What’s in a Meal?

Wrap Up and Some Resources, by Brooke

2010-05-10T13:02:00.001-07:00

We have come to the end of our project, and as with most endings, it's bittersweet. We are ready to move on to other things, but we also long to stay connected to each other and to this project.

We'd like to once again thank all of those who have helped us along the way, providing information, ideas, and support. And of course, we are so grateful for those of you who came and experienced our show this weekend.

If you'd like to learn more about food, here are a couple of resources that we recommend...

Some books:
The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan
Farm City, by Novella Carpenter
Fast Food Nation, by Eric Schlosser
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, by Barbara Kingsolver
The Unsettling of America: Culture & Agriculture, by Wendell Berry
My Year of Meats, by Ruth Ozeki

And one that's on my summer reading list:
Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations, by David R. Montgomery

And a couple of movies, all of which are available on Netflix:
Food, Inc.
King Corn
Super Size Me

We also found great information online by visiting the websites for for some of the national agricultural organizations like the American Corn Growers Association, the Mid-America Crop Life Association, Dairy Farmers of America, the American Beef Council, and the National Pork Producers Council.

And locally, we recommend checking out www.yearofplenty.org for a great list of local businesses, links, more book titles, and insightful and inspiring daily blog updates from our good friend Craig Goodwin.

Eat well and be well.

We Did it Together, by Cole

2010-05-10T10:36:00.000-07:00

Well, it’s over. The one thing we have been focusing on as a class for the past 3 months is finished. What’s in a Meal?, the theatrical version, was a success. The process was long and sometimes tedious, but well worth the hard work in the end. I don’t think we could have been blessed with a better, more diverse group of people to get our ideas and input from. The saying goes “Too many cooks ruin the broth”, but I think that, in this kitchen, we had just the right amount of cooks. We may not have always agreed, but in the end, it was what we did agree on that made the show great.

I liken this production to a meal in a restaurant. Each chef has his or her own specialty or station, and they stick with it. When we first started putting together the show, we were each assigned an area to focus on, our own specialties. With that kind of organization, we were allowed some creative license within our own focus; just like the cooks in a line are allowed to add their own unique twist to their part of the meal. They didn’t write the recipe, but they get to put their own flavors into it. None of us wrote this script individually, but we had no problem putting our own twists on each of our “stations”. We prepped our kitchen as a team, we wrote the recipe as a team, and we served the meal as a team. We each served our own course, but in the end, each course combined with those before it perfectly so that by the end of the meal all the audience remembered was the full experience, not just individual courses.

I came into this class not knowing a single person in it, or knowing exactly what I had signed up for in the first place really. I had no idea how we were going to put together a production about food, but my doubts were soon dashed as we came together as a team and wrote a truly original recipe. Now that the production is over and we will only be meeting as a class one more time, I realize just how close a group of 11students and one professor can get when creating something so unique and their own. We each left a part of ourselves behind in this production, there’s no doubting that; and when people pour so much of themselves into one thing, you just can’t help but like each other.

Summer is coming for us now, so it’s time to see exactly what we learned this semester. Will we continue to make the poor food choices most of us did before realizing the true costs? Or will we try to change the way we eat and make a difference in the world? What’s next for us is the true final for this class. How much did we truly learn? How much did we learn about spreading that knowledge? Can we make the choices that we emphasized in our show? Can we spread that hope that we found as a class to the rest of the country? I believe we can, it’s just a choice away; and now it’s time to make that choice. What will you choose?

Looking back at the process, by Luke

2010-05-06T11:52:00.000-07:00

In Community Based Theatre we have learned about the pros and cons of the American food system. We discussed genetically modified foods, and we looked at the meat industry and investigated how the treatment of animals grown for meat. We looked into the dairy industry and learned about the major companies have either bought out or out-sold the small family owned farms.

Personally, what has stood out the most to me was exactly how much of the food we eat today has been tampered with. We talked with a genetic biologist about GMO’s, but I still have doubts. I want to make absolutely certain that what I am eating will not slowly kill me. I pray at every meal, but I don’t want to be praying that I may be safe after the meal. Another thing that I am concerned with is the conditions of the animals at CAFO’s. The animals are unnaturally large. If they get sick they pump them full of antibiotics that we, the consumers, then eat. We saw a film in which cows were trying to walk on broken legs.

I want to be healthy. But I still have trouble making the best choices when it comes to food. I am in college and I tend to take the cheap road when looking for food. When you are on a tight budget, the healthy foods seem like they take an arm and a leg to buy. It has been said that to control the food industry is to control the people. I could not agree more.

We are just a few days away from our performance at the MAC in the Campbell House; I really hope our show helps people be more aware of what we are actually eating and to maybe realize what has been hidden from sight for all these years. We want to take off the veil that has been covering our eyes to the truth of what is in our food. And, we want to give people hope that there are ways to turn it around to benefit future generations. Education and knowledge are powerful tools.

Processing the Process, by Jackie

2010-04-26T18:06:00.000-07:00

We have produced a finalized script for our show! Now we begin the memorization and rehearsal process of all our individual scenes.

During our research, I have been particularly interested in the difference between local organic products and "organic" products. Milk is my favorite drink in the world so I decided to start there. I usually drink Darigold milk so I went to their website to see what they had to say for themselves. I always thought Darigold to be the high quality producer of milk. Their website bragged about local farmers and good taste. However, when I emailed them with more questions I discovered their milk is made the same way as all other regular shelf milk. I was sad to discover that this magical milk experience was really just a facade. When our class ventured out to Spokane's Family Farm I was in ecstasy as we learned about how their milk is made. Their milk is not homogenized and involves little processing.

To take my exploration further, I visited Walmart and Rosauer's and spent some time reading labels in the milk and orange juice sections. I found it fascinating how many different types and kinds of each there are. I also checked out the prices. If something is more expensive, does that make it better for you? If something is cheap, is it less healthy? I used to think that Darigold milk was somehow better because it was pricier. Is this always the case? I am torn between budget and health.

In addition to price, I have noticed that appearance also leads people to purchase certain products over others. If something looks like it is better for you because of a pretty or comforting label, are we more likely to purchase it? I have fallen into this trap not just with milk and orange juice but also with vegetables, rice, cheese, etc. It amazes me how blindly even I, who am taking this class, continued to be fooled by seemingly healthier food products. In truth, labels can be misleading, and often don’t give us all the information about how a product is produced or what it contains. Comparing labels in grocery stores with my actual experiences on a farm helped me realize that an “organic” label and a locally and sustainably produced product are two very different things.

As I am become more aware and as our production is coming to fruition, I continue to reassess the way I shop and eat. We are all still learning. And as we watch ourselves create the finished product, we too will be transformed and influenced through participation.

Cookin Up a Show!, by Andrew

2010-04-16T11:17:00.000-07:00

Over the past 2 weeks, the class has really buckled down and started writing the play, and, in the midst of it all, I have started to notice just how intricate the process is. You have a group of people who all want to be a part in the creation of this show, all have to work together to make sure the play gets finished and is a good production, but you also have them wanting their own special addition to be included. To be honest, it is like a bunch of chefs trying to create a dish.

Every play has a few concrete elements that everyone can agree upon, like the base of a dish. When making soup, you need a liquid base. For a show, you need a mission statement or a foundational idea. Usually, this is the easy part of things, or at least it was for our class. We came up with our mission statement together and all agreed that it set a sound foundation for our production. Now the real project begins.

Once you have your base, you have to add all the ingredients. One can have a million great tastes that they would love to incorporate into this one recipe, but some just won’t go together, even though you wish they would. I love mashed potatoes and ice cream, but, let’s be honest, Mashed Potato Ice Cream is not the new and upcoming Ben & Jerry’s flavored ice cream. The same goes for a show. There are a ton of elements that can go into a show, each separately are good, but may not mix well together in a show. Throw a few extra chefs into the mix and it makes things all the harder to find that perfect mix of favorites chosen by a group of unique people. This process can be very draining. This process can also be very empowering and enlightening.

For a class of 12 very unique people, we have done our very best to come together on creating the perfect show and finding each of those unique elements that go into it. As an individual, some of my favorite ingredients may not have made it, but I can also say that some ingredients I would have never thought of on my own have been incorporated, adding that extra kick that would have lacked and I would have missed out on. Now, we have gotten to the point, where we have a production, a finished recipe if you will.

The result is unique, different, something no one has ever had a taste of, and the taste is good. I can honestly say that we have created something that you all will enjoy. There is a spoonful of humor, a pinch of fun, a smidge of mystery, a cup of reality, and a whole lot of truth. These were our ingredients, some others didn’t make it into the mix, but the final result is the perfect blend of what we needed, and I think you’ll like what we will serve you. Bon Appétit and Enjoy.

Why I am a Vegetarian, by Kyle

2010-04-06T15:09:00.000-07:00

Recently, we have been creating performance material for our project. It’s really exciting stuff. We have decided to focus on: health, what is hidden, personal choices, and hope. My group is working on the hope piece, and ‘hopefully,’ it will contain both a poignant message, as well as plenty of humor.

We also recently discussed and decided upon a mission statement that is guiding our decisions as we create our show:

Our goal is to uncover the ignored truths about the food we eat, where it comes from, and how it affects us. We hope to empower others to think about the ethical, social, and environmental impacts of food production and consumption, so as to make enlightened and educated choices.

I want to share a little bit about one of my deepest personal convictions, and how, like our mission statement, it shapes many of the choices that I make. During this whole process, I have had the unique opportunity of being the lone vegetarian in the class. It has been an experience, for sure. I often find myself at odds with the rest of the class, because of my obvious conflict of interest. We discuss all aspects of food, including the consumption of meat. This is an act I personally disagree with morally.

When people ask me why I am a vegetarian, there are three main points that I emphasize: health, animal welfare, and environmental consciousness. Being a vegetarian, when done right, is healthier for you than a meat diet. There are often concerns about protein, but I have never had to worry about it, because I eat lots of beans and rice (an excellent source of complete proteins, when combined). Second, ninety-nine percent of all meat is produced in factory farms (and yes, this includes fish). I won’t get into the horrors of factory farms, but suffice to say, just imagine hell, except the fire is feces. Finally, a recent UN report stated that factory farming is contributing to global-warming more than all forms of transportation combined.

Being a vegetarian is a daily struggle, especially at Whitworth. Some people even think that I am sinning by not eating meat. In fact, I believe it is quite the opposite. I believe that Christians have a moral obligation to take care of the Earth, and everything on it. So, I will continue to stand up and speak out about my beliefs on this issue.

What, who, and why? --Crafting a Mission Statement

2010-03-19T11:40:00.000-07:00

We are moving from the research phase into the creation phase for our impending performance! But without some direction we would find it very hard to just start writing our play--there is so much that we have learned, that we want to talk about--but there is too much to pack into one show. So, to the end of finding the key ideas that we want to communicate, all the students have been asked to write a mission statement for this project. Then when we come back after spring break, we will work on crafting one combined statement that will drive the rest of the decisions we make about the plays content and form.

The three questions we have been asked to answer in one statement are: What is this work about, who is it for, and, what is the desired effect? I thought about it for a while and it is not as easy an assignment as it sounds. Breaking the assignment up I want to answer the easiest question first--who is it for?

My first thought would be that it is for the community of Spokane, but I don’t think we’ll reach even a large portion of Spokane, except perhaps be extension (people who see the show talking about it). Ideally, I would love to reach the entire world, but this isn’t a feasible goal either. I think that the most feasible goal is to reach out to a group that shares common characteristics. Hopefully our performance will influence them to make changes within their larger community of Spokane, this country and the world.

The second question I want to answer is what the work is about. The general answer is food, but for our purposes it is not specific enough. We want to talk about food production, or, even more specifically, the effects that food production has on our health, economy and environment.

The third, hardest, question is what the desired effect is. I would love to stop everyone from eating overly processed, unhealthy food and get them eating locally produced organics, but I know that's a bit ambitious. There are so many verbs that could be used here that it is hard to narrow down; we could educate, inspire, change, or a million other things, and all of these are good; but which is the best? Simply educating our audience doesn’t give them reason to change their habits, and changing them is out of our hands. I think that inspiring them to change is the best way to make a difference. We can plant that seed in them that will make them want to become more educated and want to affect change in themselves and their communities.

Putting all these answers together leads me to the mission statement that I will bring to the next class: “We seek to inspire our audience to make healthy choices about food consumption that benefit not only themselves but also the communities they are a part of and the environment.”

Sprouting up ideas for our show!, by Caitlynn

2010-03-14T19:46:00.000-07:00

Another week packed full of great work brainstorming for our performance. My classmates and I have been inspiring one another by sharing some of the ideas we have come up with for our performance. The different groups presented the ideas they came up with and we then discussed what ideas we were able to draw from that.

The first group focused mostly on animal cruelty. They created a short vignette drawing attention to the horrible conditions the animals we eat are forced to live under in CAFOs and how we are continuing to support that. They also shared some startling statistics such as that each year 10 billion animals are raised and killed for human consumption in the U.S. alone. That’s about 30 animals per person, I highly doubt that I actually eat 30 animals a year. Do we really need all of that food?

The second group created overlapping monologues set to music focusing on their own personal stories or stories they got from others. They dealt with the topics of vegetarianism, budgeting the costs of organic, and obesity.

The last group worked separately to each focus on their own topic. They focused on GMOs, the process of growing and grinding your own wheat, hidden ingredients, and how chocolate is connected to the slave trade in Africa. One person put together a very interesting list comparing what they ate the previous day to what they really ate. They also showed us several Youtube videos, which we were then able to dissect the tactics the videographers used to portray their messages.

We also started brainstorming ideas about what themes we want our play to address. We are starting to formulate some really exciting ideas which I am can’t wait to come to fruition!

Our next assignment is called "Text-to-Movement." We are working in pairs to find passages from The Omnivore’s Dilemma that contain imagery or words describing movement, which we will then use to create movement pieces or games based on the words from the passage. It is thrilling to start to connect all of the things we have learned about food consumption in these last few weeks to the theatricality we will want for our performance. It is so exciting to start to see things coming together!

Animal Cruelty, by Jason

2010-03-08T16:05:00.000-08:00

This week, we used class time to do research that will be presented theatrically in class next week. We had the freedom to choose any topic that we wanted to discuss that was relative to food, and I think it is unique and meaningful to share our experiences and new engagements in this way.

My group focused on the influences of fast food on animal cruelty. We were curious about the welfare of the farm animals, but also because people eat meat and other dairy products, we all thought that it gives us a valid reason to research in depth how the animals are treated. One resource that we used to find statistics and facts was the Humane Society of the United States. I was stunned by some of the information we found. Did you know that every year, 10 billion domesticated land (farm) animals are slaughtered for food in America? Twenty-seven million slaughters happen every day and 19,000 every minute.

Though these statistics seemed overwhelming and gruesome, reading about how the animals were treated was more disturbing. The description given in this article explains how factory farms tend to their animals, which reminded me of the scenes in the video, “Farm Inc.” (By the way, if you have not watched the video, I would recommend that you do watch the video and observe how the animals are treated and the influence that commercial farming has on small farms.) According to the Humane Society of the United States, chickens are grown so fast that 26 percent suffer chronic pain as a result of bone disease. Similarly, commercial farm grown chickens are unable to carry out normal behaviors, such as roosting or foraging. The reality of a consumer driven market forces farmers to prioritize quantity over quality. Consumers want production results to be convenient and cheap; thus food companies are looking for solutions to the problem of growing and making the animals bigger for more meat without inducing more cost.

As a research group, we feel more confident on where we stand with this issue and more satisfied with our research on the welfare of animals. Next week, we will present our information in class, sharing what we have learned from our research in a theatrical format. This is a critical time for us as a class to turn our research and ideas into performance material and different scenarios for our final project.
For more information check out www.humansociety.org.

Wrapping up The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Spencer

2010-03-01T16:22:00.001-08:00

During the past week, our class created short performance about food rituals. One performance focused on the daily lives of three college students, and showed the three characters working, studying, and eating side-by-side. They had three different pieces of music playing simultaneously, which really brought out the hectic-ness of their lives. At the end they all came together to share a meal together. The second group focused on fast food. Three different "customers" each ordered from three different fast food restaurants, specifying their precise Starbucks, McDonald's and Pizza Hut orders. In addition, statistics were given for how many orders each fast food restaurant processed per day. The last group focused on the evolution of breakfast throughout their lives, in three stages: elementary school, high school, and college. Each actor had a different way they evolved in their eating habits, however each stage became less unique as they aged. A major theme in this performance, surprisingly, was sleep. As each student got older, they often chose to skip breakfast for more sleep.

The majority of our time has been focused on The Omnivore's Dilemma. This has been the backbone of our class up to this point. We have just finished section three (the last section) of the book. Part three is called ''Personal: The Forest." This section essentially deals with gathering food, such as boar, mushrooms, berries, wild yeast, and other plants and animals often found in the wilderness. The main objective in this section was to produce a nutritious meal from ingredients which were hunted, gathered, or even grown by Pollan himself along with his colleagues.

The fresh meal created by Pollan and his friends seemed the most satisfying to eat. He explained that knowing where each ingredient came from made it much easier to enjoy the meal. In addition, Pollan and his friends could now share stories with others about this experience. Pollan also explained that this type of food gathering has the least impact on the environment. This method also is probably the freshest way to eat food, due to the fact that it has the shortest distance between nature and your plate.

There is a problem however with this type of method. He even goes as far as saying that this type of meal is as unreal as a McDonald's meal or any other fast food meal. This of course was a reference back to section one of the book. The problem with both of these methods, whether it be industrial agriculture or a personal approach, is that neither is sustainable over time. The industrial agricultural method is costly to the public in numerous ways including subsidies, health problems, damage to the environment, and many other problems. The main problem with the personal method is that it cannot support large populations. He ends by saying that this fast food nation should slow down from time to time. There needs to be time to be able to relax and have time to talk around the dinner table.

In the near future our class is going to work on group research projects involving topics in The Omnivore's Dilemma. Each group will research the some of ideas presented in the book. The presentations will then be presented in class for a grade. The most interesting part of this class is when we will script a play (on the topic of food of course) and perform it for the Spokane community. This will be our main focus once we are finished with the research projects.

Milk and Cookies, by Becky

2010-02-19T15:21:00.000-08:00

This week, we’ve moved on to the pastoral section of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, where Pollan investigates food production that begins with grass. To gain more insight into the world of grass-based farming, our class decided to visit a local dairy farm.

On Wednesday, our class took a field trip to Spokane Family Farm, owned and operated by Mike and Trish Vieira (call 509-796-FARM or email tvieira@centurytel.net for tours; 11am for bottling and 5pm for milking). Though Spokane Family Farm is primarily a dairy farm, the Vieira’s also raise beef cows, horses, miniature donkeys, chickens, and rabbits. They feed their cows hay and alfalfa that they grow themselves, though the cows get a grain-based treat when they come in for milking. I guess cows can eat some corn after all.

When the cows are milked, the milk goes straight into a cooler that prevents the multiplication of naturally occurring bacteria. The milk is then pasteurized to the lowest legal temperature to kill all harmful pathogens while preserving its natural creaminess and fresh taste. The Vieira’s do not homogenize their milk (make the cream molecules the same size as the milk particles, producing a product that does not separate) because it is much healthier in its natural state (even with its full fat content!) The human body can’t properly digest the processed cream molecules found in homogenized milk, and the fat content of the processed cream makes its way into your blood stream and builds up in your arteries. At the end of the day, you get a delicious glass of creamy milk full of its natural nutrients. Spokane Family Farm milk can be purchased at local Rosauers, Huckleberrys, Spokane Yoke’s Fresh Markets, and the newly opened Main Market.

Though Spokane Family Farm is an extremely green and humane farm, they are not certified organic. They do not use sprays on their fields, nor any sort of growth hormones in their cows, but Trish and Mike keep antibiotics on the property, preventing them from being officially labeled “organic”. These antibiotics are only used when a cow is extremely sick, and they are never milked while the antibiotics are in their system. Trish told us about a cow that recently became sick after giving birth. If they were an “organic” farm, they would have no choice but to let her die. This was something I had never thought about when I buy my organic milk. What is more humane? Giving a cow antibiotics to save its life? Or letting them die in the name of a label? Though I have been a huge fan of buying organics for most of my life, this makes me wonder what else is hidden behind the environmentally friendly “certified organic “ label.

Well, Trish and Mike, I am a convert. I drove away from Spokane Family Farm with 3 gallons of farm fresh milk in my trunk, and I intend to only buy farm fresh milk whenever I can. Nothing goes better with a plate of homemade cookies.

Visit their website at http://spokanefamilyfarm.com/.

The Art of Eating, by Alison

2010-02-16T19:00:00.000-08:00

People say the purpose of food for humans is for survival. Though I agree with this argument, realizing I would not be here today without food, I know I also eat for the purpose of happiness. I love food, company, and the joy that comes with eating ice cream on a warm summer day. I can’t think of many better things than eating a home-cooked meal of my dad’s authentic Mexican food with the company of my family after eating a years’ worth of highly processed cafeteria food in college. In class we are reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan where I am beginning to explore what exactly I am putting into my body. I am surprised to discover that I am mostly consuming corn. Corn is in almost everything we consume from the obvious corn tortillas to the less obvious soda or crackers. It is even more unsettling to think of what goes into our meat. Instead of the traditional grass diet, we are now feeding our cow’s corn, and lots of it.

Learning about the food industry I am suddenly forced to second guess everything that I am eating. As a result, I have started to think about buying organic foods and even am considering revisiting my vegetarianism after a few glorious months of eating meat because I cannot eat in blissful ignorance anymore.

I’ve also been thinking how many Americans do not have the luxury of food choice that I do. A Dollar Menu hamburger at McDonalds is one of the few things that can be bought today for a dollar and if you only have the bare minimum to feed your children then McDonalds seems like the perfect solution: cheap, quick, and easy.

In another class I am taking, I am also learning there is a huge relationship between socio-economic status and the foods that we eat in America. Ask yourself this, would you prefer to have a co-op right down the block selling the best organic, farmers market vegetables and artisan bread or would you prefer to have an average grocery store that sells the basics like Wonder Bread, Oreos, and Oscar Meyer’s hot dogs? For me I know I would pick the first option in a heartbeat, but according to the film People Like Us not all of America feel the same way.

In fact there appears to be a direct relationship between income and the breads that we eat. Thus, bread itself has created a mini class war. People in poverty might want a Wal-Mart over a Trader Joes because they have a preconceived notion of the high costs of healthy food. The lower income populations in America also may feel that healthier food options are being imposed on them by the upper class, who are, in essence, telling them what is better for them. With this in mind, how do we go about creating a nation with conscientious, well-educated consumers who want to change the current system for the better?

Nothing is more basic then the act of eating. But how do we as Americans regain our right to fully enjoy a meal without worrying about what is in it? I know I want to be able to eat a hamburger and know that it came from a cow that was grass fed that did not live in total darkness, standing in its own manure amongst hundreds of other cows. What I want is to be able to eat a meal with my family and friends and know that we are not harming the environment or our health by partaking in the simple act of eating. What I love most about food is its ability to bring peace and happiness in my life. After a long, hectic day, what I look forward to most, is dinner, a time to sit back and catch up with my family or friends over a good meal. This is the art of eating, an art that is slowly being taken away from us, and an art that I want to bring back to its fullest potential.

What's in a Meal? by Brooke

2010-02-16T18:09:00.000-08:00

I am a theatre director and teacher at Whitworth University, and my area of specialty is a field known as Community-based Theatre, or CBT. In CBT artists work directly with community members, to create a performance that is about an issue that is important to the community, and to present the performance within the community. Or, perhaps more succinctly, it is theatre that is "of, by, and for the people." I'm teaching a CBT class this semester, and the issue we are exploring is food. Or, perhaps less succinctly, "issues related to food production and consumption." Eleven students and I are asking two key questions: 1) What are the effects of the food choices we make? and 2) What can we do to bring about a more just and sustainable food system?

I have to admit that the students didn't choose this issue...I did. Perhaps it was selfish of me, but I'm personally very interested food. I like growing it, I like shopping for it, I like cooking it, I like it when other people cook it for me, and I really like eating it. But I want to know more about all of the things that go into the making of a meal...how do we grow food, process food, and distribute food? How does food bring us together and tear us apart? What role do I play in the food system and is that the only role I can play?

But back to the CBT project...As a class, we are reading a book together (The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan), conducting interviews, watching films, and going on field trips. We are examining our own beliefs as well as the ideas and opinions of others. We are talking to our family members, our good friends, and to complete strangers. And we will use all of this information and experience to create a play, that we will perform on Saturday, May 8th (time and place TBA). We are by no means experts on this subject, and our play won't be a final conclusion on these issues. Rather we see ourselves as engaged citizen-artists, using our intellectual and artistic abilities to connect with our community, to re-frame a problem, and to imagine potential solutions. We'll keep you updated on our progress through this blog, and we hope you'll share your thoughts, questions and comments with us...but beware, we might just put you in our show!

Each week, one of the students will write a post, and I'll put it up on the site, with a picture or two of the work we are doing. Check in to see what we are up to, to engage in the conversation, and to show your support.

Thanks for joining us.