Class Reflection: A (More) Sustainable Me

A few years ago, I first heard the theory that the Mayan calendar had predicted the end of the world on December 21, 2012.  Having lived through one “end of the world” prediction already during Y2K, I was highly skeptical.  And as it turns out, I had good reason to be.  

Last Spring Break, I traveled to Guatemala with a class from Kelley to do some consulting work for a nonprofit organization, and during our very first dinner in Quetzaltenango (a.k.a. Xela), we had the pleasure of meeting a descendant of Mayan culture.  It didn’t take long for the topic to come up, and he assured us that the doomsday reference was entirely incorrect.  Instead, he spoke of the end of one calendar cycle and the beginning of another, one in which “there will be big changes on the personal, family, and community level, so that there is harmony and balance between mankind and nature.”  (This quote comes from a Huffington Post article which also explains my Mayan friend’s story.)  Though there is debate about where the misinformation came from (I’ve read articles that blame it on confusion of multiple cultures or the tourism industry, while my friend told a different story involving a rogue Mayan), the light for me came in the real explanation.  A new cycle of time during which people and their environment will be restored to a state of steadiness and equality.  That is a prediction I can get on board with.

This experience renewed my conviction in my passion for sustainability, and I have carried that with me throughout this class.  But since I came to SPEA from across the bridge at the Kelley School of Business, I did not expect to be the traditional Sustainable Communities student.  What I have learned, however, is that there is no traditional student.  Each of my classmates has varied interests, knowledge, and experiences, all of which I have thoroughly enjoyed hearing about.  For learning's sake, I'll call out a few.  Near the beginning of the semester in a blog titled "Popping Rivets", I was introduced to the notion that with all of these "Save the Earth" initiatives, what we're really trying to save is ourselves.  In reading "SustainaBEERity", I developed a professional interest in a new industry and found a whole new reason to love Fat Tire and New Belgium Brewing Company.  And I have thoroughly enjoyed in-class debates where I am not seen as the "treehugger" in the room.

Of all the topics we've covered this semester, though, I think the most useful for me, in both my personal and professional lives, is Community Based Social Marketing.  A mixture of my past and present lives (past via my undergrad Sociology degree and present via influencing behavior in the business world), I found these tools both logical and potentially highly effective.  And the opportunity to incorporate them into a hands-on project with our Walk Friendly Communities: Education and Encouragement campaign served to bring the concepts to life.  (As a side note, I would love to see Get Up Get Out: Bloomington up and running in a few years!)

All in all, I can say that I've learned a lot in this class through many different mediums, and even though I'm heading back to the other side of the bridge, I won't soon forget the knowledge I've gained from my friends at SPEA.  I hope my thoughts along the way have spread some new light on a different perspective.  I'll be bringing it all with me to "green" the conference room soon!