I have been excited all year for “LAS in the D,” which is a trip that LAS freshman take every year with a few upperclassmen where we work closely with the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy and do community service. I grew up in a really small town and have never been to Detroit except to go to Tigers games. I have always heard not so great things about Detroit in all honesty. My parents told me they were a little worried about me going to Detroit for the weekend, and when I told them where we going and what we were doing the first words my mom said were “Make sure your safe and do not wander off!” Which may seem like a typical mom response, but Detroit is seen as a dangerous place where I am from. So, I have been excited to go and learn more about it on this trip!
Detroit has always seemed like a city that has a lot more racial issues than a lot of other cities. I had always known this just because of learning about things in school, such as the race riots, but my eyes were really opened to the whole history of race and segregation in Detroit when we had Dr. Baugh come and talk to our LDR class about Detroit. I have always heard things but I never really knew why they were the way they were, and Dr. Baugh really shed some light on the subject for me.
I think this trip is going to perfect for CMU’s Leadership Institute and my freshman class of LAS because it really encompasses what we are all about. CMU’s purpose is “to prepare Michigan’s students and citizens for leadership roles in an increasingly complex and challenging society.” This trip will really give us as individuals and as a group the opportunity take leadership roles in a challenging society. I personally will be learning how to take leadership roles in a challenging and complex society because I will be improving my ability to lead others who come from such a drastically different background then I do. This trip also works well with our vision, which is “The Leadership Institute prepares the next generation of individuals who will act responsibly to improve the quality of life, state of the economy, and communities in which they live and work.” We will living the vision on this trip because we will devoting our time and energy to bettering the communities we are visiting and make a difference!
I think the trip is going to be super rewarding as an individual because, as I always say, knowledge is the first step to becoming a more well-rounded and open minded individual! This trip is really going to give me the chance to learn what other places are like and change my outlook on Detroit.
Ashleigh Varney 