Issues in STL

1) Saint Louis is home to one of the United States' richest soccer histories. Some of the nation's greatest players and teams belonged to the Saint Louis area. After the late 80's, soccer virtually disappeared in Saint Louis. Many forgot about the cities great history with the sport too. While there have been many attempts to bring an MLS team to Saint Louis, none have been successful. Not having a professional team in the region brings shame to the history of soccer in Saint Louis. To learn more about the history of STL soccer and how to bring an MLS team here, there are many area coaches and former US National Team players to speak to. Bill Dause is a source as well as the coach for the Saint Louis women's team, AC St. Louis.

Why has there been a delay of the MLS to grant St. Louis a team when there is a facility, money, and a fan base throughout St. Louis?

2) There are many locations of culture throughout Saint Louis. From the successful athletic teams, to Forest Park and the Art Museum, there is a lot of culture in many different types throughout the St. Louis area. However, there is a lack of supporting to the Theater districts of St. Louis. The Fox Theater is the only major stage in all of St. Louis. There are other theaters in the area, such as the St. Louis Rep, but they lack support. Being home to one of the nation's greatest acting and musical theater programs at Webster University, one would think we would have the theater community to go along with that. In order to become an educated and powerful city in the United States the theater district of St. Louis needs to be supported and expanded. Good sources include current St. Louis actors and directs, as well as managers of the Fox, the Rep, and smaller theaters surrounding the area.

Maxed Out Documentary Presentation

Bosnia Genocide

How did the west react to the genocide occuring in Bosnia?
         Did the west do everything to stop the murders?
         After the genocide, is justice being found?

20th Century Genocide

I am interested in researching the Bosnia-Herzegovina conflict.  I would like to learn more about this topic because it is a more recent genocide and also directly effects a family of our school. 
I want to find out the reason why the Serbs wanted to destroy the Muslims and how it benefited their people.  I also want to know what was done to stop the genocide by Bosnia and by the world.

http://www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/genocide/bosnia.htm

DRC Recent News

         300 Congo villagers were raped by rebel forces, led by a rebel commander.  The commander's name was Lieutenant Colonel Mayele and was in command of the Mai Mai militia group.  Villagers who were rapped included 235 women, 52 girls, 13 men, and 3 boys.  Many of the victims were rapped multiple times.  The commander was given to the UN by his superiors because they did not approve of his actions.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/oct/06/congo-rape-arrest-mayele

DIscussion Comments

1) Idea or question that's lingering after your discussion.
           My group failed to discuss the child deaths in the Congo.  I thought that was a large part of the issues and maltreatment of the Congolese during Leopold's rule.  Additionally, it seemed that the group came to the conclusion that Leopold in the Congo was equivalent to the Americans and the Native Americans.  My opinion is that while faintly similar, there is no real equality between what happened in the Congo and what happened to the Native Americans.  While both used trickery in order to take the land from the people, the treatment of the Congolese was incredibly worse than the treatment of the Native Americans.  Additionally, the land that the Natives had was actually needed by the Americans, while the Congo was not needed by Belgium.

2) Evaluate your small group discussion.  What worked well? How can you improve?
              The discussion was alright.  There seemed to be a much better transition and smoothness to the conversation when the questions came directly from members of the group.  This way whoever had the question will have probably already formed an opinion on it, making it easier to discuss.  There was a huge lack of interest from half of the group, myself included.  The topics we were discussing were very straight forward to me.  It seemed like we were just talking to talk, not to gain a better understanding or to support opinions.  The questions needed to be easier to counter argue or have more than one right answer.  It was too easy to come to a conclusion.  The discussion was basically over 5 minutes in.

KLG 2

Leopold - "Indifferent to his schoolwork as a boy, with no interest whatever in art, music, or literature, Leopold was nonetheless a dedicatied scholar when it came to one subject, profits" (37).
I find this quote to sum up the priorities in King Leopold's life.

Stanley - "Leopold was now certain that this vast territory in the middle of Africa, miraculously still unclaimed by any European power, could become the colony he craved.  At last his long-dreamed-of production could reach the stage, and Stanley would be its star" (57).
This quote sets up what Stanley's use to King Leopold is.  He would be the poster child of colonization.

"As king of a small country with no public interest in colonies, he recognized that a colonial push of his own would require a strong humanitarian veneer.  Curbing the slave trade, moral uplift, and the advancement of science were the aims he would talk about, not profits" (42).
This quote supports the idea that Leopold would justify colonization with every other reason to colonize other than the real reason, being for profit.