LEAD 7100 Journal: Tiffany Seaman

Enjoyed reading your first 6 journal entries, Tiffany. They are a thoughtful reflection on your
experiences and how the experiences connect with our class.
Week 1: January 15, 2014

The semester seemed to have started without me this week. There was a rush of work and
commitments, and I felt like I was Colon while he was standing on the busy train during rush
hour. My classes started, my internship started, and my office hours for my assistantship began.
We lost three students on our programming board, leaving four people to do the work of seven. It
is overwhelming for myself as well as my students.
Being new to Memphis, I have noticed how big of a factor race seems to be in everyday
life here. It is not something I had given much thought to while I was growing up, or even in my
undergraduate institution, at least not consciously. After reading about Colons experience with
stereotyping, even the ones we put on ourselves, I started to realize the limitations this creates.
Ive noticed that people assume things about me because I look a certain way, and although I
would have assumed it would be subtle, people in Memphis will not hide where they are making
their assumptions.
These experiences make me wonder the origins of stereotypes. Do they come from initial
observations of someone or a group of people and survive over the years because they have
continued to hold true? That has been my experience. It is human nature to want to categorize
someone so that we can understand them better. I occasionally meet people who dispel

stereotypes and classifications I have previously made, but they are often considered outliers to
myself and often times to them.
I made an African American friend at the start of the year when I moved to Memphis. He
often says things like, Oh Im not your typical black guy because.., or You know I like that
because Im black!. When you have a tendency to categorize yourself, how can you be upset
when people do it back? I am also guilty of that and do not see it changing anytime soon. I think
the one thing we can influence is whether we are providing positive or negative stereotypes.
Week 2: January 22, 2014
The reading in Memphis Building Community made me really reflect on what I knew and
didnt know about Indianapolis. I remember a time when I was in high school, and the advisor
for the Student Council told us that we had to participate in a parade. We went through a rough
part of our area while we were driving decorated cars and blowing air horns and shouting like we
were in a homecoming parade. None of us were educated on the reasoning behind the parade.
I noticed during the discussion this week that a lot of people from Memphis didnt know
about their community. It made me think back to that event from high school. I wonder if it is
because we arent being taught at such a young age, or if it is because we dont care when we are
younger. I never thought to ask why we were doing a parade, but if I had I would have had a
better understanding of the situation. After I had graduated high school, my family shared with
me some insight into why we participated in the parade. The city had decided to focus on that
area of Indianapolis for renovations.
I was playing part of community renovations without even knowing it. That makes me
wonder how many actions we have that are making an impact without us even knowing it. It also
makes me wonder who takes note of those small actions that eventually lead to something great.
In this weeks reading of Soul of a Citizen, the focus on the little things people were doing to
contribute to the Equal Rights Movement made me more conscious of the small things I can be
doing to create a difference. It also made me think about the small things I can be doing that
hinder my ability to make a positive difference.
Week 3: January 29, 2014
Just this Monday I had talked about a cultural artifact that I thought reflected
something that had an impact on who I am today. I brought in the saint medal of Therese of
Lusieux I received when I made confirmation. Her message as a saint was very similar to Mother
Theresas and reminded me of the reading from Soul of a Citizen for the week We Dont Have
to be Saints. Bringing change down to a laypersons level will make it seem more achievable.
That is what this chapter really made me feel.

As part of my internship, I am working with Fraternity and Sorority Life to help the
presidents learn about their leadership identity. Through as series of workshops, they will learn
how to become better leaders within their community of their chapter brothers and sisters, as
well as the larger community at the University of Memphis. In the Ellis and Scott article for this
week, we see them describe as leadership as building relationships with others and creating
networks. As part of the Leadership Identity Theory I am using with the presidents of sororities
and fraternities, students are reflecting on how their leadership interacts with the community.
We have been having a lot of conversations with the students I work with about their
impact on the University of Memphis community. The readings from the week on social activism
and building relationships helped me to have those conversations with them in a way that helped
them to see the bigger picture of their leadership roles. They get so caught up on having fun and
having the ability to plan large events, but they dont relate then back to the bigger picture and
reflect on how the events can be contributing to the community in a positive way.
Week 4: February 5, 2014
Last semester I visited the Memphis Zoo for the first time. I spent a lot of the trip
comparing it to the other zoos I had been to in D.C. and Indianapolis. The reading from this week
made me wonder how much they differ in their educational aspects. Some zoos charge an
entrance fee, and others are free. Are the zoos that charge a fee able to provide a more
educationally rich experience for all the people that attend?
This week in another class, we were sent out to observe other people and write down
what assumptions we made about them based on our observances. It was a lesson in stereotypes,
but my group observed someone with a reusable water bottle. We had opposing views of what
we thought about them. Some students said they were being cheap and using the water bottle to
get free drinks. Other students thought that they were being eco-friendly and reducing their waste
by reusing a water bottle.
After doing the reading from this week, I think that each persons view toward the
environment is very dependant on their experiences and exposure. The Green Club on my
undergraduate campus shaped my view toward someone with a water bottle because they passed
out reusable water bottles to promote an eco-friendly environment.
Week 5: February 12, 2014
I used to watch Erin Brockovich when I was in high school, and I never realized that it
was a true story that reflected issues that are still prevalent today. Typically, when you see a
movie being made about a true story, it is about an event that has already passed and is over with.
I am also a big fan of Julia Roberts, so I always look forward to an opportunity to watch one of
her films. I have been discussing with my students this week on our Films Committee about
the importance of picking films that are relevant to our student body. They are looking into

picking a film based on a true story, and I suggested they show something that others can relate
to.
Something that stuck out to me in the movie was when Erin was talking to a woman
about the work she does. The woman asked if she was a lawyer, and Erin said, No I hate
lawyers. I just work for one. Having conversations like those allowed Erin to become relatable
to the community. Part of the reading that we have done on leadership for this class this semester
stresses the importance of building community through leadership. When Erin went out and got
to know the people, something that her colleagues had not done, she made much more progress
on the case. You could see her growing as a leader throughout the film.
In the Jones and Rainey article due next week, it talked about collecting surveys. Another
theme I picked up from the film was Erins success from going door-to-door to get to know the
community and get them involved in her case. With this approach, she knew that the people who
were speaking up about the issue were being educated because she took the time to do so.
Week 6: February 19, 2014
When I was in undergrad, we had weeks where the cafeteria would not offer Styrofoam
to-go containers. Instead, we were encouraged to bring our own to-go containers from home to
cut down on the amount of waste we were producing throughout the week. The article I read on
the As You Sow website reminded me of this experience. It is interesting to see large business
like McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts making changes to positively effect the environment.
In the chapter of Soul of a Citizen this week, the author talking about how, when people
think about change within their community on a large scale, they always think they cannot do
anything about it. That is something I have been hearing from my students recently. We hold
discussions twice a month on Trending Topics within the campus community and society as a
whole. There have been so many times I have heard a student say that we should stop having
heated discussions about a topic, because no matter how much we talk about it, it is not going to
change.
I am never really sure what to say to students like that, but I try to encourage them to
continue their conversation. If change is not occurring immediately on a larger scale, young
people dont think it is happening at all. I keep telling them that change takes time, and often
change comes with education. The discussions we hold are hopefully educating students on
social issues that are affecting their life, and with that we are empowering them to create change.
CERTIFICATE OF AUTHORSHIP: I certify that I am the author. I have cited all sources from
which I used data, ideas, or words, either quoted directly or paraphrased. I also certify that this
paper was prepared by me specifically for this course.

Signature _____Tiffany Seaman_________________________ Date ____2-20-14______