On Sunday, March 31 six other people and I came together around a friend’s tiny kitchen table in an apartment right off WKU’s campus. Going into this experience I thought I would only know my two classmates, Anna and Amelia, but when I walked into the apartment I recognized a girl from one of my other classes, Tatum. Tatum is in my English 200 class (where class is cancelled a lot), as well as a pre-pharmacy major who will be heading to pharmacy school in Alabama next year. The other girls in the room I recognized, but honestly, they were complete strangers before we began to talk. Anna sat across me, who was one of my partners for the Kentucky Kitchen Table and organized the lunch. Next to Anna was Elizabeth, whom I recognized from H4, but I didn’t know that well before. Elizabeth is an Honors freshmen as well, who was planning on doing her project sometime during the next weekend. Elizabeth sat next to Amelia, who was one of my first friends at college through H4 and was one of my partners for the project. Tatum, who I mentioned before, sat next to Amelia. Sitting next to me was Kate, a religion major who brought many insights to our conversation. Kate sat next to Lauren, who was very funny, lively, and I felt a very motherly-like quality from her. All these ladies had something about them that I enjoyed being around, and excited me for the conversation that we were about to have.

             After we all got food on our plates, which consisted of salad, potatoes, and chicken (eggs for the vegetarians), I began the conversation with the question: “What does citizenship mean to you?” With Amelia adding, “besides paying taxes, voting, and following laws.” At first, everyone thought on the question for a little while, with Kate answering first. Kate said that she thinks of citizenship as being a member of a community. Everyone has an obligation to their community, whatever community this might be. She went on to mention something about a global community, which was interesting because she wants to be a missionary. After this comment, the next few comments had a general theme of being in a community and a citizen means caring about what happens in your community. Lauren said something about how being a citizen also means knowing the history of where you live and seeing how this history has an impact on the community in present day. This point brought some interesting takes on how the history of citizenship in our country has changed. In our current day, citizenship in our country is more about embracing where you came from; instead of integrating yourself into the American culture. Tatum thought that encouraging people to embrace their heritage and family past is important for working towards bettering our society. The conversation sort of changed, but not in a bad way, when Elizabeth said her answer to the question I had asked. She felt the need to be a good citizen was because of her femininity and the privilege we have because we live as women in America. She mentioned that if we were in another country, we wouldn’t have the same freedoms as we do now. The privilege that she is given because of where she lives gives her an obligation to be a good citizen. The things that Elizabeth brought to the table really opened the rest of our minds, and it gave the rest of us an idea the being a good citizen as an obligation. Kate then mentioned that she thought about how global citizenship as fighting for the rights of people who are oppressed.

The next question I asked the table was “What do you think are the best parts of our world today?” As I was reading the question, immediately I could not think of one; all the negative parts of the world came in my head. I let the table know this, and they all agreed with me; everyone could only think about the negative parts of the world. The thought of advances in medicine and the uprising of human rights were brought into discussion, as well as the awareness of our problems, were discussed as positives in our world. One of the social issues that we all really cared about and were passionate, was then brought into the discussion by Kate. We had previously been talking about climate change and immigration, so Kate brought those two ideas together and mentioned the current political climate. She meant how the politicians use their words as inflammatory and how they are so rude to each other. The girls and I at the table elaborated on this and discussed how everyone is disrespectful to one another, rather than being civil. This idea of civility related back to practicing citizenship through listening to other people that we disagree with or have differing points of view. This last part of our conversation is something that I enjoyed listening to and being apart of; it really showed me what a Kentucky Kitchen Table was supposed to incorporate and feel like!

This meal taught me a lot: from meeting new people and learning new names, to different people’s views and how to use these views to become an overall better citizen. Around the world, people are dealing with all kinds of issues, but no way to solve them; it might not be up to us who don’t live in the community that has a problem, but it is important to be an engaged citizen to understand the problems that other people face on a day to day basis. I saw people, young women specifically, come together to find some common ground for somewhat opposing views. One major thing that opened my eyes is the negativity that was immediately recalled when I asked the table about the positives in the world. I was disheartened by the fact that none of us could think of a positive. I think that the world has turned away from positivity; every where you look something negative is being brought to our attention, and that is sad.

This discussion relates to the many discussions/mini-deliberations that we have in Honors 251. Each idea that one person brought to the table, another idea would pop up into someone else’s brain and brought a new light on a new perspective. Although I loved this experience, this reminded me of one of our readings that we is had a negative theme to it: “To Hell with Good Intentions.” When having this discussion, in my mind I was thinking that everyone had such great ideas, but, like Ivan Illich had said, we cannot place ourselves in a community where we do not belong. Yes, we have good intentions and good ideas, but we do not completely understand another community’s situation because we are not apart of it. We can sit around a table and discuss the issues of the world (which I enjoyed doing), but it will do no good if we try to place ourselves where we do not belong. However, I do believe that this discussion allowed me to see this reading in the real world; I was skeptical of Illich at first, but now I understand what he was saying.

By Liv:

On the night of April 6th, 2019, three ladies and I cozied up in a campus apartment in Bowling Green, Kentucky, over a homemade dinner. After fixing one of my mom’s homemade baked ham and cheese sandwiches, in addition to some chips and fruit, we sat down around the table and discussed the broad topic of citizenship, social issues, our lives in Bowling Green, and all of the things in this world that we care about the most. My attendees included Emily, Ellie, and Katie—or KJ as she’s known to everyone else.

Emily is a Junior at Western Kentucky University and is a Public Relations major. This dinner was hosted at her apartment, along with her friend KJ, whom she invited. Emily is from London, Kentucky, which is approximately two hours and thirty minutes east of Bowling Green. This gives Emily experience with not only smaller town culture, but also the culture of urban areas. I met Emily through our sorority—Omega Phi Alpha—as Emily is my big’s big, or my grandbig! KJ is Emily’s friend and is also a junior here at WKU. KJ is a far distance from home as she grew up in Stillwater, Minnesota. Although I had only briefly met KJ once, I got to learn a lot about her at the dinner table. She is a very quirky Biology major with a Pre-PA concentration and plans on applying to schools this summer to be a Physician Assistant. Even with her busy schedule, KJ is very active in her faith. She leads a bible study group at her apartment every Sunday night and has a deep curiosity for others’ beliefs and religious ways. Ellie is a member of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority and is a freshman at WKU. She is from Louisville, KY, just like myself, but we did not come to know each other until living here in Minton together at WKU. Ellie grew up going to an all-girls Catholic school in Louisville, but she has since expanded herself beyond things she was accustomed to in school. Ellie is a Dental Hygiene major and plans to one day pursue a career in that field.

We are a very diverse group, as we are all pursuing different majors, we all come from different locations and different backgrounds and are involved in different programs on campus, but we have some qualities in common. Each of us is a member of the Mahurin Honor’s college here at Western. In addition, none of us call Bowling Green our home, so we are connected by the fact that we have had to adapt to a new community and make it our own. We all ate for a while and talked amongst ourselves, not wanting to move into the real assignment at hand. After a few minutes, I wanted to get the conversation started with a “lite” question to get us kicked off.

Did you ever have meals around the table with your family or neighbors growing up?

We began the night by talking about the meal I prepared: I wanted to ask the girls about their experiences growing up, and today, at the dinner table. Each of us went around and discussed our typical dinner traditions growing up, and, in some way, shape, or form, whether it was at a table, at the counter, or in the living room, a meal was shared in some sort of fashion. For many of us, once we all reached a certain age, typically high school, time at the dinner became scarce as demanding schedules became to interfere with mealtime. Ellie and I agreed that being away from campus, it can be hard to have that “family dinner” you are so accustomed to at home, which is why Ellie, myself, and some of our other friends created a dinner group where we eat together every night at Fresh. The consistency of the meal each night is what creates such a comforting routine away from home. Aside from its original purpose, this idea of a consistent mealtime can prove valuable to the growth of our personal ideals. Dinner is a time to share beliefs, experiences, concerns about today’s social challenges, etc., which leads to a conversation in search of new perspectives and paths forward individually and collectively. This is how we grow as individuals and collaborate and solve problems with each other.

What is the thing you love about living where you do?  

Being away from our homes, we have all come to enjoy certain characteristics of Bowling Green. A lot of us mentioned that we enjoyed downtown Bowling Green and the square and what it has to offer. We all noticed that, in comparison to Louisville and other cities, we can tell that WKU is immersed in the “Bible Belt” and that is a big part of the atmosphere on campus. There was also a general consensus that we all appreciate the safeness of Western’s campus and how the campus has a safe community ranking. This conversation about campus protection got us to talking about firearms and other social issues that connect to us.

What social issue is closest to your heart and why?

            I have found that this group of ladies are very passionate about a variety of different social issues. One social that really involved and connected all of us was the topic of Women’s Rights. Each of us agreed that the meaning behind the movement itself has been altered over time from what it should truly stand for. For example, some of our worries that, obviously right now women are being discriminated against, but if we continue the way we are currently proceeding then at some point we are going to start discriminating against men. Although we may not admit it, times have changed, And now, from the male perspective, some are afraid to “flirt” or approach women as it can be interpreted by women as an uncomfortable, inappropriate, or dangerous activity. This society and the Women’s Rights movement has become too sensitive to certain behaviors. This idea of the lives of women today also coincided with our discussion on means of protection. It should be safe on this Earth, for men AND women. Living on a college campus can prove to be very dangerous. It is comforting to know that when we are away from home—at the dorms, the Registry, Kentucky St. apartments—WKU has a safe campus reputation and none of us have ever felt unsafe during our time here on campus, as it should be for all women.

Do you think we have any obligations to other people in our country? In our community?

            Immediately, KJ answered this off the bat and had a true passion for this question. She said that as a country we should owe each other certain things such as respect, protection, and assistance. I learned from this question—specifically regarding giving assistance to others—that if someone were to need help, that means that individual trusts you enough to ask for help, as this generation we live in despises asking for help or support. We don’t have a legal obligation to each other, but we should be morally obligated to give our fruits of labor

Beyond voting, paying taxes, and following laws, what does citizenship mean to you?

At first, I didn’t really receive the kind of input I expected. Everyone at the table was a little confused, so I had to rephrase. Gradually, I received some answers. Ellie bravely answered first, saying that citizenship was another way to categorize yourself, and another identifier for society. For my other guests, we took the idea of citizenship to mean that you represent a certain stereotype. For example, if you claim yourself as a citizen of the United States, that can come back with negative viewpoints from people of other countries. Ignorance, obesity, and freedom are somewhat positive/negative identifiers that people associate with the U.S. Being a citizen is representing the stereotypes that other people give you and your country, but then acting on those things to change the societal norms.

In the end, I will treasure this Kentucky Kitchen Table in my college and life experience. I learned that social issues don’t have to be controversial or tear relationships apart. In fact, they should be discussed civilly, with the common purpose among everyone to solve the problem, because that is the only way we are going to make progress in society. Regardless of our backgrounds, society should be held to a standard of being kind to one another and doing everything in your power to create a world filled to the brim with love. I believe that is what citizenship is and what our obligation to each other should be.

By Kylee 

On April 6, 2019, I completed the Kentucky Kitchen Table (KKT) Project in hometown of Bowling Green, KY with eight people. Of these eight, there was one that I did not know well. Four of the others were family members that I had not seen in five years, contributing to the diversity and differing of opinions during the dinner. Together, we all sat around the kitchen table and shared a well-developed conversation about citizenship and democracy. 

The names of the people at my KKT were Arika, Chad, Melanie, Scott, Bonita, Katherine, Ed, and Emily. Arika is my younger sister. She is active in art club, dance, and choir at her elementary school as well as youth group at our church. My father Chad works at a company that produces self-check-out lanes for major corporations like Wal-Mart and enjoys debating political topics with me. My aunt Melanie, whom I had not seen in a couple of years, works as the district manager of a major gas company; she is extremely dedicated to providing for her three children and her grandson. My uncle Scott is from a rural area and spends most of his time providing household services and spending time with his granddaughters. My aunt Bonita, whom is married to Scott, works at the local Shaker village and enjoys the family get-togethers we have since she does not see the family very often. Katherine, the daughter of Bonita and Scott, is my eldest cousin whom I relate to most and share many beliefs; she is dedicated to providing a family-oriented household with her longtime boyfriend and daughter. My great grandfather Ed is from Illinois and has been a major parental influence on my father and his siblings after their parents divorced. He is very strict in his beliefs of the Catholic church. Finally, Emily is the girlfriend of my cousin and longtime family friend of Melanie. Through this dinner, I learned more about her perspective on democracy as this was the first time I had a stimulating conversation with her. 

To begin the dinner, Ed said a prayer and blessed the meal. We started with casual conversation to catch up with the family members we had not seen in a couple of years. They asked me about my experience in college; thus, transitioning the conversation to the nature of the dinner and the project of KKT. 

What does citizenship mean to you? 

Before I asked this question, I knew it would bring about some controversy and debate to the table, which is the foundation for intellectually-stimulating conversations. Arika answered first by saying that citizenship is being a citizen in the country that you live in. She had recently studied what it meant to be a United States citizen in her social studies class. I further inquired about other qualities of citizenship that are important to each of us at the table. Ed explained that he thought citizenship meant being patriotic and dedicated to serving your country whether that be through the military or community service. Many of us around the table agreed that being dedicated to the country is an important aspect of citizenship. Scott agreed with this as well and related it to his time serving as a marine. Despite this agreement, the differing of opinions lied in at what point are you a citizen if you were not born into the country. After many back-and-forth statements, we decided to shift the topic of conversation to the type of community we want to live in instead of focusing on the negative press of citizenship. 

What kind of community do you want to live in? 

At this point in the dinner, the race track near the house became active. Melanie joked that she wanted to live in a community where there was not a race track nearby so that she could have some peace and quiet. This lightened the mood from the previous indifference and got all the members reengaged in the conversation. Emily inserted that she wanted to live in a safe community that she wouldn’t have to worry about the safety of her kids when they played outside. She explained that the area of Bowling Green in which she grew up made her mother uncomfortable, and she was not allowed to go outside by herself during the afternoons. Katherine then stated that she loved the area in which she lives because it is secluded, so she does not have to worry too much about her daughter going outside to play in the back yard. Chad jumped in and said that living in complete isolation wouldn’t be so bad since there is so much corruption and crime in the world. I could see that the conversation was starting to focus more on the negatives and what we don’t want rather than the positives, so I asked everyone about their favorite part of living in the area they do now. 

What is the thing you love most about living where you do? 

Bonita answered this question first. Growing up in a rural area, she always lived next door to her family members. As her daughters grew up and started having families of their own, they kept this mentality as they moved out of the house. All of her kids live within walking distance of her home, so she loves that most. She explained that she loved the area because of the family atmosphere it provided with other families as well as her own. Arika said that she loves being able to go outside and play with the neighbors. Chad agreed with Arika and said that he really loves the neighborhood because everyone helps one another out. He explained that last week Arika saw an unknown vehicle parked near the house and was worried about getting into the house safely. He called the neighbors immediately to the left, and they picked her up off the bus and let her stay at their house until he got home. In times of need, the neighbors are always there to help.  

Reflection 

Growing up, family dinners were an important part of my weekends especially when out-of-town family members came to Bowling Green. Each night, my family sits around the kitchen table with no electronics, and we discuss our day and important things. However, this project allowed me to have intellectual conversation and learn more about my family’s and friends’ beliefs in depth. The KKT project is a great example of the essential question of this course about how we can live better together. Initiating conversation like this one can create a better understanding of differing perspectives that will allow for consensus and progress in society and the community. This experience also relates to the reading of tackling wicked problems through deliberative engagement because although this dinner was not a true deliberation, it is a step to normalizing those types of discussions. My experience with the KKT was one that I will value forever and hope to continue in the future with more diverse people. 

By Sophie

Introductions

For my Kentucky Kitchen Table, I went to Mallory’s house in Bowling Green on March 29^th. There were four attendees, which included myself, Mallory, Mallory’s younger sister Lindsey, and their mother Sherry. Mallory and I are both freshman at Western Kentucky University. I’m an exercise science major and enjoy playing soccer in my free time. Mallory is officially a biology major but she is still exploring her options. She loves to do yoga in her free time. I met Mallory last semester through a mutual friend and have had two classes with her, Citizen and Self and a biology class. I met Lindsey and Sherry very briefly last semester but haven’t spent a lot of time with any of them. Lindsey is homeschooled and a junior in high school who loves to dance and is even considering teaching it one day. Sherry works from home transcribing medical records and is very involved with the youth groups at her church.

To begin the evening, the four of us sat around the table and got to know a bit more about each other. Sherry asked some questions about my major, hometown, and what I wanted to do for a career, and she told me a bit about her job. She said she really enjoyed it because she is able to do it from home and it gives her more time to be with her family and be involved with her church.

What does citizenship mean to you?

Sherry said a prayer to begin our meal. “Beyond voting, paying taxes, and following laws, what does citizenship mean to you?” was the first question we tackled. Sherry started us off and explained that she thought being a citizen meant you felt like you belonged. Beyond just living in the US, she has a sense that the country is a place she is welcome and belongs. I agreed with that and also said that I thought being a citizen meant you really cared about the country and its people, want it to be a better place, and have opinions about issues within the country. The four of us all seemed to agree on both this and what Sherry initially shared.

What do you think are the best things in our world today?

Next, Mallory asked what we thought were the best things in the world today. She began by saying that one of the best things is how we can communicate so easily with people around the world. We all agreed because it makes it easier to keep in touch with friends and family that don’t live close by. The closest extended family I have to home is in North Carolina, so technology has been extremely beneficial in maintaining our relationships.

Do you know your neighbors?

Next, we talked about whether or not we know our neighbors. Sherry, Mallory, and Lindsey laughed as they told me about a few of their neighbors. They told me that they knew the neighbors on their immediate left and right, and Sherry told me about one strange interaction she had with another neighbor that lives across the street. They talked about the man that lives by himself next door to them, and Mallory and Lindsey shared that they often cat-sit for him when he goes out of town for the holidays. I currently live in PFT, and said that I do know the majority of the girls on my floor. I then explained that I only really know and have a relationship with one of my neighbors at my home in Richmond. They are an older couple that lives immediately to the right of us. Our neighbors on the other side just recently moved in, and I shared that I had met them and we’re friendly with one another, but I don’t know a lot about them.

Does your job serve a greater purpose?

We moved on to talk about whether or not we believed our jobs served a greater purpose. I am a sports writer for the Herald here at WKU, and while I would like to think my job does serve a greater purpose, I couldn’t really think of any reasons that it did. However, Sherry, Mallory, and Lindsey all said that they felt their jobs served a greater purpose. Mallory works at a local school in its after-school program and Lindsey works at a local dance studio.

Do you think we have obligations to other people in or country and community?

Finally, we discussed what our obligations are to people within our community. Sherry talked a bit about how it was hard to find a balance with our obligations to others, bringing up how it isn’t always safe to help people, with a specific example being people out in public asking for help and money. That’s when Mallory brought up the video we watched in class of the girl in China who was repeatedly hit by a vehicle while bystanders failed to do anything to help her. We talked about how some people may have walked by out of fear that it was a scam, but I mentioned that if you are afraid for your own safety, you can always call authorities to come help. We all agreed that if you don’t feel safe inserting yourself in the situation, you don’t necessarily have an obligation to do so. However, we all felt that there’s always something you can do, like calling the police to help, and are obligated to at least do that.

Reflecting

While I did grow up having dinner every night around the table with my family, we didn’t always have the deeper conversations that this meal consisted of. Through our conversation, I felt like I got to know Mallory a bit better and on a different level than I had before. I also feel like I learned some things that will help going into the deliberation, as we had to prod a bit at the beginning to really get the conversation flowing. Two of the central questions of this course ask how we can live better together and how we can solve problems. I felt that the KKT experience related to both of these questions because in order to live better together, we must have a better understanding of each other. I felt that the conversation I had with Mallory, Sherry, and Lindsey certainly gave me a better understanding of them. Additionally, I think that understanding and engaging with each other builds a better base for us to solve problems, so that multiple perspectives are brought into play. Overall, my KKT was a positive experience that I was glad to share with Mallory, Sherry, and Lindsey.

By Julia

My Kentucky Kitchen Table took place on March 31^th, 2019 at my house in Louisville, Kentucky. Our discussion was held while enjoying our freshly made dinner of grilled chicken, broccoli casserole, diced potatoes, salad, and best of all, brownies with ice cream. Although it definitely did not go as planned, we were still able to enjoy our time discussing topics that never come up at our standard family dinners. The participants in my discussion included myself along with my mom, dad, brother, grandma, and my grandma’s husband. 

Our discussion was well-rounded because it included perspectives from three different generations. Because of this, we discovered some differing core values from our upbringings that brought an aspect of variance into the conversation. My mother, Laura, graduated from WKU with a degree in Healthcare Administration and now works at Jewish Hospital Shelbyville as the Manager of Patient Access. My father, Rick, enjoys fixing and building basically anything and holds very old school ideas. He recently switched jobs from an industrial engineer to a countertop installer because he wanted to start doing a job that allowed him to do hands on work. My brother, Donnie, is a Junior at WKU and is majoring in Sports Management and Marketing. He is also on the Cross Country and Track team and spends most of his time watching whatever sports he can find on TV. My grandma, Ella, used to work as a comapany secretary, but now she and her husband, Joe, spend most of their time running the church they attend. Joe immigrated to the U.S. from Munich, Germany when he was four and later fought in the Vietnam War. Everyone at the table was raised Lutheran and had very conservative views, so I had an idea of what their take on many of the topics would be. 

To begin the conversation, I decided to ask everyone at the table to define the term “citizen” in their own words to see if their immediate response jumped to paying taxes and abiding by the law. This question initially resulted in some perplexed looks, but after they understood that I wasn’t looking for a perfect answer, my dad was the first one to budge in and say, “it means you are responsible for following laws and paying taxes.” I gave them a few more seconds of silence to see if anyone would add to this definition, but the only other response I got was from my grandma who said, “it means you’re native to a particular country just like I am a citizen of the United States.” I of course knew that this was not the response that I was looking for and decided I needed to go ahead and ask the question, “Beyond voting, paying taxes, and following laws, what does citizenship mean to you?” After several introspective thoughts and a few bites of food later, my dad decided to delve deeper into his previous response and say that citizenship is also about providing for your community. He went on to say that we are not only responsible for our actions toward one another but also toward our country and our planet. We all began to collectively come up with some ways as to how we should use our position as citizens to be active in our community. To us citizenship means asking others if they need help, listening to one another’s opinions, volunteering in the community, and overall using our rights as citizens in a meaningful manner. We were all able to agree that citizenship is about acknowledgement by the individual that the community is bigger than themselves. Therefore, we have a responsibility to our community to be educated on social problems and make sensible actions.

This conversation then led me into asking the next question, “Do you think we have any obligations to other people in our country or community?” This question resulted in a few differing ideas which I believe made our conversation much richer in sincerity. My grandma was the first to shockingly voice her opinion through almost perfectly quoting the bible verse Romans 13:8: “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” However, she and Joe also believe that we have no obligation to help those that do not show any desire to help themselves. My mom had a small disagreement with this and instead said it should automatically be our moral response to help others even if they do or do not truly deserve our empathy. To bring their differing opinions to surface, I gave everyone the scenario that they are walking to a mandatory event and notice a man lying on the side of the street, visibly dying, surrounded by alcohol and indications of drug use. I then asked them whether or not it was their obligation to help the man. This is when things got more interesting. While my mom and dad said yes, “it is not only your obligation but also your responsibility,” my grandma and Joe said that this man’s problems were brought upon by himself. They believe that there are other people who are paid to help individuals in these types of situations. Although this resulted in a few moments of awkward silence, we were all eventually able to vaguely agree that there should not need to be any sort of greater responsibility like a religious belief because helping others is simply the morally correct thing to do.

After this relatively controversial topic, I decided to go into a less opinionated question and ask, “What kind of community do you want to live in?” and “What do you love most about where you live?” Although we live just 25 minutes away from downtown Louisville, our house is situated deep in the woods on a road shared by only 6 other log homes. My brother and I discussed how we have spent our whole lives knowing our neighbors and treating them like family because that’s how we thought all neighbors treated one another. We’ve never felt unwelcome by anyone on our street because it’s our own little community. My parents added how they prefer where we live now over the typical urban lifestyle because we are able to live at a slower pace. Both of my parents grew up in rural communities in which everyone helped each other out, but they were not as close to their neighbors as we are now. My grandma and Joe spent their childhood living on farms, but they have now moved into a customary neighborhood in which they both agree is not nearly as hospitable as they had hoped it would be. My grandma began to reflect upon the time that she was able to go to her neighbors to borrow eggs, but now after living in this new community for 2 years, she still doesn’t even know her neighbor’s names. This goes to show how much times have changed. Everyone’s answers reminded me of the reading “Love Thy Neighbor” because it held similar themes of how we should engage ourselves with those around us. It’s easy to say, “Well it’s not my family, so why should I concern myself with them?”, but this kind of thinking is what extends social problems for years and years to come. We need to come together as a community and take action now rather than push responsibility on to someone else. My brother and I were lucky to have been raised in a place that allows us to connect with our neighbors through delivering Christmas cookies to their doorstep or helping cut up some fallen trees after a storm. The only thing that we would change about where we live now is the powerline location. To no surprise, while we were wrapping up this question, the storm outside caused a tree to fall and knock out our neighborhoods power once again.

Since we are so used to this happening now, my dad ran to grab a battery powered lantern, and we decided to quickly wrap up our discussion by talking about what social issue we all hold closest to our hearts. In my family we never talk about current social issues and our core beliefs because they just don’t come up in our casual conversations about how our day has been. This was my first time hearing my family’s voices on topics like Medicaid, gun control, and immigration so I quickly became caught up in the conversation and forgot that we were actually sitting in almost complete darkness. I believe that discussions like that of my Kentucky Kitchen Table need to become more common. I have learned that they allow you to connect to people with different backgrounds on a deeper level. Through our conversation, we came to a final agreement that as citizens, whether young or old, we need to be accountable for our actions and understand that we are a part of something greater than ourselves. It all boils down to wanting to be better. A better citizen, a better community, a better country.

By Mallory

My Kentucky Kitchen Table meal took place on March 29^th, 2019, in my hometown of Bowling Green, Kentucky. There were four people in attendance: me (Mallory), Sophie, Lindsey, and my mom, Sherry. Sophie and I are first year college students at Western Kentucky University and are in the same Citizen and Self class. We met last semester in another class we had together, but we do not know each other very well and do not really spend a lot of time together outside of class. Sophie enjoys sports and writes for the WKU newspaper sports section. As for me, I love yoga (when I have time for it) and music, and I work a few days a week at a local private school in the after-school program. Lindsey is my younger sister, who is homeschooled and in her junior year of high school. She is passionate about all things music, dance, and the arts as a whole. She works one day a week for a local dance studio and thinks she may want to pursue teaching dance as a career someday. My mom, Sherry, works from home and is a very active volunteer for planning and chaperoning church youth programs and trips.

We began the evening with some casual chatting about weekend plans and getting to know each other a bit. When all of the food was ready and on the table, we all sat down at the kitchen table, my mom said a blessing for the food, and we began to fill our plates. Since Sherry and Lindsey have only briefly met Sophie before, they spent a few minutes talking to her about where she was from, what she likes to do, what her major is, how her classes are going, and other such “get to know you” topics. Then the conversation turned to the question of: “Beyond voting, paying taxes, and following laws, what does citizenship mean to you?” My mom was the first to answer, and in my opinion said it well when she said, “To me, citizenship is about living somewhere/in a community where you feel you have a sense of belonging. I am a citizen of the United States because I live here, but also because I feel like I belong here.” We all agreed to that statement and Sophie added that she felt that citizenship is about belonging but also about having a sense of responsibility, to which we all agreed to.

After this discussion, we moved on to some of the other questions. Someone asked the question, “What do you think are the best things about our world today?” I answered and said that ease of communication and modern technology was one thing about our world today that I valued, besides freedom and other such qualities we experience in our country.  Lindsey slightly contradicted me on this statement, saying that I only valued modern technology and ability to easily communicate because I am in a long distance relationship. I agreed that that definitely did influence that statement, but even outside of that I value being able to communicate with my friends and family who are traveling abroad or do not live in the same city, state, or even country as me.

Next, I asked, “Do you know your neighbors? Why or why not?” My mom answered this question for me and Lindsey too since we both still live at home. She explained to Sophie that we do know our neighbors that are on the immediate opposite sides of us, but not really anyone else in the neighborhood. She told Sophie about the couple and their child that lives on the left side of us and the older man who is a widower who lives on our right side. We told some fun stories about them, as well of some of the other people who live in our neighborhood that we have not formally met but have had a couple of encounters with. Sophie said that she knew her neighbors on one side, but did not know the others because they have not lived there very long. However, she said she of course knows her “neighbors” in her dorm on campus.

 We also discussed whether we thought our jobs served a greater purpose and if we believed that we had any obligations to other people in our country or our community. Sophie said she did not think her job really served any greater purpose, but the rest of us believed that our jobs did serve a greater purpose through helping and influencing others. We faced a bit of controversy in our discussion on obligation to others. At first, we did not really agree. Sherry stated that she was concerned with the safety aspect of it, specifically using the example of stopping to help someone asking for money on the street. While I agreed that you had to be careful in those types of situations, I said that I thought we could always do something for people who need help, and I brought up the example of the little girl in China who was hit by a vehicle and many passed by but no one stopped to help her. Sophie agreed with me and said that it depends on the situation, and that if you did not feel safe stopping to help someone in that type of situation you could at least call authorities for help. After this, we all agreed that we do have a certain degree of obligation to help others, especially in critical or dangerous situations.

 Through our discussions, I learned some new things about the people I was with. I also learned the value of discussing important matters with people you are close to as well as those you do not know as well and the benefits that can come from practicing that skill. It reminds me of the open conversation setup that we have learned to implement in our Citizen and Self class during discussions, where anyone is welcome to say what they think and not be criticized for their opinions. This relates to one of our main questions of the class, which is: “How do we live better together?” Civilly engaging with one another is a great way to solve problems and live better together, and I think it is a powerful tool and skill to learn how to utilize both in and outside of the classroom. As Andrew Postman’s article, “The Energy Diet,” relates, we can make a difference in the world through small changes and small ideas, which I believe relates to the Kentucky Kitchen Table experience because when we discuss ideas and problems together, we can come up with answers or ideas that could potentially change society for the better.  

By Sophie 

I really enjoyed completing the Kentucky Kitchen Table Project which took place on April 4^thin Bowling Green, Kentucky. There were six people including myself, three of which I did not know well, and we all sat and ate around the kitchen table together. 

The names of the people who were there were Harper, Nathan, Kat, Ashton, and Hayley. Harper is a sophomore at WKU who is extremely involved in student government and is very passionate about passionate about politics. Kat prides herself in her involvement with her church and her dedication to the WKU Nursing Program. Ashton, a junior, spoke a lot about her passion for social justice, especially racial equality. She mentioned her involvement in numerous mission trips and her love for her sorority and its philanthropic events. Hayley was the other young woman at the dinner with us. She finds joy in her job at a daycare in Bowling Green, and she offered insight as to why she chose not to participate in Greek Life  when we discussed community. 

The conversation that occurred during dinner went extremely well and flowed efficiently. There were many different opinions, but despite this, everyone remained respectful. The group had many different ways of answering the first question. Around half of the table spoke about the importance of serving others as a duty of citizenship. Others mentioned speaking up for what they believe in and being a good example for future generations. 

There were many different themes that came up during the conversation. The idea that our community should be accepting and supporting of everyone was often discussed as an expectation for society. The importance of communication was often a solution brought up when dealing with conflict within our communities which reminded me of our central question in class; how do we live better together? Some of them felt that their jobs reflected on their purpose, but others saw it as their duty in order to achieve success. 

There was a long discussion about religion and its role in citizenship. There were a variety of religious and spiritual perspectives including Catholicism, Christianity, Agnosticism, and one person who was Baptist. Many people thought that their religion impacted their role as a citizen because it affects their political and social viewpoints. Others felt that religion is considered an interference and that people should do what is best for the community rather than strictly follow beliefs of their faith. The group agreed that religion affects how you treat others, and many mentioned the desire for these groups to be more accepting of others with differences from majorities. 

I found what people had to say about the type of person they wanted to be very insightful. Each individual had something unique to add as to how they wanted to impact the world. I came to the realization that social issues influence what inspires others to make a difference. Often the answers to the type of person they want to be related to the issue that was closest to their hearts. Ashton spoke about how she wanted to be a person who accepts, loves and serves others. She said that she realized the type of person she wanted to be after her first couple of mission trips when she began to develop her passion for racial and ethnic equality. In addition, Hayley mentioned how she wants to be a teacher who kids see as a safety outlet and someone they can trust, and she then proceeded to talk about how her social issue concerns teaching rights. I enjoyed making this connection during the conversation and thought it would be a good thing to add to my observations. 

I learned a lot during this entire experience. I did not expect for my eyes to be opened to new ideas, but I feel as though I will have a new perspective not only with deliberations, but also with citizen interaction in general. I became more aware of the intrinsic motivation that causes people to value the morals they do. Often members stated their opinion and supported it with experience that has caused them to feel emotional one way or another. I began to ponder the idea that people often believe the things they do based on their life experiences, their emotions and the people they surround themselves with. I never thought too deeply as to why people value certain ideas, but the Kentucky Kitchen Table Assignment taught me to explore the personal motivation that brings people to have unique perspectives on various ideas. 

When pondering how I could relate my experience to what we have learned in class, many different ideas came to mind. Human interaction and morality can easily be related to the many discussions that have occurred in our class. The conversations at this specific dinner reminded me of the reading “How We Talk Matters,” because the entire project was dependent on respectful and empathetic conversation. The communication was extremely efficient because people were able to deliberate well. Despite there being various opinions, the conversation remained valid and reasonable. As mentioned in the reading, people often struggle to solve problems, because they cannot find any sort of common ground. I thought my group did a great job with understanding other people’s point of views while continuing to emphasize their values. I even thought about this article and how the conversation was a perfect example of community-based discussion. 

Overall, the Kentucky Kitchen Table was an extremely pleasant experience. Not only did I get to meet new people and learn more about those I already knew, but I also gained new perspective on the ideas of democracy and citizenship. It was enlightening to see a group of people with different viewpoints converse in a passionate yet respectful way. It provided a sense of hope for me when thinking of our community as a future; maybe society will be able to come together and deliberate in order to solve bigger problems that are prevalent in the world at that moment. 

Sunday March 31, in Bowling Green Kentucky, I and six other people gathered around our friend’s tiny kitchen table in her apartment. Sitting closest to me was the girl I knew the least, Tatum, a pre-pharmacy major who will be heading to pharmacy school in Alabama next year. Tatum was one of the girls that lives in the apartment. On my other side, was my newest friend, Elizabeth. Elizabeth and I gotten to be friends in just the past month. Across from me was someone I know from my hometown, Lauren. Lauren is funny and lively. She also lived in the apartment. Beside Lauren was Kate. Kate is very intelligent and has many inciteful things to say during our conversation. Kate is a religion major. Beside Kate was one of my partners for this project, Jeanna. Jeanna is a broadcasting major and on the WKU dance team. Across from Jeanna is Anna. Anna was my other partner for our project. Anna is an exercise science major, and like Elizabeth, I’ve only come to know her in the past month. In fact, all of the people around the table I wanted to get to know better.

After we settled in, with our plates of salad, potatoes, and chicken for some, eggs for me and Elizabeth (we’re both vegetarian), Jeanna began our conversation, “what does citizenship mean to you?” I added, “besides paying taxes, voting, and following laws.” Everyone took a minute to chew and process. Kate began by saying she thinks of citizenship as being a member of a community. You have obligations to your community, like participating in local politics and watching out for one another. She also touches on being a member of a global community. I found her mention of being a global community member interesting, as she wants to be a missionary. We continued with the theme of being a member of a community. There was a general consensus among all of us that being in a community and being a citizen means caring about what happens in your community. Lauren mentioned that being a citizen also means knowing the history of the place you live and seeing how that history has affected the problems you community faces now. She brought up an interesting point. We discussed how the history of citizenship in our country has changed. Instead of assimilating into the American culture, citizenship in American is now more about embracing where you came from. Tatum added that encouraging people to embrace their heritage is important for working towards the betterment of our society. Elizabeth changed the trajectory of the conversation by saying the reason she felt the need to be a good citizen was because of the fact that she is a woman. We were all a little confused at first, until she elaborated. She said it’s important to understand the privilege we have as women in America. She talked about how many women in other countries don’t have the same freedoms as we do. Thus, because of the privilege she is afforded by her country, she felt an obligation to be a good citizen. This was a different way of looking at citizenship then we had considered, seeing being a good citizen as more of an obligation. From there, Kate discussed how global citizenship means fighting for the rights of people who are oppressed. From there, Jeanna asked the question, “what do you think are the best parts of our world today?” This question took a little longer for us to answer, as we all admitted that all we could think about are the negative parts of our world. We discussed advances in medicine and the furthering of human rights. We also discussed how people are becoming more aware of the problems facing our world, like climate change. Then we moved on to one social issue we really cared about. We talked about immigration and climate change and Kate mentioned the current political climate, specifically, how politicians use inflammatory language. We continued that thought, discussing how disrespectful we are to one another. We all agreed that are country could use more civility. We related this problem back to practicing citizenship and said that communities and members of communities should encourage listening to differing viewpoints. Everyone contributed to a really interesting conversation and I had the opportunity to learn a lot about the people I didn’t know very well.

One of the biggest things I learned from this assignment is that a lot of the issues with our current world we talked about, like climate change, are problems that we can address by being good citizens. Communities have the opportunity to fight a lot of these issues, and its up to us as members of that community to fight for change. Additionally, I learned that people with differing views can easily find common ground. We all agreed we needed more civility in our world. I also learned how easy it is to think about the bad things going on in our world but challenging to find good things. Perhaps this says more about the news we spread as opposed to an accurate depiction of the world as it is.

Our discussion reminded me of many of the discussions we have had in Honors 251. It was a lot of bouncing ideas off one another and seeing things from a different perspective. It reminded me of the empathy reading we just read, “The Baby in the Well”. We used our empathy for each other to appreciate each other’s backgrounds and values. We used empathy to discuss the largest issues we feel the world faces. Many of what we discussed a good citizen is includes practicing empathy. Most importantly, like the article encouraged, we used empathy as a jumping off point for change. This kind of conversation helped inspire us to strive for change in our communities and globally. By opening up a dialogue about controversial issues, we were able to delve deeper into the issues and practice empathy when listening to those with different views. In a way, by discussing these issues, we began building a bridge to the world we want to see.