Going into our communications class, I imagined the structure would replicate an extended socratic seminar. I knew the basics of communication, but since the first lesson, I’ve discovered its true significance. With a focus on civic engagement, our communications class has delved into important topics of civic participation. Specifically, the three types of citizens stood out to me from this lesson: the personally responsible citizen, the participatory citizen, and the justice-oriented citizen. After studying each type through our readings, I started to think about what kind of citizen I am, and what type of citizen I want to be. After reviewing concepts like citizenship and the common good, I started to reflect on my contributions to society.
On a micro level, being a student journalist makes me a justice-oriented citizen because our staff tries to uncover the roots of existing problems at our schools. Moving to a larger scale, I visited the CAAM museum on Wednesday and exhibits dedicated to impactful justice-oriented citizens. There, I started to understand the true courage and strength it takes to stand up for a system of injustice or racism. Every black activist worked towards freedom in America, and even though they couldn’t see the fruits of their success, their contributions were invaluable to obtaining equal rights for African Americans. Fighting for an issue that takes generations to change is what a true justice-oriented citizen does.
Another concept we learned in our communications class is the idea of Civic Media, which can be any form of communication that strengthens the social bonds within a community. The Japanese Memorial Museum was able to showcase a beautiful display of Civic Media, through the impactful stories which it shared. Even though I am not Japanese, I didn’t have to be to feel the sense of community and belonging that resided within those museum walls. Several of the volunteers were not Japanese, yet they all stood in unison and bonded over their love and appreciation for Japanese culture/history. I feel like in this case, the museum stands as an embodiment of civic media that facilitates connections and a sense of community.
Through our latest journalism project, we were able to take the idea of civic engagement and apply it to our own community. This week’s assignment was a Vox Pop, which forces the creator to go into the streets and ask random people what they think about an issue that has affected their community. I chose to interview people at the Redondo Pier to get a sense of whether or not the pier was outdated and in need of renovation. Through this project, I hope to underscore how underfunded the Redondo Pier is.
I was also able to use our time in class and on field trips to establish close relationships with my peers. It is really rewarding to share your thoughts and opinions with a group that really gets it. Everyone that I’ve met here has been really smart and genuinely seems like they want to make a change and difference in our community. With that, I am also really grateful that I was could participate in this program, and am excited for what is to come in the following weeks.
Communicating Change 