Colloquium on the Whole

This whole semester in this colloquium class has gone by faster than I even realized. I honestly didn't know much about the course going into it, or what the class discussions and journals would be about. Having completed all of the assignments, I feel that this course did give me a very good forum to exchange different opinions and ideas with other members of the class. I found that the most fun I had was presenting our topic presentations, as it was fun to teach the class something and in turn have them give their own presentations. All together, I feel that the course schedule and material were well designed.

I enjoyed reading "A Land Remembered", as it gave a great insight into early Floridian history. That book was great for discussing our sense of place, as it can really help you understand that place you're in with more clarity. The "Colloquium Reader" had a few interesting articles, and Plan B is a fantastic piece of writing for the times we are living in now. I think it ought to be required reading at any college in order to help better understand certain environmental topics.

I'm really going to miss taking this class. Above all else, I had fun while I was learning and growing in my understanding of FGCU. This was a genuinely fun class, and it's rare that I get as excited as I did for this class. Even the field trips were awesome, regardless of whether or not I had been there previously. I'm glad out university requires this colloquium class, and I think that more people will be interested in taking it if they have good professors like Dr. Thomson.

Chasing Ice

This documentary left me feeling pretty down. There are some serious issues that we as a planet are going to have to face in the coming years, and the solutions seem so hard to find. Never before have I been able to see firsthand exactly what is going on with the glaciers. Spouting the old "the icecaps are melting" line no longer seems adequate. The icecaps are dying. And we're standing by and watching it happen. I give the maker of the film a lot of credit for their tenacity in pursuing these images and memories of the glaciers.

More people need to be made aware of the threat that these rapidly diminishing glaciers pose for out future. We presented on coastal communities and sea-level rise, and the staggering reality of the impact it will have on our world's geography seems like enough of a reason to get the ball rolling on environmental initiatives. There are decisions that individuals and countries alike  need to start making right now; we don't have any time to waste if these glaciers keep disappearing at the rate they currently are.

We can start making changes, but people need to be educated about the reality that they are facing. Films like this, as well as other environmental educational opportunities need to be made available to everyone. I feel like after seeing this film, it's impossible not to care about the fate of the glaciers, and for that reason I think it's important for more people to see it.