Voices From the Animas
Project Reflection
The purpose of this project was to examine the social, economic, chemical, and environmental effect of the Animas River Spill that took place on August 5th. Attention was brought to this spill through national media sources that had medium media coverage of it. The project helped us to gain insight on the river spill from different sources, credible or not. We used a podcast style interview to absorb knowledge on different perspective from people involved. We also took water samples from Cement Creek, Mineral Creek, and the Animas River to test for certain heavy metals or sediment in the different locations. This reflection will cover the general and specific results we found in our investigation.
I learned more about the economic and political sides to the spill. I interviewed the County Commissioner, Julie Westendorff, and Mild-to-Wild owner, Molly Mickel. Their perspective was far different from what I researched. Before the spill, county commissioner and citizens of Silverton worked against a Superfund because they either didn’t want mining shut down or the economic impact of drop in tourism. Although, I don’t buy that argument. I believe if Silverton was designated a Superfund site, it would bring more people to the town because they are actually putting in an effort to clean up the water. Some say the water has always been bad and it has. When settlers first showed up in the area they weren’t able to drink it because of natural erosion. The problem is that it’s taken this long for us to do something about it.
What stood out to me about the commissioner’s interview was how she was so willing to work with EPA and other government parties to find a solution. Commissioners in the past haven’t been willing to work with a Superfund designation. All she was worried about was finding a quick and reasonable solution for clean up.
Molly from Mild-to-Wild answered the question over email. She was wanting something other than a superfund saying, “At this point we are hoping for another solution besides the Superfund. There are many other possible funding options. If the other options do not pan out, then the Superfund site designation should be issued.” She had the same point of view as most of the Silverton residents.
I don’t have any takeaways from the exhibition other than learning about the spill Crested Butte. I think the exhibition could have been more organized. We could have made it more obvious which student did which interview by putting them next to the computer or connecting the podcasts to the students somehow.
This project did not personally affect me at all, although it did teach me that there are always many different perspectives to a story. At first I was supporting a Superfund, then as the project went on I saw both sides. At the end of this project though I have become undecided on whether a superfund is necessary or they can work towards a Silverton citizen-run clean-up. So this project has made me become neutral about it in hope to just find any solution at all.
The purpose of this project was to examine the social, economic, chemical, and environmental effect of the Animas River Spill that took place on August 5th. Attention was brought to this spill through national media sources that had medium media coverage of it. The project helped us to gain insight on the river spill from different sources, credible or not. We used a podcast style interview to absorb knowledge on different perspective from people involved. We also took water samples from Cement Creek, Mineral Creek, and the Animas River to test for certain heavy metals or sediment in the different locations. This reflection will cover the general and specific results we found in our investigation.
I learned more about the economic and political sides to the spill. I interviewed the County Commissioner, Julie Westendorff, and Mild-to-Wild owner, Molly Mickel. Their perspective was far different from what I researched. Before the spill, county commissioner and citizens of Silverton worked against a Superfund because they either didn’t want mining shut down or the economic impact of drop in tourism. Although, I don’t buy that argument. I believe if Silverton was designated a Superfund site, it would bring more people to the town because they are actually putting in an effort to clean up the water. Some say the water has always been bad and it has. When settlers first showed up in the area they weren’t able to drink it because of natural erosion. The problem is that it’s taken this long for us to do something about it.
What stood out to me about the commissioner’s interview was how she was so willing to work with EPA and other government parties to find a solution. Commissioners in the past haven’t been willing to work with a Superfund designation. All she was worried about was finding a quick and reasonable solution for clean up.
Molly from Mild-to-Wild answered the question over email. She was wanting something other than a superfund saying, “At this point we are hoping for another solution besides the Superfund. There are many other possible funding options. If the other options do not pan out, then the Superfund site designation should be issued.” She had the same point of view as most of the Silverton residents.
I don’t have any takeaways from the exhibition other than learning about the spill Crested Butte. I think the exhibition could have been more organized. We could have made it more obvious which student did which interview by putting them next to the computer or connecting the podcasts to the students somehow.
This project did not personally affect me at all, although it did teach me that there are always many different perspectives to a story. At first I was supporting a Superfund, then as the project went on I saw both sides. At the end of this project though I have become undecided on whether a superfund is necessary or they can work towards a Silverton citizen-run clean-up. So this project has made me become neutral about it in hope to just find any solution at all.
My Interview with Julie Westendorff (County Commissioner for District 3)
https://storycorps.me/interviews/voices-from-the-animas-animas-high-school-student-garrett-hagen-and-county-commissioner-julie-westendorff/
https://storycorps.me/interviews/voices-from-the-animas-animas-high-school-student-garrett-hagen-and-county-commissioner-julie-westendorff/
My Written Interview with Molly Mickel (Owner of Mild-to-Wild Rafting)
Me: How did the spill effect Mild-to-Wild economically? Are there lasting effects?
Molly: The Spill closed Mild to Wild for rafting trip on the Lower Animas River for 8 days. We elected to stay closed another 2 days to further evaluate the safety of the river to protect our guides and guests. In addition to losing the rafters, it also affected our jeep tours and Mesa Verde tours because some of the cancelled guests decided to go elsewhere for rafting and skip Durango altogether.
There are lasting affects. Our Lower Animas raft volume this fall is definitely down. We are working on an Animas River image campaign with the Durango Tourism office and the State of Colorado.
Me: Did this spill cause you to loose trust for anyone involved?
Molly: No. It was simply an accident.
Me: Should Silverton and their mines be a designated Superfund site?
Molly: At this point we are hoping for another solution besides the Superfund. There are many other possible funding options. If the other options do not pan out, then the Superfund site designation should be issued.
Me: Has the media portrayed the spill wrong in any way? How do you see the spill?
Molly: The media attention to the Animas was huge. It was very intriguing on how much attention it got. I am not so sure there is a right or wrong way to portray it. As much attention as it got, it certainly put Durango on the map, which can be a good thing.
I see the spill as having a silver lining. It will improve the health of the Animas River, will help other abandoned mines become cleaner, and help minimize the contamination of other rivers.
Me: What if it were to happen again?
Molly: It will be unfortunate if it happens again. We hope the precautionary measures will be put in place to prevent another spill. But, if it does happen again, we will deal with it as we did this time. Mother nature is pretty amazing how she recovers.
Rhetoric and Ideaology Project
Written Islamophobia Piece
In the Islamic Koran, it speaks of an inward quest called the “great jihad”. This is a journey to expel all that is evil within (wickedness, inhumanity, greed). It is considered the most important struggle that goes on within one’s self. It is very important in their religion to walk this path no matter the situation or environment. In Chapter 3, verse 172, of the Koran, it states, "Of those who answered the call of Allah and the messenger, even after being wounded, those who do right and refrain from wrong have a great reward." The Muslim community has often used this as proof that their religion should not be misunderstood because of radical views. This is showing that even in the face of certain death, if you do the right thing, you will be rewarded. It is a verse that even a nonbeliever of Islam would find inspiring.
As a result of this, Muslims are commonly regarded as friendly and warmhearted. Not only by foreigners who lived in the Middle East and have had plenty of experiences with them, but also from tourists that have had brief interactions with Muslims.
There isn’t just a peaceful side to this religion though. There never is. There is also what is referred to as the “lower jihad”, which is the most controversial part of this religion. It states in (22:39), "To those against whom war is made, permission is given [to fight] because they are wronged; and verily, God is most powerful for their aid" This has been interpreted many different ways whether it is beliefs within the religion or assumptions outside of it.
Muslim scholar Imam Sulayman S. Nyang of Howard University in Washington, D.C. interprets this verse to why it is a belief of most Muslims, saying, "if you are attacked by your persecutors, but don't fight back indiscriminately. Follow the rules of engagement. According to mainstream Muslim clerics, those "rules of engagement" are explicit: women, children, and innocent civilians are off limits.” This interpretation of this text isn’t usually common knowledge to people of other faiths. It forgives the use of violence in certain situations.
Most Islamic radicalists use these out-of-context verses to justify the use of cruelty towards innocents. They spread their message of violence using social media, news coverage, and propaganda. This radical promotion has used globalization to it’s advantage, but unfortunately has overshadowed what Muslims have been spreading for centuries; doing the right thing.
Although Muhammad was considered a military leader in his time, violence is present in most religions scriptures. In recent history though, Muhammad has been referred to more of a saint or guru. It reads, (8:67) – “It is not for a Prophet that he should have prisoners of war until he had made a great slaughter in the land…”
David Rodier, associate professor emeritus of American University, is an expert on numerous world religions. He says, "If people are intent on using religion to motivate terror or violence, they'll find an excuse there no matter what the actual text says."
This could be applicable to any religion whether it is Christianity, Judaism, or Mormonism. Just as the KKK doesn’t represent Christianity, Muslim terrorism doesn’t represent Islam. One bad apple doesn’t have to ruin the bunch but we let it anyways.
World War II was a time of misery and strategic decision making. One decision that seems to haunt America during this time, and to this day, is the imprisonment of over 127,000 Japanese-Americans. Yes, it was a different time and a different situation, but that doesn’t justify the obvious xenophobia that was set in motion.
“Thousands of German and Italian aliens living in the U.S. would also be locked up, but millions of German and Italian-American citizens would remain free to live their lives as they always had. Only Japanese Americans were singled out.” says “The War” written in collaboration with multiple writers and PBS. This is a good example to why The United States is 85 on the cultural diversity list and has a cultural fractionalization of .27. Which means if you take two random people from the country, there is a 27% chance of them being culturally different, far lower than most developed countries. Is this not a testament to how American culture grows on immigrants? There are people of all races fighting for and growing our country, so it is a true disservice to the country to not allow certain citizens to broaden our demographic.
One might not think racism is a relevant problem in this country but Chris Allen, a British sociologist assigned by the FRA to investigate post 9/11 Islamophobia, had this to say in his 2010 report, “Immediately prior to the events of 9/11, the United Nations (UN) officially recognized the proliferating climate of anti-Muslim and anti-Islamic prejudice, discrimination, and hatred – Islamophobia – as being as equally repellent and unwanted as anti-Semitism and other global discriminatory phenomena. The 9/11 tragedy, however, somewhat overshadowed this recognition, resulting in the continued proliferation of anti-Muslim and anti-Islamic sentiment and expression.” This is not a shocking discovery because it would makes sense for a population to be afraid of an ethnic group after an indiscriminate attack by radicalists. What doesn’t make sense, is the generalization of Islamophobia and the genuine phobia of a whole race.
If our common goal in life the the betterment of mankind as a species, then why, WHY do we have to blatantly push one another away for authentic differences, when we should be taught to embrace what this can contribute to humanity. Whether it is skin color, religion, origin, sexual orientation, or even ideologies? It doesn’t seem to compute to me as to why this is a recurring factor in the very miniscule history of humans. It is a true disservice.
As a result of this, Muslims are commonly regarded as friendly and warmhearted. Not only by foreigners who lived in the Middle East and have had plenty of experiences with them, but also from tourists that have had brief interactions with Muslims.
There isn’t just a peaceful side to this religion though. There never is. There is also what is referred to as the “lower jihad”, which is the most controversial part of this religion. It states in (22:39), "To those against whom war is made, permission is given [to fight] because they are wronged; and verily, God is most powerful for their aid" This has been interpreted many different ways whether it is beliefs within the religion or assumptions outside of it.
Muslim scholar Imam Sulayman S. Nyang of Howard University in Washington, D.C. interprets this verse to why it is a belief of most Muslims, saying, "if you are attacked by your persecutors, but don't fight back indiscriminately. Follow the rules of engagement. According to mainstream Muslim clerics, those "rules of engagement" are explicit: women, children, and innocent civilians are off limits.” This interpretation of this text isn’t usually common knowledge to people of other faiths. It forgives the use of violence in certain situations.
Most Islamic radicalists use these out-of-context verses to justify the use of cruelty towards innocents. They spread their message of violence using social media, news coverage, and propaganda. This radical promotion has used globalization to it’s advantage, but unfortunately has overshadowed what Muslims have been spreading for centuries; doing the right thing.
Although Muhammad was considered a military leader in his time, violence is present in most religions scriptures. In recent history though, Muhammad has been referred to more of a saint or guru. It reads, (8:67) – “It is not for a Prophet that he should have prisoners of war until he had made a great slaughter in the land…”
David Rodier, associate professor emeritus of American University, is an expert on numerous world religions. He says, "If people are intent on using religion to motivate terror or violence, they'll find an excuse there no matter what the actual text says."
This could be applicable to any religion whether it is Christianity, Judaism, or Mormonism. Just as the KKK doesn’t represent Christianity, Muslim terrorism doesn’t represent Islam. One bad apple doesn’t have to ruin the bunch but we let it anyways.
World War II was a time of misery and strategic decision making. One decision that seems to haunt America during this time, and to this day, is the imprisonment of over 127,000 Japanese-Americans. Yes, it was a different time and a different situation, but that doesn’t justify the obvious xenophobia that was set in motion.
“Thousands of German and Italian aliens living in the U.S. would also be locked up, but millions of German and Italian-American citizens would remain free to live their lives as they always had. Only Japanese Americans were singled out.” says “The War” written in collaboration with multiple writers and PBS. This is a good example to why The United States is 85 on the cultural diversity list and has a cultural fractionalization of .27. Which means if you take two random people from the country, there is a 27% chance of them being culturally different, far lower than most developed countries. Is this not a testament to how American culture grows on immigrants? There are people of all races fighting for and growing our country, so it is a true disservice to the country to not allow certain citizens to broaden our demographic.
One might not think racism is a relevant problem in this country but Chris Allen, a British sociologist assigned by the FRA to investigate post 9/11 Islamophobia, had this to say in his 2010 report, “Immediately prior to the events of 9/11, the United Nations (UN) officially recognized the proliferating climate of anti-Muslim and anti-Islamic prejudice, discrimination, and hatred – Islamophobia – as being as equally repellent and unwanted as anti-Semitism and other global discriminatory phenomena. The 9/11 tragedy, however, somewhat overshadowed this recognition, resulting in the continued proliferation of anti-Muslim and anti-Islamic sentiment and expression.” This is not a shocking discovery because it would makes sense for a population to be afraid of an ethnic group after an indiscriminate attack by radicalists. What doesn’t make sense, is the generalization of Islamophobia and the genuine phobia of a whole race.
If our common goal in life the the betterment of mankind as a species, then why, WHY do we have to blatantly push one another away for authentic differences, when we should be taught to embrace what this can contribute to humanity. Whether it is skin color, religion, origin, sexual orientation, or even ideologies? It doesn’t seem to compute to me as to why this is a recurring factor in the very miniscule history of humans. It is a true disservice.
Project Reflection
This project was the study of rhetoric in our daily lives. Rhetorical discourse is one concept we visited multiple times in this project. Using logical fallacies, we studied political discourse from current debates. For my project, I chose the subject Muslim xenophobia which I found connected with me way more than my previous subject of the difference between good and bad morals and who determines them. I wrote a rhetorical op ed on it, then wrote a poem about the general racism in America. My initial plan was to make an animation of kinetic text using after effects but it fell through so I ended up performing it live.
My project challenged the understanding of Islam and the koran. To think of it not as an excuse to kill but a religion of equality and understanding. The first half of my paper is mostly about the religion but the second half is about statistics and the mistreatment of races in the history of this country. Then I compare it to the same situations posed today by our politicians, wanting races out of the country.
My first subject of morals interested me but I wasn’t passionate about it. Jessica and I sat down and talked over my moral op ed which wasn’t good at all. I decided to switch my subject to something more controversial, making it easier to research different points of view.
My project challenged the understanding of Islam and the koran. To think of it not as an excuse to kill but a religion of equality and understanding. The first half of my paper is mostly about the religion but the second half is about statistics and the mistreatment of races in the history of this country. Then I compare it to the same situations posed today by our politicians, wanting races out of the country.
My first subject of morals interested me but I wasn’t passionate about it. Jessica and I sat down and talked over my moral op ed which wasn’t good at all. I decided to switch my subject to something more controversial, making it easier to research different points of view.
Personal Philosophy and Happiness Project
Material Beings
The definition of ‘being’ is “a real or imaginary living creature, especially an intelligent one.”
Nowadays, materials are what runs society. Looking left, right, up, down, all you see are materials, they are ubiquitous. They are part of us expanding as a race. One of my close friends recently said to me, “The only thing that makes humans advantageous against other animals is our brain, we don’t have sharp teeth or long claws. Not to say we can think a bear to death, but if we were to come up against one, we have guns to protect ourselves.” This is a very good point that I strongly agree with. Materials make the world go round. But he did get me thinking, do we need phone, expensive clothes, or a new blu-ray player to survive or even thrive?
We try to separate ourselves from everything else in this world but I think this is one place we are beat. It seems everything that matters these days is based of materialism. We spend so much time on the objects we have created and in the end is it worth it? We do this rather than filling our lives with unique experiences with people you love. So just like the definition states, materials sure are “intelligent”. Intelligent enough to outsmart us and own the lives of the most intelligent beings on this planet.
The definition of ‘being’ is “a real or imaginary living creature, especially an intelligent one.”
Nowadays, materials are what runs society. Looking left, right, up, down, all you see are materials, they are ubiquitous. They are part of us expanding as a race. One of my close friends recently said to me, “The only thing that makes humans advantageous against other animals is our brain, we don’t have sharp teeth or long claws. Not to say we can think a bear to death, but if we were to come up against one, we have guns to protect ourselves.” This is a very good point that I strongly agree with. Materials make the world go round. But he did get me thinking, do we need phone, expensive clothes, or a new blu-ray player to survive or even thrive?
We try to separate ourselves from everything else in this world but I think this is one place we are beat. It seems everything that matters these days is based of materialism. We spend so much time on the objects we have created and in the end is it worth it? We do this rather than filling our lives with unique experiences with people you love. So just like the definition states, materials sure are “intelligent”. Intelligent enough to outsmart us and own the lives of the most intelligent beings on this planet.
Project Reflection
The purpose of this project was to explore philosophies and happiness. We started the project off by studying existentialism and transcendentalism. These two ideas helped us step into the shoes of people who live by these ideas. This all was trying to answer the king off all unanswerable question: What is the meaning of life and what is happiness? The inspiration behind my project was something I have contemplated for a long time. I notice most of the population basing their existences off of gaining material things (money, cars, technology, and nice houses). I was very passionate about this project because of this reason.
To be honest, I don’t think I gained new insight on the world. This is because, as I said, I have been reviewing this subject in my head for a very long time. Also being at Animas, we are taught to be critical about everything. So naturally this is one of the main subject for most of my contemplations. This was most prevalent after Sarah’s freshman project involving happiness. I wrote a very good essay for this project which I went back and read to get inspiration for this project. My perspective of making your own happiness despite other’s ball and chains on you has not changed. As I saw everyone’s presentations for exhibition, I realized this is the perspective of most our students. This made my project a lot easier to self-critique by comparing it to others projects.
I still have a variety of questions still pertaining to the subjects we studied as a class. As for my project, I think I have already made up my mind about materials making people happy. Some of the question I still have are:
Are we a carbon miracle of nature or do we have a purpose?
How long does the human race last due to depleting air and recourse?
Why can you feel a connection to the Earth when in nature?
To be honest, I don’t think I gained new insight on the world. This is because, as I said, I have been reviewing this subject in my head for a very long time. Also being at Animas, we are taught to be critical about everything. So naturally this is one of the main subject for most of my contemplations. This was most prevalent after Sarah’s freshman project involving happiness. I wrote a very good essay for this project which I went back and read to get inspiration for this project. My perspective of making your own happiness despite other’s ball and chains on you has not changed. As I saw everyone’s presentations for exhibition, I realized this is the perspective of most our students. This made my project a lot easier to self-critique by comparing it to others projects.
I still have a variety of questions still pertaining to the subjects we studied as a class. As for my project, I think I have already made up my mind about materials making people happy. Some of the question I still have are:
Are we a carbon miracle of nature or do we have a purpose?
How long does the human race last due to depleting air and recourse?
Why can you feel a connection to the Earth when in nature?