as to be expected, sees a bigger role for science. However, he recognizes that the pyramid of living things benefits from minimal scientific intervention. “The less violent the man-made changes, the greater the probability of successful re-adjustment in the pyramid” (220).
  Atomism is the idea that minute, discrete, finite and indivisible elements are the ultimate constituents of all matter. This idea is fundamental to modern, scientific approaches to understanding the world: Biology rests on the chemicals in our brains and bodies. Chemistry, in turn, can only be understood by through the physics of the sub-atomic particles. Although both Oyinesa and Leopold would likely accept that there is an element of truth to that view, they realize that despite being made of billions of tiny building blocks, the essential nature of things is something different and far greater. In Oyinesa's words, “We believe that the spirit pervades all creation... The tree, the waterfall, the grizzly bear, each is an embodied Force, and as such an object of reverence” (88). Leopold shows a similar, although less overtly spiritual, understanding when describing the land, “Land then, is not merely soil; it is a fountain of energy flowing through a circuit of soils, plants, and animals” (216).
  The idea that humans are separate and categorically different from other living things is perhaps the idea most directly challenged by both Oyinesa and Leopold. Oyinesa's conveys this directly, “The Spirit of God is not breathed into humans alone, but that the whole created universe shares in the immortal perfection of its Maker” (88). “We never claimed that the power of articulate speech is proof of superiority over 'dumb creation'; on the other hand, it is to us a perilous gift” (87). The idea that humans must take a different role in the community of life is central to Leopold's argument. “In short, a land ethic changes the role of Homo Sapiens from conqueror of the land-community to plain member and citizen of it. It implies respect for his fellow-members, and also respect for the community as such” (204).
  Economic growth is inherently problematic, and pursuing it given our current situation regarding climate alone should be considered unethical. Long before the specific effects of pursuing endless growth were visible, Oyinesa recognized the danger. “To us, as to other spiritually-minded people in every age and race, the love of possessions is a snare, and the burdens of a complex society a source of needless peril and temptation” (89). Leopold saw with more precision the perils of making decisions with economic growth as the goal. “One basic weakness in a conservation system based wholly on economic motives is that most members of the land community have no economic value. … birds should continue as a matter of biotic right, regardless of the presence or absence of economic advantage to us” (210-211).
  Catastrophic climate change is only one of many “environmental” threats we face early in the 21st century. Though the details vary, the ultimate cause of these problems lies in our culture. We view science as the ultimate arbiter of Truth, while ignoring its weaknesses and inherent biases against things like subjectivity and anything that can't be replicated easily. We look, usually to science, for answers to problems based on the interactions of tiny constituent pieces, rather than focusing on things at the level of community and ecosystem. We view ourselves as the pinnacle species, with a right or even obligation to shape the world to for our immediate benefit, instead of just another member of the world community with an obligation the life all around us. We seek to grow our way out of every problem, ignoring the simple and unavoidable fact that on a finite planet, our consumption and population must both be finite as well. Only when these underlying beliefs are disrupted will collective action on the necessary scale become possible.
  If the above argument is correct, and the key to ethically and successfully facing the climate crisis is to dramatically change our cultural understanding of the world and our place in it, then the question becomes, “How?” In short, who knows? But, this may be one of the exceptions to the rule that actions speak louder than words. Or perhaps more precisely, actions alone are not loud enough, we must also speak loudly about our actions, and our reasons for taking those actions. Changing the stories that guide our lives and form our culture is, obviously, a daunting task. I believe there is no way to plan out an agenda for such a project. The only way to succeed is to try, to be persistent, and to learn as you go.

MDS degree proposal - two sections

 Goal Statement

I am proposing a Bachelor of Science degree in Multidisciplinary Studies from the College of Continuing Education at the University of Minnesota. My three areas of study will be Science and Health Science; History and Social Sciences, and communication. These areas are connected because they are, respectively, the three ways which I have sought to solve problems and make a positive impact in the world around me.

My goal, quite simply, is to complete my degree. When I left the University the first time, I swore I would not return until I had a tangible need for the piece of paper. I broke that promise to myself because I am currently at a major crossroads in my life, and this degree will serve to clear paths and open doors so that the major decisions I face can be made with as few artificial limitations as possible. While lack of a degree is not a barrier to anything I currently wish to pursue, there is no guarantee that when I do want my degree I will have such a ready opportunity to finish it.

I began my university studies as a Mechanical Engineering major, less because I had a passion for the material (or college at all) than because I had an aptitude for a subject many find difficult, and because that aptitude promised an easy path to an upper-middle-class living if I turned it into a career in engineering. The basic undergraduate Mechanical Engineering curriculum will form the basis of my Science and Health Science area of study.

The Mechanical Engineering curriculum leaves little room courses outside the major and required liberal education requirements. Despite that, I continually sought out additional classes, particularly in social sciences. This eventually led to my decision to study abroad in Ecuador. In returning to school, I have seriously considered pursuing an advanced degree in psychology or law. To that end, I took several social science classes this fall. Social Sciences is the portion of my degree that spans the two portions of my education. The investigation of people – their motivations, their follies and their triumphs – has grabbed my interest in a way that investigating technical challenges never did.

While I may some day find enough focus for my curiosity to follow it to social science research, for now I am much more content to try to keep up with the myriad of wonderful work others are doing, and to try to share some of it with a wider audience. To that end, my third area will be communications with a focus on writing.

I am standing at a crossroads in my life. I do not have a clear intent for where I will live or work a year from now. I do know that many of the roads at this particular junction are currently closed to me. Many jobs will not accept applicants without a bachelor’s degree. Graduate schools, obviously, have a strict requirement that you complete your undergraduate degree first. Although many of the things that have brought me to this crossroads were difficult, I am grateful for this opportunity to imagine a new path for my life. By opening more avenues, my Bachelor of Science degree in Multidisciplinary Studies will allow my imagination the freedom to roam and find a road that suits me perfectly.

Section III: Coursework Section

The areas of study I have selected are Science and Health Science; History and Social Sciences; and Communication. Science and Health Science looks to use the scientific method to understand and improve the physical and biological world. The Social Sciences use similar methods and apply them to interactions among and between humans and groups of humans. Communication, especially writing, allows us to convey the ideas learned in other areas to the wider community.

Science and Health Science

Science and Health Science is just what it sounds like: biology, chemistry, physics, public health, and in my case, engineering. These subjects seek to understand how the bits and pieces of the world work together, and how they can be controlled and manipulated for. Today's science is immensely powerful, and its way of looking at the world is extremely influential. I took the classes in this area when I was majoring in mechanical engineering, my original major. After studying abroad, I no longer viewed engineering as a discipline where I could do helpful and interesting things, but a discipline whose fundamental assumptions and values give rise to many of the problems humanity faces today. Given the large number of completed credits and my short time-line to major and degree completion, I am requesting a waiver from the requirement of a new class in the Science and Health Science area.

Course # Title Credits Grade

ME 3321 Thermodynamics 4.00 A-

AEM 3031 Deformable Body Mechanics 3.00 C-

EE 3005 Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering 4.00 C

IE 4521 Statistics, Quality and Reliability 4.00 A-

ME 3322 Heat and Fluid Flow 4.00 C

IE 5553 Simulation 4.00 B+

Total 23.00

I began at the University of Minnesota studying mechanical engineering. I took all of the courses in this area during my original enrollment immediately after high school. ME 3321, Thermodynamics, and ME 3322, Heat and Fluid Flow, were a two-class series on all aspects of thermodynamics and fluids relevant to a mechanical engineer. This could range from heat conducting from a surface to air through a duct or water through a pipe.

EE 3005, Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering taught us about the basics of electronics. We analyzed circuits, and calculated voltage, resistance and power. In the laboratory, we used multi-meters and electronic components to put our knowledge to work. In AEM 3031, Deformable Body Mechanics, we learned about all of the forces inside of objects. Stress and strain, torsion and tension, bending and buckling. We learned about beams of different cross-sections, and how shafts react to rotation.

In IE 4521, Statistics, Quality, and Reliability, we learned to apply statistical models to engineering problems. Starting with simple ideas like permutations and coin flips, we eventually learned to perform powerful statistical analyses. In IE 5553, Simulation, we put that knowledge to use. We used statistical models and sophisticated software to create models of different complex systems. In our final project we modeled an entire manufacturing facility for maximum efficiency.

History and Social Science

History and Social Science seek to understand the way people interact with each other. From historians studying ancient Greek political intrigue, to psychologists studying rats, they're all trying to answer the same basic question: “What makes us tick?” Social science was the lens through which I first began to question my decision to pursue engineering. Half of my social science classes took place during my study abroad in Ecuador. When I returned to school, they were a main focus for me. While I don't currently intend to pursue further studies in social sciences, if I ever do return to school that is a very likely destination for me.

Course # Title Credits Grade

GLOS 4801 International Development: Theory/Practice 4.00 A

GLOS 4802 Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Work 4.00 A

GLOS 4803 MSID Country Analysis 4.00 A

PSY 3135 Introduction to Individual Differences 3.00 IP

PSY 3604 Introduction to Abnormal Psychology 3.00 IP

SOC 4521 Love, Sex and Marriage 3.00 IP

Total 21.00

Studying abroad with the University of Minnesota's Minnesota Studies in International Development (MSID) in Ecuador was a sudden immersion in the perspective of social sciences after just dabbling in similar courses, mostly lower division, before studying abroad. Although, GLOS 4801, International Development: Theory/Practice, GLOS 4802, Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Work, and GLOS 4803, MSID Country Analysis, are listed as three separate classes on my transcript, as presented there was no distinction between separate classes. The MSID curriculum was presented by a variety of local professors, activists and ordinary people. We learned about the specific history of development in Ecuador, and how Ecuador's history could be related to wider trends. We studied local culture and how that culture can conflict with modern, western worldviews. Most jarring to me, we saw first-hand the downstream effects of the advanced technological economy. We completed internships with organizations working to stanch the bleeding and reverse damage. These new truths were hard for me to integrate, especially once I returned to Minnesota. I switched to a course load heavy in philosophy my first semester back, then dropped out altogether in the middle of that semester.

When I decided to return to school, I decided to focus on social sciences for my remaining classes. Once I had decided to return to school, it became easy to imagine pursuing an advanced degree. At the time I registered, this seemed as likely as anything so that is how I chose three social science classes for Fall 2001. SOC 4521, Love, Sex and Marriage, explores how views and customs surrounding intimate relationships has changed over the years, and how they vary between countries. The role of social groups in forming these views is a special focus. I am currently going through a divorce and taking an academic look at some of the issues I'm facing has been very valuable. PSY 3135, Introduction to Individual Differences, explores how different people vary in terms of personality, intelligence, and other measures. This has been a very interesting class because much of psychology seeks to lump people together find universals, individual differences seeks to find the nature and source of what makes each of us unique. My final Social Science class is PSY 3604, Introduction to Abnormal Psychology. This class teaches about the entire range of mental illnesses from depression to schizophrenia. Although other areas of psychology hold more interest for me, this is the first thing many people think of when they hear, “psychology.” Having a basic overview of this area will probably make it much easier to connect some social science ideas to people's existing understanding.

Communication

Communication is fundamental to everything we do. In some ways, our extraordinary ability to communicate is the most distinctive thing setting humans apart from the rest of the animal kingdom! Despite it's centrality to being human, a lot of learning can go toward communication. By learning to speak and write more clearly, we can better share our ideas with others. The communications classes I took were primarily writing intensive classes in areas I was otherwise interested in.

Course # Title Credits Grade

ME 4054W Design Projects 4.00 B+

SOC 3211W Race Relations 3.00 B+

FOST 3040 Study Abroad 4.00 A

PHIL 3601W Scientific Thought 4.00 C-

ESPM 3011W Ethics in Natural Resources 3.00 IP

MDS 3001W Introduction to Multidisciplinary Studies 3.00 IP

Total 21.00

ME 4054W, Design Projects, is the capstone design class in the mechanical engineering curriculum. In my project we used simulation modeling to help a company re-arrange its equipment in the process of moving to a new location. Although the writing intensive portion came from our report, the most important communication lessons I learned came from the experience of trying to find a common language and understanding between twenty-year-old college students and thirty-year proprietors of a family-run manufacturing business. SOC 3211W, Race Relations, helped me learn to communicate about sensitive topics. Perhaps no other topic has more potential to cause instant animosity than race. Through speaking and writing about race I learned to think carefully about how others might hear my words.

In Ecuador, I learned to truly communicate in another language. FOST 3040, Study Abroad, was the formal Spanish class I took. This class varied from any at the University of Minnesota because I only had five other students in my class. This meant a lot of opportunity to be engaged in speaking and listening. Of course, this was only the formal part of my Spanish learning. Most of my learning came through interacting with people around me.

Upon returning from Ecuador, I struggled to understand the relationship between my previous experiences and my new views of the world. PHIL 3601W, Scientific Thought, was the class that most directly helped me understand this relationship. Since the renaissance, western peoples have increasingly viewed the world around them through the lens of science. This has many implications for how we treat the natural world and each other, and how we react to problems that arise. These issues are some of the most difficult to communicate because they are so imbedded in people's world view.

This fall I am taking two more writing intensive classes. ESPM 3011W, Ethics in Natural Resources, is a required class for majors in natural resources majors. Most of the students in the class are traditional students, in their early twenties. In this class I have learned a lot about how to communicate with younger people, whom I have felt alienated from since returning from Ecuador. I have also had the opportunity to see several guest speakers and be exposed to their unique communication styles. Finally, the class through which I have produced this paper. MDS 3001W, Introduction to Multidisciplinary Studies, has forced me to write in a way I never have had to before. Journal entries and this proposal required opening my introspection to the wider world in a way that stretched my comfort zone. Finding consensus discussion answers starting with a variety of viewpoints could not happen without working hard to find common ground. Finally, fitting my experience, situation, and vision into the constraints of the MDS program strained my low tolerance for artificial structure and arbitrary rules. All of these challenges, successfully faced, will help me immeasurably going forward.

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