Critical Question #2 // What sustains communities?

Community is a word that means lots of things. To some it might be a sense of togetherness, others the idea of a group who share common interests and goals.

To me, sustainability means we can live efficiently, without waste for a long time. Like the word itself explains, it is the power to sustain (for as long as possible).

This essay may be brief, but I’ll get to the point. Communities can only function as long as their members are passionate and straightforward. Without passion, all we have is a group of people with ideas they can’t get started on.  This passion also takes initiative. Without the passion or initiative to give ideas a boost, nothing begins. Ideas stay ideas. They don’t become reality.

This brings me to the second step. Realism. Straightforwardness. Though Divergent thinking may be the key to finding good ideas, we need to remember there are limits. Whether these constraints are economical or physical, knowing our limits and maybe staying inside the box means we can work effectively. Get things done. Heck, we can get more done!

But hold on, hold on. Divergent thinking but staying in the box?? What’s going on there? The best way to plan and take action effectively and efficiently is to use your divergent thinking skills to find an idea. The perfect idea. Then we use our realism to decide whether this idea is within our constraints. Maybe it isn’t! Head back to that initial thinking and find an alternative which is just as out there and creative! So now we’ve got our idea, and we know we can do it! Last we can use our passion (let’s not forget about it!) and take action!!

How to Get Your Community Going // Summary:

• Use divergent thinking to find an idea
• Use your sense of realism to plan or figure out whether your goals are achievable
• *If you know you can’t achieve your goals, head back to that divergent thinking to find a creative, achievable alternative* “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.” – Samuel Beckett
• Now, use that passion and take ACTION!!

(Sorry for the lack of evidence, I was away for most of sustainability week)

One BIG Reflection // World Around Us, Ethics Weeks

The World Around Us

How did this week give you a new [possibly real-world] perspective on traditional subjects?

Saw a bit of what regional life and schools are like.

What was it like to study through a Galileo-filter?

W H A T   I S   A    G A L I L E O    F I L T E R ?

What did you discover about life outside of the city?

Schools are really well maintained, there’s minimal litter

How was your experience in Leongatha?

I really enjoyed it. I would’ve preferred to document it more but nonetheless it was enjoyable!

Ethics

What was your standout experience this week?

I really enjoyed the ethics of sex trail!

Do you have any new insights into the nature of ethics and your own personal code of conduct?

Definitely!! Though I was a ware of most things we discussed on trail, I still found the experience great! Also it was cool to get a better understanding of others’ ethical reasoning.

How is your team doing in terms of preparation for the Options Trail next week?

We’re almost ready. We just need to organise a few details such as small tokens of appreciation and recording devices.

 

Are you facing any challenges? If so, how could you overcome them?

The fact that Patrick is leaving next week will be difficult. Also incorporating Daniel into our team work style too.

Week 5 // Liveability Week

above: jane’s bioblitz trail group 😀

quick note: my critical question #2 is on its way! i’ve been a bit busy lately..

How was it settling back in to the rhythm of school post camp [or post break]?

Pretty easy, even though I didn’t go, I think most things are back to normal. A few inside jokes though TT,TT

Have you noticed any changes to the way Brookes relate to one another – are you closer, more comfortable with each other, or are friendships more defined?

Yeah, everyone definitely gets along much better. Once again, though I wasn’t at camp things are still going just as well for me !

How liveable do you think your suburb is? What would make it more or less liveable for you?

My suburb is ranked around 236 and personally its quite surprising seeing as Aberfeldie (which is less than 8 minutes away) ranked 4th. Though things like the airport and distance from the CBD have positive AND negative aspects to them, my suburb’s overall liveability is not bad. It’s safe, clean, quiet and mostly residential. But I may not be the best judge of that as I technically live on the border of 3 suburbs. But like we discussed in the suburb liveability session, for some home is simply a place to kick back at the end of the day. For me, personally, I go to school, meet friends and spend a lot of my down time in the city rather than at home.

What are your hopes for the remainder of the term? Which skills, areas of knowledge and personal qualities do you want to keep working towards?

I want to focus a lot more on teamwork and leadership. Less by being the leader and hopefully more as the moderator. I want to be able to keep moving forward in a way that my team project group can get along better.

Week 4 // Camp Week

 How was your week? What was a standout moment for you?

My standout moment for the week was being elected as the 2015 Vice President of the University High School SRC. The rest of my week was spent awkwardly dropping into school to finish my 2014 Secretarial duties. I also enjoyed spending some time with my friends Leo, Quynh & Sara. I spent Friday afternoon with my friend Cam and then the evening at a Halloween movie night at my friend Juliet’s place.

What kind of experiences have you had that have challenged you? How have you found the strength to overcome these challenges?

I haven’t really felt very challenged this week. I got plenty of work done and got to spend some more quality time with my parents.