International Human Rights
LSJ 320, Spring 2010
"An injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
--Martin Luther King, Jr.
--Martin Luther King, Jr.
The spring of my sophomore year was way too soon for me to take any 300+ level courses, let alone in a department other than the comforts of the College of Engineering. But then there I was, intently bent forward listening to a Professor Mayerfeld talk about the European Union (whatever that was), hoping that my confusion didn't expose me as a completely lost engineer. I was scared-- downright frightened that the poli sci majors around me could smell my fear and jump on the opportunity to question what had made me think I could pass this course not even knowing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights existed.
Then sometime midway into the quarter I got a paper back. A very kind classmate asked me how I did. "I got a 3.9," I said with a conflicted smile and grimace (I loathed the 0.1 points keeping me from perfection). "What?! Wow, how did you do that? Good for you!" How did I get that? How did I, Donelyn, whose link to current events consists of the Yahoo! homepage, get a grade worthy of a compliment from a poli sci student? Reflecting on that classroom experience it's clear to see that my performance was completely aligned with my interest in the subject. Human rights, that was what I wanted to steward. Engaging in the lecture and always mind-blowing section discussions were easy, but enlightening tasks. Even with little background knowledge in the workings of the political world, I felt completely confident in my contributions and the value of the information presented to me.
This artifact is the graded paper that changed what I perceived my capabilities to be. It is a research paper on the discriminated education of the long-persecuted Roma population. Though a subject totally strange to me, the overarching theme of advocacy for universal education is one that I carry on with me. The strength of my advocacy can be seen in this final result and the grade I hold dear.
Then sometime midway into the quarter I got a paper back. A very kind classmate asked me how I did. "I got a 3.9," I said with a conflicted smile and grimace (I loathed the 0.1 points keeping me from perfection). "What?! Wow, how did you do that? Good for you!" How did I get that? How did I, Donelyn, whose link to current events consists of the Yahoo! homepage, get a grade worthy of a compliment from a poli sci student? Reflecting on that classroom experience it's clear to see that my performance was completely aligned with my interest in the subject. Human rights, that was what I wanted to steward. Engaging in the lecture and always mind-blowing section discussions were easy, but enlightening tasks. Even with little background knowledge in the workings of the political world, I felt completely confident in my contributions and the value of the information presented to me.
This artifact is the graded paper that changed what I perceived my capabilities to be. It is a research paper on the discriminated education of the long-persecuted Roma population. Though a subject totally strange to me, the overarching theme of advocacy for universal education is one that I carry on with me. The strength of my advocacy can be seen in this final result and the grade I hold dear.
