Community Interview Paper

Some of the most rewarding times in college are when concepts and ideas connect. This is something that I have found happen semester after semester. No matter the art, journalism or sociology courses I take, ideas from each class repeatedly seem to connect to one another. In Art 338, the heavy focus on service work and engagement in the community also relates to the stories I cover in my journalism and my own interest in community dynamics. A few weeks back, I had the opportunity to interview Haley Madden, Community-based Learning Graduate Assistant through the Morgidge Center. Her research, focusing on health care discrepancies, ties into community service and the idea that individuals can use their work to positively impact others around them. In her research, Madden focuses on health disparities and the distribution of health and health care services. Currently, she is working with an American Indian tribe whose federal recognition was taken away. Because of this, they are not give the same access to healthcare and services as federally recognized tribes. Madden is trying to figure out how members do get their health

There seems to be the overarching idea of whether an artist should focus on creating their own work, or if they should use their work to aid their surrounding community in some way. At times, using art for social activism can cause controversy. It may be that the artist could never depict perfect activism in their art, and that it may never please every viewer. However, it may not be that all art as activism should be avoided. If there were none of these works, critical conversations may have never begun. In fact, it might be good that this style of art does not please everyone. If this is the case, then those who view the art are more likely to talk about the subject at hand instead of going about their day and ignoring the problem at