An assignment for Multimedia Reporting class with Suzy Smith and Adam J. Kuban, BSU
by Marsha Imaniara | Friday, 9 July 2013
MUNCIE, Indiana - Residents of Muncie looked bright and jubilant as they gathered in Minnetrista Cultural Park last Thursday (7/4) to celebrate the Independence Day with their family and friends.
Signs of bad weather did not interfere with the festivity of the annual Independence Day tradition. The Fourth of July event drew residents of all ages, wearing patriotic costumes, waving their Star-Spangled Banners and conversing with each other.
Among them was 9-year old Makenzie Jenkins. She showed off her Fourth of July spirit with festive, American flag-colored hat. Her favorite part of the Fourth of July was the fireworks, morning parade and candies. For Makenzie, the day means a happy time for America and for everybody.
"Hope and freedom too!" she continued with a confident smile.
Fireworks were also the highlight of the Fourth of July celebration for Aidan Widener (7). Aidan admitted that he did not know much yet about the Fourth of July. But he wanted to be a soldier.
"Because you can help your state or something," said Aidan.
Amber Widener, mother of Aidan, emphasized the importance of education and wished for other parents to do the same thing. She would begin introducing Aidan to the real significance behind the Fourth of July celebration as he reaches the right age.
A few meters from them sat Jason Brown with his wife and two daughters, Josephine (4) and Alexandra (2). This was the first year he brought his two girls to public celebration of the Independence Day.
The two girls looked dazzling in their patriotic dresses. Both were very shy, but they acknowledged their love for the Fourth of July celebration.
Although they had not fully realized the "hidden meaning" behind the celebration, their parents had started introducing the Fourth of July as "the birthday of their country" to them. For Brown, a very literal approach would be his first choice to educate his two daughters in civic education as they grow up and become more cognitive in their development stages.
"I don't know if kids really get that sense very early. We can say be proud of the nation, that's what's the Fourth of July is about," said Brown, "I hope to instill that upon them, and I don't even know how to start with that yet, and hopefully I do a good job, but I think for them right now is just happy and fireworks and celebration."
Fourth of July is indeed a good day to celebrate with families and friends. It is one day where all Americans can gather together and united. However, it should also be seen as a good opportunity to educate the future generation of the history and importance of the Fourth of July, along with the celebration.
In Minnetrista that night, the celebration concluded with the one thing kids love the most about the celebration: an exquisite display of fireworks.
"When you experience that... that can change your life."
-Tim Kean (President&CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank, Central East Indiana)
MUNCIE, Indiana - It was just another day in the sequence of SUSI (Study of US Institute) program. Except it was not. This Thursday (6/27), a group of SUSI students from Indonesia and Malaysia had the opportunity to experience yet another significant part of American culture: volunteering. The group visited Second Harvest Food Bank, in Muncie, Central East Indiana. They collect food products that are about to be thrown away to distribute to those in need. The organization began its service 30 years ago and it has continued ever since to provide "a coordinated approach to alleviating hunger in East Central Indiana".
The President and CEO, Tim Kean welcomed the visiting students with a little get-to-know Second Harvest. The group warmed up as they had glimpses into how strong the sense of volunteering is in America. In East Central Indiana alone, there are about 72,000 people who struggle with hunger. Through a number of programs such as Tailgate Program, which is a direct distribution program with mobile food pantry, Second Harvest helps them to fight hunger.
"When you give food into the hand of those who can't put the food on their table... it shifts the whole perspective," said Kean during a question and answer session.
For Kean, who made his way into the cause from his initial job in the grocery business, the act of volunteering impacts people who have had the chance to work with Second Harvest. "It's very meaningful," he said.
Alleviating hunger, however, is no easy business. There is the concern that, among other, people who don't really need the food will take advantage of it. To this situation, Second Harvest takes the approach of "no screening, no barrier". They rely on the fact that the process to get food from them will probably take several hours. And as Kean put it, "If someone is willing to stand in line for hours, they probably really need the food." They decided to focus on the 98% who really need the food than the 2% who would just take advantage of their effort.
Another concern is related to nutrition issues. When people hear about this kind of effort, one of the first questions that will pop into their mind is probably, "Is the food healthy?" Kelvin, one of the visiting SUSI students wondered during the session if the food given would instead contribute to the problem of obesity. Fortunately, there is a reassuring answer to this question. Although they initially had difficulties providing healthy food, with the policy change in some of their sources such as Walmart it becomes easier to get fresh products and healthier food.
The students then got to prove the statement as they moved on into the warehouse. Inside the big building, one could see shelves of fresh products that were actually good in quality. They then helped packaging some of the fresh products and putting labels onto some food cans. They had the opportunity to interact with other volunteers and get a taste of the real "American volunteering".
During session, the group also had a discussion over whether this kind of effort will create dependency instead. That people would just wait for others to feed them.
"At what point at helping someone, do they stop trying? That's a hard question," Kean admitted.
For him, he can only hoped that people would want to be self-supporting instead of depending on other people for their whole lives. This one hope further fuels Second Harvest and what they believe in.
"If we can better people that way," said Joe Fox, the Operations & Volunteers staff at the Second Harvest, "People feel good about themselves... maybe they'll get a job that way."
After their work that day, the students claimed that it was such a humbling experience for all of them.
Indeed, as Keane, the CEO himself said before he left, "When you experience that... that can change your life."
