Voices of the Animas
This project was to start out the year showing the student how many different perspectives there can be about one situation. We read through many articles, talked to many people, and in this process we found how controversial an issue can be. We used StoryCorps to put all those perspectives in physical form. The community has been searching for a way to understand what happened, what the Juniors at Animas High School did with this project was try to make this issue more understandable.
During the month or so that we researched the river spill I found many perspectives. There was a way to approach the issue scientifically and rather than seeing the emotions, people could see a research based issue. There were those that felt they had lost such a great friend that it was hard to see past the heartbreak of what happened. I learned that there is not one right way to look at this issue. The issue is complex and still after months of research I have not found one solution that I agree with. I believe that this project was supposed to show the students how complex an issue can be and teach us how to open our minds to new ideas.
In the interviews and the whole project I learned what the river meant to certain individuals. I learned how the Native American people believe the River is alive, I learned how the Silverton High students do not support Superfund, I learned about the EPA and what they do in society. The interviews gave everyone a chance to be heard, this was an issue that impacted our whole community, naturally there was high emotion. I observed the interviewees expressing gratefulness for letting their ideas and feeling to be heard.
During the exhibition I further saw how important this issue was to the community. I also believe that those who listened to the interviews developed a greater understanding of the different opinions in this community. Those who came the exhibition were curious to see how a group of high school students portrayed a serious community event. I think that the exhibition showed how great the impact was on not only the adults in this community, but the kids, both young and older. Just getting the ideas out into the community is important. Whether or not the participants gained different opinions from the project is beside the point. Hopefully the ideas were accepted and provoked curiosity.
This project has taught me how to be open minded about the world. I am very headstrong and this project has shown me how learning both sides, talking a walk in someone else’s shoes, can open the world to so much learning. Before this project I did not know much about the river spill, I still had an opinion. I thought the EPA and the lousy government was to blame, after this research i have discovered that there is so much more. Coming from DHS this project really opened my mind to other opinions and showed me how complex the world is.
https://storycorps.me/interviews/voices-from-the-animas-animas-high-school-student-celia-hale-and-teri-nuhn-and-lucinda-long-webb/
https://storycorps.me/?s=voices+from+the+animas&post_type=interviews
During the month or so that we researched the river spill I found many perspectives. There was a way to approach the issue scientifically and rather than seeing the emotions, people could see a research based issue. There were those that felt they had lost such a great friend that it was hard to see past the heartbreak of what happened. I learned that there is not one right way to look at this issue. The issue is complex and still after months of research I have not found one solution that I agree with. I believe that this project was supposed to show the students how complex an issue can be and teach us how to open our minds to new ideas.
In the interviews and the whole project I learned what the river meant to certain individuals. I learned how the Native American people believe the River is alive, I learned how the Silverton High students do not support Superfund, I learned about the EPA and what they do in society. The interviews gave everyone a chance to be heard, this was an issue that impacted our whole community, naturally there was high emotion. I observed the interviewees expressing gratefulness for letting their ideas and feeling to be heard.
During the exhibition I further saw how important this issue was to the community. I also believe that those who listened to the interviews developed a greater understanding of the different opinions in this community. Those who came the exhibition were curious to see how a group of high school students portrayed a serious community event. I think that the exhibition showed how great the impact was on not only the adults in this community, but the kids, both young and older. Just getting the ideas out into the community is important. Whether or not the participants gained different opinions from the project is beside the point. Hopefully the ideas were accepted and provoked curiosity.
This project has taught me how to be open minded about the world. I am very headstrong and this project has shown me how learning both sides, talking a walk in someone else’s shoes, can open the world to so much learning. Before this project I did not know much about the river spill, I still had an opinion. I thought the EPA and the lousy government was to blame, after this research i have discovered that there is so much more. Coming from DHS this project really opened my mind to other opinions and showed me how complex the world is.
https://storycorps.me/interviews/voices-from-the-animas-animas-high-school-student-celia-hale-and-teri-nuhn-and-lucinda-long-webb/
https://storycorps.me/?s=voices+from+the+animas&post_type=interviews