Reflection #1
Throughout my time in CODES, I have seen my project evolve into many different forms. Originally, we planned on basing our research around youth education, but that quickly changed because of a lack of passion and interest. We then decided to focus on research over the water crisis in Cahokia and here we are three semesters later. The project being about Cahokia sat with me a lot better because I felt like it meant more than youth education. I also didn’t know much about Cahokia at the time even though I am from Saint Louis and it’s only about half an hour away. It felt like I was doing something new and unique from other projects while also learning information that I would value more in comparison to youth education.
Currently there is a website with information that people of Cahokia can use as a resource for living in the area. On the website we plan to have a historical timeline of Cahokia, information on landlord-tenant rights and relationships in Cahokia, a map of healthy food options, etc.
I am responsible for the landlord-tenant section of the website. I have information on the rights of tenants in Cahokia and have conducted a survey about landlord-tenant relationships in the area with published responses on the website. I plan on attempting to get more responses to that survey to get more information to put on the website.
I want to revise my work by having community members give feedback on what I have so far. Community members are the best way to make sure that my information is accurate and of good faith towards the community.
It is difficult to locate secondary sources for my specific project because Cahokia is a forgotten and looked over town. The water equity issues have been going on there for a long time, but it has never seemed to be a pressing issue to the government or the media really. There are articles here and there about it, but it is not nearly as notorious or cared about as much as the water issues in Flint, Michigan for example.
This website is for the people of Cahokia whether they have just moved in or have been in the area for a long time. I want to make sure that the information I put is useful to Cahokia residents and easily accessible. During the revision stages I will every now and then put myself into their shoes and reflect on what information would be the most important to me and what I wouldn’t care too much for.
Reflection #2
My sections of the website are about renter’s rights in Cahokia, and I also include data from a survey I conducted about landlord-tenant relationships in the area. Ideally, I would love my work to be used as a guide for Cahokia residents. If someone moves to Cahokia and rents a home, I want my work to be able to help them understand their rights as a tenant but also be aware of what a not so healthy landlord-tenant relationship looks like and what to do in those situations.
Landlords should be able to benefit from my work as well. My work can help landlords improve their relationships that they have with tenants. People who don’t live in Cahokia can also find the website useful. Property law is consistent throughout different states in the country, so a person who just started renting a home in Missouri or Indiana could also use the website to navigate the process. E
The most relevant stakeholder that I worked with in my project was the Cahokia Public Library, more specifically Arianna from the Cahokia Public Library. I learned a lot about the city of Cahokia and the history of Cahokia through conversations with Arianna. One big memory I have from my time in CODES is a 40-minute interview I conducted with Arianna where she gave me great insight on how the government has approached the water equity issues in Cahokia and the relationship dynamic between the government and residents.
Arianna also has countless connections within the community in Cahokia. She has helped me with my project a lot over the past year and a half. The Cahokia Public Library is an important resource for my project because it has significance in the community. After school programs, community meetings, and other events for Cahokia take place at the library. The library can really be helpful for us by spreading the word on our website to the many community members who frequently visit the library.