Blog 2 Drew Altman

 As one of the leaders of this class I did not work on any of the chapter powerpoints. Instead, Caroline and I watched and took notes on the three group class powerpoints. We also collaborated with the groups for each separate presentation. We added an introduction and a conclusion to each of the powerpoint presentations. This allowed us to be part of the groups while also just being there to help and give advice. In writing this blog post, I used information directly from all three of the presentations. I will discuss what I learned as well as what I thought each group did well in their presentations. This set of presentations was on happiness all around. After all the presentations were done they were then cut down to be about eight minutes each and presented at a symposium. 

Group one presented on happiness all around and specifically focused on happiness in family and happiness in a fun social life. They discussed homelessness and specifically homelessness in college students, changes in family in the last five years (especially post Covid pandemic), they discussed medicare and what the government is doing to aid families with medicare and what Miami Dade County can do to help. They also talked about the perspective of these issues in the United States compared to other countries around the world. They talked about fun things to do in Miami and specifically told us about the Perez Art Museum and the Miami Dade College Museum of Art and Design. In their presentation they gave suggestions on what the local, state, and federal government can do to help make people happier in the United States and specifically in Miami Dade County. They talked about Knaus Berry Farm which is located in Homestead and gave detailed information on when to visit. They also talked about Schnebly’s Redland’s Winery, which is also located in Homestead and offers wine tasting tours, private events, and weddings. They talked about how things have changed for the better and for the worse in the past five or so years. They also gave information about fun activities at, and hosted by, Miami Dade College such as a fitness calendar, Miami film fest, women’s history month events, different kinds of workshops, and more. They told us about budget friendly activities and family friendly activities as well including the Miami Zoo, the Frost Museum, and

“Just For Kids.” I thought that this group did a really good job. I learned about new things to do in Miami. The interviews they had were really impactful, and I really enjoyed group one’s presentation.

Group two did a presentation of happiness all around specifically focusing on the economy and potential careers. They talked about how people need to have a decent enough salary to help take care of their finances and bills and how the economy has changed over the past 20 years. They explained inflation and interest rates and how they are rising and the effect this has on the economy and the people living in the United States. They talked about advances in technology and careers. They had a great timeline from the 1950’s to today with information on how the work places has changed and how it has affected the economy overall. They discussed the factors in making career decisions and how important it is to make choices that you will be ok with for many years to come because likely you will be in the same job, or the same field, for the majority of your life. They talked about how it is important to factor in things like location, stability, education, income, and family into making decisions about what career path to take. They explained what economy means and when and how it is affecting us. They talked about the basic principles of economics, such as scarcity, supply and demand, and costs and benefits, and if consumers themselves should be concerned about the economy. They discussed the negative impact the advances of technology has had on employment as well as the positive impacts that have happened. They also covered the role of the government in the United States economy. Overall, I thought that this group did a really good job. The timeline they created to talk about the economy was really interesting and insightful. They seemed very well prepared and knowledgeable.

The third group did their presentation on happiness all around specifically focusing on education and mental health. They talked about education and how it pertains to happiness. They talked about issues in education, such as student debt, and made suggestions about how to improve student debt. They gave a detailed history of Miami Dade College starting with when

it opened in the 1960’s. They talked about how to make education more affordable and focused on Miami Dade College specifically can help their own students with a more affordable education. They compared Miami Dade College and other colleges in the United States to colleges in Europe and discussed how countries in Europe help cut the cost of education for students. They discussed how in the past five years enrollment has been up, more degrees have been awarded, and the student body has gotten more diverse. They also talked a lot about mental health. They talked about what the government is doing to assist with mental health issues. They talked about mental health services provided by the government including confidential services that connect you with local organizations. They gave many resources for mental health including hotlines to call if someone is struggling and feels like they need someone to talk to. They talked about how Miami Dade College can assist students with their own mental health issues as well as how the government can help. They also gave statistics about mental health in the United States compared to other countries. They talked about how mental health has changed in the United States in the last five years as well. Overall, this was a great presentation. I think they talked about so many important things and gave a lot of great resources. The information about the hotlines you can call is so important, and I appreciated that they gave so many different options. They were really knowledgeable on their topics, and it was an enjoyable presentation to watch. The class’s presentations on happiness all around were fantastic. They all really knew their topics and spoke about them very well. I really enjoyed watching these presentations, and I am excited for the next set of presentations as well!