Our group (which is considering the impact of pharmaceuticals on the environment) decided that the best way to do community education in Wheaton would be to go to the French Market and talk with individuals in the community one on one. We figured the French Market was a good place to go because people there usually already have an interest in the environment to some extent, if they’re looking for fresh, organic produce and homemade bakery items — or they just like delicious food. Either way, we figured connecting with the population would be a breeze.

This optimism was both a help and a hindrance. People did seem to be more willing to talk with someone who was clearly invested in the topic (as we were, and tried to show) but anyone standing in a public space and asking if “you have a few minutes to talk about the environment” is bound to get a little ire. I suddenly had a lot more compassion for all the people I had walked right by in the past! We found that bringing up Wheaton College, and that the discussion was part of our final project, helped a lot in convincing people to talk to us. We had to lead with that, in our first sentence, or we got basically nowhere. At first it was kind of uncomfortable, and felt maybe kind of exploitative, but I’ve realized that, just like any other privilege, our status as Wheaton College students comes with a huge responsibility. If it gets us in the door to talk about something important, so be it.

We ended up having some great conversations with some of the people who came by and gave talking with us a chance. It makes me think that most people really do care about the environment, they just might not have the facts yet. I’m excited to tell more details during our presentation!