By Lori

My Kentucky kitchen table meal took place on Wednesday November 7th, 2018. The dinner was hosted at my classmate, Rheanna’s apartment in Bowling Green, Kentucky. There was a total of five people in attendance for the meal. Rheanna invited two people that she knew, and I invited my brother to join us for the meal and discussion.  My brother and I arrived at the apartment shortly before Rheanna got off work. My brother, Daniel, works two jobs and did not go to college; he works for Bimbo Bakeries and Papa John’s here in Bowling Green. Though our parents were both born and raised in Bowling Green for most of their lives, my brother and I are originally from Columbia, Tennessee and moved to Kentucky a little over five years ago. When we moved here, my brother had already graduated high school, but I was still in eighth grade. I am currently a freshman in college, and I am focusing on learning multiple different languages including: Spanish, German, Chinese, Japanese, and French. My friend Rheanna is also in my Honors 251 class. We just met this year and have been working together on another major assignment for the class. She can speak Japanese and lived in Japan for almost an entire year. She is currently a senior in college and is working on learning Korean in hopes to live there for a while. Jessica, the first of Rheanna’s guests to show up, is a college student majoring in Glacier caves and their interactions with volcanoes; she is a vegetarian, and cares deeply about the environment which are things she and I share in common. Corrina was Rheanna’s other guest that attended our dinner; she and Rheanna are roommates sharing the apartment. Corrina, like my brother, did not go to college and also has two jobs as well. She is working at Macy’s in Tennessee, and she is also an independent distributor at Advocare which is a health and wellness company. Each of us came from very different backgrounds and have our own individual ideas, religious beliefs, interests, and goals for our futures.

    For the dinner, Rheanna and I agreed that it would be more polite for us to provide the food for our guests. Because my brother works at Papa John’s, we brought two pizzas for the main dish; due to the dietary restrictions that both Jessica and I share, we made sure that one of the pizzas we brought was a vegetarian friendly Hawaiian pizza and the other was half cheese and half pepperoni. For deserts, I brought some pay de piña which are little, Mexican style pineapple pies and some of my special recipe, homemade banana bread. Rheanna baked some brownies and provided all of the drinks and dishes.

    Before we arranged the dinner, Rheanna and I selected a few questions in addition to the required question to guide our discussion and keep the conversation going. After we made our plates and were all situated around the table, we began our discussion. The first thing we asked was the required question of what citizenship meant to each of our guests. Each of them gave different responses, but agreed with what the others had said. Jessica defined citizenship as the idea that you are now a part of a group of people in your country, and she also said she believed it was the balance between having your freedoms and a sense of security as benefits of being a part of the country. Corrina said that she agreed, but also believed that it includes others freedoms such as buying and owning a house and the responsibility of being a part of what makes America great. Daniel stated that his idea of citizenship was that everyone living in a country together should all try to get along to make the world even just a little bit better each day. He said that he believes if you see a fellow citizen in distress, you should help them out. Before asking our next question, Rheanna gave the group a general definition of a deliberation to ensure that the discussion did not get out of hand or possibly turn into an argument. Because of their definitions, I decided to add in another question regarding a topic we had discussed in class. I decided to ask them their thoughts on President Trump wanting to use executive order to end birthright citizenship which is granted by the fourteenth amendment in the United States Constitution to all people born or naturalized in the United States. Each person had very different reasoning behind their answer, but we each agreed that he should not change the birthrights that have been granted to us by the constitution and that America should take notes from other countries on our tolerance of immigration. The next question we asked was what each person believed were the best things about our world today. Daniel said that he liked the idea of correctional institutions that allow people a second chance, and he is fascinated by our world’s advancement in medical research and technological breakthroughs. Corrina appreciated the fact that we are able to move up in the socio-economic system through our hard work and the existence of a free-market economy. Jessica’s favorite part of our world was the popularization of the idea of neolocalism where people have a genuine appreciation for sourcing locally to improve their economies. Rheanna and I both had a similar response. She said that the best part of our world today is the interconnectedness we have with other cultures which allows us to have awareness of global issues. I said that I enjoy the fact that our interconnectedness allows for a diversity of people to bring different perspectives on issues that will allow for multiple ideas to be presented to find the most efficient means of solving our problems and the problems faced by others. Next we asked whether they believed we had any obligations to other people in our country. There was a unanimous agreement that everyone should help others, use our resources most efficiently, and share what we have with those in need especially the homeless, veterans, and people who are not likely to find any other source of assistance. During this section of discussion, we included our thoughts on the roles that sympathy and empathy both play on these moral obligations which is another topic that we have discussed in class. Then we asked if the people present ever had meals like this around the table with family and neighbors, and how they felt about them. Everybody there had been a part of meals like this before, and they each enjoyed the moments as a time to connect with others and talk about their days. Rheanna, Daniel, and I all mentioned that it was more typical to have meals like this when we were younger, but as we grew up, our families stopped having many sit down meals and as a result, we all slowly drifted apart. After that, we asked if they had ever had a conversation with someone from a very different background than themselves. Everybody had been a part of a conversation with people of different faiths, backgrounds, ethnicities, etc., and everyone agreed that it was an effective way to learn more about other cultures, dismantle previously held stereotypes, and gain a tolerance for people who are different than you and/or people you are used to being around. The last thing we asked was about which social issues were closest to their hearts. Many topics were brought up including: animal rights, the environment, abortion, stereotypes, and racism. It was interesting to see the different opinions that each person in our group had regarding each of the issues.

     This has been one of my favorite assignments that I have participated in during my first semester on a college campus. I rarely have time to have deep discussions like that, so being able to sit down with a small group of people and talk about our opinions on things going on in the world around us helped me to gain a better understanding of how others view and deal with problems that are very prevalent in our community, country, and world today. I think my favorite part of this assignment was the fact that we each got to know each other, and, despite it being the first time that many of us had ever met, we were able to have a bonding experience and develop a closeness to one another through conversation. One of the most relatable things said during our meal was that this experience was enjoyable, because we weren’t on our phones which allowed us to have a more personal, face-to-face interaction where we could enjoy the company and respond to one another in an orderly manner. This experience reminded me of a section of a book I read in AP literature during high school; the summer before my senior year, we were assigned How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster as our summer reading. One of Foster’s archetypes was communion which was described as being one of the most important sections in a story if included, because it shows the connections between the characters and can further the development of relationships between the people who take part in it. In the start of our communion, we did not know much about one another, but by the end of the meal, we had all become comfortable with one another and developed new friendships with those who attended. We found ourselves making jokes and sharing personal thoughts with one another that we would have never been able to had we not been sitting around the same table. This experience also reminded me of one of my favorite articles that we have read in Honors 251. How We Talk Matters was an article that we read in the beginning of the year, and during our meal, the central theme of the article laid heavy on my mind. The article discusses how the disparity between the problems we are facing today and what we are doing to solve these problems can be overcome by not only speaking to others about the issues, but also by really listening to what others have to say and understanding their ideas to come up with a reasonable solution. We need to have more conversations in which we spend a greater amount of time listening to what others might have to say about the topic instead of just dismissing their opinions because they may be different than us. We can learn more from each other if we take the time to have a thoughtful discussion rather than a heated argument, and I believe that this assignment was a great way of practicing this method of deliberation and discussion to learn more about others and their unique stance on certain issues that affect our everyday lives. If I could, I would participate in more face-to-face, group dinners like this, because even being an antisocial person, I enjoyed being in an environment focused on intelligent, personal conversation as opposed to the everyday small-talk or face-to-screen conversation that is more prevalent in the world today.

By: Brigid

     I dropped the ball andforgot to take pictures, but ten people including myself attended my KentuckyKitchen Table. My brother Eddie, my sister Caelan and her friends Katie,Juliana and Maria, my boyfriend Josh, his parents Michael and Laura, my mom Deborah, and myself were all in attendance at my house, around my kitchen table in Louisville. I was excited because we had people of different ages, genders, religious,and geographic backgrounds. Deborah is a politically active woman from amilitary family who has lived all over the United States. I am her daughter and also a politically active woman, but I was raised outside of Seattle, Washington along with Eddie, a senior in high school, and Caelan, a junior in high school. Even among the three of us, there is some diversity in that while we have all lived in Kentucky for the same amount of time, Caelan was much younger than I was when we moved and so one could argue that she has been more influenced by the area than I have. You could say the same for Eddie as well. I think it is also worth noting that Caelan goes to a private Catholic high school, while Eddie goes to same public high school that I graduated from a fewyears ago. I know Katie more than I know Maria or Juliana, but that is not to say that I know Katie particularly well. She’s from Louisville and goes to the same public school as Eddie. Juliana is a junior at Caelan’s school, and she is also from Louisville. Maria also attends Caelan’s school, but she was adopted from Russia when she was young. Before the dinner, I had never met Juliana and I had only met Maria once. Josh is also from Louisville, and unlike others atthe table, has lived in one place his whole life. I have met his parents before and we have talked a bit, and Michael is from Eastern Kentucky while Laura grew up in Louisville.

            When I asked the first question about what citizenship meant to them, it was hard to steer them away from voting. This might have been because the midterm elections were only a few weeks after our conversation, and Election Day is Deborah’s favorite holiday, so some of the importance placed on voting is understandable. However, the answer that everyone was able to come to a consensus on was that being a good citizen means being actively involved in their community and contributing to that community in a positive way. I think that the group was fixated on voting because they saw it as the predominate way that they could impact their community, which I understand. I think a lot of the national conversation around encouraging people to vote revolves around this idea that voting is important for making decisions about our community, which was reflected at the table.

            Since we had a few young people at the table, I wanted to know how they engaged with their community, since they can’t vote and sometimes they are limited in influencing policy because of that fact. I asked this question in particular to shift the discussion towards other types of engagement by asking people who cannot vote about the alternative ways of political engagement in which they partake. Juliana said that she would go to the administration at her school to advocate for certain issues. Katie talked about how helpless she felt when the Trump administration implemented the Muslim travel ban, but then she saw coverage of all of the protests and she had a little more hope. Eddie said that protesting seemed like an effective way of getting his voice heard even though he is still slightly too young to vote.

            One of my favorite parts of the conversation was when I started talking about how it confused me that I heard adults tell me when I was younger that my generation not only could, but should change the world for the better, but when the Parkland shooting happened, adults rushed to discredit those kids. There is also a generally dismissive tone that I hear from older adults when talking about the political engagement of young people, especially those in high school. The other young people at the table agreed that this disdain that some, not all, older adults have for young people who have political opinions is annoying and frustrating. It infantilizes us, and it helps encourage young people to disengage from politics, because they read the political environment as hostile to them. Michael was right when he said that all that complaining about young people was just an attempt silence those same young people. I think that the main reason behind attempts to silence certain groups of people is that it is easier to ignore the issues those people are advocating for if one just wholesale ignores everything that they say. It is easier to ignore someone than to confront the idea that our world is less than perfect.

            Another one of my favorite parts of the discussion was about volunteering abroad. In my class, we talked about Ivan Illich’s “To Hell with Good Intentions,” and it spurred an interesting conversation in my class about the merits of going abroad to volunteer, even if those volunteers actually do more harm than good, or who only help others in ways that the volunteers want to help them, as opposed to addressing the needs of the people in that specific country. I brought this up at the table, along with a brief summary of the speech and its main points. What I trying to talk about was whether or not volunteering abroad alone sufficed as an indicator of good global citizenship. At the table, we said that whenever someone is trying to volunteer, wherever they may be, they should try to meet the needs of the people who they are trying to help. Deborah said that her grandmother used to go abroad on mission trips, and Deborah always found that to be self-serving because she wasn’t trying to help others on their terms simply to help them; her grandmother was helping people to make herself feel better.

            One thing that I learned is that even if the people at my table did not know what the technical terms “civil engagement” or “deliberative democracy” mean—to be fair, I only know them because of this class—but nonetheless it was important to everyone to be an engaged member of their community. I also learned not to be afraid of deep conversations with people who aren’t the same age as me. I’m relatively comfortable talking about the topics describes above; in fact, I love talking about engagement and working with others to solve common problems. However, most of the time I have these discussions with people who are my own age (e.g. the Citizen and Self class) and I’m not that used to talking about this stuff with people outside my age group. I will occasionally talk politics with people who are older than me, with mixed results, but I don’t really regard the conversation during dinner as a discussion about politics (I deliberatively steered the discussion away topics like voting and the Trump Administration) but a discussion about political philosophy and engagement.

            One thing that I am self-conscious about is that I always have something to say and I sometimes talk too much. This time I really worked on listening to the people at my table and I focused more on asking questions than answering them. I learned that asking the questions can be more fulfilling than answering them because instead of thinking about what I thought and what I was going to say, I was thinking about what other people said.

            As previously mentioned, we explicitly talked about the Ivan Illich reading during the dinner; I wanted to talk about global citizenship and I thought the discussion we had in class about the speech was interesting. I wanted to push them to see what they considered examples of bad citizenship and I think I got that answer, albeit not in those explicit terms.

            I think these table discussions are like mini-brainstorming sessions in the deliberative engagement models. Deliberative engagement is based on the idea that we as a society have to talk through our problems to find solutions, and so it is imperative that we learn how to talk to one another in an efficient, productive manner. As a society, we are uncomfortable with talking about deep subjects like religion or politics because we don’t learn how to talk about these topics and we don’t talk about them. It turns into a vicious cycle. Our class teaches us to talk about big problems in respectful, productive ways, and I think that this project gave me a chance to practice those skills around people that I know really well and people that I don’t know very well.            

      In conclusion, I felt like we had a thorough discussion that I enjoyed, and I followed up with some of the participants and they said they enjoyed it as well. I liked practicing listening and moderating, and I enjoyed talking to people who were not my age. The only person who was my age was my boyfriend, everyone else was at least a year younger or older than me. Overall, it was a fulfilling experience.

By Jeremy

My Kentucky’s Kitchen Table took place at my own dining room table in London on Sunday, November 4. London is a small town in Southeastern Kentucky where family and faith reign supreme in most circles. Five people gathered around the table that afternoon: my mother Heather and Grandmother Martha, our neighbor Kristen, my former high school teacher Charles, and me (Jeremy). All attendees of our dinner helped to reflect the diversity of our community through political, religious, economic, and age differences.

Heather is a high school math teacher at Corbin High School in nearby Corbin, Kentucky. She is a white middle-class citizen, aged 47, and she identifies as both a strong Republican and a Baptist Christian. Her religious identity is most influential in her stance on social issues and political opinions.

Martha is a retired social worker and a custodian at her local church. She identifies as Caucasian, though she is 1/8 Cherokee Indian and her skin tone is dark, aged 74, and she lives below the poverty line in her retirement. She identifies as a political independent and a strong non-denominational Christian. She credits both her religious identity and her life experience for influencing her political and social outlook.

Kristen is an unemployed high school student at local South Laurel High School. She is a white, wealthy young woman, aged 18, who identifies as a political independent but a staunch Catholic. She credits her religious identity most for her stance on social issues, but she doesn’t have much interest in political disputes.

Charles is a mechanic at Aisin Automotive Casting, LLC. outside of London. He is a white middle-class citizen, aged 47, and he identifies as a “blue dog” conservative Democrat but does not have any religious affiliation. He credits his upbringing in a military family for influencing his beliefs and stance on political and social issues.

I, Jeremy, am a student at WKU studying Mechanical Engineering and seeking a certificate in Manufacturing and Logistics. I am a white middle-class citizen, aged 18, and I identify as a strong conservative Republican and a Baptist Christian. I credit my upbringing and religious identity for influencing my stance on both political and social issues.

After a short time of mingling to get to know one another better, we sat down to dinner around the ovular table and passed the rice, beans, biscuits, chicken, and potatoes that everyone brought. I then probed the question, “Besides voting, obeying laws, and paying taxes, what does citizenship mean to you?”, and the conversation that followed was nothing that I could have anticipated. Martha broke the silence with her response, “I think that being a citizen means you should love your neighbors.” She then elaborated that she believes each person has a responsibility to serve their community and their neighbors. Since we are all unequally blessed, it is important that we share our blessings with others. Everyone else’s responses began to echo the same concept of the “golden rule”. Heather added that citizenship is an active role, but it also brings a sense of identity. As a teacher, Heather believes her responsibilities are not only to educate her students in school subjects, but also she believes it is her duty as a citizen to mentor to her students in need. Charles then adds that being a productive member of society is crucial to being a good citizen. He believes that each citizen should do his or her best to provide for their own and others in need. Also, he believes good citizens should exercise their freedoms since in fact “Our nation was built upon freedom.” Kristen then chimed in that citizenship is dependent on how much a member actually produces towards the whole. However, she argues that since some people aren’t as capable of helping themselves, others should be willing to provide them aid. I agreed with most of their sentiments, that citizenship is an active role and that it is our duty as citizens to love one another.

In the small town of London, most people call each other by name as they pass by because they have a sense of appreciation for one another and the rest of the community. This could lead into my next question, where I asked the group “What kind of community do you want to live in?” The unanimous response was that we all wanted to live in a place just like we already do. Martha and Charles both believe that the concept of “southern hospitality” cannot be replicated in the more dense northern cities because it is impossible to know who your community members are. People become numbers on a statistics sheet rather than names and faces that Heather argues “feel more like family”. Kristen believes a community should be safe enough that kids can play outside without their parents hawking them, prompting Martha to lament, “When I was growing up, we didn’t lock our doors.” Today, it is difficult to imagine leaving your home and family defenseless, but my ideal community would have enough love and respect for one another that there would be no need for locks on the door.

Later in our meal, I poked another burning question upon the desks, this one more tailored to the adults at the table. “How do you think your job relates to your role as a citizen?” Martha was the first to speak once again, beginning with, “Oh Lord!” She then detailed her experiences as a social worker in Perry County, Kentucky where she experienced many broken lives and families on a daily basis. Heather then commented that as a teacher, she knew she influenced hundreds of students each and every day, some more than others. Charles then noted that as a mechanic, he doesn’t deal with people directly as often as the others, but he knows his work is responsible for the safety of countless people. I added my experience as a grocery store worker where I worked around the public and enjoyed helping elderly women to their cars and having brief conversations with customers. Overall, we all agreed that whatever the job was, it wasn’t simply to receive a paycheck, but rather the job was a vessel to serve others in the community in whatever way that the job made possible.

Heather, Kristen, and I were the three most conservative at the table. We each opposed government welfare programs, contrary to Martha and Charles. I cannot speak for Heather and Kristen, but a very different side of the issue struck me when Martha recalled memories from deep in her past. She shared with us a story that her mother told her long ago about how harshly the Great Depression treated the coal mining industry of Southeastern Kentucky. Her parents and others were so starved for food in the height of the depression that they waded 4 miles of knee-high snow in November of 1932 in order to vote for FDR and his New Deal program. Not only did this strike me as a horror that I could not imagine, but it also defined what a true citizen should do: go out at any cost to vote for what you believe is right.

In To Hell with Good Intentions, Ivan Illich argues that Americans should stay out of foreign aid until they fix problems in their own country. The conversation at our kitchen table agrees with Illich to an extent, because it was our shared belief that American communities should be closely connected and loving, while many communities in America are hostile environments that are in need of repair. America is a strong nation but a broken one, just as Illich says, and the only way for us to fix our broken nation is for our communities to love one another once again. Furthermore, our broken communities are a wicked problem. This is true since every day our communities become more and more broken as long as we don’t love our neighbors, and the only way for the problem to truly be solved is for everyday citizens to take action and become better members of their communities, rather than staying grounded on what they believe is correct.

The Kentucky Kitchen Table was so much more than the assignment I had anticipated. The opportunity to sit at dinner with people who share different backgrounds and opinions was something I expected to be argumentative, but instead it was a learning experience for everyone in attendance, especially myself. Often times I get caught up in my own worldview and shut down contrasting opinions as incorrect, but sitting at dinner with these people allowed me the opportunity to connect with them like they were family, thus opening my mind to why people believe what they do. Put simply, I learned from my peers that right and wrong are the extremes of the political spectrum, but following the “golden rule” as a citizen can have many different outcomes that are all right. I only wish there was an opportunity for others to sit and learn from their neighbors as to why they are different, rather than pushing them away because of their differences.

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My Kentucky Kitchen Table took place on October 21^st at my sister’s friend’s house in Louisville.  The dinner took place around Laura P’s kitchen table, and we had a potluck.  I brought spaghetti and Italian sausage (cooked by yours truly), while others brought bread, salad, and vegetarian pasta.  The food was excellent, but the highlight of the meal was definitely the conversation.  My table included four college educated women.  My sister, Laura K, a graduate student studying geography, was one of the participants.  Her friend, Cecily, is in medical school doing clinical practices at the moment.  Kara, Cecily’s friend, works for a non-profit organization based on environmental sustainability in urban environments.  And Laura P is a graduate student at physical therapy school.  While this group consisted of all women except for me, I believe they had diverse opinions and experiences.  Two of the aforementioned proudly identify as LGBQT members in our area.  Cecily is from Richmond KY, and Laura P is from Maryland.

            I opened our conversation up with the required, “What does it mean to be a citizen to you? Other than paying taxes, voting, and following the law.”  Laura P’s answer was the most memorable one.  She stated she thought citizenship was a term for exclusion.  It is a social construct that allows one group of people to exclude someone they view as different than themselves.  Certain groups that the majority feels has slighted them collectively are often made aliens to places they call home.  Cecily stated citizenship was a term for privilege.  It gives someone the privilege to vote and live without fear of being deported from their homelands.  Laura K stated a citizen is someone who promotes their nation in any way possible, while remaining true to themselves.  Their nation can be based on ethnicity, or it can be based on allegiance pledging.  Kara viewed a citizen as a legal structure that enables people to gain certain rights and privileges.  Privilege came up during multiple answers, which I thought was an interesting perspective, since some Americans would say that citizenship is a right which is clearly dependent on whom’s perspective you ask.  They then asked me what I thought it meant to be a citizen?  To me, being a citizen is a cosmopolitan effort.  It is about being a good person and promotion of mankind as a whole to reach greater heights.  I took on citizenship as a distinctly more positive term that has been abused by those in power to create the negative connotation my KKT participants stated. 

            I then switched the conversation to a more uplifting one.  I asked what is the best thing in our world today?  Laura P stated that the park system in Louisville is beautiful.  We have dozens of parks in our community that are each uniquely beautiful and a great opportunity to mountain bike.  Cecily stated Mammoth Cave because of its rich history and awe inspiring beauty.  Laura K said that the Louisville community was the best part of the world.  It offers the perks of a large city such as transportation and entertainment, while also offering a small-town feel.  She enjoyed how she could not go anywhere in public without running into people she knows.  This kind of experience helps foster a genuine sense of belonging within the community and a mutual bipartisan desire for people to help improve the community.  Kara stated the refugee community in the Louisville area as her favorite part of the world.  Louisville is proudly a refugee center and has groups of refugees from all across the world.  She enjoys planning events that help bring the worlds of all Louisvillians together through her non-profit.  My favorite part of our world today is the interconnectedness of our melting pot.  Through soccer, I have met people from all over the world who I may not have met otherwise.  Off the soccer field someone may receive preferential treatment or be wealthy.  On the field though, we are all equals there for the love of the game and we all care deeply about the world’s greatest game. 

            We then talked about how we could make life better for those around us.  Laura P stated a friendlier environment for American immigrants would make life better; she finds it ironic that almost all Americans migrated to the United States, yet there is still a great disdain towards them by a significant portion of the population.  Kara challenged this sentiment by stating people in the south were welcoming to all cultures despite their anti-immigration stance.  I played devil’s advocate to this statement responding that there is a big difference between allowing someone to live near you, as opposed to making them feel truly welcomed in your town.  I also brought up Peter Maas’ Love Thy Neighbor in which Bosnia descended into chaos in a multi-cultural nation.  It was important to note under the right leadership and right circumstances that genocide and war atrocities could be committed in a developed nation.  Cecily stated improvement in funding in Jefferson County Public Schools would elevate our society by helping our future voting citizens become more educated and informed.  Currently, some lower income schools are struggling with sending their students to college and maintaining positive learning environments.  Laura K stated that Louisville could expand its eco-friendly public transportation system.  The city currently has a few “green” routes, yet could do more as a leader in the city by cutting emissions.  Louisville sits in the Ohio River Valley and has notoriously poor air quality, particularly in the summers.  My biggest area for improving life in our area was the city hosting more public events that help bring diverse people out to celebrate the greatness of diversity.

            I then transitioned by asking what social issue was closest to their hearts.  Laura P’s was immigration.  She was very upset with Trump’s immigration policy and hundreds of children under the age of five being kept in cells without their parents.  She believes it is a scare tactic by Trump to deter future illegal immigrants who want to move to the United States in search of a better life.  Cecily’s biggest social issue was LGBT rights.  She believed that they are accepted in most areas of society, yet there is still a strong number of people who would prefer no interaction with people from this community.  Laura K stated that the environment was her biggest social issue.  She believes there will be no time for politics when there are water shortages and mass migration problems as people from coastal cities are forced into mainland cities.  She said if you think immigration is a problem now, wait until the environment forces an astronomical amount of people to move inward.  I mentioned that in our reading, “Forget Shorter Showers”, municipal waste only creates 3% of all environmental waste.  Laura stated she knew corporations were the largest polluters, and that restrictions being passed down on them from politicians who care about the environment would be the best avenue to create positive change.  Kara’s biggest concern was minority rights.  While she did concede strides have been made to getting minorities more representation, it has not enough to satisfy her concerns.  She cited the disproportionate amount of African Americans in prison and involved in police shootings to continue the fight for their rights.  My biggest concern was gun control as I strongly believe we need to increase restrictions on gun control.  I know we cannot feasible track all weapons, but the amount of mass shootings is on a sharp rise; they simply do not occur when people who should not have guns do not possess them.  The second amendment is the right to bear arms, not the right to mass murder. 

            From this kitchen table, I gained new perspective on both global and local points of contention as a male in society.  As these women conveyed, they do not feel fully represented by their government and know it a reality that they have an extra step to go to be granted equal rights and opportunities as men.  It is important to not be set in your ways of thinking, and always be open to the possibility that your opinion and perspectives may not always be correct and accurate.  You should obviously believe in something, however it is important to inquire about why we think the way we do and how we can learn to consider all perspectives as much as possible when weighing the consequences of our actions.  Overall, my conversation was a great learning experience and effective in pushing me to think outside my own norms.  Everyone who participated was invested in the dinner, and I would recommend future classes partake in the activity.  I believe my group was extra effective in that it cited facts and statistics, not solely how one issue made them feel, which is a skill that is dying out in our society.  Our own view of the world is affected by outside and internal factors.  It is important to be able to keep a leveled head when processing outside factors, so that we come to rational conclusions.  I felt as though our conversation was a deliberation, in which everyone let everyone else speak.  The participants in my dinner cared about our conversation, but they did not take disagreements as a personal slight, and realized that is important to have disagreements about our future, because it shows people are trying to conceive all possible outcomes, not just ones we want to see.

By Hannah

On November 15th of 2018, I hosted my Kentucky Kitchen Table at my house in Bowling Green, KY. Since all of my friends were at work or busy with assignments, I asked my sister, Sarah, to invite over her friend Kendra. They joined me, my dad, and my younger siblings Kaila, Caydon, and Kiara for a steak dinner. I figured it would not be very safe (or appetizing) if everyone made a dish themselves, so my dad just allowed the younger kids to help him with smaller tasks in the kitchen. We worked together to make steak, macaroni and cheese, creamed corn, green beans, sweet tea, and brownies for dessert. While most of us were family, we have very different personalities and aspirations, and, from what Sarah had told me, I knew Kendra had grown up much differently than any of us. Kendra is seventeen years old and is planning on going to school to become a social worker. I learned that she has been in the foster care system for most of her life due to abusive and alcoholic parents and has not been taught any certain religious beliefs, or even knows if she believes in a God. My dad is 47 years old and a navy veteran. He has been working as an electrical engineer at the same factory in the 200 person town he grew up in since he was honorably released from the military. His parents are pastors, so he is incredibly religious and also very openly pro-Trump. Sarah is sixteen and hopes to become a police officer. She is very much a daddy’s girl and will do nearly anything to please him. Kaila is ten years old, very outgoing, and is extremely determined to become a school teacher. Caydon is nine, obsessed with sports and his Nintendo DS, and has high aspirations of becoming Steph Curry when he grows up. Kiara is six, lives in a fantasy world, and wants to be the tooth fairy when she grows up ( but plans to keep the money ). As for me, I am 18, currently a Psychology major, very passionate about equality and feminism, and want to work as a rape and sexual assault therapist in the future. Now that you understand a little bit more about who was participating in this conversation, hopefully the things said will make more sense.

After my dad prayed over the meal, I began the dinner by asking the question, “Beyond voting, paying taxes, and following laws, what does citizenship mean to you?” All of the older people could agree that one of the main parts of being a good citizen dealt directly with being a loving neighbor to everyone. Of course the inevitable “Make America Great Again” slogan was thrown in there a few times, but ultimately we could all put our differences aside and agree on this main idea. Kiara said she had absolutely no idea what a citizen could do other than vote and follow the law. Caydon, on the other hand, felt very strongly that to be a good citizen you have to clean up the country and make it healthy. This lead to me asking, “How do you practice being a good citizen right now?” We all said something centering around being caring to those around us and sharing love. Kendra added in that she supports those who fight for equality and love for all. My dad believed one of the highest forms of being a great American citizen was by putting your life on the line for someone else’s freedoms whether that be by the military or first responders. We also talked for a while about how it is easy to call yourself a citizen just because you live someplace, but that is not all that citizenship entails. It was brought to my attention that it is very easy to come up with a “beauty pageant” answer to these types of questions when you know that other people who may not believe the same as you will hear what you have to say. I wondered if I had not taken a picture of the table and prefaced with the fact that this was for a project if I would have gotten vastly different results.

Ultimately, after the citizenship questions the conversation moved on to the school day, weather, and funny things we saw online, but I was left thinking about how surprised I was at some of the answers I received. It was shocking to me how much the answers related to our class discussion about empathy. Since both Sarah and my dad are extreme Trump supporters, empathy was the furthest thing from my mind when trying to predict their answers. They both even specifically mentioned treating every class, sexuality, gender, race, and ethnicity with compassion. When thinking about this sudden drastic change in their views, I remembered back to in The Empathy Exams Jamison talked about how hearing about an individual story can make someone feel more empathy. When Kendra was telling us about how she grew up, she told stories about her mom experimenting with both sexuality and religion, and she mentioned several instances where they had to beg for money or food to stay alive. Since this was all of our first times hearing this incredibly emotional story from someone we had all grown to relate to, I believe it caused my dad and Sarah’s eyes to open and allowed them to put themselves in her shoes, which made them show more empathy to those who are different from them. This discussion proved to me just how much empathy can change views and bring people from all different walks of life, personality types, political parties, and generations together enough to agree on the basic idea of compassion.

Caydon’s answer that citizenship is about cleaning up our country and make it healthy initially caused some laughs around the table, but the more I pondered on the thought, I came to agree with him. I found it interesting that the second youngest person at the table was the only one to mention anything about taking care of the environment, while the older people snickered at the idea. This reminded me of our reading No Rock Scorns Me A Whore where the author, an adult, sees the idea of saving the Earth as essentially hopeless since even those who want to make a change have things they refuse to give up. Since Caydon is so young, he still has the optimism most children seem to grow out of as they mature. Those of us around the table who have seen the depressing news stories and statistics about climate change and destruction of the ecosystems seem to have given up on the idea that something can be done to reverse or at least lessen the damage that when presented to us, we literally laughed. Possibly if we looked at problems with the same childlike optimism and hope my brother did instead of just dismissing or even laughing at the ideas that seem impossible, we would have more progress as not only a country but as a society.

Honestly, at first I just saw this project as another homework assignment I had to do, but after completing it, I can see why it is so important. Not only did I get to connect and share what I have been learning in Citizen and Self with the people at the dinner table, but I also got to have a meaningful and eye-opening conversation with the people I care about. This seemingly simple question gave me insight into how my dad, siblings, and Kendra see and experience the world around us. Also, it served as a gateway for me to talk about other deep and controversial questions and topics I had been steering away from for fear of what they would say. In times like these, the media and society focuses on the differences between various groups and tries to create a greater separation between political parties, races, genders, sexualities, religions, and any other way people like to define themselves. Even with one short discussion, I have seen how easy it is to come together and make decisions when everyone is polite, respectful, and open-minded like every good deliberation should be. By seeing these impacts first hand, I will definitely use these techniques in the future when potentially divisive topics arise, which often happens around the holiday season. Hopefully, in this upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas season, not only me but also my family and Kendra can use the empathy and communication skills we exercised during this dinner to discuss and solve problems in a more effective and humble way. With this new open and free communication between me and my father, I am sure we will grow to live better together while still respecting our differences. My biggest lesson learned from this dinner was that although everyone has different experiences, those differences should not divide or discourage us, but instead they should help bring us closer together through freely sharing our ideas in a respectful way that can work to open the eyes of those participating.

By: Madeleine

My Kentucky’s Kitchen Table took place on November 10th, at my house, in Bowling Green, Kentucky. I invited 8 people over to join me including two people from our class. Ron is my dad who always has on a smile when talking to people and actually loves to cook so when I told him about this dinner he was very excited to say the least. He works at Western Kentucky University, and as I said, loves talking/discussing with people of all ages, so this was truly his element. Jennifer, my mom, is a wonderful person who truly cares about everyone. She also works at Western Kentucky University and loves helping out in her local community in many different ways. Someone I didn’t know very well was Jason who is Luke’s best friend. He is known to be one of the smartest kids in his grade, as well as quiet but can be very funny when you get him talking. Luke is my younger brother, a sophomore in high school, who is also smart and enjoys swimming as a sport. He might be one of the goofiest people I know but that also is only of the best parts of his personality. Another goofy person is Luke’s friend Abby. She is one of Luke’s newer friends, but it didn’t take long to realise she is very energetic which goes along with her love for acting. I just recently became friends with Hope through my honors 251 class but also she lives right across the hall from me in Minton. She is very talented at both singing and acting which fits perfectly for her musical theater major. Scott is also one of my newer friends from my class. He is a biology major who may seem quiet, but has a very funny and sarcastic sense of humor. It may not seem like a super diverse group but we all had different views and topics to bring to the table.

The dinner was so much fun to be a part of because we answered many questions in a serious matter but also had so many laughs throughout the dinner. Starting with the main question, “Beyond voting, paying taxes, and following laws, what does citizenship
mean to you?” Jennifer began talking about how she believes it’s important to help out in local communities. She gave examples of how she has helped out through things through church and also through her job. She also talked about how she volunteered her time to help Jeanie Smith campaign for Kentucky Senate. Hope explained her opinions on how she thought it was important to support local businesses, like local theaters. She has worked at her own towns local business of a consignment shop. I brought into the discussion how I did not realise how much the library really does help in our community until I started working there last year. The library helps a lot in the community by holding different classes, free books (obviously), children’s programs, and so much more. We all agreed that it was important to help out your local community in any way that you can. I feel like this really goes along with how we can live better together, by working together as a community.

Neighbors and neighborhoods came up as a topic as we shared where we are from and Scott talked about how he lives in a place with no neighbors. Scott is from Hardin County which is a very rural and small community. Although Bowling Green is usually explained to as small, the rest of us grew up next to neighbors. Jennifer explained that when my brother and I were younger or even when she was growing up, talking to your neighbors and interacting with them was a lot more common. Hope shared that although she had neighbors, she never seemed to speak to them. Abby shared how when she was younger, the houses around her as a kid were very close and the kids would always play together after school. We all talked about how people might still seem to be kind to their neighbors but the dynamics are definitely changing and have changed over time.

We began to also talk about the kind of communities that we each wanted to live in, in the future. A majority of us love our current community but are thinking of moving somewhere larger in the future. Abby, Luke, and Jason all explained that they would prefer to live in either New York or Chicago in the future. With Abby’s goal of being on broadway in the future, I can see her thriving in New York City. We asked what Luke and Jason hoped to do in those larger cities as well as with their career choices and they weren’t sure yet. They knew they wanted to leave this smaller type town and hopefully figure out their passion later in life through college and more experiences. This led to the topic of asking if we thought people’s current/future jobs led to a greater purpose. Jennifer shared that she helps a lot in her job with different events for students and also in the community. Ron also shared that he thought that when he raises money it helps students to have nicer facilities and also different scholarships.  Hope wasn’t really sure how job could help serve a greater purpose, but Abby explained that she could inspire younger children to love the theater world. Then scott of course, with his pediatric job, could help sick children get better so they can help others in their lives.

Social issues were brought up when we tried to get both Luke and Jason to talk more. We asked what social issue was closest to their heart. Of course being sophomore boys they weren’t the most serious in their answers, but it did give us some laughs which added a light mood to the more serious topics. After hearing their ideas of helping the Amish and letting dogs off their leashes I added a more serious social issue we could talk about. One social issue that is close to my heart is mental health awareness. I asked if anyone had any thoughts or opinions on this and everyone was in agreement that the stigma is needing to be squashed. Abby then added that it would be helpful if people had easier access to getting the help they need. Ron agreed with that and talked about how people should also be educated more on the topic and that it should be added more into the schools.

One of the more personal issues involved in our lives at the moment was the mold problem at Minton Hall. This dinner took place during the time of the Minton Mold disaster, so you can imagine how much we discussed our anger. Hope, Scott, and I were all explaining how frustrated we were with the situation. Hope and Scott were already moved into their new homes for the next couple of weeks, but I still had to move the next day. We talked about how we think there could’ve been a better way to handle the situation, but this was before we got the email about the $1000 credit on the housing cost next semester. Still a very unfortunate situation that we had to experience.

Everyone was curious if Hope, Scott, and I did these types of deliberations a lot and we laughed because we basically do them every class period. We explained how we have had an ongoing project about deliberations with groups of people on different topics. Hope explained her topic, which I was a part of, trust in the media, and then Scott shared some on his topic of the criminal justice system reform. We realised some of our more important actions, in both topics, included adding more education on these topics in the school systems. Jennifer explained how she felt that educating the youth at an appropriate age would help solve some issues in many deliberation topics people might have.

Overall I had a wonderful experience during my Kentucky Kitchen Table project and was glad I could host one for some of my classmates. We enjoyed a meal of caesar salad, lasagna, garlic knots, and a wonderful mud pie for dessert. My parents all gladly made this for the extra few people than they normally had and it was quite delicious. We shared many insightful conversations that I believe made everyone think a little differently but my favorite parts were probably the laughs. Usually when we take part in deliberations they are all serious and although I do enjoy them, it was nice to take a lighter note on one. I think we all saw both the elephant and the rider in each person as we discussed through the dinner. I would love to do this kind of conversation again with some of my other friends and family to see how it would differ from this one.

 

 

For my Kentucky Kitchen Table project, I held dinner at my brother’s house here in Bowling Green, Kentucky, this past Tuesday, November 13^th. While planning this gathering, I decided to invite a selection of individuals that reflected diversity and engaged citizenship in order to deepen conversation.

The first individual that was invited to my dinner, partly because I used his home, was my older brother, Jacob. Growing up, Jacob was always an inspiration to me. He remains constantly involved within his community, whether that be through public service or leading worship at the local Christian church. Jacob is extremely intellectual, somewhat shy, and takes his faith into account when making political decisions (He tends to be more conservative). My next guest was my roommate and best-friend, Reed. Although I’ve only known him for a little over a year, I would consider Reed more like a brother. He is extremely friendly, a devout Catholic, and is very politically sound. Although he comes from a conservative family, Reed identifies as a liberal. In addition to Jacob and Reed, I also invited Alyssa, a new acquaintance I made through my brother and the Chemistry department here at WKU. I have known Alyssa for a few months now because of her involvement in my chemistry lab as a peer tutor. Although we have never delved into serious conversation regarding politics or community issues, I do know that Alyssa identifies as a member of the LGBTQ+ community and is agnostic. My last guest was my dear friend, Hannah. Hannah and I have been friends since we met one another at the H-4 retreat for WKU Honors students this past August. She is the embodiment of kindness in addition to being one of the friendliest people I have ever encountered. When it comes to politics or religion, Hannah is quite indifferent, and seems to lie in the “grey area” of most societal issues.

Prior to the dinner, I asked these guests to bring a small dish to the gathering, but none of them were able to do so for various reasons (finances, time constraint, etc.). As a result, I decided to make a dish for us all: grilled teriyaki chicken on a bed of steamed white rice. Although it was simple, I knew this dish would be rather easy to make and pleasing to all those attending. Each guest arrived about 10 minutes before the meal was ready to serve, so while finishing up with cooking, I decided to start some intentional conversation.

First, I explained to my guests that in Honors251, the class has spent the semester studying citizenship, global issues and possible solutions for each. I then asked what everyone believed the best part about living in our modern world was. Jacob was quick to respond, humorously saying that the best part about living in today’s society was listening to Cardi B’s music. After a quick laugh, he continued on a more serious note, voicing that being able to practice religion freely and having political opinion in America was extremely valuable. Reed concurred with this statement, agreeing that our ability to have a voice in the happenings of the government is one of the best things about our country. On a different note, Alyssa stated that the increasing acceptance of minorities (race, sexual orientation, social class, etc.) was her favorite part about today’s society, in addition to freedom of speech. Hannah agreed with the other guests’ opinions but didn’t have much to say regarding her own thoughts.

Shortly following this discussion, the meal was finished being prepared, and each guest made a plate. As we moved towards our seats at the table, I snapped a picture of my plate, as well as my guests. After a few moments of casual discussion, I decided to ask another pointed question: Did you ever have meals around the table with your family or neighbors growing up? If so, did you enjoy this? To no surprise, Jacob spoke of our family, explaining that we ate a homecooked meal around the dinner table at least 2-3 times a week during our childhood. These gatherings always began with a blessing, followed by casual conversations about our day or important things happening in our lives. Jacob also shared some of the humorous stories about our sibling rivalries that took place at the dinner table. All in all, Jacob stated that he always loved these times of family fellowship and misses them now that he is in college. Hannah shared similar experiences growing up, stating that her family gathered at least once a week to share a meal and catch up with one another. However, Hannah went on to say that she didn’t always enjoy these times, explaining that these gatherings would often cause discourse between her family members. Reed responded that his family had dinner around the table almost every night of the week. He told that his grandparents and other extended family members were regular guests at these gatherings, considering that they all reside close to one another. Despite this, Reed explained that these times of fellowship were hardly conversational and mostly consisted of silent eating. On a much different note, Alyssa answered the question with a sense of somber, saying that her family rarely ever shared meals together, especially around a dinner table. Alyssa went on to say that if she wanted dinner, she would either have to go to a restaurant and pick up food or cook whatever she had in her pantry, leaving her with the feeling that she wasn’t a part of a family unit. Hannah agreed with this statement, saying that this scenario was sometimes the case in her family when her parents got divorced in her mid-teens. This was somewhat surprising to me, given that I had never experienced this with my own family. In this moment, I felt extremely blessed for my family members and their involvement within my everyday life. We continued to discuss various family stories until I was ready to ask my next discussion question.

Once our discussion ended, I asked my guests if they believed that they had any obligations to other people in our country or community. Hannah responded that she didn’t inherently think she had an obligation to other people besides being respectful and accepting. Reed quickly agreed with this statement, saying that the “golden rule” of treating others the way you would like to be treated should always be applied. He also went on to say that voting and voicing your political opinion is one of the most important obligations we have as American citizens. Jacob concurred with this statement, stating that voting is our utmost obligation in this country and community. In response to this, Alyssa voiced that our obligation to accept and care for one another was far more important than our right to vote. I interjected and stated my opinion, which combined and agreed with everyone’s previous statements regarding the importance of common courtesy and voting. At this point, everyone was done eating, so I collected everyone’s dishes and placed them in the sink. In a moment of curiosity, I peeked into my brother’s freezer to find something truly glorious: chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. After presenting this finding, everyone seemed quite interested in dessert.

Although I didn’t get the opportunity to take a picture, each guest received a bowl of ice cream. I continued our discussion by asking everyone about a current social issue they held closest to their hearts. Jacob responded that he believed the country’s refugee population to be one of the biggest issues facing our society. Coming from a church that has an incredible population of African refugees, Jacob knows first-hand just how significant this demographic is within the city of Bowling Green. He believes that this special population requires a more hands-on government willing to assist them until they are prepared to return to their home country, which has hopefully experienced diplomatic resolve by that point. Alyssa began by stating that, in her opinion, religious views are the cause of most of the world’s societal issues. She went on to say that she believed gender roles and inequality were the largest issues facing today’s society. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Alyssa believes that people should be able to live free of the negative labels associated with being a lesbian woman and should be offered the same opportunities as everyone else. She explained that, in order to catalyze change, it must begin within the minds of the youth, and bleed into the remainder of society. Hannah concurred with this belief, stating that inequality was the greatest issue surrounding our society. Reed, on the other hand, told us that immigration was the most prominent issue within the world. For the entirety of Reed’s teenage years, he has been very close friends with two DACA citizens. He is constantly advocating for reform of certain immigration laws and believes that immigrants in America sometimes work even harder than natural born citizens do. Reed’s thoughts quickly reminded me of class discussion regarding President Trump and his various proposals regarding immigration and citizenship. I began thinking about what it may be like for Reed to live a life being uncertain that his close DACA friends will always be permitted to reside in the United States. Upon this thought, I decided to mention this class discussion to my guests, and the discussion that resulted was extremely fruitful and continued until we finished our ice cream.

After collecting my guests’ dishes, I was sure to ask one final question: Beyond voting, paying taxes, and following laws, what does citizenship mean to you? Alyssa started by saying that caring about those around you is the first step to being an effective citizen. She then said that being involved within your community through public service was the next step to becoming engaged in citizenship. Hannah agreed with this statement, believing that the greatest way to be an excellent citizen is by being friendly and keeping those around you on the right path. On a different note, Jacob responded in agreement with Hannah and Alyssa, but added that citizenship was on both a national and community level. He explained that citizenship is a privilege, and that in order to be most effective, one must informatively vote and remain involved politically. Reed was quick to concur with this statement, as was I. In this moment, I mentioned my class’ experience with engaged citizenship and that our honors course was in place for the sole purpose of fashioning individuals to become engaged citizens. After a brief discussion concluding our thoughts on citizenship, the dinner had come to a close and it was time to depart. Before leaving, I thanked each guest for their participation in discussion and thanked my brother for allowing me to host a dinner in his home.

This Kentucky Kitchen Table project taught me an incredible amount about my peers, my community, and myself. Through this discussion with Alyssa, Hannah, Reed, and Jacob, I was greatly enlightened by the diversity and insightfulness of their thoughts and opinions. Just as we have discussed in class, I learned first-hand that, although opinions may be different, every voice deserves to be heard and differences should be celebrated. Whether liberal or conservative, religious or agnostic, LGBTQ+ or straight, people are the driving force of this community and this country. Although it may seem cliché, hosting this dinner was a great privilege and has instilled in me a sense of pride for my peers, community, and country.

By: Abigail

My Kentucky Kitchen Table took place on the 8^th of November 2018 in Bowling Green Kentucky. For this assignment my classmate Will and I partnered up. Our hosts, Taylor and Sarah, were kind enough to lend their apartment kitchen to us in order to prepare the meal and dessert. The meal itself consisted of spaghetti, garlic bread, biscuits, and homemade cookies. Our little group contained six contributors overall including my partner and I. We were lucky enough to have the combined opinions of three freshman, two sophomores, and a senior in college from varying cultural backgrounds, ethnicities, sexualities, and upbringings. Austin (Perk) is a senior at WKU studying Psychology and is a very kind, soft spoken, and observant individual. Taylor, a sophomore at WKU, is majoring in Education and had a very bubbly, outspoken, and caring personality type. Sarah, our other sophomore also attending WKU, is majoring in Speech Pathology and was the one gracious enough to offer up her apartment for our project. Sarah gave off a very maternal and compassionate vibe that made the KKT feel more comfortable. Austin (T), a fellow freshman at WKU, is studying Business and Architecture and was a huge help in preparing the food and giving a helping hand just because it was in his nature to do so. My partner Will is majoring in Mechanical Engineering and is a freshman with a very open mind as well as an accepting individual you makes sure everyone feels equally involved and respected. I myself am a freshman majoring in Marketing with a Psychology minor.

The biggest question posed to the table was what citizenship meant to everyone aside from voting, paying taxes, and following laws. At first the question led to silence, as no one had an immediate answer besides the restricted ones. Form this observation I figured that citizenship was not something many people put much thought to in their daily lives. Once the gears in everyone’s brains started turning we got a good response out of the group. Being a good neighbor or a good samaritan were two things the group agreed a citizen should strive to be. Citizenship also brought to mind volunteer work and giving back to your community and country you were born and raised in. An interesting thought brought into the discussion was the fact that what citizenship means can differ from one community to another and be dependent on wealth, socioeconomic status, or where you’re from. We also asked everyone what they liked most about WKU, their current community. Everyone came to the conclusion that WKU was a good middle ground for those from big and small cities to feel comfortable because it’s not overwhelmingly large but it’s also not a small community. Some key likes of WKU was how easy it is to create a close community due to the manageable size and how most of the people here are welcoming to others. The downside to WKU was how nearly everything is closed on the weekends which makes most people go home due to having little to no incentive to stay on the weekend. Weekend activities to draw people back or provide something for those staying was agreed to be a good idea long overdue for WKU’s campus life.

Another significant question Will and I asked was what kind of person everyone wished to become in the future. The overall ideal self was someone trustworthy, reliable, genuine, and charismatic. Something that really stood out to me was when Sarah said the “biggest compliment is a genuine thank you” and that all she wanted to be was someone who did right by others and had them feel genuinely thankful for whatever she did. Her saying was something she had read somewhere before and decided to keep tucked in her mind as a reminder of who she strove to be and what her goal as a citizen was to uphold for herself as well as for those around her. The follow up question was what advice any of them would offer to someone running for office. This question drew in everyone’s attention the most, as many of them felt as though too many of those in office did not do their job how they should. Those running for office would do best to be advised to understand where they come from as well as those they represent and find middle ground everyone is comfortable with on issues instead of catering to one side due to preference or money. Being entirely transparent was a largely supported idea in the group, as no one should lead who hides things from those who put their complete trust in them.

What I learned from my KKT is that the questions we asked our participants need to be discussed more openly in society. It was very obvious during the discussion that the topics at hand were not ones that often came to people’s minds in their daily life even though they were simple things that should be considered more. I also found that I had more in common with a group of strangers than I thought I would. I tend to agree with just about everything that was contributed to the discussion and that came as a pleasant surprise to me. The whole experience reminded me of The Small Work in the Great Work by Victoria Safford in “ The Impossible Will Take a Little While”. Much like in this passage we all met as a group to discuss a general topic all together respectfully. In both my experience and in the chapter my class read and discussed the group discussion was in a way therapeutic and left everyone with different perspectives to ponder even after the discussion took place. I realized how important it is for communities to come together and talk about literally anything, hard and easy topics, in order to have a better sense of togetherness and to make everyone feel included and involved. If people do not work together and keep their minds open the world cannot progress in a way that is beneficial to all and inclusive of everyone.

I did not know any of my Kentucky Kitchen Table participants prior to the meal except Will, so I was completely out of my comfort zone doing this project. I found that having a meal with people allowed us to feel closer even though we didn’t know each other and helped us to open up more with one another. Being as I’m usually quiet in discussions due to having anxiety it was a huge accomplishment to feel comfortable enough to share my opinion with a group of strangers. After the discussion I felt like I had a much better understanding of everyone I interacted with. The conversations that look place made me realize I need to implement these important questions as well as other topics into my daily life and make myself more informed in order to contribute more to society. I plan to talk more about wicked problems as well as simple topics like who I strive to be just to keep my goals clear and my mind thinking. The world grows on thoughts, and the more we think the more we can grow and improve the world around us as well as better our understandings of ourselves and what we stand for. If we as a society get into the habit of holding gatherings like this with our neighbors or our communities I think we would all benefit positively. There are no downsides to learning from one another, we can only gain from understanding others standpoints and feelings about things. The Honors class I’m in has definitely challenged me to contribute to discussions and think more in depth about topics in order to best respond in class and share my thoughts. The class discussions are a great gateway to implementing productive discussions to personal lives instead of just academic lives. I have also observed that when people open their minds they are much more respectful and able to benefit from talking about issues. The main problem we face today is that closed off attitude that I am very thankful my Kentucky Kitchen Table lacked. If people are unwilling to listen to differing opinions then they are unwilling to learn and refuse to reevaluate their own mindset.

Overall the Kentucky Kitchen Table was a learning experience I am thankful for even if it was out of my comfort zone. I genuinely enjoyed eating supper with people I did not know well and learning their standpoints on the questions I asked. It was very refreshing to talk to people I would normally just walk by in the street without a second thought. I think occasions like this are a good way for people in a community to grow close and become stronger and more representative of each other. Back in my hometown there is a huge lack of personal connection amongst the community and this project made me realize just how bad it was. I feel much more aware of the lack of communication our society has but I also feel more prepared to help change that problem. This class and this project have made me feel more involved and more likely to talk about problems I see with those around me, whether I know them or not, just to see how they feel and what they think. I would like to see the world grow, and I look forward to growing along with it.

By Jessica

My Kentucky Kitchen table was hosted in Bowling Green, Kentucky on November 15^th with participants Christina, Jackson, Tyler, Kelsey, Anna, Emily, Nick, Olivia, Olivia, and Holly. Each of these attendees are upper class-men

students of Western Kentucky University, but are still very unique from one another! Christina is a photographer and videographer and is a member of the sorority of Kappa Delta. Jackson is from Kenton County and is currently involved in Young Life. Tyler is from Boone County and enjoys traveling whenever he can to anyplace that he can. Kelsey is also from Kenton Country and enjoys all sorts of sports such as tennis and basketball. Anna is a part of the sorority Alpha Delta Pi and has also served as Gamma Chi director for WKU PanHellenic. Emily is in a relationship and is involved currently in Young Life. Nick is from Warren Central and is a big Cubs fan. Olivia is an incredible artist and studied abroad for a semester in Italy. Olivia loves nature, high school musical, and is always up for an adventure especially to other countries. Lastly, Holly is an alum of the sorority of Chi Omega, is from Louisville, and is currently in the nursing program. Each of these people were graciously willing to meet with me as I only know Christina personally and have had short conversations with Olivia and Anna. Each of them know each other as they have some kind of connection with Young Life on campus, but I personally had not met the majority of them. Each were willing to bring meals and due to it being close to thanksgiving we chose traditional thanksgiving foods for our potluck. Holly made mac n cheese, Christina made a casserole dish, Olivia made buffalo dip, Nick brought a turkey, and the others brought miscellaneous items such as drinks, chips, or vegetables. As everyone came into the home they chatted and got to catch up and then we gathered around the table to eat the yummy food and begin our discussion.

The first question that I asked them was “Beyond voting, paying taxes, and following laws, what does citizenship mean to you?” I was not sure how they would respond, but after a couple minutes to really think about it, a few shared their opinion. Nick said to him citizenship is a collective group of people that are trying to work together for a common goal and Kelsey said that it means someone is in our country legally and that each citizen of our country welcomes those new citizens even if they are different than them. Olivia stated that citizenship means that people are all doing their best to reduce waste in their environment to help create something sustainable to preserve this earth that we live in. Lastly, Anna mentioned that the military reminds her of citizenship as there are those that are fighting for our country in order for us to be called citizens of the United States. As we all discussed this question we all had similarities of what citizenship meant to us but, these were some of their initial thoughts discussed when this question was addressed.

Next, I asked the question of “What do you think are the best things about our world today?” Everyone was eager to answer this question as they all had a commonality in their answers. Everyone around the table mentioned in their answer about how our world has shifted drastically to encourage everyone to be their authentic selves and to be genuine. We all agreed that society has changed from strict guidelines to how now each person is encouraged to do something out of their comfort zone each day. Technology was also mentioned by Christina that the advances that have happened in our world are indescribable and she loves to be able to use technology to capture the beauty of our world. Overall with this question, relationships, authenticity, and the overall beauty of the world is what makes this world the best.

We then discussed the question of neighbors and if the people around the table knew or currently know their neighbors. Everyone had funny neighbor stories of when they were little. Some mentioned that their neighborhoods always had parades and a tight knit community while others said that they had never had more than a five-minute conversation with their neighbor. Not many of them were able to have a sit down, home cooked meal with their neighbors, but some would know their neighbors very well. They then shared stories of how when they each started at college and how they needed to meet their roommates and neighbors. They explained that some went knocking on doors to introduce themselves, while others waiting for the knocking on their door. Each then agreed that having those relationships with neighbors is very important, but it takes in work. Once mentioned that they have a crazy schedule and are not home so they have to work very hard to get to know who they are living next to. As many of the participants will be graduating soon, they agreed that they want to, wherever they live, to be able to know their neighbors as best as they can.

The question of “Do you think we have any obligations to other people in our country?” came up, was thought on, and was answered and discussed. Emily said that she believed that we should be trying to help others around us to the best of our availability especially if we have those resources around us. Everyone agreed as to there is a need to show compassion and help others who need this help. I then told them about our reading by Ivan Illich, “To Hell With Good Intentions” and how he stated that there is major concern in helping those who need help. Everyone around the table was very interested in this view as they had not thought about the negative impact of helping others. Many of the people around the table had been on mission/service trips and told their stories of what they did. This spurred good conversation as to what may be the best way to help those that need help. We came to a common consensus that we need help those to be able to help themselves to get back on their feet.

Lastly, we discussed as a group of social issues in our world. The ones brought up (some duplicated) were abortion, human trafficking, physician assisted suicide, gun control, and environmental issues. Everyone discussed why there were passionate to these certain issues and how we answer these issues can determine our future world. Everyone around the table is involved in a religious organization, Young Life, and they all agreed that their religion played a major role in how they answered these tough issues. They all said that their faith was the backbone of how they view this world and that is how they came to their conclusions on these questions.

Before I had my Kentucky Kitchen Table I was not sure what to expect. I did not know the majority of the people that were going to be there, and I was not sure if they were going to give me fluff answers or actually tell me, a complete stranger, deep answers to important questions. As soon as we sat down for our meal and began chatting it felt so easy and normal and it continued to go well throughout the night. All of the attendees loved to talk about the questions and wanted to also share why they were so passionate on a particular topic. I learned throughout this whole process that people enjoy talking about these questions. They, in fact, want to discuss them even more. Each of the people wanted to keep talking and talking and got more into the whole conversation as it went on. Each person was respectable if there were differences and if their commonalities, people got to know that they were not alone in their opinions and were able to build off of each other.

Throughout the whole conversation I was thinking of how this dinner reminded me of our class. There was no yelling or crazy interruptions and each person was respectful of what one another had to say. “How We Talk Matters: by Keith Melville clearly shows why it is so important for everyone to be on the same page of respect and valuing of each person and the discussion that I had at my Kentucky Table I would fit into these guidelines very well. Our class, especially during deliberation, is like this and it showed me that discussion does not always need to be in classrooms for them to be insightful, but they can happen anywhere. If everyone is able to say what they believe, why they believe it, and then respect others opinions, then conversations are destined to be very informative and insightful. We must be willing to start and then continue in these conversations with those around us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Annabelle

I held my Kentucky Kitchen Table Project at my house in my hometown of Danville, Kentucky. Most of my family was at the dinner, including both of my parents, Kate and Matt, and one of my sisters, Elizabeth. My mother also invited a couple that lives in our neighborhood, Sid and Rebecca, to participate in the discussion. I gave everyone a copy of discussion points that I made based off of the given questions so that if we came to a dead-end in conversation, we could refer back to it. The dinner took place on Monday, November 12th and lasted a little over an hour, as we discussed major themes surrounding citizenship, community, and moving forward as a society.

My mom, who was the host of the dinner, is forty-six years old and a first-grade teacher at a nearby elementary school. She grew up in a military family, and as a result, has lived many different places around the world. For college, she attended the University of Kentucky where she met my father, and later settled down in Danville. My father is also from a military family and served in the United States Air Force before moving to Danville with my mom. He is forty-eight and currently works at primary care practice as a pediatrician. Both my mother and father were raised strictly Catholic, although my siblings and I were brought up more on the basis of choosing our own religious beliefs. My sister Elizabeth is a sophomore in high school and has a twin who was not present at the dinner. She has lived in Danville for most of her life. Sid is 57 and a retired Air Force general; because of this, he has lived in many different places around the world and currently is involved in work in Saudi Arabia. He has three daughters, all current students or graduates from college, and one grandson who is four years old. Rebecca has traveled with Sid to many different places around the world and also loves spending time with their children and grandson. Before living in Danville, Sid and Rebecca have been stationed in places such as Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Germany. They also currently have a home on Lake Martin in Alabama.

After being prompted by the first question, “Beyond voting, paying taxes, and following laws, what does citizenship mean to you?” each person at the table shared some of their experiences, and how these have shaped their beliefs concerning our roles as citizens. There were three main ideas that came up during our discussion: education, participation, and societal roles.

With the recent elections in mind, one of the first topics that was brought up was the importance of voting. Rather than emphasizing the significance in voting itself, we discussed why citizens should educate themselves on candidates and political parties before heading out to the polls. My mom, as she has mentioned to me many times before, worries that many people in our community go out and vote without having researched the candidate’s beliefs and plans for if they were to be elected. Another point brought up was that citizens often simply vote for their political party, without taking into consideration the character and goals of each individual candidate. In the same way that we should educate ourselves in the area of politics, it is also important that we learn about our neighbors. Many communities are made up of a diverse group of people, and it is important that we understand each other. My mom brought up an event that we have in Danville, where an organization hosts a dinner, representatives of multiple countries cook their native foods, and the community comes together to learn about and celebrate its diversity. If we better understand our neighbors, we will be able to interact more cohesively, and in turn, be better equipped to solve shared problems.

This discussion reminded me of the reading, “Green Fire, the Still Point, and an Oak Grove,” which was about students who were advocating against an oak grove at their university being replaced by a football stadium. After a long description of the history of the oak grove and the university, the author emphasized the importance of being educated on an issue before fighting for it. I was reminded of this reading when we were discussing the duty of citizens to educate themselves before voting for a candidate. If we really want to make a difference in our communities, we should first take upon the responsibility of becoming informed and aware citizens beforehand.

The conversation of education led into the discussion of the significance of being an active participant and building relationships with others in your community. Not only should participation include obvious tasks such as voting, paying taxes, and following laws, but it also involves volunteering and being present at community activities such as the diversity dinner mentioned earlier. We discussed the need for more privileged citizens to step up and help those in a lesser financial, mental, or physical positions; this is the best way to see our communities progress. A couple ideas that we can implement in our town were volunteering at the local nursing home, working at a locally owned “pay what you can” restaurant, and participating in projects such as Soups on Us and Project Christmas Child. It is important for citizens to offer up their skills to help others in the community, for example, my mom mentioned how, before she got her current job, she volunteered at Jennie Rogers Elementary school. My mom is great with kids, so giving whatever extra time she had during the day to help out with elementary students made sense for her. Similarly, my dad volunteers for our high school football team as a team doctor, this makes sense for him. I talked about maybe over Christmas signing up to work at Grace Café, which is a local restaurant that offers food to everyone; if you are unable to pay, you simply work at the café to compensate for your meal. Aside from volunteering, we also discussed the importance in supporting fellow community members. In some places this may mean going out to a high school soccer game, participating in a summer festival, or shopping locally in order to support local businesses. Overall, it is important to actively participate in society, because if we all contribute and support each other, we are more likely to cooperate, and therefore progress further as a whole.

We also discussed another important responsibility of a citizen: finding your societal role. Everyone at my table is a part of a military family, because of this, we have all lived on a military base. One thing that is interesting about a military base is that everyone that lives there has a specific purpose; there is nobody that is unemployed or requires assistance from the government. This incorporates the idea of everyone having a role in society, and the importance of finding this role in order to contribute to your community. Whether this is being a teacher, a waitress, a coach, a manager, a doctor, a lawyer, or whatever other profession you may choose, you in some way benefit the community as a whole.

All of these big ideas tie into two of our class questions, “How do we live well together?” and “How do we solve shared problems?”  After having discussed citizenship for so long, I asked the table these questions and their opinions on how they relate to what we had discussed. In some ways, our conversation of what it means to be a citizen offers potential answers to these questions. How do we live well together?  Well, we can start by supporting each other, and giving back to our communities. If we are more active participants in our communities, we will build relationships with each other, and ultimately understand each other better. How can we expect to live well together when we do not understand and appreciate each other? How do we solve shared problems? Beginning in our own communities, helping those in need that are right in our hometowns would definitely help. And wouldn’t it be much easier to solve shared problems when we all have a better understanding and appreciation for our differences?

Through our discussion, I have learned what it really means to be a citizen. Citizens educate themselves, participate in their communities, appreciate their neighbors, offer help to those in need, and serve a purpose in their community. My biggest take away from this discussion was the responsibility of citizens to find their role in society. As a college student with an undeclared major, I often stress about what path I will decide on, and eventually what I will do for a living. The discussion we had at dinner allowed me to see my potential career paths in a different way: as my role that I will serve to my community; how I will contribute and give back to others. As I get older, it is important that I understand what it means to be a good citizen, in order to have a positive impact on not only the Bowling Green and WKU communities, but also on other communities I may become a part of after college.