INDIANOLA, MISSISSIPPI — Imagine walking through knee-deep water in long pants to get to your next class where you look at photocopied pages of the novel you’re reading. This is what it might be like to go to one of the public high schools in poverty-stricken Mississippi.

For my Ex-Ed I traveled to Mississippi to learn more about the Civil Rights Movement. One day we went to Gentry High School. I walked towards the school noticing broken, beat-up buildings. This school was mainly an outdoor school with rusted “roofs” covering the walkways to block weather. There were police officers scattering the yard who watched us. I watched as kids went from class to class, eventually joining a class myself.

In the English class I was amazed at some of the facts they told us. They said that their school does not have enough money to buy copies of books, or have student computers. I also learned that their windows will get fixed up with tape or ignored if they are broken and that their buildings will not get “upgraded” to a standard, well-conditioned building, at least for a while.

I notice that these realizations make me feel embarrassed. In Aspen, it seems as if people want everything, and most things that we “need” are wants. At Gentry High, they need so much that even the state will not help them enough with funds. This leads to many problems because Mississippi’s poverty rate is about 22.6% (talkpoverty.org). That means that it is hard for the school to throw a fundraiser to earn money and make a difference.

In my post Ex-Ed meeting, we talked about how people could help out their situation. We talked for a long time but everything kept going in a circle. Eventually I said, “We are doing what so many other people are doing. We are talking about what we could be doing instead of acting upon the situation ourselves. Sitting in a classroom will do nothing but give us ideas, working now and taking action will be beneficial.” People need to know that Mississippi still needs help with the poverty and schools.

The Mississippi Civil Rights trip taught me not only about the Civil Rights Movement but about how fortunate I am to live where I do. I have not always lived in Aspen, but I have always had an easy life. I have never suffered homelessness, starvation, lack of basic necessities, or poor education. The Gentry High School students are enthusiastic and seem to enjoy what they have and don’t complain about what they are “missing out on.” This eye-opening trip was one filled with friendship, learning, and experiencing within a community different Aspen’s own bubble.