Mohammad Ahmed

4/7/17
Fw8554
SOC 2000
HON3000

JOURNAL 1 ACT Tutoring + regular tutoring 4 hours 2/14, 2/21

I have done extensive tutoring for ACT and SAT for high school

students through Tawheed Center. We have an open tutoring program where

college students come and help high school students with a wide array of

subjects: from English, to math, to standardized tests. Having taken and

done well on the ACT, I was one of the main tutors for ACT preparation in this

program.

Through my experiences in helping students, I have learned many

things, including the importance of mentoring. To begin with, ACT tutoring

also entails giving advice to students about applying to colleges: the

application process, which schools to apply to, what classes to take, etc.

Students come with all sorts of confusion and questions and express

bewilderment at the new and seemingly complex process. They also express

a great deal of enthusiasm upon hearing answers to their questions and

demonstrate wonder at the prospect of attending college. Through having

their questions answered, students begin to develop a bond with the

instructor and consider him/her a role model. The students will then
repeatedly come to this instructor with questions about classes and other

academically-related content, forging a trusting bond.

My experiences in helping students has also helped me appreciate the

value of educators. In a world where the lapses in our education system are

constantly (and wrongly) blamed on the educators, it is very beneficial to see

things from an instructors perspective. Each educator cares about students

an enormous amount, deals with many obstacles be they from the parents

or the administration, and remains largely uncredited by others. Although I

was merely an ACT tutor, I can not even begin to imagine the difficulties

associated with a full-time educators position.

The notion that my experiences tutoring at Tawheed Center of

Farmington Hills have led me to a point where I value the essence of

education is a categorical truth. While tutoring is meant for the purpose of

teaching others, it has taught me a variety of skills including psychology.

Initially, I had tutored math - specifically, I taught Algebra 2, PreCalculus,

Calculus, and Statistics. I taught high school students who were struggling

with these subjects, and it had honestly led me to a point of critical reflection

as I attempted to understand these students psychologically and

academically; many of them did not do very well generally, and I realized

that I had to evaluate them as students in order to truly help them. I

evaluated the areas where they are most weak in, and typically the reason

was not because they were prone to laziness as many may think, but rather
it was due to deficiencies in content. This tended to be the situation for

almost all students I tutored, as high school teachers did not target student-

specific errors, but instead they simply very generally and with little

explanation taught the topics to students. Sadly, this resulted in students

having trouble understanding questions and explanations. However, with

repetition, the consensus was able to understand concepts. Very rarely, there

would be the student that simply needed motivation. I explained to them the

benefits of a prestigious university's education corroborated with pictures of

university campuses themselves - this did the trick. Overall, I was able to

understand the psychology of high school students and accordingly use this

information to solve student-specific problems through tutoring. I was

extremely pleased and satisfied with the outcome as students received

increasing scores on their exams, ecstatic and extremely motivated as a

result of how well they were doing.

This was a great experience because it helped me become

more aware of how society operates and the more active we be to

promote social change. Being able to work with kids to help the

future was amazing and shows why the sociological perspective

empowers us to be active participants in society. A lack of education

is a root cause of why people are considered to be in the threshold

of the poverty line, and I got to help the kids to stay out of this

societal catastrophe. Poverty connects with child abuse, crimes, and

drugs, and instead of having these children do this horrific action,

they are getting help to help themselves in the future to create

social order.

JOURNAL 2- 2 HOURS 4/9

Tawheed Center has a volunteer group that routinely engages in

service activities in underserved areas in Detroit. We gathered a sizeable

group of volunteers and go work at a site named Georgia Street Community

Collective. This site was founded and run by a Detroit native who, upon

returning to his hometown and seeing the dilapidation his neighborhood had

suffered, decided to take matters in his own hands and effect change. This

individual started an urban garden that was open to all residents of the

community. The purpose of the urban garden was two-fold: it supplied basic

vegetables to individuals who lived in a food desert and made good use of

empty, abandoned land. The center also became a community center for use

by the children of the neighborhood.

Upon hearing this mans story, I was very shocked and awestruck. I

immediately realized all the aspects of my life that I had taken for granted up

until that point. I had never been worried about when and where my next

meal was going to come from, I never had to deal with the sight of

abandoned, decrepit housing in my neighborhood, and I never had to worry

about rising violence in my neighborhood. However, with the development of

an urban garden and a community center, this individual had tackled all

three of those problems and, judging by the happiness and excitement of the
residents, was winning. I remember looking around at my fellow volunteers

and recognizing that same realization that I had in their eyes as well.

Together, we all reflected on all the things that we needed to be grateful for

on a more regular basis and how it only took a determined individual for

change to happen.

This can be related to a sociological theory of conflict

perspective. Inequality lies at the core of society which leads to

conflict. Resources are very limited, and power is not evenly

distributed, in fact, it was corrupt for quite a while. Any resource

can be used as a tool of power such as this garden by helping the

community to provide food for a struggling area. There are many

places around us that are this way, and we should change the macro

perspective by taking a functionalist perspective. Society should

adjust to find and maintain a balance instead of having to worry

about abandoned homes, violence, and poverty. This trip to Detroit

showed me all three types of poverty: biological, official and

relative. It pains me to see this because it is not a dream and these

individuals go through it every day they wake up. Again, the only

solution to this is for everyone to take on a sociological perspective

and aim to help all of society.

Journal #3 2/18 3 hours

 One of the most influential volunteering activities Ive been a part is

running a booth with the organization United Muslim Relief at the annual

MAS-ICNA convention in Chicago, Illinois through Tawheed Center. This

experience in general was amazing because on average there are

approximately 15,000 attendees. I got to interact with a large population of

Muslim-Americans. By running this booth, I met Muslim-Americans from all

over America and began developing closer connections within the Muslim

community. One of the main things I observed while working this booth was

how many people would be stopping by to learn more of the nonprofits work

overseas to aid Third-World countries. The entire atmosphere of the

convention seemed to make people more willing to listen, as well as more

willing to donate to our cause of helping the underprivileged. I was also

surprised by how many everyday people wanted to learn how to volunteer

with organizations such as mine. I had dozens of people ask me how they

could begin volunteering with UMR, and having them tell me how they

always wanted to volunteer but never knew how exactly they could reach out

to help, inspired me because it made me realize that overall, everyone wants

to help and give back to the world around them. This volunteering

experience came at the best time for me emotionally because it was at a

time where I was doubting the overall ability to empathize of people in

general, but seeing so many people come together in one place, as well as

having that many people take initiative and go out of their way to try and

learn how they to, could give back to those less fortunate than themselves
helped, on some level, to restore some of the faith that I had lost in people

over time. At this event, I got to notice a culture.

Another experience that deeply affected me was volunteering with the

non-profit organization Sunrise-USA when we went to Chicago with Tawheed

Center. This organization focused specifically on sending aid to Syria,

attempting to do anything to help the war-torn country. When I first started

to work with the non-profit, they were having me get their financials up to

date by going through donations they were given. This showed me how

important it was for non-profits to be organized because some of these

donations had been sent in a long time before. By not being organized, less

people were being helped than couldve been possible which isnt acceptable

at all. But more importantly what I learned from this job was how a little can

go a very long way, especially for those in need overseas. Just $30 could help

feed a family for a month, and handling those donations as well as seeing

profiles of some of the orphans or donations went to made me realize that I

was handling the lives of others. On average I spend about $5 on food a day.

If I didnt eat out for 6 days in a month I could help the standard of living for

an entire family. It saddened me that there were people in that position, to

where $30 could feed them for a month, as well as their positions as

refugees. However, my volunteer work made me realize how little effort it

takes to make a difference in the lives of people. It made me want to pursue

a life where I could help others as much as possible because in the end it

really doesnt take much, just the desire to make a difference.

 A culture is defined as the shared ways of a human social

group which includes: the way of thinking, understanding, and

feeling that have been gained through the common experiences in

social groups and are passed from one generation to another.

Everyone there wanted to help third world countries overseas and

we didnt even know each other. These values, beliefs, and behavior

forms a way of life and I was glad I got to witness it firsthand.

Society needs to become one culture to fight socioeconomic

differences, to create a better society. When volunteering at this

site, it reminded me a lot of a macro social theory: functionalism.

Functionalism has an emphasis on social order and society tends

naturally towards health and stability. Everyone wanted to good and

help people overseas in third world countries because they wanted

the entire world to find a balance. Emile Durkheim said, When all of

the parts of society are properly performing their functions, society

is in a normal state. When this is not the case, society is in a

pathological state. Looking at society today, we show glimpses of

both a normal state and a pathological state. We help people all

around the world, but these countries and people should not be

suffering the way they do in the first place. It is essential for all of

society to come together and act as one to create world peace.

Journal #4 2 hours 3/11

 While most people were asleep that Saturday at 8 a.m., we were

having a meeting. The social hall was full of volunteers, some yawning while

others barely opening their eyes with coffee in hand. Our volunteer leader

divided us into groups, and then gave us materials from her gigantic binder.

It was the day we had all planned for 6 months. This was the morning of our

masjid (mosque) open house. I was tired but, as the day went on, I could

teach people about our religion and community while also learning from

them. Volunteering at my masjids annual open house helped me learn

leadership skills, and I surprisingly learned much more about my surrounding

community members (both Muslim and non-Muslims) than I had in the past.

This experience first began on a small scale of teaching.

I helped recruit and train volunteers, specifically the ones that would

be conducting tours along with me. Since I had volunteered at the open

house in the past, I knew what to train them for. My co-volunteers and I

taught the new ones the diagram for the tour, answering potential questions

the visitors may ask, and when to defer questions to one of the adults if it

was a media question or one that they could not/should not answer. We do

this to avoid spreading any false information. After tour training, we also

cross trained each of the volunteers on one or two posters. This was at the

instruction of the volunteer leader because she expressed concern for people

being able to take sufficient breaks. Also, one of the local hospitals also set

up a healthcare clinic in our gymnasium. They did this clinic every year with

us by setting up stations in the gym where local community members could

go for free screenings. Depending on the health concern, there were also

more doctors available to further evaluate a patient if necessary. The

volunteers were also trained on how to encourage people to utilize the health

clinic, attend the open house, and offer the hospital staff food. Sometimes,

we would have to take the food to them inside of the gym because they

would get so many patients. It was nice to see so many different people of

the community being able to use the hospital services. For them, our masjid

became so much more than an unknown building. During the event itself, I

was also able to learn about the surrounding community in a way that I had

not before.

Many people, Muslims and non-Muslims, attended the open house.

While checking in with the trained volunteers, and participating in the tours

myself, I was able to learn so much about my fellow community members.

People around us did not fear us. They did not seem to hate us as I was so

often told by the news media. These people were curious. Mary, like many

others, stated I always pass by this beautiful building, but have been too

scared to go in because I was not sure if I was allowed to or if I would be

disrespectful because of my clothing. Some of us smiled, and I told her that

everyone was welcome to our masjid. I told her that girls and women of our

community dressed in a western way too. The only difference was that they

covered their legs by wearing jeans instead of capris/shorts, and some wore

semi-long to full sleeves. Like many others, Mary knew about Islam only

through the media or friends, so naturally she was unsure about how the
Muslim community actually was. The willingness to learn and ask questions

was surprising to me. I loved seeing that people of different faiths were able

to come together to discuss and ask each other questions.

My experience as a volunteer trainer and volunteer at my masjid open

house was amazing. Learning these new skills helped me appreciate my

ability to lead as well as the people in my community. Sometimes, we forget

how close we can be if we just listen.

After talking with many of the individuals who came to the

open house to learn about the religion and culture, I learned that

most people looked at cultural diversity through a phenomenon

called cultural relativism. Cultural relativism is the principle that an

individual persons beliefs and activities should be understood by

others in terms of that individuals own culture. Cultural relativism

usually uses an artifact or ritual to illustrate the culture. Being in

the masjid, it served as the artifact and it was wonderful to see the

type of responses I got. However, some people did come in looking

at in ethnocentrically, meaning the belief that ones own race or

ethnic group is the most important. Through this ideology, the

people were judging the religion because of what they say and here

through the media such as suicide bombings and other terrorist

attacks. It is very sad to see that so many people trust the media. In

the article Culture of Fear it is said that reporters not only spread

fears, they criticize one another for spooking the public and to
ultimately earn a profit from the media. The media is a great way of

getting information, but it is not always true, for many do not have

the intention to get the information across, but rather to get a flow

of money. The people that came to learn about the religion were in

the process of socialization, the life long process by which

individuals develop their human potential and learn culture. I think

it is right for everyone to have the knowledge about other cultures

to create a more unified society.

Journal #5-(different location, same individual signing off) 2 hours

3/25

The operators voice on the overhead speakers sharply interrupted the quiet

atmosphere. Code blue to the main lobby entrance. Code blue to the main

lobby entrance. Nurses, doctors, techs, and other hospital personnel rushed

past my post at the front desk to make their way outside in the bitter cold.

Machines, stretchers, and kits were being brought outside as well. This was

one of my many experiences while volunteering at a hospital Volunteering

forced me to change my views about productive time management and

connecting with others. These small experiences during my volunteering

helped me become a better member of society.

My time management was not focused on the betterment of my

volunteering, but rather my limited time that I had to be there. I counted

down every thirty minutes at the beginning. However, I learned productive

time management. I knew how to manage it, but I would waste time later in

the day after working for only a part of it. The older volunteers went home

and slept/lounged around for the rest of the day. Doing that made me no

different from them. After volunteering, I would go home and lie around,

study, or play video games. My friends and I would go workout at night. That

was pretty much it. Going to school, volunteering, and wasting time seemed

like my routine. I had the energy and the means to do whatever I wanted to,

but I did not. It was not until I spoke to John1, an older volunteer, that I

decided to learn how to productively manage my time.

John used to be the baseball champion of his block. He transported me to a

time where children answered with Yes maam/sir, and women were mostly

housewives. He told me about the various jobs he used work, how he met his

wife, and how they both worked extremely hard to achieve everything they

had. All this information was shared over a few weeks (since we only saw

each other once a week. His arthritis made it difficult for him to stay moving

for extended periods of time or go outside on walks with his wife. Hearing

this made me regret not using my time wisely. It also forced me to change

my habit. Instead of lying around, I started scheduling little activities for

myself on my way home. Sometimes that meant picking up groceries for my

mom, or picking up my sister from school. Anything to make myself a little

more productive than before was a service to myself and to John as well. May

1 For privacy reasons, John is used as an alias

his soul rest in peace. Another important skill I learned was connecting with

others.

Most people in my generation use technology to communicate with

each other. They even use it to connect with new people. During this

volunteering experience, I improved my conversational skills and was better

able to connect with others. From John all the way to little kids coming in for

surgery, I was able to connect with an entire range of people. Working at the

front desk also helped. I had talking points to refer to in case I had to walk

someone to a certain area. I ended up recycling many points in my

conversations outside of the hospital as well. I did not have an interest to

interact with more people, but I am glad that I did. I learned that I am never

to ask a woman her age. This experience also helped me not rely as much on

technology and be less socially awkward.

Volunteering changed my time management and social skills. I learned

how to manage my time more productively, and how to be less socially

awkward. I think everyone should do a short term or long term volunteering

project. Not only does it help you grow, but helps you better connect to the

world around you.

Volunteering at this hospital has made me realize to always

give back to society. Society should follow structural functionalism

because when everyone is doing their job to bring social order.

 Journal #6 2 hours 3/30

During this reach out event our Youth group located at Tawheed Center

(YMTC) decided to help the adults that were in a rehabilitation center and/or

homeless searching to get back on their feet. Approaching this rehabilitation

center I have to admit I was a little frightened, not knowing what would

happen inside and from what society illustrates, these centers are horrific

places with terrible people. How can someone be a terrible person if all they

did was make a mistake and go down the wrong path? We served lunch to

our new friends and it was amazing to see how friendly they were.

Throughout the event we were privileged to sit down with these wonderful

people and learn about their lives and the obstacles they faced. I sat down

with a rather quiet man named Michael. I automatically clicked with him and

he made me feel like I was at home. The deeper the conversation got, I

learned about his past and how he ended up in this center and he told me

that drugs took over his life and the reason being was because he was

depressed over his wife's death. Three days after they had gotten married

they were on their honeymoon in Panama City, Florida. A dark rainy day she

took the car to grab a few things from the grocery store and Michael did not

feel like going because he was tired. Something as simple as that. 15

minutes later, he called his wife and all she said was, "I love you" in her last

gasping words. It turns out that the car had slipped in the rain and ran into

the barrier on the road. To this day, Michael feels as if this accident was his
fault due to the reasoning that he could have just gone with her and

everything would've been okay. From this experience I felt heartbroken. It's

crazy to think how he fell apart. His blame for himself took over his life and

the only option he saw was the wrong path. He was a happy, loving,

energetic person and this broke him. Some may say that he was weak to not

recover from this, however they fail to see why he was dependent on these

drugs.

People can enter rehab centers for a variety of reasons and a

lot of it is because human demographics and attributes. Many

homeless people around Detroit are like this and are suffering from

poverty. An effective way to view this is with the structural

vulnerability model of poverty. Poverty can be looked at through

two different routes: human capital and demographic attributes

from social class and background characteristics, or through

structural failings and societal lack of opportunities. Many people in

rehab live in a place where the only solution coming out of the

neighborhood is to sell drugs. Drugs and poverty go hand and hand,

for it comes out to be a positive relationship. As a society, we need

to be kind and charitable and help each other so no one lives in

poverty and can enjoy the middle class.