Reflect upon Erik Assadourian’s article: focus particularly on his writing concerning symbols, cultural norms, ecological footprints, consumerism, education, “cradle to cradle”, and the role of the media. #4

Erik Assadourian wrote an article addressing consumer cultures in which he proposes that culture is comprised of the following elements: values, beliefs, customs, traditions, symbols, norms, and institutions which combine to create a perception of reality.  Symbols in the form of logos, trademarks, and similar brand recognition devices bombard the population daily and is now more familiar to the population than wildlife in general which adjusts the average persons valuation of products above that of nature.  I agree with Erik Assadourian's perception of culture in which people are accustomed to a waste through consumer products with a lot of single use packaging and products that do not last.  Cultural Norms is what people do in times of leisure and that norm in society today is one of purchasing goods and services.  I believe that norms can be shaped by economic trends and that business and convenience are large motivators to initiate change in cultural norms.  Traditions such as holidays and family events are experiencing growing trends and should be adjusted to reduce the expenditure of valuable resources.  Consumerism is a belief that more wealth and possessions lead to the good life and that is replacing the goal of living a meaningful life.        

Where your favorite place on campus is and what makes it attractive to you? #3

My favorite place on the FGCU campus is the FGCU Waterfront in North Lake Village because the lake provides a great view, a nice variety of vegatation/animals, and area for recreational activity in particular Sailing. 

Reflect upon your current “sense of place” and how that sense relates to educational experiences in the out-of-doors. #2

The current world population is consuming a large amount of valuable non-renewable energy sources.  It takes energy to produce mechanisms such as wind turbines and solar panels and failure to invest the non-renewable energy into producing renewable long term energy generation will make it very difficult to produce energy when the non-renewable energy sources are completely used.  The current “sense of place” is a habit and learned behavior of consumption being raised in that culture.  Educational Experiences indicate that current lifestyle behaviors and consumption rates of earth’s natural resources is not sustainable because the rate of consumption exceeds the ability to regenerate. 

1. Reflect upon your expectations for learning and outcomes from this colloquium class. #1

I expect to gain a higher ecological understanding from University Colloquium in order to apply useful and practical solutions toward sustainability.  I also expect to learn more about the functions of nearby ecosystems to gain a sense of the value they contain.  To understand the issues surrounding sustainability and subsequently spread awareness is a learning outcome expected from this course. 

University of Maryland, Campus Sustainablility