These last two weeks I have been so busy trying to study for mid-terms so I really have not put as much work into my project as I would like to. Although my project has not progressed to level it should, I have decided to that I will use the organization Invisible Children as a platform for change. I made this decision based on a lot of the comments I received that expressed concerns about my effectiveness with such a big issue. I agree that tackling this problem is sort of overwhelming but it is the problem I am most passionate about. In week four when we were deciding on a project I could not think of anything that would make me insanely happy to participate in. After I evaluated all the different problems I figured most people would try to impact, the genocide taking place in Africa was dearest to my heart. I believe that Invisible Children is a good outlet because they have already had success with building school in Uganda and raising an ample amount of money. The organization also has many political connections that have been beneficial in invoking change in Africa. Each year Invisible Children even sends students or volunteers to Africa and I think this is an awesome opportunity to have some hands on experience and impact. I will be contacting the organization to see if a show can be done on campus, that way Xavier students can get plugged into the cause quickly. I have seen the video footage supporting the cause and it is amazing. And even if a person does not feel inclined to be completely involved one can purchase a shirt, bracelet or video and the proceeds go to helping the crisis in Africa. So I will be doing more updating on this very soon and sorry I didn’t have more done.
My professional goals are to become a pharmacist and I think that this class will impact my career in several ways. In the field of pharmacy there is the possibility to work in the lab, pharmaceutical sales, or retail to name a few. I believe that this class will diversify my knowledge, which will be very instrumental in the retail and sales aspect of pharmacy. Retail requires a great deal of involvement with customers of all races because illness and pain do not discrimination. Many of the customers I come in contact with will have various religious practices and thereby having different viewpoints. So, this class will help me understand the protocol and ideas of these religions, making me more effective in my profession. For example, the Jewish culture which we have touched on in lecture has some practitioners with strict dietary plans. Knowledge of their culture will help me relate to their need better and also provide better advice on what should or should not be consumed with certain medication. In class we also learned that the Ten Commandments in the Jewish bible are slightly different sequentially; so if I have a conversation about the commandments with a customer and am knowledgeable about the differences the customer will feel more comfortable. Also, many of the doctors in the United States represent many different religious backgrounds. In pharmaceutical sales knowing how to impress and intrigue a doctor in very important to one’s success; if a doctor is interested in the sales person than he will be prone to buying and prescribing the product being advocated. This class also gives a lot of insight in to history. Historical writings like the Enuma Elish help understand creation and mood of certain time periods. In fact the bible is compiled of historical findings. In my pursued profession having historical knowledge of ancient beginnings and of different tribes can be useful. Medicine has certainly evolved throughout history but by understanding ancient tribes insight on herbs or treatments they used can be gained and possibly used. History of certain tribes can also be valuable in understanding various diseases that plagued and possibly wiped out large numbers of people. Personally I have always wanted to spend time in Africa after I graduate to do medicinal work. This class allows me to learn the countries geography and the religious aspects found in different regions of the country. Through knowledge of the country I will be able to decide what region I would to carry out my work in. We have also learned location of temples, land, and artifacts important to Christianity which also important to me. Most importantly this class allows me to think critically and formulate meaningful opinions about religion. As we have learned a lot of religious beliefs and events are based on faith and human authors’ not solid factual evidence. Through Dr. Homan’s lecture I can learn the facts about what we know is true versus what has evolved into a belief and is not necessarily true. Then I can decide based on the things I have learned what is true and has personal meaning instead of just believing what I am told by ministers. There is not a right or wrong interpretation and all one can do is find self meaning in each one thereby determining its personal accuracy. Using this class to think critically and understand my own opinions will aid me in being a confident pharmacist.
Feminist criticism is a useful tool because it clarifies a culture’s view of women at the time the piece is written. Looking at writing from a feministic point of view can also give one insight into treatment of women presently. For example, feminist critics would conclude that the role of women in the bible has drastically affected the mindset of society. In the bible women never really had any position of authority with a few exceptions and were always behind the scenes cooking and having lots of kids. Recently mindsets have changed a little but many people including women still feel that it is there duty to have cook, clean and have children. In the Muslim interpretation of the bible they believe that their women should be covered up so here is another way a feminist critic would say the bible has affected women.
I did better than I expected on the mid-term because some of the material covered I drew a blank on and was completely clueless. But don’t be fooled my grade was not satisfactory in my eyes but it could have been a lot worse. I will definitely be taking it over.

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 21st, 2007 at 3:31 am and is filed under Week 06: Related Readings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.