The Exploration of Serving Humanity through Different Majors: Synthesis Post

“The Exploration of Serving Humanity through Different Majors” has touched on several issues through different majors and careers. Initially, it can be difficult to see what agriculture, parks and recreation, and criminal justice all have in common. However, they all do share a very important mission: to serve humanity and make the world a better place for the sake of future generations. Each field offers something unique to the world and the people on it, and each field requires the ability to work with and help humanity.

 Agriculture is a huge part of modern society, and has grown into an extensive field of study, as well. With a broad range of career options, it has become the second largest field in the United States, many arguing that it may even be first. In the blog post “More Than Just Farming”, a key point of agriculture is highlighted; the field is made up of more than just farmers. This post talks about the idea of the Agri-Food System, a series of steps made up of many different “players” taking part in the process of getting food from the farm gates, to the dinner tables. These “players” range anywhere from the farmer planting seeds, to the truck driver moving goods, to the store clerk stocking your grocery aisles. With so many people involved, agriculture provides jobs for millions across the nation, and will continue doing so for a very long time. Along with providing jobs, agriculture also provides the world with one of our most basic necessities: food. It seems like such a simple and basic contribution, however this world could not survive without it. Imagining a world without agriculture, is not imagining a world at all because it simply would not exist. Dating back to the very early times of human civilization, agriculture has been serving the world in one of the most important ways it ever could, and continues to do the same today. Every single “player” in the Agri-food system provides both for our modern society, as well as future generations to come in the most basic, but essential way possible.

Crops and soils is one major part of agriculture, and without it we would not be able to survive. Not only that, but there would be no other way to raise the other aspects of agriculture and that is animal agriculture. When writing posts for the blog a lot of the aspects looked covered a vast array of different agriculture, while at the same time bringing it together with the other majors in the group. The biggest aspect that all fields touch on is communication along with serving people. Communication in agriculture is very important and needs to be taken seriously. Some things in agriculture tend to be difficult topics and many people take words out of context or misinterpret it. The prompt post #10 touches more on at least one misinterpretation in the industry specifically animal agriculture. From the post, “Why did I Choose My Field”, you will see why animal agriculture is important to this blog along with those who are a part of it. This is an area that has shaped so many individuals into who they are and an area that brings out qualities in people to the fullest extent. Readers should take from this a better understanding of agriculture and that not all the misconceptions are true. Addressed is one misconception in “Grain fed vs. Grass fed”. This helps people understand that just because it is grass fed it does not mean it has more health benefits than grain fed, more so they both provide different positives for the human body. Finally, in these posts the reader should understand  just because you are in agriculture does not mean you are working on a farm. In fact, there is so much to agriculture and you can see more of this explained when you read “Your major is what?”.

Not only does agriculture play a huge role in serving humanity but criminal justice and psychology does as well. Apart of being a psychology major it deals with a wide variety of people and can treat many kinds of problems. I want to pursue in the career of becoming a psychologist. Many people go see a psychologist because they feel depressed, angry, pain, stressed, and many other issues. Psychologist can help cope with their issues and help them find a resolution to some of their issues. Also as a criminal justice major it would be our job to keep not only the community safe but as the society as a whole. We want to seek justice for those who have been a victim of a crime. When combining the two majors together they both serve in today’s society together, Psychology serves by helping diagnose and treat their problems that they struggle with. Also this particular major has its own subfields that each serve their own purpose and have their own goals. Most of us have recognized the importance of the Criminal Justice System are the laws that are in our society. There are laws in society that have been created to have a safe environment for everyone and make everyone feel secure through their daily lives. Another crucial part dealing with both Psychology and Criminal Justice is communication. Communication in a Psychology major allows you to understand what others say, sign, or write. For most of us, the purpose of verbal communication is to get your message across to others clearly. If communication is not verbally communicated it can be an error and with messages often being misinterpreted. When dealing with a Criminal Justice major it’s very important communicate effectively, because the system relies on important information that comes from reliable sources. Loss of information through bad communication can be costly and time wasting.

Agriculture and psychology are fields that play huge roles in serving humanity by providing basic necessity in the forms of food and social and emotional stability. Someone involved in Sustainable Parks, Recreation, and Tourism has a unique role in serving humanity as well. This role revolves around helping people appreciate and care for the environment and communities. An important component of this is that it requires good communication and the cooperation of people. The sustainability part of this role is about caring for the environment and planet for future generations. Issues like Global Climate Change are problems we need to worry about for the sake of humanity (click here to view our blog post on Global Climate Change http://wraaejm.blogspot.com/2016/02/global-climate-change-what-is-it-what.html). In order to help the planet, the cooperation and flexibility of all of humanity is necessary. The other component of Sustainable Parks, Recreation, and Tourism that provides a service to humanity is the recreation portion. Forms of recreation with parks, community centers, camps etc. build community and relationships among people. Things like the National Parks and summer camp may not always seem necessary, but they bring joy and fulfillment to peoples’ lives. In the blog post, “The National Park Service”, the whole purpose of the parks is described as being there for the sake of the general public. (Click here to read more about the National Parks: http://wraaejm.blogspot.com/2016/02/the-national-park-service.html)  Recreation is something that people use for vacation, stress relief, and time with family and community members. In order for things like the National Parks or any community park to exist though, the cooperation and approval of people is essential. This is why someone working in sustainable, parks, recreation, and tourism needs to have a good relationship with people, in particular with the general public. Its purpose in helping humanity requires many of the same skills of working with people and caring for others as psychology and agriculture.

With a blog centered around four different majors scattered all across the board, we thought it might be difficult to find a joining topic, relating the majors to each other. However, this task proved to be less difficult than expected. With a clear motive for serving society, we had found what these majors had in common. Although each may take a different route to get there, emphasizing on things like communication skills, public relations, community cooperation, or even something as simple as hard work, the end result always looks the same. Sharing this strong drive to serve our society today, and that of generations to come, these professions connect through the most important thing a career holds: its purpose.

Images Work Cited:

http://www.jobmonkey.com/farming/

http://blog.hikingalong.com/2014/08/flexibility-when-family-backpacking-in-sequoia-national-park.html
https://www.thinglink.com/scene/650030959025979392

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The Development of Agriculture

By Micalah B

Agriculture has been a big part of societies for a long time throughout history. Just exactly how long? Around 12,000 years ago, agriculture took root, triggering the start of what is known as the "Neolithic Revolution". Traditionally, human lifestyle revolved around hunting and gathering, where they lived a nomadic lifestyle. The transition to agriculture allowed people to settle in one place, forming the very basics of the cities and civilizations we see today. 

Agriculture in these new, settled civilizations began with planting. All around the world, different crops were grown based on the soils that could sustain them. In Mexico, squash cultivation began nearly 10,000 years ago. Rice and millet were traced back to China many years ago, where they found techniques of flood and fire control. Syria saw growth of cereals as long as 9,000 years ago, with the Near East region having traces of barley, wheat and pea growth.

Soon following plant growth, civilizations began to domesticate animals. In a region covering eastern Turkey, Iraq and southwestern Iran known as "the Fertile Crescent", animals began to be farmed. Cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs were kept, grown, impregnated and the process would begin again. This led human civilization further into the "Neolithic Revolution", kickstarting the "Neolithic Revolution".

Human civilization and agriculture has since spiraled from then, and we find ourselves here: in a time period where we still rely heavily on agriculture. As a huge part of our society today, agriculture will remain this prevalent for many years to still come.

https://genographic.nationalgeographic.com/development-of-agriculture/

Prompt #9: The Importance of Agriculture

By Micalah B

All around the world, agriculture tends to be a huge part of the society. Ranging anywhere from soy bean growing, to bee keeping, to grain processing, it is the backbone of the economics system, supplying communities with many essential elements.

Agriculture supplies the world with some of it's most basic commodities. Things like corm, wheat, and many other raw ingredients are produced in bulk, supporting entire countries across the world. These commodities are used not only for the  people, but for the animals as well, supporting another aspect of agriculture and huge supplier of food: meat production.

Along with supplying food, agriculture also is a huge supplier of jobs for people in communities all around the world. Farming, truck driving, processors, and many other employment opportunities fall under the agricultural roof. In fact, especially in underdeveloped countries, agriculture is said to be the main source of livelihood, where approximately 70% of people rely on it as a mean of living.

Outside of individual societies, agriculture connects the world's societies through trade, as well. Products like sugar, rice, tobacco, and many others make up just a few of the major agricultural exports and imports throughout the world. Making up an average of 18% of what is traded in a country, agriculture plays a huge role in international trade.

Lastly, however, one of the biggest roles agriculture plays in society is it's overall help in economic development. In both individual societies, as well as the entire world economy, agriculture fights unemployment as well as world hunger. It is a huge part of what makes the world go around, and thankfully, always will be.

http://agriculturegoods.com/the-importance-of-agriculture/
http://howafrica.com/nine-facts-about-agriculture-in-africa/

Prompt #4: Considering Delivery and Style- Natural Resources in the National Parks

By Emily T

Managing natural resources properly and carefully is essentially the ultimate goal for those involved in any field related to sustainability. This too includes those working in parks and recreation. To learn more about natural resources in parks and recreation departments, the following articles provide two different perspectives on the use of natural resources in the United States national parks:

USA Today: Denali National Park Natural Resources

Monitoring the condition of natural resources in US national parks

The article “Monitoring the condition of natural resources in the U.S. national parks”, written by S.G. Fancy, J.E. Gross, and S.L. Carter from the journal “Environmental Monitoring and Assessment”, is about the natural resources used in the National Parks. The author expresses the importance of the ecosystems within the National Parks, and the complexity behind protecting them by the National Park Service. This author describes the system used in managing the natural resources. The National Park Service goes through an entire process to evaluate the current status of resources of each park, and then they decide what to do about the status. The author stresses that the purpose of the parks is to preserve land to its natural beauty for future generations. The audience for this could be the general public, or anyone working in the parks. I think it is supposed to stress the complexity of evaluating the ecosystems and figuring out what to do with them.

Ethan Shaw from USA Today wrote an article called “Denali National Park Natural Resources” on Denali National Park in Alaska. The article describes the beauty and attractions of the park, and it too touches on the natural resource use of the parks. However, the natural resources described in this article are viewed more as attractions for visitors to the parks. The article covers mountains, forests, tundra, wildlife, and wilderness. It goes into detail about the abundance and beauty of each of these resources, and how visitors can enjoy them through hiking. This was supposed to target tourists, and interest people in visiting or learning about the National Parks, specifically Denali.

Both articles are informative in different ways. While I personally would trust both articles, it is true that the USA Today article is more of an advertisement to promote the parks. It does give details as what to enjoy at a park though, and that would definitely be of use to someone who is interested in visiting. “Monitoring the condition of natural resources in the U.S. national parks” seems to be strictly factual and procedure based. This article offers an inside look as to how the U.S. Park Service incorporates the balance and management of natural resources and environmental sustainability into the services they provide as tourist attractions.

Works Cited

Fancy, S. G., J. E. Gross, and S. L. Carter. "Monitoring the Condition of Natural Resources in the US National Parks." Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 151.74 (2008): 161-74. ProQuest. Springer Science, 29 May 2008. Web. 17 Apr. 2016.

Shaw, Ethan. "Denali National Park Natural Resources." Travel Tips. USA Today, n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2016.

Images:

Ulph, Robert. Denali National Park Natural Resources. N.d. Denali/ Mt.M McKinley. Travel Tips. Web. 17 Apr. 2016.

"What the Aden Sisters Are Watching Before Jumping Back into Natural Resources | Economy." Before It's News. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2016.

Prompt 3: Communicating in the Agriculture Field

- Abbie W.

I was fortunate enough to have Julie Thelen take the time for me to talk to her about her job in agriculture. Thelen’s position in her field is working as a Michigan State University extension educator along with 4-H livestock and veterinarian science coordinator. Some of her many duties for this position include creating program curriculum and coordinating events for 4-H members, age 9-19, and 4-H volunteers. In addition, to staff learning programs and setting up stake holders to work with and educate the youth. When asked why she chose this field, Thelen said “It was a natural extension to k-12 education in serving as an educator role”. Thelen received her undergraduate degrees in agriculture education and animal science here at Michigan State University. Furthermore, she completed her teaching certificate while at Michigan State. She later received her Master’s in education through Purdue while teaching in Indiana.

In terms of writing in the field it is extremely important and she uses written communication daily. Emails take up much of her day, responding to correspondents and answering the questions of many youths. The second form of writing that she uses on a daily basis is writing out curriculum and developing resources. Curriculum is typically on animal science development. Topics are focused on how to properly care and raise animals for their best well being. As well, as biosecurity and zoonotic education needs are addressed and fitting in any other stakeholder needs as determined. Resource development is found in the form of monthly newsletters. These newsletters discuss current topics in youth development and links to other resources that may be of help.

A major misconception in this field is production agriculture is dying and the need for agriculture education is no longer necessary. This is, however, the opposite as production agriculture is as important as ever to feed the ever growing population. This encompasses the need to educate the next generation, hence a greater need for agriculture educators. Other misconceptions relate to her position individually. “A lot of people assume I have a Ph. D; I get a lot of emails addressed Doctor”. While it is required to have a Master’s for this position it is not required to have a PhD. The greatest way to dispel misconceptions is through verbal and nonverbal ways, verbally is by attending conferences and nonverbally through newsletters and email.

Thelen’s favorite part of being in this field are the options are limitless. There is a vast amount of opportunities and you can set up for yourself a wide variety of expectations. You can constantly improve and continue to learn something new. Challenges faced in this field is that it is a large time commitment with not a lot of compensation. To continue, the field is primarily male dominated at state and national levels. Finally clientale is continuously changing and you have to be prepared for any possible health outbreaks. 

Recreation Near You!

By Emily T

Many people may know of the opportunities presented by famous recreation sites. A lot of us dream of hiking through the Great Smokey Mountains, or white water rafting down the Colorado River. These are great things to cross off one’s bucket list.

However, there are so many opportunities close to home that we can enjoy on a regular basis! State parks, state forests, and state-operated harbors are just a few of the fun ways to enjoy the outdoors. In the state of Michigan in particular there are countless opportunities. You probably are aware as to how beautiful Michigan can be. With the multiple coast lines, northern woods, and beautiful locations, Michigan prides itself on having so many opportunities for outdoor recreation. The state of Michigan has 101 state parks, 17 state-operated harbors, and 133 state forest campgrounds.

See the following link for a map of State parks, campgrounds, and trails in Michigan:

 

Michigan Parks, Campgrounds, and Trails

This does not include the several metroparks located in Southeastern Michigan, or any of the local parks or trails in communities. 

The following link goes to a map that shows the 13 metroparks over 5 different counties:

Metroparks Location Map

These various parks allow opportunities for boating, swimming, hiking, camping, fishing, etc. I grew up camping throughout the state of Michigan, and it gave me so many memories of swimming in lakes, hiking through woods, and sitting around a campfire. I also grew up going to the metroparks and running the trails in them. While I have traveled throughout the United States to the National Parks, I am truly grateful to live in such a beautiful state that allows me so much of the same joys of the outdoors so close to home. I hope you too will take advantage of the beautiful state of Michigan and enjoy the state parks, forests campgrounds, harbors, and trails as well! 

Sources:

"Park Maps." Huron-Clinton Metroparks. Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority, 2016. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.

"Recreation 101." Pure Michigan Connect. Michigan Economic Development Corporation, 2016. Web. 11 Apr. 2016.

"Recreation Search." Michigan. Department of Natural Resources, 2016. Web. 11 Apr. 2016.

Images:

"Ludington State Park, a Michigan Park Located near Ludington, Manistee." Ludington State Park, a Michigan Park Located near Ludington, Manistee. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2016.

"Wilderness State Park, a Michigan Park." Wilderness State Park, a Michigan Park. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2016.

"You Are HereDNR Camping & Recreation GO - Get Outdoors." DNR. State of Michigan, 2016. Web. 11 Apr. 2016.

The Reason Behind The Major I Chose

By Janae S.

         As crazy as it may seem when I was young I always wanted to be a veterinarian. One interesting show that I would always watch was animal planet, on this channel, the show crocodile hunter with Steve Irwin was my favorite. Watching him amazed me because he was the type of person who was never scared to go after what he wanted. Even when he knew the crocodile or alligator was not a friendly animal he still managed to tie them down and capture them. While watching this show it became true that I really have a big heart when it comes to animals. Animal cops was another one of my favorite shows, watching the cops do their jobs by getting any abused animal out of a home. I personally hate to see an animal starve, go through abuse, not taken care of, or sick it just breaks my heart.

Going to High School as an incoming freshman, I began watching different Law shows like Law & Order SVU, forensic files, FBI Files, Criminal Minds,cops, and much more. Law was a particular field that caught my attention the most. During my junior year in High School, I took a class called Business and Personal Law. In this particular class, students had to dress up every Friday and sit in a courtroom as a jury member. We also had mock trials, in the mock trials students were split up into groups and giving a certain case. Some people were giving roles such as a lawyer, defendant, suspect, victim, witness, friend, or family member. I had a pleasure to get the lawyer role, it was very challenging for me at first because apart from being a lawyer you have to gather enough liable information to put the pieces together. Once I had the opportunity to do a mock trial I decided that majoring in Criminal Justice pursuing as Lawyer was the correct field for me. 

       The Psychology major came into mind during my freshman year at Michigan State. I got introduced to the Adolescent Program during my first semester. I wasn't sure if the program was for me or not, I had so many doubts because some people say you can’t get into any programs as a freshman. But deep down in my heart I knew this program was for me so I decided to go to the informational meeting that Sean Hankins held. The program was about providing effective alternatives to the criminal justice system and creating positive changes in the lives of adolescents in the Lansing community. The first step was to sign up for an interview with Sean Hankins, within the next couple of days I got an email saying: “Congratulations you have been accepted into the Michigan State University Adolescent Program”. I was really excited because considering the fact that I am a freshman I thought I was going to get denied. Now being in the program for over a semester I’ve learned more and more about how to be a great advocate for a youth. This program allowed me to place Psychology as an additional major.

      Now that I'm a Freshman at Michigan State University I will continue to pursue my dreams of becoming a Lawyer and a Psychologist. I can honestly say that with these two majors I have so many opportunities and options that I can choose from. Helping people in general is a part of who I am because getting justice for a victim and listening to individuals that wanna be heard when going through a crisis is something that I would love to do. One of my goals for that I want to accomplish before I graduate is to get internships, graduate college with two degrees, and have a full-time job in my career. A lot of people would always tell me that Criminal Justice and Psychology doesn't make a lot of money, but at the end of the day it’s not about the money to me. I personally believe that If you feel like that career you wanna pursue in is something you would love to do and you can see yourself waking up every day excited to go to work then go for it.

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