Reflection: The Rise and Fall of Consumer Cultures

This article was absolutely eye-opening for me, and made complete and utter sense.  Of course consumerism is deeply rooted in culture; in our norms, values, beliefs, traditions, etc.  It all makes sense.  As I was reading this article, not only was I astounded (and horrified) by the facts and statistics, but I couldn't help but think of my own consumption and how my own personal beliefs, values and traditions had shaped my levels of consumption.

Growing up, my parents NEVER recycled. I thought it was weird that all of neighbors recycled, but never us...my parents were just not concerned.  Our air conditioning was always kept at a comfortable 75-76 degrees (which meant it was running all day in our 95 degree Florida weather) and we always brushed our teeth with the water running.  Naturally, these same customs became a part of my own personal belief system, and I don't recycle, my air is always kept cold and I still brush with the water running! Am I proud of this? Not now! Especially after reading this article.  

My mom has been telling me since middle school that I need to get a college degree and get a good paying job so that I can live the "American Dream"--to me that means large house, nice car, and any amenities I could wish for. I've always been concerned about making enough money, and I would be lying if I said that making money wasn't one of my ultimate goals in achieving a college degree; however, every now and then I am plagued by a thought: what if, at the end of the day, I've achieved a great job that pays great money, but not a meaningful life? The article mentions that an annual survey of first year college students shows that being well-off financially has trumped developing a meaningful life...and sometimes I worry that I've fallen into this category.

The article also mentions that it will take decades of hard work to change the attitudes and beliefs of our current culture of consumerism, and I can see that this is true, just by examining by own day-to-day life.  It would take hard work and a level of commitment just for me to start recycling and trying to lower other levels of my consumption (such as water and air conditioning)--so trying to get an entire world to change is going to be a monster of a job. Where do we start??

My FGCU Comfy Spot

There is a spot on our campus that I am specifically drawn to, for a couple different reasons.  My "comfy spot" is the seating area directly in front of the library.  This seating area is literally overlooking one of FGCU's lakes and always has seats and tables available, so I don't have to waste time between classes trying to find a seat.  Having the water so close is very peaceful and can be calming, especially before an exam.  

Another great thing about this spot is that it is steps from Starbucks, and I love coffee! So in between classes, I can grab a frappe or a latte, and relax; also, with its close proximity to the library, I can easily go in and use the services offered there and use the internet quickly if I need to.  

Because it is an outdoor space, it is usually warm, which is usually a pleasant reprieve from the ice cold temperatures of most of my college classrooms; and in the winter, there is a nice crispness in the air that is to be enjoyed in this spot (with a steaming Starbucks latte of course).  

Maybe you should check it out for yourself...

My Sense of Place

I am having a hard time answering this question; I think it's because I don't ever remember having a connection between my sense of place and outdoor educational experiences.  I've never felt a strong connection with Florida environment...I hate snakes, alligators and red ants; and I think that in SWFL the landscape is pretty boring, and ugly. The seasons don't really change in appearance, and this really bothers me!  

In the physical sense of the word, I've never really felt that SWFL is my "place"; I was born in Michigan, lived in West Virginia until the 4th grade, and I've lived here in SWFL since the 4th grade. My sense of place is somewhere where the leaves change color and the trees are tall and bushy; where the landscape involves some hills, maybe even mountains.

In the conceptual sense of the word, my sense of place is is in limbo right now; I am a married woman, who works and is a full-time student. Is my sense of place at home? At work? At school? It's a little of each, and to me, none of these are connected to educational experiences in the outdoors.  My job requires me to work inside all day, everyday; and in my entire college career, I don't remember a single significant outdoors educational experience. 

I am excited to see how this class might change my view of SWFL, and maybe even give me a sense of place right here where I've lived for 12 years.  I am interested to see how this class will connect my sense of place and outdoor experiences.

My Expectations and our first class

So, I'm not going to lie...I was pretty much dreading this class. I mean, I am a Senior, in my last semester and put this class off until now. I've heard mixed stories of the course; there were some students I spoke to that absolutely hated the course, thought it should be a Gordon Rule class because of the amount of writing, and couldn't find a single nice thing to say about it.  Then there were those who said it was the easiest "A" they've ever received. I figured out that it depends on the teacher you get for the course! I wrote down names of the hated, and the loved...and I ended up with neither. I've never even heard of Prof. Muldoon! 

At first, I thought it was a bad thing..."man, stuck with a teacher that I have no heads-up about"...however, the more I thought about it, it occurred to me that perhaps it's better that I don't have any pretenses about the teacher of the course; no pre-determined notions, no pre-meeting judgments and biases...maybe I'm over thinking it, but come on. It's my last semester and getting this done the least painful way possible is all that's on my mind. I don't want you to think that I'm looking for easy "A's" because that's definitely not it; I love to be challenged and I am so sick of taking courses that are just full of BS assignments that the teacher themselves don't even seem interested in. What happened to teachers being passionate about what they teach? Seems like most of them have lost this...except Professor Muldoon, which I learned on Wednesday during our first class. 

I came in, in sort of a sour-ish mood (from pure dread I imagine) and he was so upbeat and full of interesting facts that I was instantly fascinated. I tried to remember as much as possible because all I wanted to do was share this information with my husband and my friends; corny? Maybe, but the class has already opened my eyes and made me take my blinders off. Climate change? Over/under population? Peak oil? These are things I normally try to AVOID thinking about. Not anymore!  

My expectations for this course are now EXTREMELY high, thanks to Prof. Muldoon; I'm pretty sure you stated in class "This will be the best class you ever take at FGCU"...that's quite a challenge and I look forward to seeing how this course will leave a lasting impression of my final undergraduate semester at FGCU! 

(Personally, I'm glad that he has already changed my opinion of the course...its so much easier to take a class from 5-9pm that you actually WANT to go to, rather than one you hate.)  :)