Don't Just Hear, Listen

 

Listening to Marc Steiner's talk at UMBC brought me to think about how I communicate with others, and also how my idea of communication was created. Talking about the myths we grew up believing, such as George Washington cutting down the cherry tree, all were stories passed down that we accepted. Hearing this example along with the others that he provided illustrated to me the importance of not believing everything "media", passing of information even if it is informal as mouth to mouth or gossip, and making certain that these stories have validity through other sources.

When Marc started discussing when he showed a video to different cultures of people; African American, White and American Indian; about communication and what it means the responses he received after were interesting. The White and African American people had long lengthy answers to what communication was; however, the American Indians only said communication was "listening". This changed how he took his radio show, The Marc Steiner Show, and changed it to become more listening and hearing what story the individual has to tell and less about trying to mold the interview into what was expected.

This was a eureka moment for me because I felt that if someone were to ask me what communication was I would never think to summarize it into one word and having that word carry such large meaning behind it. But hearing communication explained as listening made me think about how true it is, without listening every form of communication is useless because one person can talk as much as he or she wants but if nobody is listening then all of the time and energy is wasted. Also, without listening no sort of understanding can be set between individuals or groups of people because listening is being able to not only hear what the other is saying but begin to piece together and understand their point of view.

Being able to listen to this talk from Marc Steiner changed how I approach any situation where I need to exchange ideas with others. I'll be able to know that coming with a more open mind and not assume one idea is the best before hearing all sides will bring a greater benefit and make things easier. Also that media and communication can be skewed to make people think one way, so multiple sources is important to reach the full story and make sure what is being spread is true.

Becoming Clearer and Clearer

After this weeks class, and talking with my group our end goal is starting to come together with what everyone can bring to the table. With the food and drinks being covered through personal connections with each person. Also, then the other outer connections that everyone has will bring the auction and games to add to what we can raise toward the Filbert Street Garden.

Being from out of state and not knowing many business people or individuals who can support a cause like this, so having all of my group members being from Maryland is a major help. If they can give me the contact information about the business people they know I will be more than willing to contact them and even meet with the people in person to discuss donating to the garden. This I also take as a great advantage for myself because it will allow me to make new connections with people from the area, and expand my network within the greater Baltimore area.

So this week was a influential week for us because it was only the second time we have all met as a group. So being able to have everyone together was crucial because it gave everything a perspective and idea of how everything could be brought together in only two months. Also understanding the different connections each person had made things even easier because each individual brought different people to be able to donate and talk to to make the fundraiser a success.

What's An Event Without The Space

Going on Sunday to see where our event is going to be held made a huge impact on what we could and could not accomplish. Walking up to the church and seeing that there was free parking all around was a positive, however the only downside to that is that if the people who own the houses are home then it will cut down the parking closest to the church. Inside the church I saw so many positives that opens up plenty of possibilities for us to be creative and use the space in different ways. Having the stage elevated will make it easier for the performers or speakers to be seen by the guests. Also, along with that having a speaker system already set up with a sound board, projector and screen simplifies what we will need to provide and or the bands will need to bring. The large open area where the pews usually are during a church service leaves a ton of different options for tables, art pieces, computers and food. This also comes with chairs and tables already there for us to use. The only downside is that we cannot hang things on the church walls, so the only "wall space" we can use are the rolling dividers. This is good because it gives us an alternative but also limits the amount that can be posted. Having a functioning bar already in place with coolers and refrigerators is a major positive because we can keep food, drinks and other things cool without having to bring coolers and buy ice just to keep things cold.

Going to see the church showed the numerous possibilities we have to make this fundraiser a good one. Seeing the lighting situation, how much floor space we have, and also the utilities open to our use puts different ideas in my head. Bringing this information back to the event planning group will put an understanding and picture of what we can accomplish into all of our minds. This was time well spend in order to organize and focus our imagination to what we can do to make this space a place to bring the image of the Filbert Street Garden to the eyes of the community.