Voices from the Animas
Project Reflection
For this project we studied the Animas River Spill and the human impact behind it. This project was oriented around the idea of voices being heard, empathetic listening, and why those are important. Inspired by the StoryCorps website we each made our own podcast. Each student interviewed someone affected by the river, whether it be a business owner, environmentalist, or someone who just simply loves the river, we wanted their voices heard. We want the communities questions answered and the community to hear as many different perspectives possible. After contacting and setting up an interview with our person of choice we dug deeper to find questions connected and relevant to them. During the interview we would use our questions as well as add in ones that came up organically in the conversation. We then turned the recordings into beautiful work by adding in music and editing out any background noise, making it sound professional and enjoyable for the listeners. Using the storycorps.me websight we uploaded our interviews adding a brief discription and the hashtags #voicesfromtheanimas and #animasriver spill so that people interested in the topic could find it.
I took away a lot from this project. For example I didn't know what superfund was, now I have an understanding of it along with a perspective on it. I learned that superfund is used to fund long term cleanup efforts and works with the US federal government. This is a controversial subject because locals believe it will kill tourism in their town and cause financial heartache. On the other hand there are many superfund sites where tourism is not affected at all. There is also the argument that superfund site is the only solution we have as of now and we can't wait for another solution. My opinion on the subject is that we should go with a superfund site and start the clean up efforts immediately. I also took away some history from this project. Going into the project I was unaware something like this has even happened before, let alone something worse. Mining began in 1870s and has affected the river and contributed to pollution since then. Our river even turned silver and had a dramatic effect on wildlife, killing all the fish. For this more recent river spill the fish were not as harshly affected. This gave me the mindset that if we could recover from that we could certainly recover from this. It also made me realize that is not something we can let happen again and we need to find a solution fast.
I am extremely grateful I had the chance to do an interview especially with Andy Corra, the owner of Four Corner River Sports. I took away so much from the process and from the interview itself. As a scholar I feel I gained many necessary work and life skills. I learned how to contact and communicate people in a professional manner. I also learned conversational skills. These will benefit me immensely in life when I'm trying to get a job or internship or communicate with a client. These skills will also benefit me outside of the work field. Communication and listening to others is something I believe can make all the difference in this world. You can gain new perspectives and open your eyes and hearts to what matters. In my interview itself I took away that we need to work together as a community. Andy explained that we need to be empathetic with Silverton and the superfund issue but we have to do whats right and be good stewards for the animas river. This to me took a deeper level than just the animas river spill. If we listen to one another and come together to do the right thing we might just make a positive change. Which is what the purpose of this project was.
Exhibition was a wonderful experience. I felt it was a good way for community members to find answers and have their voices heard. This was great for the community because it was something that previously was not available to them. This really validated the purpose behind our project, which was voices being heard, questions being answered, and the idea of community. Everyone coming together for the same purpose but different perspectives was great to see because I think everyone left with a different and new idea in their heads. Just watching people get excited about putting a sticky note filled with their thoughts under a posted question made me realize how important it is for people's voices to be heard. I also got the privilege of talking to people who had just moved here and knew hardly anything about the spill. This was a great way to introduce them into the community and learn about their new home. It was a very special experience for so many people and I am glad I got to be apart of it.
I felt I grew most as a person in the skill of listening. I have always cared for what people had to say and their outlook on life but now I feel I know how to apply that passion. With listing comes the ability to ask question. Asking questions is an important part because it shows that you are listing and care what they have to say. You will be able to hear more of what they have to say if you ask questions that will evoke answers. You can only do that if you are intently listening with an open mind. I wouldn't say I am fully to where I want to be as a listener but I definitely have the skills to continue growing.
For this project we studied the Animas River Spill and the human impact behind it. This project was oriented around the idea of voices being heard, empathetic listening, and why those are important. Inspired by the StoryCorps website we each made our own podcast. Each student interviewed someone affected by the river, whether it be a business owner, environmentalist, or someone who just simply loves the river, we wanted their voices heard. We want the communities questions answered and the community to hear as many different perspectives possible. After contacting and setting up an interview with our person of choice we dug deeper to find questions connected and relevant to them. During the interview we would use our questions as well as add in ones that came up organically in the conversation. We then turned the recordings into beautiful work by adding in music and editing out any background noise, making it sound professional and enjoyable for the listeners. Using the storycorps.me websight we uploaded our interviews adding a brief discription and the hashtags #voicesfromtheanimas and #animasriver spill so that people interested in the topic could find it.
I took away a lot from this project. For example I didn't know what superfund was, now I have an understanding of it along with a perspective on it. I learned that superfund is used to fund long term cleanup efforts and works with the US federal government. This is a controversial subject because locals believe it will kill tourism in their town and cause financial heartache. On the other hand there are many superfund sites where tourism is not affected at all. There is also the argument that superfund site is the only solution we have as of now and we can't wait for another solution. My opinion on the subject is that we should go with a superfund site and start the clean up efforts immediately. I also took away some history from this project. Going into the project I was unaware something like this has even happened before, let alone something worse. Mining began in 1870s and has affected the river and contributed to pollution since then. Our river even turned silver and had a dramatic effect on wildlife, killing all the fish. For this more recent river spill the fish were not as harshly affected. This gave me the mindset that if we could recover from that we could certainly recover from this. It also made me realize that is not something we can let happen again and we need to find a solution fast.
I am extremely grateful I had the chance to do an interview especially with Andy Corra, the owner of Four Corner River Sports. I took away so much from the process and from the interview itself. As a scholar I feel I gained many necessary work and life skills. I learned how to contact and communicate people in a professional manner. I also learned conversational skills. These will benefit me immensely in life when I'm trying to get a job or internship or communicate with a client. These skills will also benefit me outside of the work field. Communication and listening to others is something I believe can make all the difference in this world. You can gain new perspectives and open your eyes and hearts to what matters. In my interview itself I took away that we need to work together as a community. Andy explained that we need to be empathetic with Silverton and the superfund issue but we have to do whats right and be good stewards for the animas river. This to me took a deeper level than just the animas river spill. If we listen to one another and come together to do the right thing we might just make a positive change. Which is what the purpose of this project was.
Exhibition was a wonderful experience. I felt it was a good way for community members to find answers and have their voices heard. This was great for the community because it was something that previously was not available to them. This really validated the purpose behind our project, which was voices being heard, questions being answered, and the idea of community. Everyone coming together for the same purpose but different perspectives was great to see because I think everyone left with a different and new idea in their heads. Just watching people get excited about putting a sticky note filled with their thoughts under a posted question made me realize how important it is for people's voices to be heard. I also got the privilege of talking to people who had just moved here and knew hardly anything about the spill. This was a great way to introduce them into the community and learn about their new home. It was a very special experience for so many people and I am glad I got to be apart of it.
I felt I grew most as a person in the skill of listening. I have always cared for what people had to say and their outlook on life but now I feel I know how to apply that passion. With listing comes the ability to ask question. Asking questions is an important part because it shows that you are listing and care what they have to say. You will be able to hear more of what they have to say if you ask questions that will evoke answers. You can only do that if you are intently listening with an open mind. I wouldn't say I am fully to where I want to be as a listener but I definitely have the skills to continue growing.