Fort Thomas, KY – March 31, 2018

My family isn’t one that often finds itself eating around the dinner table. As a child, we would eat every dinner in the dining room, but as us kids grew up, we found ourselves less and less able to congregate each night around the dinner table. We had play practice, band rehearsal, baseball games– we were getting involved and being busy, but missing out on human connection each night.

That is why I was so excited to host Kentucky’s Kitchen Table in my hometown with not only my siblings and father, but my aunt, uncle and their children from McMinnville, TN, in town for the Easter holiday.  I invited everyone over with the primary intent to conduct this project of healthy deliberation, but secondarily to catch up. Being away at college, I had lost touch with my aunt and uncle’s family in particular,  but also didn’t get to see my family as much so this was needed.

My two sisters are pictured next to my dad, from left to right Maria and Claudia. Maria is a senior in college at Northern Kentucky University majoring in Education– my mom is a teacher and she is following in her footsteps. She is a relatively liberal person regarding politics, but a devout Christian and loves to travel and be involved. Claudia is a sophomore in college also at Northern Kentucky University, also majoring in Education– that’s why we say Maria and Claudia are two peas in a pod. She is also liberal and Christian, but has a louder opinion on things and isn’t afraid to put it how it is. She brought steamed carrots and vegetables.

Claudia brought her friend Annalee, whom I had never met. She is also a sophomore in college at, guess where? Northern Kentucky University (seems like I’m the only one who got out of the NKY Bubble). But she, unlike Maria and Claudia, is majoring in physical therapy. She, while also devoutly Christian, is a strong conservative and a wide supporter of Trump. They collaborated on a nice pan of brownies– a college student staple, just need a box mix, eggs, oil, and water.

Then we have my father, a staunch rejecter of partisan politics who is an avid believer in person over politics, i.e. voting based on who they are, not what they stand for. He is currently a history teacher at my high school, which made for some fun AP U.S. History, but at least I passed. He made the ham and let me say, the man can cook.

My aunts and uncle, Theresa and Tom, coming from Tennessee really embody the stereotype of the American South. They are devout Baptists, staunch conservatives, and believers in a free America where the government has no intervention on their lives. Their kids, Keegan and Ellie, are 15 and 22 respectively, with Keegan being just a freshman in high school, and Ellie graduating from Vanderbilt University in May. They brought deviled eggs, a bold choice considering the 6 hour drive from Tennessee to Northern Kentucky.

To begin, after we had gotten our plates, I started with a basic question: How does everyone feel about America right now, in any capacity? This included politics, social rights, economy, and even the weather.

My sisters both agreed that the political climate wasn’t conducive to anything productive; my dad agreed that the geographical climate was not conducive to being able to go outside– how’s that for parallelism? My dad said that he tried to look at things in a positive way because of his near-death experience as a child when he got into a car crash that put him in a coma for days.

My sister’s friend Annalee spoke highly of Trump’s economic stimulation and job creation, and my aunt and uncle openly agreed. Their daughter Ellie agreed with my sisters. Keegan tried to steer clear of the conversation regarding politics altogether, the ham took up enough of his time. This conversation heightened in intensity due to both sides refusing to listen to the other.

This first question brought up an important part of this project by revealing a notion in American politics– side taking. People were quick to polarize into liberal or conservative and were not willing to meet in the middle. The only other facet of beliefs was those who didn’t want to get involved. I believe that in American politics today, this is the case with the general populace. People are either very strongly one side, or do not want to talk about it at all. This is reasoning behind why American politics is at a lag at this point in time, and reason enough for me to change the subject.

I decided to next ask a question that would foster positive deliberation. “What do you think are the best things about our world today?”This was a turning point in the night’s conversation. For once, answers generated laughs and smiles. I started by saying I loved the dedication in the world to finding solutions, whether it be a cure to cancer or ocean cleanup.

A few responses that stood out included Annalee’s, who said the best thing is people fighting for what they were passionate about, echoing movements such as #MeToo and March for Our Lives, largely ideologically liberal movements. It was surprising that she said that, especially after discussing politics passionately had just erupted a few minutes prior. But it was a step in the right direction to see someone stuck up in their own beliefs finding a bipartisan way to support positive movements.

My aunt Theresa’s answer surprised me in a way that disrupted positive conversation. She said that the best thing in the world was Trump’s administration because it was giving her community jobs after having a high unemployment rate. I was perfectly fine with  her supporting him, but we were baffled that that was really the best thing to her. This taught me that some people are polarizing not just because they are passionate, but because they believe everyone else is wrong. That mindset killed this question, but brought up a good point about how different people see politics.

My penultimate question was “Have you ever had a conversation with someone from a really different background than yourself?” I was interested to see responses, considering that my aunt and uncle stem from relatively homogeneous areas of the nation.

My sister Maria started by saying she had never met an international student until she came to college when she joined an International Student Coalition and broadened her mind to people who were different than her, both refugees, immigrants, and people working here on visas.

My cousin Keegan finally chimed in, saying he has a friend whose mom died. This was another facet in that backgrounds can be different in many ways. Like Keegan’s friend, you could have a traumatic event that not many have to experience that shapes you as a person, but you could also simply be from a foreign nation. I was really proud of Keegan for sharing this emotional information, even if it was just his friend. Both change you as a person and open up the minds of others to either how good they have it or how their life differs from others.

Lastly, I decided to close on a unique note, that could have no political repercussions: “What kind of person do you want to be?” This was purely personal and required introspection, so I was intrigued to see how this group handled it.

My dad joked that it was too late for him to aspire to be someone, he was who he was. I liked that he was open about it, but I spoke up that we can always improve ourselves as our lives shape us in new ways, and he seemed to agree. Ellie’s response was something that summed up the night well. She said not just a good person, but a person who loves deeply and puts her relationships as a priority. This was truly what we all wanted– to put aside our differences and love each other as a sister, brother, mother, father, or cousin.

Overall, I learned that everyone’s lives are colored differently, based on experience. Theresa loved Trump because it had a direct impact on her in a positive way, my dad handled situations in a funny manner because he has a true zest for life after almost losing it. All opinions were valid because they weren’t just stances, they were personal. I learned to see everyone as human and their beliefs as legitimate (even when I disagreed).

As it relates to Honors 251: Citizen and Self, this project showed the value in healthy deliberation, and getting deliberation back on track when it derails. As Kevin Melville noted, when we engage in aggressive, unhealthy discussion, we undermine democracy and do not stimulate new ideas. This project was a prime example of both good and bad deliberation, the bad being political feigning and the good being digging into our morals and recovering. Deliberation is the key to opening minds and when we introspect, we find that our beliefs are personal to us, but can be changed with empathetic conversation that encourages disagreement. We all broadened our minds and became closer as not only people with political beliefs, but family (yes, even Annalee who was a stranger before).

 

By Liz

The Setting + People:

My “Kentucky Kitchen Table” dinner took place on March 31, 2018, in my paternal grandmother’s home just outside of Lexington, KY. The meal was mostly graciously prepared by my grandmother, who insisted upon cooking as it is one of her most favorite hobbies and she has always loved having people over. She prepared chili, pimiento sandwiches, and provided many clementines. To help out, I roasted sweet potatoes and Brussel sprouts and baked cupcakes (which I unfortunately forgot to take a picture of). Including myself, our dinner party had eight attendees. To open the recap of the conversations that took place at the meal, I will first introduce each one of the attendees.

My name is Liz and I am currently a junior mathematical economics major at Western Kentucky University with minors in finance and business administration.

My grandmother, Sue, is 72 years old and is from Paris, KY. She ran farms for most of her life, both in Paris and in Syracuse, New York. She retired 15 years ago from a Butternut bakery in Winchester and now lives in a house right across the street with my wonderful step-grandfather.

My grandfather, Gary, is 81 years old and he is from Indiana where he was one of 12 siblings. He is retired now as well, but he managed bread delivery routes when he was still working and met my grandmother when he was briefly my father’s boss, and they hit it off. They’ve been married since about five years before I was born and have always been very involved in mine and my sister’s lives; we honestly couldn’t have asked for better grandparents. Also, before moving on, I must mention that both of my grandparents in attendance are very religious and involved in a local church and their faith is very important to them.

My little sister, Shannon, is 18 years old and will be graduating high school this year. She has played soccer her whole life as I did, but unlike me she will be playing college soccer for Campbellsville University starting in the fall. She is very sarcastic, but she is smart and has a very good heart.

My mother, Anita, is 49 years old and is from Bath County, Kentucky. She grew up in a low-income home for most of her life and was put out by her divorced parents once she graduated high school and has had to essentially fend for herself ever since. This adversity has made her strong, and she can be very fierce and set in her ways. She currently works very hard alongside my dad in the bread distribution business to meet and exceed our family’s needs and wants.

My father, Bill, just turned 52 and is a very kind-hearted man who has worked in the bread distribution industry his whole life. He went to college for a while when he was younger, as all of his siblings and step siblings did, but had to drop out during his second semester due to a tragic car accident that left in the hospital for over a month. He is often the calm voice of reason to my mother and is very thoughtful and caring.

My boyfriend, Andrew, is 27 years old and was born and raised in Winchester. His father is a preacher and his family is very religious. He always went to private Christian schools growing up, and played baseball for Asbury University in college, where he studied business. He now works full-time at a warehouse selling various electronic equipment as a desk sales representative in the office. He is a very warm and kindhearted guy, and always looks for the best in people and things around him.

Finally, my neighbor Mackenzie also attended the dinner. Although she has been my neighbor for as long as I can remember, I have never really gotten to know her very well due to the gap in our ages. She is sixteen years old and attends my old high school, where she is a competitive swimmer. She got into swimming about 8 years ago and it has consumed her life ever since. She loves the water and even got her first primary job as a lifeguard so she could be near the pool even when she wasn’t at practice. She had many interesting insights that I never would have seen coming from her throughout this dinner. I am grateful that this experience has helped me see more of who she really is.

Our Conversation:

I opened our dinner conversation by asking the required question, “Beyond voting, paying taxes, and following laws, what does citizenship mean to you?”. My father answered by saying that it meant he had the opportunity to be whatever he wants to be, and everyone agreed. I asked my grandfather what citizenship meant to him next, and he described it as “the hottest commodity America has to offer” due to the fact that so many people attempt to immigrate into our country on a daily basis. This struck a nerve within the group, and began a fierce discussion (or, better put, a rant) about immigration, the right and wrong ways to go about it, and moral and ethical issues with treating illegal immigrants leniently. My mother especially tried to dominate this topic. She had to deal with them a lot while managing a local greenhouse; with all of the frustrations that arose with background checks failing, false social security I.D.s, and troubles that occasionally arose with legal liabilities, my mom has become rather bitter towards immigrants who do not achieve legalization. My neighbor stayed quiet throughout this discussion; I had the idea that she was more sympathetic towards immigrants and was afraid to express her dissent to my older family members. My grandparents and parents then began talking about how they felt that Americans have become really and abnormally patriotic and protective over their citizenship since 9/11, and that they agreed with the movement and they were all proud to be an American.

The next question I asked once the previous discussion had lulled a bit was whether or not my fellow attendees believed we have obligations to other people in our country and/or in our community. I phrased this as “do we owe our neighbors anything?” at a point which got a laugh out of the group as we looked at Mackenzie and Shannon shot a joking “no” at her as Mackenzie blushed. Moving to a serious note, my parents quickly asserted that we do not owe anything to anyone, per se. Everyone agreed that it should be a “goodness of heart” thing, as my father put it, as opposed to something that is required of you. However, everyone at the table agreed that you should morally help as many people as you can, especially if they have helped you, but once again the decision to do so should be left entirely up to the individual. I then brought up the video we watched in class about the Chinese toddler getting hit by two large vehicles and people passing by her and not helping. This drew a strong reaction as everyone was horrified at the thought of the event. Shannon and Mackenzie did not even believe me that it had really occurred, at first. The attendees then, essentially as a group, backtracked a little and agreed that in certain extreme circumstances such as this one, you really should be obliged to help. My grandfather then interjected and concluded that America is by far one of the most charitable countries and that we should work to maintain that reputation as being a good and moral country, whether we are technically obliged to or not.

I then prompted the dinner’s attendees to reflect on a time when they’ve had a conversation with someone from a different background. Andrew was the first to pipe up, talking about how he took a chance and moved in with a guy from work that he didn’t know very well named Zach. Zach was a marine and has had vastly different life experiences than Andrew, but somehow, they have been able to make it work and have grown very close since moving in together. My grandpa then began talking about a time when he was still supervising bread routes and was tasked with training African American individuals in a ghetto area in Cincinnati. He said there were many difficulties at first because many of them couldn’t add very well and they had a very different vernacular language from what he was used to. By working with them for years, however, my grandpa learned to work with them much better and said they learned a lot from each other. My grandma brought up a story about when she moved to New Jersey and people would follow her and make appointments specifically with her so that they could hear her Southern accent. My mom finally concluded with a humorous story about her interactions with my step-aunt Debbie, who is a licensed and well-renowned psychologist who cried when she first met my mom due to being distressed about my mother’s “obvious emotional baggage”.

The response to the final prompt was intriguing. When I asked the group what they thought the best thing about the world today is, I was answered with a long pause. The pause was finally broken when my father said “oh, that’s a hard one.” As sad as it is, no one had anyone to say right off and this prompt really seemed to stump them. My father then answered “freedom”, and Mackenzie soon after added about how amazing it is that countries more easily work together to do amazing things, such as search for cures for cancer and provide humanitarian relief to those in need. My grandfather then acknowledged missionaries’ great work spreading love and the word of God to people around the world. My father believed the best thing to be that he has his own little world, gesturing to everyone at the table, and that was enough for him. My favorite answer, however, was my grandmother’s. She stated simply that the greatest thing about the world was that beautiful things are free. This started a warm conversation about the little things we experience every day that are so beautiful and don’t cost us anything, such as hearing the laugh of a friend or watching the sun set. Andrew then concluded that we all have so much living in the circumstances we do, but we take it all for granted and we should all focus on being thankful more.

Reflection:

This conversation undoubtedly relates to the themes we have discussed in HON 251 this semester, especially to our theme of “how do we live better (or, at the least, less badly) together?”. I think it very important to hear from a variety of perspectives when considering an issue, whether that variety is coming from differing experiences, age, socioeconomic statuses, etc. There are many things I learned from this conversation that I would not have been aware of previously, such as the notion that patriotism has increased and shaped American thought since 9/11 (which, being so young when it happened, I had no real way of comparing the way things were before to how they are now) without the insights of my older family members.

I also saw our class reading, “If It Feels Right,” come into play in this conversation. Although many of the people in attendance had differing views on some issues, they all ultimately agreed that what mattered the most to them was their “own little world” and they felt that the best thing they could do in life would be to take decisions day-by-day and to just do whatever feels right and makes them feel like they’re bettering the world a little bit whenever possible.

by Claire Smith

The Landscape

Pulling up this semi-circular, pebbled driveway was not a new experience. The group of people chittering within the average house, on an average street, in an average little city named Bowling Green, Kentucky were not people unfamiliar to me. In some aspects, I attend a Kentucky Kitchen Table once a week. I eat a meal with these people once a week, if not more, to discuss life, and what we believe, and how we can believe it better by living it out, hopefully making the world look a bit more like heaven in the process. In many ways, this is exactly the purpose of Kentucky Kitchen Table, and is strangely parallel to the central questions of Honors 251.

The People

The individuals around my table are my church community group. We range from 18 (me, the youngest), to a couple with deeply graying hair, who chose not to disclose their age. Their names are Mike and Karen (Karen is only pictured in the annoyingly close selfie I took at the bottom of the article). They are kind and quiet; conservative, and always generous, with time, with their home, and with their resources. They sweetly offered to host for the project, just as they host us every week for dinner, coffee, and dessert. Sherry is our ray of sunshine; she is an accountant, and generally wants everyone to love everyone else, rarely stating strong opinions. She often tries to smooth things over when our resident feminist, Casey, gets riled up. Casey is delightfully passionate. She in her twenties, and is a certified doula, or midwife. Katie U. is a short, muscular person who works as a dietitian. You can tell from her appearance that she knows what she is talking about; she is her own proof and pathos. Joe and Katie S. are newly-ish-weds in their mid-twenties. Joe does something no one really understands called information security auditing reports, and Katie S. is a freelance photographer, though their desire is to one day work internationally within our church community. Sarah helps lead the WKU campus ministry CRU, and is the most personable human I have ever met, and one of the best storytellers. Paige, our final member, manages Vertical eXcape, the climbing gym off of Nashville Road. She is quiet, always planning out what she wants to convey before sharing.

The Vittles

Instead of attempting to coordinate the food or coming up with a theme, I just asked everyone to bring something. We ate homemade guac and beans, some cold pasta with peas in it, sweet tea, catalina taco salad, and rose-banana muffins, which was just as eclectic as I was hoping for. The food worked, in a weird way.

The Conversation (IE, Deliberation in Disguise)

I began with the required question, asking what citizenship meant to each individual, and mostly received blank stares. After some prompting, several were candid, saying they were not in the habit of pondering citizenship. Joe argued on the relativity of citizenship for awhile, and we eventually reached the conclusion of freedom, but the topic did not quite take off as I had hoped. People skittered off into tangents all around me, and I attempted to reign the conversation in. I asked what the best part of the world today was, and not a single answer was given in response. When that question also floundered, I went around the table and asked what each individual was most passionate about with regards to a social issue. Katie U. and Paige both discussed the environment, especially state parks. Paige wanted nature to be preserved for citizens to enjoy, and there has been some discussion on whether state parks should be maintained or downsized. It was important to maintain the parks because of quality of life, which can fall under the category of “living better together.”

Casey immediately began informing me about something we have discussed in Honors 251, but only briefly. She talked about how in Kentucky, doulas, or midwives, were often unable to find jobs, despite certification. It is preferable for expectant mothers to have a nurse who calls herself a midwife, certified or not. What Casey expressed frustration with was the American obsession with professionalism, a social issue I had not even known was a problem before 251. Despite being entirely competent, many like Casey in various fields cannot get a job without a degree, regardless of their experience.

Joe, Katie S., and Sarah all talked about fostering and adoption. Joe brought up the need for internal adoption. He gave the disclaimer that international adoption is still important, but also pointed out that there is a vast government ward, full of children who desperately need stability. His wife elaborated, and put forth options such as adopting through fostering. Fostering and adopting ties into 251 by giving others more of a say in their own lives, by providing stability and love in situations where neither would normally be provided.

When I came to Mike, Karen, and Sherry, I was not sure I was going to have much of a conversation, due to their political stance (conservative) and their age. They ended up sharing lots of insights, especially Mike. Mike’s social issue was, surprisingly, the accessibility of pornography. He rattled off statistics, and then struggled to come up options to protect children from viewing and becoming addicted. I noticed Mike wanted governmental action on this front, and when I brought up the freedom of speech, which implies freedom of media, he was frustrated, because he brought up “lazy parenting.” I liked that Mike brought this subject up, because it is an under-addressed problem, and in comparison to what legislature is coming up with now for children, such as cafeteria cup sizes, child addiction seems much more pressing, and helping children avoid or escape such a situation helps them have more of a say in their own lives.

I then asked if the state of freedom in America had changed since they were younger. We had a wonderful conversation; Karen and Sherry talked about how as time had gone on, the term tolerance had become prevalent, and how its principles had severely impacted their freedom. Their convictions were frowned upon, and often they felt that being a conservative was wrong somehow because of the backlash they received from individuals on the liberal end of the spectrum. We talked about how tolerance had evolved from unwilling acceptance to mandatory celebration of an issue one may not support. I think that this could potentially be argued as an encroachment on people’s say in their own lives, but it is a tangly topic.

The Results

One thing I learned from KKT was that I constantly am having informal deliberations, in the disguise of conversations. People have opinions, and they have fierce devotions and convictions.

Things got a little bit indignant and heated at one point in the conversation, and I did not attempt to moderate it. I think it was good for this individual to just have at it; sometimes, as citizens, we do not realize that we have a platform- (or we do… Facebook abuse). Those around us, friends, family, are our platform. Sometimes, we do not realize that we can go beyond being passionate or having opinions because we do not have any power, any special training for that kind of thing. But democracy is not about professionalism! Several of our first presidents did not even attend college, for crying out loud. It is a deception that citizens have to deal with if they want to have a say in how their country is run, one that is widespread and that has lead to a plague of complaining and online tirades. The person who exploded a little bit was like a real life Facebook tirade, unaware that they could DO something to change what they wanted to change.

Though much of the things I was able to discuss with these individuals was not new to me, I liked getting to talk to Casey about midwifery. It was fascinating to hear about her passion for natural birth and how it could help both the mother and children. I loved getting to hear Mike verbally fighting for kids whose parents may not always protect their “little eyes,” and challenging him on how he, not the government could help. That was certainly not something I would have done outside of the context of this project; I felt as the “administrator” or “proctor” that I was able to ask deep questions, questions that people wouldn’t normally answer. The veneer of the term project really opened people up to discussion. This makes me wonder; if deliberation, as discussed in “How We Talk Matters” became a part of this country, the way jury duty or voting was, as a civic responsibility, how many avenues of communication would open? How many solutions would meld from different minds? Especially when placed in a context grander than “project’- now the title is “democracy.”

Though the night took place in an average house, on an average street, in an average little city named Bowling Green, I have no doubt that this “average” has the power within itself to leverage beams and bricks and ideas and legislature and education and deliberation and voting into a bridge; perhaps we will reach the other side one day.

By Hope

After hearing about the Kentucky Kitchen Table assignment all semester, I was excited to try this with my own family and friends, and to see what conversations and ideas would surface. I held my Kentucky Kitchen Table last Sunday (March 25^th) at my home in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. In attendance were my mom (Beth), my mom’s friend from work (George), my great-uncle (Richard), my great-aunt (Becky), a member of my church (Hilda), my grandmother (Connie), and myself (Hope). Although the meal was held at my home, everyone contributed to the meal. Beth fixed BBQ, Connie fixed most of the side items, and everyone brought a small plate or dessert to make a nice potluck meal.

I was a little bit nervous about how this meal would progress because I knew coming into it that I would have opposing views around the table. For instance, Beth has been involved in elementary education for 30 years and is more liberal-minded, while also being very religious. Connie is a retired elementary school librarian, and is more conservative-thinking and very religious. Becky and Richard both work in art, are very liberal-minded, and are not religious. I did not know George and Hilda very well before this dinner, but through conversation, I learned that Hilda is a world-traveler, sees herself as “middle-of-the-road” politically, and is religious. In addition, George worked in legislation and higher education, sees himself as a progressive liberal, and believes in a higher power while not attending a formal church. Lastly, I am a college student pursuing an arts degree, and I consider myself to be more liberal-minded and religious. Before the meal began, Connie led us in prayer. Although we all held hands and remained quiet during Connie’s words, I observed that Becky and Richard did not bow their heads and kept their eyes open during the prayer.

I began the conversation by encouraging everyone to be open and honest with their discussion and beliefs, and saying that it was okay if we didn’t agree on a certain topic. I started with the question about what citizenship meant to everyone beyond voting, paying taxes, etc. Beth began the talkback by answering that she felt citizenship was about “leaving the world a better place than the way she found it”. Everyone seemed to think this was a good way of putting it. Connie said that she agreed, and she felt that being a good citizen meant helping others and just being a good person. I noticed a lot of nodding. As we went around the table, everyone had pretty similar answers to this question.

Seeing how the concept of treating others well kept coming up, I decided to ask how one’s religious or spiritual identity relates to how we should treat others and how that ties back to citizenship. Hilda answered that she felt a majority of her actions were influenced by God. She said she felt like God is the one who “taps on her conscience” and tells her how to treat others. Becky said that she disagreed, and she felt that you don’t have to necessarily believe in God to know when to do the right and wrong thing. She explained that just because she isn’t religious, does not mean that she treats people badly. Richard followed up by explaining that he agreed with Becky, and he does things just because he thinks they are right or wrong. As tensions were rising around the table, George said that he could see truth in both sides, and while he thinks one can know the right or wrong thing without believing in God, God can work in a person’s life and influence them to do things that they wouldn’t normally do.

As George said this, I couldn’t help but think about the Jonathan Haidt reading. As George answered the question, he acknowledged that he could see truth in both sides and then gave his opinion. I thought this was a good way of “talking to the elephant,” even though he may not have been consciously aware of it. By saying this, he used the other’s intuition to keep the peace and avoid an argument.

After this question, I tried to lighten the mood and ask about what they loved most about living in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. George began the conversation by saying that he grew up in Detroit where he noted that segregation and discrimination against African Americans was very noticeable. However, he now lives beside an African American family and feels that his neighborhood is quite diverse and accepting. Beth chimed in by saying she loved the fact that this area is rural and everyone knew her name, or at least her family. In addition, if she were to have a flat tire on the side of the road, she knew someone would stop and help her.

Furthering this topic, I asked what they liked most about the world today. Richard said that he felt new generations were very accepting and he loves seeing the progress we’re making in terms of equality and tolerance. I explained that I loved the advancements we’re making with technology, and I feel that much of this tolerance is coming from the world being connected and people gaining familiarity with people different than themselves. Connie said that she was very happy about the advancements of medicine and science. She said that she wished she had the opportunities growing up that I do now to make a difference in the world through technology and more general open-mindedness.

After this, I decided I wanted to see how different the people around my table really were and ask them about what social issues were closest to their heart. Some answers included equality, gun reform, the feminist movement, job creation, the LGBTQ movement, etc. We elaborated on each of these issues and somehow the topic of gun-control kept coming up over and over again. The March for Our Lives was the day prior, and I think it was just on everyone’s minds. Beth and I had attended a protest the day before, so I decided to ask everyone what they thought about the issue and the protests. Similar to our class deliberation, there were some opposing viewpoints. Becky, Richard, George, and Beth were very anti-guns and were very much in support for heavy restrictions of almost every kind. On the other hand, Connie and Hilda grew up with guns in their households and were supportive of light to moderate restrictions. However, much like our class deliberation, everyone around the table could agree that our country needs more background checks, mental-health screenings, and a ban on assault weapons.

While I was observing this conversation, I noticed that no one could come up with a “right” answer that would solve everyone’s problems or concerns with the issue; however, we could all at least agree on a few things. This reminded me of our class discussions on various wicked problems and how deliberating these issues is less about finding “right” or “wrong” answers, and more about weighing values and costs.

As the dinner neared its end, I talked a little bit about the bridge metaphor we talk about in class so often. I explained that for many of the social issues we discussed, people often see themselves at one end of the bridge and they have to take steps or actions to get to the other side of where they want to end up with the issue. In discussing this, Connie told Beth and me that she commended us for protesting the day before because it was taking an active step to the other side of the bridge. After learning that she was more hesitant to the idea of gun-control, this meant a lot to me. I appreciated that she could separate herself from her personal beliefs to respect my own.

After the dinner was over, I reflected on what I had observed. Although there were several different viewpoints present at the table, we were able to reach some agreement and compromise through peaceful discussion. I learned that it is okay not to have a “right” answer to every solution because often times, there isn’t one. However, simply talking to others and sharing opinions can help immensely. I feel that this dinner should be a metaphor for how we discuss and deal with problems in day-to-day life. Although no one is expected to prepare a homemade meal and talk around a table every time a problem arises, it is good to know that openly talking about an issue can help people think about things in new ways that they never have before. In addition, if one continuously surrounds themselves with people who are likeminded, he or she will never be able to have informative conversations like these to see how and why people think a certain way, and how a consensus can be reached. As I leave this meal and discussion behind me and continue on with my life, I will be reminded of the benefits of talking, discussing, and deliberating.

By Mequeil Howard

My name is Mequeil Howard and I held my Kentucky Kitchen Table on March 13, 2018 in London, Kentucky. I held the dinner at my house with five people attending.  Those that attended my Kentucky Kitchen Table were Robyn, Colten, Ashlynn, Debbie, and Mitchell. Robyn, Colten, and Ashlynn are family friends from Texas who come to visit occasionally. Mitchell and Debbie are my parents who graciously allowed me to hold dinner at our house. Each of these individuals are very different and have different experiences.

Robyn is 48 years old and lives in Austin, Texas. Before she moved to Texas and got married she worked for the Red Robin Franchise out of Denver, Colorado. She is currently a stay at home mom and who is very involved in various community organizations. Her husband owns a construction company and she occasionally helps him with questions or issues he has. She recently helped him raise money to build houses for those that are homeless in Austin, Texas. Colten and Ashlynn are her two kids.

Colten is currently eight years old but will be turning nine by the end of the month. He is a boy scout and works on various projects such as building rockets and toy cars. He is very active and loves to learn about history. He is truthful and wants to know the facts. He will correct you no matter what.  Ashlynn is seven years old and loves to do art projects. She has a very outgoing personality once she warms up to you. She enjoys school and recently had her art work displayed in the community center. Her best trait is holding you accountable for whatever you say.

Debbie is 45 years old and owns a local flower shop in London, KY where she is the sole designer. She has always lived in London, KY and she has been a florist for the past thirty years. She is involved with the Laurel County Chamber of Commerce and stays involved with community organizations. Beyond having a local business and being involved in the community, she continues to help me pursue my education.
Mitchell is 47 years old and works as an accountant through the Federal Bureau of Prisons. On the weekend he helps my mom with the flower shop and whatever else may need done. He enjoys being outside and working on projects. He always ensures that I am doing well and succeeding in school.

As for me, I am 19 years old and attend Western Kentucky University. My major is psychological sciences and my minor is American Sign Language. I intend on going on to graduate school to be an Occupational Therapist. I am involved in various campus organizations and continue to look for more to get involved in.

When it comes to the Kentucky Kitchen Table dinner, we had ham, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and rolls. We also had cheesecake and regular cake for dessert. Since Robyn, Colten, and Ashlynn are from Texas, my mom made all of dinner. It was hard to decide what to make because Ashlynn is a picky eater, so she had all of the macaroni and cheese. I helped make both of the desserts because I love to make them. However, the most important part of this Kentucky Kitchen Table Project is the conversations we had at dinner.

When I first asked what citizenship means to them beyond voting, paying taxes, and following laws it was hard for the adults to come up with an answer. Colten and Ashlynn are still young and Colten has had more history classes than Ashlynn so he was able to answer the question a little easier. With this, me and Robyn made the question so that it would be easier for them to understand and answer.

Robyn started off the conversation by saying the biggest part of being a citizen is the freedom we have. This ranges from being able to choose where you travel to where you want eat. She went on to mention the ability to share opinions and create change. She described how as a citizen we are able to create platforms to voice concerns and create change. She used the example of the “Me Too” movement. As a citizen we have the ability to create a change which leads to her last point. Robyn said that as citizens we are obligated to the community and to make the place where you live a better.

This related to our class extremely well as one of our main questions is how can we live better together. It also made we think back to wicked problems and how we as citizens have an obligation to help. Robyn personally helps with the homeless community in Austin, Texas by building tiny homes. She has already begun to help solve a wicked problem, homeless. I went on to talk about the conversations we have in class about being obligated to do the morally right thing and Robyn believes that to some extent we are obligated to help but at the same time there are certain situations in which you can’t help. We then talked about the opioid epidemic and how we may be obligated to save their life but we can’t force them to seek treatment.

Colten then began to describe citizenship as helping other people in your community through being kind, obedient, and respectful at all times. He then talked about our freedom to choose what you want to be when you grow up. Ashlynn mentioned how we have the freedom to do the right thing through being nice and loving each other. She also said that we are able to choose who we talk to and who we want to be around. After talking with Colten and Ashlynn, it reminded me that children see the world in a different way than adults/teenagers do.

Going from this my dad, Mitchell, believes that citizenship is about freedom. Freedom to choose where he wants to go, buy what he wants to buy, and wear what he wants to wear. He believes he can freely speak and is able to make choices that citizens in other countries don’t have the opportunity to. This leads to my moms, Debbie, idea of citizenship being the freedom to choose and not living to strict rules.

Robyn, Mitchell, and Debbie all used the word freedom to describe citizenship which I believe has to do with the time in which they each grew up. Many people don’t think of citizenship as separate from paying taxes, obeying laws, and voting so asking someone what citizenship is without these things makes it difficult to come up with another answer. We could say that the word freedom relates to the laws we have because they allow us to have those freedoms. But I think it is more important than that, it is the not the freedom to do something but the freedom to choose what to do with it. Such as choosing to speak up to abuse with your freedom of speech. Many other countries have strict rules for the citizens that live there and they do not allow them to speak up or become what they want to become.

As for what I have learned about being a citizen and what it means to me, citizenship is mainly about voting, laws, and taxes because that is what we are taught about in our history classes. Many people don’t go throughout life and think about why they are a citizen, it is not something that someone who is born in the United States has to think about a lot. I look at citizenship as doing the right thing, solving wicked problems, and making an impact on those around you. It begins with us having the freedoms and abilities to do different things but we as citizens should do more. We should want to make the country in which we live a better place and we should be friendly to those around us. From this dinner my answer kind of encompasses everyone’s thoughts. This could be form my age and where I grew up but either way you can see how the idea of citizenship has changed.

So how does this all tie into what we read in class. David Brooks describes how in the past there has been shared moral frameworks amongst individuals in his article, “If It Feels Right.” He then goes on to say that today many people have individual values that are separate from others. You can see this throughout our conversation at dinner as the older adults felt that freedom was key to citizenship where myself and Colten and Ashlynn look to the traits of a person characterizing citizenship.

The conversation then ties into the reading “Love thy Neighbor: A story of War,” by Peter Maass which describes the Bosnian War from the perspective of a newspaper writer. Maass describes how neighbors and friends turn on each other during the war. Maass concludes that we should be able to accept each other as we are and to stand up for what you believe in. The majority of the time we are put in a difficult situation we don’t stand up for what we believe in, instead we go along with the crowd. It is important to see that Colten and Ashlynn believe that being a citizen is being friendly and caring because we often forget that we need to be someone’s friend in a difficult situation. There are so many cultural differences between what we see as the meaning of citizenship, yet we probably learned the same things in history class. This relates back to moral frameworks being part of the induvial instead of the group.

Overall the dinner went really well and I learned a lot. This class has shown me how to have conversations about difficult issues in a constructive way. It is important to have these conversations because there are differences in the way we see different issues but there is common ground also. When we listen to each other we are able to live better together and learn to solve problems together. Holding this dinner has allowed me to see how our class questions relate to everyday life and can be a conversation starter.

By Rachel

I conducted my Kentucky Kitchen Table in my hometown, Fort Thomas, KY. The attendees were very diverse in terms of age and background, and less in terms of race and ethnicity. The dinner took place at Maureen and Don’s house, a retired married couple. Their son Ken, a college professor, and his wife Lori, a nanny, were also in attendance, along with Maureen’s good friend Mary, a retired widow and great-grandmother. To represent a younger demographic was Katie, a graduate student at the University of Cincinnati. Perhaps the guest I knew the least about was Dan, a Catholic priest in his 60s, and a close friend of the hosts.

When asked the only required question regarding citizenship, everyone around the table seemed puzzled. It wasn’t that they didn’t know the answer, Maureen assured, it was that some of them were old and it took them some time to process what was being asked of them. Don later remarked that it was just a difficult question altogether, and to be fair, it was. When asked the question myself, it took me a few minutes to gather my thoughts and collect them in a way that would come across as comprehensible. So, we collectively decided to talk about some of the other given topics and hopefully that would end up tying into the first question. Because all of the guests were of varying age groups, I decided to ask about how they thought their age impacted their attitudes towards things like the government, morals, and citizenship. This question led to lots of stories about everyone’s childhoods, and gradually led into experience with certain historical and/or political events that happened at some point in their lives. Mary explained how when she was young, her family struggled to get by in the depths of WWII. She recalled that all she wanted one year for her birthday was a wagon. But because of the shortages of certain metals, she wasn’t able to get one. This, she explained, made her cherish the little things in life. Furthermore, to connect this memory to what she thought citizenship should be, she remembered sharing the ration stamps with neighbors in times of struggle, and this led to her belief that a sense of community and helping others is extremely crucial. We then briefly talked about neighbors. Ken, Lori, Don, and Maureen all said they had close relationships with at least 2 of their neighbors. Katie viewed this as less important, and Mary explained that it had been extremely difficult to try to build relationships with others following her husband’s passing. However, despite these differing relationships with neighbors, the consensus was that it is a positive thing to be close with neighbors because it creates a sense of community that some would argue is lacking in today’s society in the United States.

All of the older adults at the table explained that there had been times in their lives where it felt like everything in the United States was falling apart. Most notably, they collectively agreed, was the 60s. Not only was the Cold War happening in the early 60s, but it seemed to the American people that life in the U.S. was just one tragedy after another. The assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy left citizens feeling hopeless, and growing objection to the Vietnam War left the country divided. Maureen then went on to explain that it was in times like these where being a citizen is the most important, and she pointed out that when she felt an injustice was being done in Vietnam, she refused to be quiet about it. She continued in saying that although it may be easy for people to just give up when it seems like everything is falling apart, we cannot just “throw in the towel.” It is our duty as citizens to foster community efforts that will make our country a better place for the coming generations. You have a duty to care and to try to educate yourself, she argued, no matter how hopeless things may seem. She articulated further by saying that we cannot expect everyone to protest or to become a politician, but we can expect everyone to care about what is happening in their country. This idea of having a duty to care/educate yourself about the state of the country overlapped with later conversation about our country today. Without getting too absorbed into the mess of today’s politics and the 2016 presidential election, Katie made a point that it was easy for people, especially young people, to tune out important political points made by the candidates, because the focus was on mudslinging and taking down the other side. Likewise, it was easy for people who already didn’t particularly care about politics to tune it out even more because the slander and scandal gave them reason to.

I wanted to lastly bring up religion and its relationship with citizenship because we had a priest at our table and I was curious about his input. Fr. Dan explained that as a Christian, he hopes that everything he does shows God to people that he interacts with. He strives every day to communicate the love of God and the Christian faith to those listening to his homilies, and he wants nothing more than to show people the love that he believes God can grant them. In building these relationships within his parish, he strengthens his church community – the type of community that we had concluded was so important earlier on in the meal. Loving one another through God and doing all things through Him is something Fr. Dan believes to be a big part of citizenship. Loving people, accepting them no matter the circumstance, and withholding judgment are all important components in creating a more positive and progressive world for those to inhabit it in the future. His religion and his moral beliefs have shaped his political opinions and influenced his passion to create a happier and stronger community in his parish. The others agreed, and although they did not have the same experience as being a religious figure, each person agreed that their religious beliefs or lack thereof often influenced their attitude towards other Americans, the government, and politics.

To conclude, our conversation during dinner was largely centered around the importance of community, hope, and spirituality, which all in some way relate to central themes of Citizen and Self. In reflecting upon the conversations that took place during dinner, I realized that a lot of what was being said related to the central questions of this course. For example, everyone seemed to believe that a sense of community is crucial in making life better for us and those around us. This directly relates to the question of “how we can live better together” and other similar ideas that are associated with interpersonal relationships and an emphasis on working collectively. My first inclination is that this ties into Maas’s Love Thy Neighbor. Although we are not at war with our neighbors, everyone seemed to agree that fostering relationships with those living close to us is beneficial to everyone involved, and that all involved parties should make more of a conscious effort to develop these positive relationships. Furthermore, kindness should not be limited to those similar to us, and that to live better together and to make society a better place for the future, being respectful, tolerant, and generally kind is an easy, but often overlooked significant factor. Something else interesting that resonated with me was that there was a general consensus from everyone at the table that we have a duty to work together and make conscious efforts to sustain and improve our society for those to come.

Overall, I learned a lot about different perspectives that people older than me may have. It was very interesting to hear childhood stories from people of such a wide age range, and I even learned some history. Textbooks and documentaries can only teach you so much – and in my opinion, it is more interesting to hear the perspectives of those that lived through the times firsthand, and it is often an enjoyable experience for the storyteller as well, provided that the memories are positive. Conducting this dinner was an eye-opening experience for myself, and even some people at the table. Katie, the graduate student, told me post-dinner that she felt that her attitude towards the importance of community had changed. I felt similarly – it is no secret that millennials and those younger are often so caught up in their own lives and the lives of those closest to them that they fail to see the importance in building relationships with people unlike themselves, or even just their neighbors that may be a different age. Hearing the positive experiences of those older than us in times where community was crucial made us younger adults feel that maybe more of a focus on community and helping others without expecting something in return would create a brighter future and a generally better place to live. All in all, actively listening to the thoughts of people different from me not only taught me a lesson in history, but also one of acceptance.

By Cole Constant

Late in the evening on the 12^th of November, my mother, sister and I all gathered around the kitchen table of our home in Elizabethtown for a meal of sloppy Joes and steak fries (I had warned mom beforehand that there might be a lot of gesticulating over the course of the night). After some questions, I gave them a general overview of what they might expect or look to achieve over the course of the meal. I explained the central ideas behind the class and some things we discussed in there, as well as how that might relate to what we’d talk about.

My younger (16) sister, Lily, felt that citizenship was primarily about being guaranteed certain rights, while my mother (45) felt that American citizenship was unique in the amount of freedoms afforded to everyone, relative to many other less privileged/developed countries. She also noted a sense of comradery or “family” that comes with being what she believes is a “truly active” citizen. My sister cites a similar feeling, but having more to do with social media and increasing interconnectedness with her peers. She lists this as one of the best things about our world today; feeling that social media has caused much advancement in the areas of knowledge accessibility and general public awareness. My mother agreed that the advances in technology over the last twenty years have been amazing.

When asked about future living preferences, my mother and sister both demonstrated that, despite their aforementioned ideals about community, they would prefer to keep mostly to themselves.  My mom felt that, within your community, the best way to contribute is to have everyone work their hardest on improving their own situation; which would collectively mean a more “put-together” neighborhood. My sister felt that it was no-ones’ responsibility to help anyone else, and that everyone should just try their hardest to help themselves. My mother said that the older she got, the less hope she had in humanity and the more she would like simply to be “left the f*ck alone”. They immediately demonstrated their hypocrisy in this by revealing that their favorite thing about where they currently live is the sense of security they have, due to diligent and kind neighbors.

As an educator, my mother felt very strongly that her job did relate to her role as a citizen. She finds much pride in preparing the minds of the youth, and is very content with her ability to “push the envelope” as far as content, especially within a rural/conservative community. She also wanted me to note specifically that she feels cheated, as a government worker and citizen, by a new piece of legislation which completely changes how retirement works for educators. Apparently, government borrowing has totally expended the money from a system she has been paying into her entire life. And what can she do? My mother feels her voice is not heard. I remember voicing similar concerns about my own future to the class.

Neither my mom nor my sister considered themselves spiritual or religious, instead looking to their own set of values when making decisions or interacting with other people. My mom wouldn’t feel more obligated to help someone from her community over anyone else, but reasons that, due to the proximity, she would be more able/likely to. This is in line with her previous feelings of non-obligation to any particular group of people.

When asked about the kind of person she would like to be, Lily indicated that this question was the source of much stress in her life. She knows she would like to be a “good” person, but is unsure what exactly that entails beyond not being a “bad” person. She is comforted, however slightly, when mom tells her that she has changed who she is in life, before. To politicians seeking office, my mother advises they keep an open mind. I tell her that this is more or less the mantra of the class, explaining how refreshing it is to be surrounded by people who all do have an open mind. My sister lists transparency and honesty as very important qualities.

I admittedly was not expecting the response my sister provided concerning conversations she had with people of vastly different backgrounds. She recalled dinners she’d had at the home of her ex-boyfriend, who was part of a very conservative family. My sister was appalled at the normalcy with which they regularly talked down on people of other races and religions. She even went as far as describing them as brainwashed to a “scary” degree. She likewise feels that inclusivity and acknowledgement for underrepresented or oppressed groups is the most pressing social issue. My mother listed the tumultuous state of the government as the social issue closest to her heart, and between the two I’m sure you can see the similarities between my family and myself. I rarely missed an opportunity in class to blame a wicked problem or social issue on the intolerant, broken government.

By the end of the meal, my sister felt emotionally drained, but Mom was very relieved to learn the demographic of WKU (and this class specifically) was liberal-leaning. She has a lot of hope that our generation can rectify the mess that has been left for us to inherit. I must hope she is correct, and that Honors 251 class hasn’t artificially inflated my confidence in my generation’s ability to be kind, intelligent people.

By Brian

On November 23, 2017, a Kentucky Kitchen Table took place in Louisville, Kentucky on Thanksgiving Day. The participants involved included my mother Mary, a 1^st grade teacher who enjoys time with her family, Alexa, the just-graduated-college girlfriend of my cousin, Jeanne, a fun, loving aunt, Katie, a smart and determined woman a couple years out of college who is my cousin, Emma, a silly cousin adopted from China who is still in high school, Elizabeth, another cousin a couple years out of college who loves traveling the world, Rhonda, an aunt who enjoys the company of others, Donna, the mother of Alexa’s boyfriend, and myself. Together we stood around the table and ate various snacks and veggie trays before making ravioli to be eaten on Christmas Day, a family tradition. While most of their husbands either made the ravioli filling or cooked chicken outside, we all flattened out the dough and filled it with its filling before cutting it into bite size pieces and storing them in containers. I chose this group of people to discuss citizenship with because it contained a diverse group of young, middle aged, and older women who have all taken different routes in their lives and never fail to impress me with their own unique wisdom. I approached the table to help make the ravioli and it was then when the Kentucky Kitchen Table really began. I started off with a simple question with not so simple answers. “Beyond voting, paying taxes, and following laws, what does citizenship mean to you?” Answers included themes such as holding those in your community accountable, being a part of a larger group, thinking about others in a selfless way, and creating the best possible environment for everyone to live in together. Mary, being a teacher in a public school for years, understands the importance of making others feel welcome in our community. She’s taught kids from multiple countries, who speak different languages, and believe in various religions. No matter where they were from though, she always considered it her duty not only as a teacher, but as a citizen, to welcome them in and make them feel just like everyone else. Emma, being from another country, personally knows what it’s like to be welcomed, despite not being born here. Donna herself has brought in her son’s friend from high school to live with them for years due to his own family life at home being unfriendly. She felt like it was her duty to take care of those who need help. Not only take care of him, but hold him accountable when he got in trouble or struggled in college. Citizenship is not only about making others feel welcome, but making sure they are doing their own part to be a successful citizen. A community like a chain, is only as strong as its weakest link.

The next question was what kind of community do you want to live in? Rhonda felt like a community you can feel safe in and be able to enjoy being a part of without any doubts was the best kind. Alexa wanted a community filled with friends and loved ones where you always have a place to go. Katie liked the idea of a place where everyone is accepted and not judged based on their appearance or beliefs. The overall theme of the answers to this question were the ideas of love, acceptance, and safety. The idea was your home should not just be the building you live in, but the community you are apart of. Luckily, everyone present felt like for the most part, they did live in communities described. No one was afraid of where they lived, and no one felt they were alone. Although not everyone can be as fortunate, I’m very grateful that my family seem to all live in healthy and successful communities.

I then got more personal and asked what kind of person do you want to be? Elizabeth just wanted to be someone who can make others laugh and feel good about themselves. She wants to leave others with a sense of warmth within. Jeanne said she wants to be a person who is loving and forgiving. She wants to leave her impact on the world as someone who just radiates with love. She feels like she’s tried to do this so far in her life and will continue to try to be this way going forward. Emma gleefully said she wants to be someone who is always happy and never hurts others’ feelings. Not one person said they wanted to be a rich and successful or something more self-focused such as that. Everyone talked about how they wanted to impact others or how they want to be a beacon of joy. This personally gave me a sense of joy and almost a pride to be apart of the family that I am.

The next question asked was what kind of advice would you give to people running for office in our country? I knew various members of the Kentucky Kitchen Table has different political interests, so I was interested to see what kind of answers were going to be said. Mary just hoped that whoever is in charge of our country governs with compassion and love. She wants our leaders to be thoughtful and caring even when tough decisions have to be made. Donna claimed she believes that the leader of a country should listen to the people and make clear decisions with honest intent. Those leaders should be open with the people about what they are doing and stay true to what they initially said they stand for. Emma admitted while she does not know a lot about politics, she still hopes that our president is kind and caring. She doesn’t want a malicious person leading our country who acts without remorse. Alexa wants those in charge to be thoughtful and accepting but also decisive. She prefers our leaders to act together and be confident in their decisions: not indecisive and arguing among themselves all the time. A successful government is one that is unified from the inside.

The last question asked was is there anything you can think to do that might make things better for you or your neighbors where you live? Jeanne believed trying to get more youth properly educated would result in healthier communities across the country and we should try to get more people aware of what a healthy community looks like. Emma said that you could get together a neighborhood event filled with bouncy houses and fun games in hopes that it draws people out of their homes so that relationships are built, and you get to know those living next to you. Elizabeth says just stopping to say hi or introduce yourself to neighbors you see while outside or on a walk will promote a more loving and unified community. All of the responses to this question dealt with people and making their lives and relationships better. It was not about building new facilities or anything physical but rather getting people together and fully aware of a caring community where all are welcome.

Once the conversation was over I could really see why we were required to be apart of a Kentucky Kitchen Table for our class. It reminded me of “Practicing Democracy,” in Smart Communities by Suzanne Morse. In the reading, communities such as those in Jacksonville or Oregon formed councils and groups that helped inform citizens of certain issues and helped decide how the local government should act. It was ordinary citizens who banded together and discusses local issues. Although this was a much smaller scale, it was similar in the sense that regular people sat down and talked about citizenship and real-life problems. Because of it, everyone involved had a better understanding of each other and the issues brought up. Questions that Honors 251 is centralized around like “How do we live well together?” and “How do solve problems?” were addressed and this project really did feel like the class was being applied to the real world.

The general themes I noticed from my Kentucky Kitchen Table was that of love, compassion, and human interactions. Each answer throughout felt very similar in the since that they shared a theme that everyone seemed to agree on for the most part. It was interesting to see how the same couple ideas could be present no matter how different the questions were. Never before have I had these kinds of conversations with my family and I am very glad I got the chance. It gave me a new understanding how these family members think, and I became proud of their ideals and beliefs. It makes me glad to be part of the family while also helping me understand a new meaning to citizenship. Now I have a new appreciation for these family members and it might not be the last time we sit down and have a down to earth conversation.