Week 1- Ta'Chelle's First week of Detroit

    During orientation, Detroit continued to surprise me. First, I was surprised to see that Downtown Detroit is still as lively as ever! Businesses are in abundance and it’s nice to see that people are still enjoying the scenery of their city. They are doing this by enjoying the nightlife and what the city has to offer for entertainment. I was also surprised by the abundance of abandoned homes. It appears to be as if everyone just left their homes and did not care what happened to them. I would have to say that I am surprised at the potential this city continuously shows me. I know it will take time, but Detroit definitely has the ability to make a comeback. It was nice to see that Detroit is taking the necessary steps for economic renewal and to restore back to its prior state.  Rather than running away from the issues that lie here in Detroit, the residents who have decided to stay have really put in the work and faith into Detroit. I really enjoyed getting to participate in the scavenger hunt around downtown Detroit. I was able to see the work that the city was implementing to make Detroit a better place economically and socially.

    In terms of what I hope to give, I’m really not sure. I know for a basis I would like to give some advice and lots of support to the site that I am working at. Something that I could give during my time here is hope. Immersing myself in this city, could lead to me coming back in the future to possibly work towards economic renewal in the city. As I spend more time in the city, I could maybe pinpoint what exactly I would like to contribute for the betterment of the city. I would like to focus on what plan of action that would create some type of impact. The short allotment of time being in Detroit means I need to really centralize what I would like to get out of this experience and what I can contribute. I hope to give my best effort toward trying to help TechTown improve their services to the public. I hope I can create a positive reflection about Duke Students within the TechTown environment. I’m excited to see what the next 7 weeks brings!