Kahne & Westheimer, "In The Service of What?"
REFLECTION

I decided to write a reflection on this piece because I have completed a lot of community service hours in my life and service learning and community service is very important to me. I never realized there were controversial issues about this topic until reading this article but it seems it can be misconstrued that it is the "wealthy" helping the "poor" but it is just people helping people. In high school I completed the 30 hour famine where a group of us stayed at the school over night and played games that related to issues about hunger and third world countries and we did not eat for a complete 30 hours. It was not difficult because we had each other to distract us and we could sleep if we wanted to. Drinks were provided for us so if we felt hungry we drank water or juice. Knowing I can complete the 30 hour famine was a huge stepping stone in my life because I was able to learn what it was like to not have food but that was only for over a day. After those 30 hours were over I was extremely tired, my body was fatigued and felt very ill and it was difficult to eat after that too.
Another project I take part in is the One Day Without Shoes project and this takes place once a year. The point of it is to not wear shoes all day and get a feeling of what it is like to not have shoes. When I did it in high school it was raining and I remember walking to the bus stop without shoes, it was one of the most painful experiences. I could never imagine walking every day without shoes on the hard cold ground and I just kept thinking about all the diseases I could have potentially gotten. Over the years, I have convinced many people to take part in the day and it really changed my perspective on how people live their lives in other countries. I believe taking part in any community service opportunities will allow people to grow and learn and meet other people and change perspectives.
This article made me think of why I participated and continue to participate in the activities that I do. I think I may do it because I like helping people but honestly, I like changing as a person and learning. It is one thing to help others and know I made a difference in their lives but to know that an experience so simple can change myself is huge.

Points to bring up in class: What community service have other people done? Why do we do it? Community service does not have to be for people, it could be for animals or the environment. The possibilities are endless. The article has many points about the different parts of service learning and the ways it affects people and the people completing it but all in all, it changes people not just helps them. I disagree with many of the points made in the article. VIDEO OF ONE DAY WITHOUT SHOES
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REXVN_aROuM
WREBSITE FOR 30 HOUR FAMINE
http://www.30hourfamine.org/?cons_id=0&ts=1414019841&signature=a7d5c2b3cb92e9feb8915a44ca2c05a6