Reflection of the Past Week

This past week in class was informative. On Tuesday we had Jazmin Simmons who resides near Station North come in and talk about the area. She gave us some background as to the many places she has worked and has seen first hand how the tensions between business and locals living there have made it difficult for integration. I was definitely curious when she described the Vietnamese place she worked at and how gradually it changed from a posh restaurant were local elites could eat to a regular places where the locals within that neighborhood could join in. It did make me a little sad when she described the gaps between the residents and business owners. I could tell that she has a genuine heart for the people within the community and wants everyone to feel welcome within a certain place. If we had more time, I would have liked to have asked her what her vision would have been for the places of her employment. In class we also got in our groups and discussed our projects. I think that my group has some interesting ideas and some really good contacts that can give us a diverse background into Station North. We don't want residents to feel as if they need to give us glowing remarks but rather their honest opinion. I worked with Marissa and Gaby into making sure that the flyer we would be handing out to residents and local business sounded professional but also courteous. Our goal again is to get a real and honest opinions and in order to do so I realized that some of the wording within the flyer would need to be switched around. I'm excited to start interviewing people and transcribing what is said and heard in order to give people a glimpse into what Station North really is.