I found both the readings and video interesting but the video was definitely more impactful. Seeing inside Bon Air and hearing from Marquez made everything feel so much more real. It’s easy to see the crimes people have committed on paper and immediately dehumanize them. However, hearing Marquez talk about his situation as well as Kelvin and Terrence just helps me to see that these are real people, just like me. Their story is more than the crimes they committed. That’s why I think the justice system is sometimes overly harsh because it fails to humanize these people and realize they can be rehabilitated and not just punished.

So far, I’ve made progress toward the class goals by contributing more in class. It’s easy for me to simply become a listener in a conversation so I have to actively push myself to participate but I think I’ve improved in this sense. I also just better realize now that everybody has something different to contribute. Everybody has a different background, different experiences, and different insights. Therefore, whenever we discuss a topic I feel I can share my thoughts on based on my experiences, I try to do so.

In terms of my learning philosophy, I would say that I believe in discussion, experiential learning, and learning to grow oneself and not just packing information into your head. I hate classes that revolve strictly around memorization because realistically everybody is going to forget almost all of the information. However, classes that are focused on new experiences, sharing your experiences with others, and really learning with the goal of improving yourself are the most impactful.

Question: Out of all the cases you have worked on, which one resonates with you the most?