Interview with Professor Catherine Villanueva Gardner
Sharing the Harvest Community Farm SERVICE SPOTLIGHT
Jasmine Lau ’17
Efrain Montalvo ’15
Professor Gardner is the Associate Director of the Honors Program, an Associate Professor of Philosophy and Women’s Studies, and the Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR). She has written several books about female philosophers, and has published articles in journals and edited collections.
In September 2014, I went for my first visit to the Sharing the Harvest Community Farm to participate in the 9/11 Day of Service at the farm. I learned how the farm operates and the ways it supports the community. In 2013, the farm harvested 65,000 pounds of food, which was donated to local sites all along the South Coast. Along with everyone at the farm that day, I was part of an effort to help fight hunger by improving the lives of children and families in our community. Through neighbors helping neighbors, the community created by the farm was providing nutritional and natural food to those in need. We planted a tree, listened to a speech on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and heard songs commemorating our veterans in remembrance of 9/11. Then the time came to get our hands dirty. We were reorganized into groups and assigned tasks. I collected and disposed of the black tarp that was laid down on the farm, and collected all of the butternut squash. What at first seemed like a daunting task became motivating, seeing two hundred people working together toward a common goal. With everyone’s help, we were able to clear the fields of the tarp and harvest hundreds of pounds of not only butternut squash, but several other crops the farm grows, as well. After three hours of learning, being inspired, and making a change, it was time to go home. But I wanted to stay. Before driving away, I found out the farm’s volunteer hours and made a point to go back at least one day a week. This turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life. From harvesting and cleaning crops, to ridding the field of weeds, there is enough variety of things to do that it makes going back each week feel exciting and engaging. Knowing I am making an actual difference keeps me going back; having fun while doing it is an added bonus.
How did you become involved with the Honors program? Prof. Gardner: I became involved because of my work with Undergraduate Research. UR and Honors intersect because of the Honors Thesis/Project, and UR often offers financial support to Honors students. Do you like what you do with the Honors Program? Prof. Gardner: Absolutely. The work is very varied. One week I will be working on creating a new course. The next I will be working with the Director to figure out which admitted students to invite to join the Program. However, no matter what I am doing, the work always remains student-centered. What would you say is your favorite part of the Honors program? Prof. Gardner: Without a doubt it would be working with the student directors. The faculty directors meet every Tuesday for about an hour to discuss administrative issues and ideas that could help the program develop. We then meet with the student directors to get their opinions on these issues and ideas. The student directors can really blow fresh air onto our ideas. It is so easy to get stuck doing things the same way. The student directors also lead a section of the discussion by reporting issues and ideas from their own meetings. Is there something you’d like to see changed in the future? Prof. Gardner: I would like to see greater student input. We would like to create a way of Honors students acting more as ‘junior colleagues’. We recognize that there is a power imbalance between students and faculty and it may be awkward for students to speak up the first few times, but we hope that the Honors students also recognize that without them there would be no program and no program improvement. Do you have a favorite class that you like to teach here? Prof. Gardner: Probably PHL 315. It is called ‘Advanced Ethics,’which makes it sound dull, but there is something of interest for everyone, as we cover so many topics. We cover some history, some theories, and my favorite– anti-theory ethics. Do you have any advice that you’d like to give to Honors students? Prof. Gardner: Get involved and make the most of the opportunities at UMassD. I do not just mean leadership or volunteering. Go to events, take a photography or fine arts class for fun, go abroad. I love my job, but I never have the time to do all the things I want to do. If I were to do my undergraduate degree again, I would have taken a history major and a photography minor. I do a lot of traveling, but I am pretty vague about the history of the places I visit. And let’s just say that my holiday snaps leave a lot to be desired.
Honors Program News
Editor: Jasmine Lau ’17 (jlau@umassd.edu) Advisor: Dr. Brian Ayotte (bayotte@umassd.edu)
University Honors Program UMass Dartmouth Honors Program 285 Old Westport Road, Dartmouth, MA 02747-2300