Blog Entry 1 - First Impressions

Before entering this course, I didn't really know what to expect. I had always heard people talking about the class, but I had no idea what it was actually about. I asked a couple of my friends who had taken it before, and they said it's pretty much like the Foundations of Civic Engagement, which was a course I had already taken. After the first few days of Colloquium, I noticed that while it is somewhat similar to Civic Engagement, it is also distinctly different. The basic idea behind both classes is about the same; put people from various backgrounds and majors together, and have them consider matters they might not otherwise sit back and think about. In Civic Engagement the focus was more about the status of human affairs across the world, and wanting to help those that are less fortunate. It was considered selfish for one to go about life caring about nothing but himself and his immediate family members and thinking nothing of those who have had struggles. In comparison, based on what I have learned in Colloquium so far, the focus seems to be more about wanting people to consider the state of the environment as they live their lives. While it was once considered possible to live the "American Dream" while not needing to worry about the rainforests or the atmosphere, that is no longer the case today. As the human population around the world continues to increase, it becomes necessary to realize that resources are limited and must be distributed in smarter ways to prevent shortages. It is also important to keep in mind that humans aren't the only living things on the planet, and that we must consider other forms of life as well, some of which are now threatened (and heading towards extinction) unless things change. With the planet and the societies that live on it changing in ways that could not even have been imagined just half a century ago, I can understand why the University would want us to take both of these courses.