Portland: What's the Question?

Our class was broken up into three teams last class period. One team to read and discuss the statistics from the surveys we took earlier. Another to decide the major themes related to Poverty/Homelessness. Lastly, the team I was on, deciding the question to answer.

"What is the governing question that we want to know?" is what our professor asked us to get our brains moving.

Some different options the group came up with were:

• What were the major factors leading the homeless to where they are today and what keeps them there?
• Is the homeless lifestyle desirable to the individuals involved?
• Does the homeless population affect the citizens surrounding them?
• How much of the crime in Portland is associated to the homeless?
• How does the homeless population effect the economy?

After more discussion on what was we wanted to know and how to incorporate the above questions in our final result, we formed this question:

• How does  poverty/homeless affect Portland and the people of Portland?

Portland: Survey and Stats

The results from the survey are back. On Thursday we will have a final decision for our topic. The results were interesting to look at; statistics are fun to look at and discern in my opinion.

The four main aspects we are looking at, for Sex Trafficking, Poverty/Homelessness,
Street Art, and Education, are:

-Importance to You

-Sense of Urgency

-Affecting Portland

-Personal Knowledge

One of the other groups that was looking at the data suggested that we drop Education from the choice because the people who took the survey may have been confused on the meaning of it. Education could have meant the importance of getting an education and the education system. I thought this was a valid point.

Stand Together

Yesterday my friend Katie and I volunteered with Hands On Portland for Stand Together week. We went to Ockley Green School and worked in their school garden, getting it spruced up an ready for more planting in the seasons to come. Kris Boyd of the Portland Timbers and Timbers Joey were there volunteering too. He has a Scottish accent! It is so fun to listen to him talk. I love listening to people who have accents, there is just something so beautiful and intriguing about accents! That was a total bonus of going to volunteer.

Portland: Surveys

We have finalized our class survey asking for preliminary information to help our class determine what topic to research. The four to choose from are: Sex Trafficking, Poverty/Homelessness, Education, and Street Art. Each member of our class is to send out surveys to people we know in order to retrieve information from a large variety of people.

"A Rather Blustery Day"

The leaves are changing colors, the wind is blowing, and the sun is shining! I don't think I could ask for better fall weather!

The first day the wind started picking up the first thing that came to mind was this, "My what a blustery day. It must be a windsssday." I love that my childhood instilled such a great memory in me.

I've Done it Again!

So it seems that I am not very good about posting on a daily basis. Hm. I am not sure how to fix this. I will try though. It is a new month so I have a fresh start!

~~~~~

Over the weekend I had my 21st birthday. Yeah that's right, 21. I feel kind of old but at the same time still new to the world. My older brothers came down to surprise me for my birthday and they took my younger brother and I out shopping and to lunch while they were here. New clothes definitely make this girl have a happy birthday! 

I was able to enjoy the unusually sunny day with my family and some close friends. I was reminded that day how blessed I am with the people I have in my life!

Down below is a picture of one of my favorite gifts from this year; a six pack from my little brother:

On a simpler note, the weather has been quite lovely lately and I am so glad that God has blessed us with the sunshine for a little bit longer!