Blog #3 In the Community

The city of Elk River is a pretty large community when it comes to finding a place where losts of people go. The local Dunn Brothers is pretty popular though, especially amoung highshcool kids after school. Walking into the coffee shop, an area with a few computers is to the left, while the main sitting area with tables and comfy chairs is to the right and straight ahead. There is a mural on the wall behind the counter, of what must be people picking or carrying coffee beans. The atmosphere is very laid back, I'd say the type of space is incidental. Mostly the people who come in to Dunn Bros. randomly come in at certain times. Of course there are the regulars though.

A few people were discussing politics, specificlly the economy and the national debt. They also talked about the health care situation and what should be done. When asked what their concerns were politically, they mentioned that they didn't want their kids to pay in the future for what is going on now. Two other younger people, Alyse and Emily, were talking about college. They talked about what they were looking forward to in the coming year after highschool, and how they were paying for college. Mostly, a gathering place like Dunn Bros. is very relaxed. A few older women were there, just catching up on old times. Whether these people were pessimistic or optimistic, it really depends on the person. The people discussing politics tended to be more pessimistc. They didn't really feel that things are going well, and didn't really think they would look better for a while. The highschool students were both, optimistic about their exciting first year of college, and pessimistic that they would have such a tough time paying for college. The women who met each other only talked about their past and their families, for the most part they seemed pretty optimistic. There are various ways people feel about the community right now, they all have different opinions based on their situations.

Blog 2

After observing my work community and searching for answers, I learned a lot about the place I work at and the people I work with. I work at a gym in the child care facility about 15 to 20 hours a week. I work with about 20 people who have very different circumstances, despite their similar demographics. One of the main concerns of the people I work with is also a very obvious one. Many of them are either parents with young kids, or students about to attend college, so their concerns are normally with how much they are getting paid and how it is stretching for their families and futures. Recently we had to cope with budget cuts, which translated into raises being put on hold. This was especially upsetting for those who were employees for a long time, and were due for a raise. At first we were told that the raises might be coming in the summer, but now we know that that won't be happening This frustrates many people in the community that I work in. The people that work at the child care do a really good job, and rarely get complaints. They work hard to make sure all the kids are safe and happy, and engage the children at the same time in activities. Many of the employees feel bitter toward the company for not getting their raises, but they don’t let it affect their work. Many of my fellow employees have taken on second jobs to make up the difference. Many of them still worry that the job at the gym will not be enough. Despite these concerns, employees remain optimistic and friendly with members and their kids. I don’t think that the people I work with have very much respect or loyalty to our place of work, but they are very loyal to the members who bring in their kids every week.