Lauren and Erin's Blog

I have a confession to make. Lauren--who works more than I do, took more rigorous classes during the semester, and applied to vet school, interviewed, and got in this year--has been more diligent in keeping up with this blog. So props (and thanks) to my intelligent, dedicated, fantastic sister!

Why haven't I been so committed? Well, the amount of work I’ve done does not compare to what Lauren does when she's not writing the blog, but I had been consumed in writing of my own: my senior thesis.

Yes, it frightened me a bit, too, when I first learned I had to do one. I'd been accepted to the Chancellor’s Honors Program in summer 2005 before beginning my freshman year at UT and knew that one of the requirements to graduate in the Honors Program was to complete a senior project. I had no idea what I'd do for my senior project. I didn't even know what to declare as my major.

To complicate matters, I joined the College Scholars Program my junior year, opting to design my own major and curriculum, which was interesting for a girl whose worst flaw is indecisiveness. A senior project is also required not just for me to graduate in the College Scholars Program but for me to graduate. Period.

Those of you who have to write a senior thesis, don't freak out. Those of you who do not, I highly suggest that you consider writing one. I was able to research and write about something that pertained to my interests, without having to worry about content requirements and page limits or minimums. It was the culmination of my four years at the University of Tennessee. It was not my graduation requirement. It was my graduation accomplishment.

It took me quite a long time to come up with a topic. First, I considered evaluating humanitarian aid. When I learned what an exhausted and vastly written-about topic that is, I chose to look at war-affected education, on which I focused during my spring 2008 semester in Uganda. Having taken Bob Kronick's service-learning class the previous semester, I also thought about comparing marginalized education in northern Uganda to marginalized education in inner-city Knoxville. That proved more daunting of a task than I realized.

Finally, after reading my notes from all three of my trips to northern Uganda, I decided on a new topic and eventual title for my thesis: "Social Suffering in Northern Uganda: Analytical Reflections on Psychosocial Healing in Northern Uganda."

It is a topic that is relevant to present-day northern Uganda, pertains to my interests and knowledge, and one that I hope could be helpful for community-based programs in northern Uganda.

Writing the paper was difficult. As I read article after article and chapter after chapter about northern Uganda, I came across people I know, similar stories I have heard, and places I have visited and lived. To link facts with my own encounters was emotional, interrupting my book research with tears and my sleep with nightmares.

Furthermore, I recognized that my perspective was limited as an outsider. My connection to northern Uganda, however, is alive. I did not go, research, type of my notes, and leave for good. Rather, I interacted with people and learned alongside them. I return to Uganda when the opportunity arises. I remain in contact with my friends. In addition, I realize I can by no means understand the extent of the suffering through which these people have lived—rape, torture, death, and dehumanization—but I have learned to use my friendships there and my ability to listen in order to connect with people in a genuine way—to at least make a sincere attempt to understand their pain.

And that was the beauty of writing my senior thesis. To understand more deeply people I have created friendships with over the past two years. To make my undergraduate education meaningful less so for my transcript and resume and more so for the people I have worked with and others who might learn something from reading what I'd written.

So, friends, I leave you with advice for making your experience at the University of Tennessee not just another four years of routine learning, but rather a period of personal growth, engaged learning, and understanding of the world in which we live.

1. Personalize your education. Make it meaningful to you and those who can learn from you.
2. Support a cause. (If you're looking for a place to start, check out the Jazz for Justice Project.)
   
3. Turn to your local and global communities for real-life education. Learn from and with people.
4. Take a class with Dr. Jon Shefner of Sociology and Dr. Rosalind Hackett of Religious Studies.
5. Study, intern, and/or work abroad.
6. Open your mind.
7. Discover your passions.
8. Act on them.

Peace.

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