Week 12
1130 words by kandrej111
When I come to Louisiana, New Orleans, Xavier University, and parts all over; I’ve come to realize the diversity among the people in every community. After trying to provide a place where people could come to pick up trash, I realized that many people would enjoy the idea, others would reject this idea, and others would try all that is in their power to stop the progress of this idea. The first place I tried to provide a trash been, was the Magnolia Discount, which is located next to McDonalds on Carrolton ave. This is a place that needs the most cleaning up, and I thought it would be the best place, but this was a complete failure. I stood out there with a table, that the daiquiri shop provided, and posted a sign on the front with two small trash bins on the side of the table. I think because this is a place where people go to party and get drunk, they are not too impressed with collecting trash, and keeping their environment clean. I thought that maybe after the damage that hurricane Katrina brought, I would expect more people to participate in the project. People walked by and laughed, while others that were drunk, threw cigarette buds in front of the table while drinking on the curb where I was posted. This is when I started to think that a Friday is not the best day to present this project to the people who go to this particular store. I questioned the euthenics of the project, and tried to consider other alternatives. I realized that many of these people I expected would participate, were drunk, or in the process of getting drunk, so after thirty minutes of embarrassment, I just left. I felt that there was no need to sit in front of this store while people walked by and criticized me about a project that I thought would really work. I started to think that this was an environment that I could not actually get any work done or any results period so with my two trash bins and this big table, I just left. After much consideration, I did not want to give up that easy, and I did not want to present a false project to my professor, or to my classmates, so I went out there again. This time I went in the day time on Monday. Again I borrowed the table and trash bins from the shop, and stood out there with my table. This time I changed my concept a little more, and added more people to help with this project I just could not seem to manage. In the day time, there was more appreciation for what we were trying to do and we actually had a little participation. There were people who had purchased things out the store, and threw the remaining wrappers in the trash. I thought we were experiencing a different city at this point. When people slowly began to come along and we were actually getting people to participate in our project, we started running around the parking lot forcing people to participate; and throw papers away, trash, or anything people had in their car. This experience that was once a draining and a boring experience became an interesting event. I think with the help and participation of the people, I started to enjoy this project just a little bit more. I believe Jesus is considered counter culture because the way he present himself to his prophets, and the messages that he present. Counter culture is considered to be the social norms which are compared to the mainstream norms. Jesus is the mainstream norm, but within the corrupt community the negativity took over what is considered mainstream. The violence, the aggression, and other norms that are presented are now entitled to be the social norm. I think Jesus may be considered to the social norm because of the punishments of his teachings. My project presents a type of counter culture because although there is a lack of good citizens in the world, there is an also good person too. There are people who produce small organizations, and programs where they recycle bottles, and throw away excess trash. People who throw trash away out the community could relate to this project also. I think that this project should produce a social norm within the world, and display motivation for people all over the world to do well within the community and provide a better place for us all. This is an opportunity to clean up the streets. People display so many ‘re-new Orleans” and “clean the streets” signs on the back of their cars, and posted within the schools, so I felt that the lack of the participation was something that we should not have experience during the first time we set out to receive participation. I know that many people want to clean up the streets, but many people do not want to help in the process. Littering and graphitic are prime examples of what need to be cleaned up but with the project, I am not sure that we would see this change. Which are compared to the mainstream norms. Jesus is the mainstream norm, but within the corrupt community the negativity took over what is considered mainstream. The violence, the aggression, and other norms that are presented are now entitled to be the social norm. I think Jesus may be considered to the social norm because of the punishments of his teachings. My project presents a type of counter culture because although there is a lack of good citizens in the world, there is an also good person too. There are people who produce small organizations, and programs where they recycle bottles, and throw away excess trash. People who throw trash away out the community could relate to this project also. I think that this project should produce a social norm within the world, and display motivation for people all over the world to do well within the community and provide a better place for us all. This is an opportunity to clean up the streets. People display so many ‘re-new Orleans” and “clean the streets” signs on the back of their cars, and posted within the schools, so I felt that the lack of the participation was something that we should not have experience during the first time we set out to receive participation. I know that many people want to clean up the streets, but many people do not want to help in the process. Littering and graphitic are prime examples of what need to be cleaned up but with the project, I am not sure that we would see this change.