Last Monday, I volunteered to usher at the Spring Orchestra Concert. I got there 45 minutes before the concert, with two other volunteers, and we watched the concert orchestra rehearse while we waited for instructions. We made sure no one came into the Performing Arts Center before the directors wanted them in and, after that, we passed out programs that mapped out the concert for parents and peers. Finally, when we were allowed to let people in, we continued passing out programs, greeting people, and wishing them a good time at the concert. The night of the concert was also the night of the Art Festival/Show and so many parents were confused on the locations, so I helped them and even walked some of them halfway to the fieldhouse. Then, this mother came up to me and said that her phone had died and that when she was calling her daughter before, she hadn't been able to get a hold of her. She was scared because her daughter walked home from school that day and was supposed to call her when she got home, but she didn't. I let her use my phone and thankfully, her daughter picked up the house phone and assured her that she was fine.
I felt really helpful at the event and I felt like I made a difference when I helped some people. Even just a simple smile or greeting can make someone's day, especially when they are a parent who is going to their child's concert after working all day. I was really glad that I could help calm down a worried mother, especially when I knew that I would want someone to do the same for my mother in that type of situation.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
People are like M&M's
This week in class we discussed race, focusing on categorizing race, racism, and the social construction of race. Sal showed us a group of objects and asked us to categorize them in groups; some objects didn't fit into a definite group and some objects overlapped into different groups. These objects represented race and it showed us that it is nearly impossible to define everyone's race, especially when someone is a mix of different races. Also, in class we discussed how society and your surroundings affect your race. My roommate next year is Caucasian, African American, Chinese, and Native American but since a large population of people living by her are black, she classifies herself as African American.
We discussed implicit and explicit racism, explicit being obvious and implicit being hidden. There are some online games/tests that are supposed to determine your implicit racism. In AP Psychology, we played a game where we matched races and words very quickly, to measure our implicit racism; the more you associate the darker race with negative words, the more racist you may be. We also played a game where either a black person or a white person appears on the screen with an object in their hand and, as quick as possible, you have to shoot them if you think the object in their hand is a gun. The more times you choose to shoot a black person with an object other than a gun, the more racist you may be against blacks.
One of my favorite youtube videos is a video regarding interracial dating and biracial people. He compares different races to M&M's and basically asks "If we don't discriminate against the M&M colors we eat, why should we discriminate against people of different colors?"
We discussed implicit and explicit racism, explicit being obvious and implicit being hidden. There are some online games/tests that are supposed to determine your implicit racism. In AP Psychology, we played a game where we matched races and words very quickly, to measure our implicit racism; the more you associate the darker race with negative words, the more racist you may be. We also played a game where either a black person or a white person appears on the screen with an object in their hand and, as quick as possible, you have to shoot them if you think the object in their hand is a gun. The more times you choose to shoot a black person with an object other than a gun, the more racist you may be against blacks.
One of my favorite youtube videos is a video regarding interracial dating and biracial people. He compares different races to M&M's and basically asks "If we don't discriminate against the M&M colors we eat, why should we discriminate against people of different colors?"
Girls are like M&M's
This week in class we discussed race, focusing on categorizing race, racism, and the social construction of race. Sal showed us a group of objects and asked us to categorize them in groups; some objects didn't fit into a definite group and some objects overlapped into different groups. These objects represented race and it showed us that it is nearly impossible to define everyone's race, especially when someone is a mix of different races. Also, in class we discussed how society and your surroundings affect your race. My roommate next year is Caucasian, African American, Chinese, and Native American but since a large population of people living by her are black, she classifies herself as African American.
We discussed implicit and explicit racism, explicit being obvious and implicit being hidden. There are some online games/tests that are supposed to determine your implicit racism. In AP Psychology, we played a game where we matched races and words very quickly, to measure our implicit racism; the more you associate the darker race with negative words, the more racist you may be. We also played a game where either a black person or a white person appears on the screen with an object in their hand and, as quick as possible, you have to shoot them if you think the object in their hand is a gun. The more times you choose to shoot a black person with an object other than a gun, the more racist you may be against blacks.
One of my favorite youtube videos is a video regarding interracial dating and biracial people. He compares different races to M&M's and basically asks "If we don't discriminate against the M&M's we eat, why should we discriminate against others?"
We discussed implicit and explicit racism, explicit being obvious and implicit being hidden. There are some online games/tests that are supposed to determine your implicit racism. In AP Psychology, we played a game where we matched races and words very quickly, to measure our implicit racism; the more you associate the darker race with negative words, the more racist you may be. We also played a game where either a black person or a white person appears on the screen with an object in their hand and, as quick as possible, you have to shoot them if you think the object in their hand is a gun. The more times you choose to shoot a black person with an object other than a gun, the more racist you may be against blacks.
One of my favorite youtube videos is a video regarding interracial dating and biracial people. He compares different races to M&M's and basically asks "If we don't discriminate against the M&M's we eat, why should we discriminate against others?"
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Community Service-Cancer Walk
Yesterday, I attended a cancer walk/run hosted by the Wellness Center in Palatine. There were several tents set up: a volunteer tent, a registration tent, a food tent, a DJ tent, and a raffle tent. Dana, the coordinator of the volunteers, set me up by the starting line and the 5k run began first. Most of the runners had white Wellness Center Cancer Walk shirts and the cancer survivors had on purple ones. I was one of the few volunteers at the starting line and while the people were running, we monitored the walkway and made sure no cars happened to drive through. Then, when people were finishing up the run, we cheered them on, congratulated them, thanked them for coming, and offered them gatorade. This was the second year the Wellness Center has held the walk/run and there were less walk-on runners this year due to the extremely cold weather.
Then, the walk began. We continued monitoring everything and a volunteer drove around in U-Haul van, to make sure all the runners were done and that no cars were on the walk again. People walked with their family members, with their friends, and even with their dogs. Some had on their own specially made shirts, remembering love ones that lost their battle to cancer and some were walking with the cancer survivors in their life. One cancer survivor participated in the walk on his scooter, with his granddaughter in his lap. It was a very welcoming environment and the faces on the walkers/runners at the finish line were amazing. They were so happy and passionate about what they were doing and one family even took turns hugging us, the volunteers.
During the walk, I met Therese and she told me a little bit about the Wellness Center. They're an organization that provides many different types of free therapy to those with cancer, giving them with a supporting environment and showing them others that are going through the same things. She decided to help volunteer at the Wellness Center a while after her daughter was diagnosed with cancer. A lot of the survivors participating in this event were members of the Wellness Center and when you saw them talking to other survivors, you could sense the genuine happiness they were experiencing while being in this environment.
After the walk, there was a balloon releasing ceremony and while the balloons were flying in the sky, a lot of people got emotional. I had volunteered at a cancer walk before, but I hadn't come out feeling as great as I did yesterday. Even though I was freezing and could no longer feel my hands, I was content because I had met some great people, and I hope to someday participate in the run in tributes to my aunt who lost her life to ovarian cancer.
Then, the walk began. We continued monitoring everything and a volunteer drove around in U-Haul van, to make sure all the runners were done and that no cars were on the walk again. People walked with their family members, with their friends, and even with their dogs. Some had on their own specially made shirts, remembering love ones that lost their battle to cancer and some were walking with the cancer survivors in their life. One cancer survivor participated in the walk on his scooter, with his granddaughter in his lap. It was a very welcoming environment and the faces on the walkers/runners at the finish line were amazing. They were so happy and passionate about what they were doing and one family even took turns hugging us, the volunteers.
During the walk, I met Therese and she told me a little bit about the Wellness Center. They're an organization that provides many different types of free therapy to those with cancer, giving them with a supporting environment and showing them others that are going through the same things. She decided to help volunteer at the Wellness Center a while after her daughter was diagnosed with cancer. A lot of the survivors participating in this event were members of the Wellness Center and when you saw them talking to other survivors, you could sense the genuine happiness they were experiencing while being in this environment.
After the walk, there was a balloon releasing ceremony and while the balloons were flying in the sky, a lot of people got emotional. I had volunteered at a cancer walk before, but I hadn't come out feeling as great as I did yesterday. Even though I was freezing and could no longer feel my hands, I was content because I had met some great people, and I hope to someday participate in the run in tributes to my aunt who lost her life to ovarian cancer.
Community Service-Keshet
Last Sunday I visited Keshet Sunday School, a Jewish sunday school for people with special needs. I had never really interacted with people that have special needs, except for this man that comes into Walgreens to buy cigarettes every once in a while, so I didn't know what to expect. I met with Rana, the coordinator of the Sunday school, and she assigned me and the other volunteers to specific rooms. In my room, I met Rebecca, Tomima, Matt, Marissa, and a few others. Matt and Marissa had their own volunteers that had worked with them before, Rebecca was paired up with another volunteer, and Tomima was paired up with me. Tomima is one of the nicest girls I have ever met; she was covered in pink from head to toe, pink skirt, pink shirt, and even a pink wristband and she kept smiling wide at everyone that passed by.
The day consisted of singing songs, doing arts and crafts, and snack time. In the lunchroom, I helped Tomima make an Israeli flag for the Walk for Israel walk she, and the others, will be attending a week from today. I gave her strips of paper to glue and I helped her put the strips onto the correct spots on the paper. Then we made a handle for the flag and she signed her name on the back, with a pink marker. Talking to her, I found out her birthday was the next day and she will be turning 30, that she loves the jokes the Rabbi makes, and that Matt is her boyfriend. Rebecca and Tomima stayed near each other and kept complimenting each other on their sense of humor and they kept making everyone laugh, with their great personalities. Rebecca, the outgoing and talkative one, turned 27 that day so she brought cupcakes for everyone and felt really bad that the Rabbi wasn't in that room with us to share them. After cupcakes and snack time, we went back into a different room to sing songs. We clapped to every song and when it was all over, I walked her out to get picked up.
I had a lot of fun going to Keshet and meeting all of these great people; everyone was so friendly and I was disappointed to hear that their sunday school only went until the beginning of June. I feel extremely comfortable talking to people with special needs now and I will definitely volunteer at places helping those with special needs again.
The day consisted of singing songs, doing arts and crafts, and snack time. In the lunchroom, I helped Tomima make an Israeli flag for the Walk for Israel walk she, and the others, will be attending a week from today. I gave her strips of paper to glue and I helped her put the strips onto the correct spots on the paper. Then we made a handle for the flag and she signed her name on the back, with a pink marker. Talking to her, I found out her birthday was the next day and she will be turning 30, that she loves the jokes the Rabbi makes, and that Matt is her boyfriend. Rebecca and Tomima stayed near each other and kept complimenting each other on their sense of humor and they kept making everyone laugh, with their great personalities. Rebecca, the outgoing and talkative one, turned 27 that day so she brought cupcakes for everyone and felt really bad that the Rabbi wasn't in that room with us to share them. After cupcakes and snack time, we went back into a different room to sing songs. We clapped to every song and when it was all over, I walked her out to get picked up.
I had a lot of fun going to Keshet and meeting all of these great people; everyone was so friendly and I was disappointed to hear that their sunday school only went until the beginning of June. I feel extremely comfortable talking to people with special needs now and I will definitely volunteer at places helping those with special needs again.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Poverty and its Stereotypes
People are usually quick to label, quick to assume. If you go to a school where most of the population i upper middle class and you live in a trailer park, with no way of transportation other than your two feet, you'll probably hear names being thrown at you such as "trashy", "ghetto", or "white trash". People use these words so nonchalantly that they forget how offensive they truly are. People who live in poverty are usually labeled as "lesser" or even "lazy" and people often question why they don't choose to get a better job. It's not that easy.
In the movie we have been watching this week, they introduce a woman named Tammy and let us take a glance into her lifestyle. Tammy lives in a trailer, with three sons, and a car in need of repair just resting on her lawn. She works at Burger King, never takes off her work uniform, and walks 10 and a half miles to go to her brutal job. At Burger King, she greets most customers, kindly, while cleaning the restaurant. Then, after her long shift, she has to walk 10 and a half miles back home. She mentions that people often yell out names to her while she's walking on the side of the road, judging her instantly. Her eldest son looks at her life and automatically knows that he doesn't want to be stuck in this low-pay working class when he's grows up, so he tries everything to dress differently, teach his brothers to act "preppy", and even judges his own mother. He battles with this desire to break the social class system and work his way to the top. If he succeeds being working class, he will most likely not be accepted in his new class because society doesn't see that as where he "belongs".
In the movie we have been watching this week, they introduce a woman named Tammy and let us take a glance into her lifestyle. Tammy lives in a trailer, with three sons, and a car in need of repair just resting on her lawn. She works at Burger King, never takes off her work uniform, and walks 10 and a half miles to go to her brutal job. At Burger King, she greets most customers, kindly, while cleaning the restaurant. Then, after her long shift, she has to walk 10 and a half miles back home. She mentions that people often yell out names to her while she's walking on the side of the road, judging her instantly. Her eldest son looks at her life and automatically knows that he doesn't want to be stuck in this low-pay working class when he's grows up, so he tries everything to dress differently, teach his brothers to act "preppy", and even judges his own mother. He battles with this desire to break the social class system and work his way to the top. If he succeeds being working class, he will most likely not be accepted in his new class because society doesn't see that as where he "belongs".
Friday, April 29, 2011
Social Class
In class this week we learned about prison and how the increasing population of prisons relates to social class and income. The Henry Horner homes in Chicago are filled with violence and drugs and people from that area are constantly taken away to jail by the police, without question. Kids from Naperville were found in that area buying heroin and when caught, their licenses pended suspension and the police called their parents. Why is it that the poor are taken to jail almost immediately, but the rich get away with the same act and little consequences?
When reading Courtroom 302, the author successfully shows the reader the general population of these jailhouses: low-income minorities. These people weren't even charged with anything yet, they were in jail waiting for their court date. Low-income citizens are being dragged to jail for anything they can be charged with because the police know that they cannot afford their own lawyer to free them, unlike the rich. Someone who has been in prison before is likely to end up there again so the poor people are being caught in this constant cycle and cannot build their lives. We claim we don't believe in social class in America and that everyone is free but what is actually happening is that the poor are getting more miserable, acquiring help from no one, while the rich are having the road to freedom paved for them.
When reading Courtroom 302, the author successfully shows the reader the general population of these jailhouses: low-income minorities. These people weren't even charged with anything yet, they were in jail waiting for their court date. Low-income citizens are being dragged to jail for anything they can be charged with because the police know that they cannot afford their own lawyer to free them, unlike the rich. Someone who has been in prison before is likely to end up there again so the poor people are being caught in this constant cycle and cannot build their lives. We claim we don't believe in social class in America and that everyone is free but what is actually happening is that the poor are getting more miserable, acquiring help from no one, while the rich are having the road to freedom paved for them.
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