This semester I am taking the University Colloquium... for the last time. Don't get me wrong, I totally respect FGCU's mission to instill in all its graduates a sense of place, an ecological perspective, and a working knowledge of sustainability (among other objectives). That being said, I believe there are a few bugs left in the system, and I say this as someone who has sat in on this course before, not just as a student made apprehensive by campus rumors.
Choosing the right professor can be an intimidating task. Most students choose their colloquium section based upon date and time, but this is probably the worst method for this course. Although the course materials are all (more or less) the same, the backgrounds (and teaching styles)of the professors are very broad. You could be learning about ecological sustainability and carbon emissions from an engineer, an attorney, a graphic artist, or an author. This makes perfect sense if your teacher turns out to be someone like Carl Hiaasen, but not so much if it's Judy Blume.
One of the course goals listed on the University Colloquium webpage is "to provide a 'sense of place' and an understanding of the unique ecological features of the Southwest Florida environment". This is generally accomplished by taking field trips to various local wildlife sanctuaries, conservation areas, agribusiness properties, etc. But an occasional acquaintance with the natural world will not necessarily engender any lingering affection for it, or even a healthy respect for that matter.
I am a former Girl Scout. I took AP Environmental Science as a high school senior, and spent many hours that year volunteering in Alachua county's Gum Root Swamp. I've lived in north, central, southeast and southwest Florida, but didn't truly appreciate the natural beauty of my state until I left it and spent some time trapped under the smog-choked skies of southern California. I think that embracing the "great outdoors" is something akin to spiritual awakening; a deeply personal experience requiring an individual commitment. It is beyond the scope of one class to create such a profound connection, especially when many of the students are resistant.
All negativity aside, I expect to encounter updated information about the state of the world on both a local and a global scale. And not just news about the natural environment, but about the inter-connected politics, and economics as well. I hope to be reminded of my personal agency when it comes the goings-on in my community, and I hope to be inspired to act in protection of the things I hold dear, be they people, places, or possessions. It's a tall order, I know, but preserving the Earth is a mission undervalued by so many people. Our planet (the air, water, plants, and animals) is an IRREPLACEABLE source of life, and that realization is a source of great power.
It's "flower power", but not in a hippie sort of way.
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