Talking Points #6: "In the Service of What?" by Kahne and Westheimer- Extended Comment

For my blog this week, I did an extended comment on Shanelle’s blog. In her blog, Shanelle picked out certain quotes from Kahne and Westheimer’s article titled “In the Service of What?” and explained what they meant to her. While reading her blog, I thought that her analysis of her first quote was very powerful. The first quote that she talked about was JFK’s famous quote: “Ask not you’re your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” In her analysis, one of her points really stuck with me. She said that “no one member of our society should look upon our country, state, or community and say “what’s in it for me?”” I totally agree with her and also think that nothing will change for the better if we constantly think with a greedy mindset about what we can get out of something. I know that people, myself included, sometimes walk into a situation and try to think how it will be beneficial for ourselves. We have to abandon that mindset in order to be the change that we wish to see in the world.

While reading Shanelle’s blog, I couldn’t help but think of my senior year in high school. I went to a Catholic high school and took religion class. During your senior year, the religion class consists of a “Christian Service” part of the class in which you go out into the community and do service work, such as work in soup kitchens, daycare centers, or assisted living homes. I was placed in a daycare center and went to my placement every Wednesday for a few hours with a group of my fellow classmates. I loved going to the daycare center and couldn’t wait for Wednesday to come. I feel that the Christian Service projects in high school and our service learning projects that we are doing now are so beneficial in teaching us about helping others. Our time at the schools is not only important for the people that we are helping, but is also important for us as volunteers because we are able to learn how to serve others and bring about change to help them.

Talking Points: At the end of Shanelle’s blog, she tells about her brother and how he celebrated his birthday by raising awareness of the homelessness that exists in the world. I thought that this act was so selfless and makes me want to aspire to be more like him. Does anyone else know of certain individuals/organizations that do this kind of altruistic work to help others? What are other schools that send students out during the school day to serve at homeless shelters, soup kitchens, daycares, etc.?

 

                                 

 

 

 

                                                              also.. LET'S GO RED SOX!