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ARTS & CULTURE
A SUMMER IN INDIA
By Kailee Karr
My summer spent in Jaipur, India was simultaneously everything and nothing like I expected it to be. Before traveling to India I had studied the country for 2 years in an academic setting. I felt I had been prepared for the trip, and somewhat knew what to expect... I have never been more wrong in my life. The most popular question I get asked now about my trip is, "What did you learn from your time there?" I always answer it with the following:
Firstly - I learned to never selfdiagnose on web MD. 90% of the time you have cancer and 10% it's a rare tropical disease.
Secondly, I learned about my strengths and weaknesses in an entirely new way. I am fortunate to have the opportunity
often in The United States to self-reflect and participate in leadership workshops that target these, but there is something that has hindered my growth. I am constantly surrounded by similarly minded people in these sessions and in all of my leadership opportunities. We are all individuals but we are fueled by the same things and therefore it's hard to see your own individual strengths and weaknesses.
In India I was surrounded by people from all over the US with different perspectives and life experiences (not to mention the people who live here in India with much different perspectives/ life experiences). This program has taught me that I'm not good at asking for help. I can't stand
not being able to do something on my own and when I was completely lost in our classes my first instinct was to take the entire burden on myself and not seek the help I needed.
My biggest strength is my ability to tie groups together. I pick up on people's emotions very well (maybe to a fault) and am able to position myself in a group to best allow for it to thrive. It's not that I'm overwhelmingly nice or warm, I just can feel out what people need and position myself to be that person for them. I really like this about myself, and I think it fits perfectly into my career path of being a counselor/student mentor.
I still have a lot of unpacking to do - both physically and mentally. There are a lot of things I saw
here that I can't understand - most notably poverty and gender discrimination. These are extremely complex issues that really touch my heart. It's not good enough to feel uneasy about it but what can I do? Why did I get chosen to have such a comfortable life? These are questions anyone in a position of privilege who witnesses poverty asks themselves. I am challenging myself to think more critically about these situations and what can realistically be done.
Overall, the experience was incredible. I experienced a new culture in ways only living in a country allows you to, and I learned a lot more about myself than I ever expected.
WILLMOTT FROM
many in '44."
After visiting several neighborhoods in Chicago, Willmott said he realized that more development in these neighborhoods would lead to less violence.
"America has a huge problem not investing in black neighborhoods," he said. "If that [investment] would happen, I think you would see a big turnaround with this kind of stuff"
hide and seek
After he earned his bachelor's
degree in drama from Marymount College in Salina, he participated in activism work. He was a crucial part to the integration of the Junction City Fire Department in the 1970s, which had never had a black firefighter before Willmott and his colleagues launched a protest.
"Chiiraq" is a step toward a different kind of activism. The film's title is a nickname for Chicago, which is alludes to its high murder rate.
When Lee announced in April that the film would be shot in Chicago, residents and
KEVIN WILLMOTT KU Professor and Filmmaker
several severely obnoxious
even the Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel thought the film would exploit the problem, but Willmott said that was not the
case.
"I think the mayor and people in Chicago thought this as another '90s gang movie with a lot of violence, so I think they'll be pleasantly surprised when they see the film that it's got a really positive message," Willmott said.
Wilmott remembers one incident in particular as a catalyst for his future interest in race relations and productions, like "Chiraq," exploring the issue. On April 4, 1968, when Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, a 10-year-old Willmott sat in front of the
The day after the assassination, Willmott eagerly raised his hand in class to discuss it. His teacher replied, "We won't be talking about that."
television in his family's living room in Junction City.
"That's really when I understood that I was black in a political or social way." Willmott said. "You knew you were black, but Dr. King's assassination really taught me that being black had social and political ramifications."
With "Chiraq" Wilmott hopes to address these issues and, hopefully, reduce them.
but he admits the American society has a long way to go in regards to racism.
Two out of four stars.
"It will always probably be a problem," he said. "It's not very optimistic sounding but because of human nature, you always have to be willing to combat it, fight against it. It's always going to be a problem."
— Edited by Emma LeGault