...Tradition Turned Dirty The old neighborhood was nearly unrecognizable. There were no limitations set this year for our annual rivalry of destruction between the city and county of our town. We always referred to it as rival destruction but it had always been clean fun before this year. It had never led to such destruction in the years past. The old neighborhood versus the new neighborhood was a tradition that always resulted in vandalism but nothing to the nature of what we came back to in our inner city neighborhoods the morning after our festive night. The rivalry turned down right dirty and immoral. Rivalry week, as we called it, was the week leading up to the very special Friday night when the Valdosta High School Wildcats would take on the Lowndes County High School Vikings. The students of Valdosta High, which included me, were referred to as the “old hood” and students of Lowndes County High were the “new hood”, since their county suburbs were freshly constructed. People that aren’t from Lowndes County would wonder why some high school football game be so special, until they witnessed this crazy, exciting annual event. Our town’s high school students wouldn’t revolve a whole week around this one night unless it was truly a big deal! Even so, we were afraid that after this particular year, our “big deal” tradition would forever be put to an end. The Thursday night before the big game, our crew of Valdosta Wildcats set out to seize some seriously planned fun of vandalism...
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...and a half years that I have lived here, I have made my home in Crestwood’s Springfield, a subdivision located in Central Springfield. While a large percentage of the people living in Crestwood’s Springfield are of Hispanic ethnicity, the neighborhood almost depicts the traditional middle class White American community typical in this country. According to my landlord, when the subdivision was first built, the group of migrates that populated the area was likely somewhere in the range of 90 percent White American. Today Crestwood’s Springfield is approximately 40 percent White American, 10 percent Asian American and 50 percent Hispanic American (“U.S. Census Bureau”, 2010). On any given sunny day in the neighborhood, it is not uncommon to see one or two of my neighbors washing their car, walking hand-in-hand with their spouse and children, or working in the yard. The homes are well maintained, with the majority of them having beautifully landscaped yards. The subdivision was built with the diversity of its inhabitants in mind: “There were strict covenants which enforced cleanliness of all the homes and yards, as well as supported legal enforcement of architectural codes (which ensured that the original design of the entire neighborhood was kept harmonious, visually appealing, clean and supported the maintenance of quality for...
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...sure that your marketing materials are present in each place. Banners: One of the most effective ways to market an apartment complex is by hanging a simple banner off of the building facing the street; this is particularly useful if your complex is near a major highway. If you are located away from main streets, consider putting up a sign that says "Apartments for Rent" with an arrow indicating the direction. Many people search for apartments by driving around neighborhoods that they like, and a banner or a sign is an easy-to-see advertisement that does not require a large investment. Before using signs, check your area's regulations on their use to avoid incurring fines or other penalties. Craigslist: When searching for a place to live, many people head directly to the Craigslist postings for their city. To post your apartments, simply visit the Craigslist page for your area and click on the "post to classifieds" button. When advertising on the site, avoid placing logos and generic floor plans; often, readers will skip directly over these. Instead, write a basic listing for each available unit and include details about utilities. To increase the hits for your ad, be sure to include prices, offer an email reply option, and post pictures with the listing. Universities: If your apartment complex is appropriate for students, consider looking into advertising with a local university or even a community college. Many schools offer off-campus housing listings, and you will...
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...Today, my family and I volunteered at Serve Visalia. Neighborhood Church started a community centered ministry a few years ago that focuses on serving our local communities. Serve Visalia is a concerted effort that helps the community with graffiti removal, tree planting, feeding the homeless, fire hydrant repainting, and decorating local elementary schools to help motivate the students as they begin STAR testing to name a few. My family and I chose to help decorate Goshen Elementary School. We helped put together gift baskets for all the students participating in STAR testing. Each student received a gift basket that included candy, fruit snacks, pencils, and a notepad. We also helped design and paint posters that would eventually be hung in the student classrooms. Each poster had an encouraging message aimed at motivating the students to do their best while taking the STAR test. We also hung banners down the halls and decorated the teacher’s lounge. It was very important for me to have my kids participate because, as the spiritual leader of my home, I wanted to show my children that they can serve God in many ways other than attending church on Sunday. Several years ago, I made a commitment to help my family grow in their faith by serving others in need. I wanted their lives to take on a much greater significance. Helping others has become part of our lives and Serve Visalia is a great way to do that with friends and family. We usually try to make it fun by randomly...
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...The High Life In high school peer pressure is stronger then ever. Students are critically judged by their peers and are forced to either compromise one’s own moral values to fit into the group or face being ostracized and out casted. Students sometimes feel backed against a wall and following the group is sometimes easier than going against the grain. It all started a few years ago on a blistering summer day towards the end of the school year. Class was, like usual, long, boring and unbelievably tiresome. All day long I had been thanking God, more than usual, that it was Friday; earlier that day I ran it an old friend, Deiondre Howard, we made plans to hangout; he said he wanted to introduce me to a few friends and chill with a few girls. So with the possibility of meeting and flirting with a couple hot girls, I droned through last period, counting the seconds go by on my English teacher’s old handmade wooden clock. Suddenly the bell rings, I sighed with instant relief, “Finally”. I darted out of class like a bat out of hell, excited, I immediately ran into the jam packed grid-lock traffic of Bayside High School’s hallways. As I pushed, shoved, and fought my way through the human blockade I slowly but surely made it closer to the courtyard. Bayside’s courtyard is like a crucible filled with every type of spice you could imagine mixed together. With that said, like any other high school, Bayside still had its moments of segregation based on popularity. For instance, there’s...
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...Week 2 Assignment Windshield Survey Summary and Reflection (Part 1 of the Programmatic Assessment) Fleurette Duverglas University of Phoenix NUR/405 - HEALTHY COMMUNITIES: THEORY AND PRACTICE Professor Sharon Baker November 17, 2014 Windshield Survey and Reflection Introduction The fundamental objective of conducting a community assessment is to attain the complete scenario of the region and identify the requirements of the specific community. This assignment is reflection of my windshield survey conducted in North Miami Beach. The client includes a family that consists of five members. The assessment of the community is based on precise and inclusive examination of various aspects that includes history, health care issues of the region, data on the population of community, mediums of communication available, vital statistics, governmental efforts, and attitude and perception of the community members. The community health nursing requires a holistic approach, and the selected five member family needs to be considered with respect to. (Annerbäck, 2012). Community is specifically defined as the “social group of any volume whose members inhabits in specified locality, share government, and often have a similar cultural and historical heritage”. Furthermore, community health can be understood as congregation of combined requirements through identification of problems and administration behaviors within the community itself...
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...Lockdown By Walter Dean Myers Year of Publication: 2010 Setting: Juvenile Facility Overview: This book is mainly about a young man named Reese that really wants to change his life around. Reese is being moved from a juvenile jail to a real jail. He has many different problems going on while he is in the juvenile center. Reese gets involved in a fight with his friend Toon and gets put in a bad situation. Reese is given a second chance and promises to turn his life around. At the beginning of the book, Reese, a 14 year old boy has already spent twenty-two months in Progress, a juvenile facility for troubled youths. Reese really wants to get out, and some of the authorities have noticed his potential. Reese spends his first day in a pilot work-release program. His job is to do whatever is asked of him at Evergreen nursing home. When Reese gets to Progress after his day of work, he finds out from his friend Play that one of Progress’s bullies, Diego is planning on jumping his friend Toon. Usually, Diego’s makes threats but doesn't follow through, but this time they are worried because a serious gang member named Cobo has been sent to Progress before he goes to an adult facility. Reese does not want to just stand and watch while Toon is beaten up, but he knows that if he wants to get out of there, that he cannot get into a fight. The next morning, when the guards walk through and calls roll, Toon’s doesn't answer, and he shows up at breakfast with bruises and cuts...
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...computer or Xbox, I told him to get his behind outside and play baseball, basketball or ride his bike! His response was, “who am I going to play with Dad? There is no one outside. All my friends are online, playing World of Warcraft.” I was astounded, mouth hanging wide open in disbelief, when I opened the door and it was like a ghost town, there were no children anywhere and I know there are a lot of kids in our neighborhood, I would see them walking to school or the bus stop every morning during school. Where were all the kids? They were inside on their computers, phones, iPad, or gaming consoles being antisocial and lazy or watching television. My only response was oh my God the biggest problem I had growing up was, do I want to play with the kids to the right or the kids to the left? Do we want to play basketball, baseball, go swimming or ride our bikes around the neighborhood? And for God sake be home before the streetlights come on, because I DO NOT want to be grounded to my yard tomorrow. With all the advancements in Technology along come the changes in our society. Technology is causing children to be socially awkward individuals. Teenagers can’t hold a civil conversation with one another; they stand around with phone in hand, texting, tweeting, facebooking, fidgeting or anything to...
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...Poverty porn By: Gilda Cordero-Fernando Philippine Daily Inquirer 4:43 am | Sunday, June 17th, 2012 From time to time, National Artist Francisco Sionil Jose poses questions like, “What is wrong with us?” or “Why we are so shallow?” And one day I got bristling mad and told him, “Speak for yourself, Frankie!” Of course he just laughed at me and said, “Not you, but we as a people.” “But I am a people!” I said indignantly, “And such statements make me boil.” He laughed even more and continued to invite debates still more depressing. By then truly aggravated, I suddenly remembered a contemporary who had been an honor student but somehow never made it in life. He was always in dire need, buying and selling odds and ends to keep body and soul together. Whenever he visited me he would complain over and over how poor and luckless he was. Suddenly I remembered those affirmations that “abundance” workshops assigned participants to repeat, “I am loved,” “I am beautiful,” “I have everything I need.” My friend’s was a mantra, too, only in reverse. Looking at him made me realize that, yes, repetition does make what you repeat become reality. That was my brief with Mr. Frankie Sionil Jose. I was his direct opposite. I know he loves the Filipinos, too, but he criticizes them negatively, if brilliantly, while all I want is for my kabayan to feel the simple joys of being loved. More interesting artery Often a middle-class district suddenly leads to an older, crowded, poorer but more interesting...
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...effect on each other. One student in your math class may have taught you how to remember the order of operations. You might admire a friend or peer who is really smart in school and try to be more like him. Positive peer pressure can even be used the pressure bullies into behaving nicer to other kids around them! If enough kids get together, peers can steer each other into doing the right thing! My third example here is done in two ways: you got a call from a friend while you are at a movie theater; your peers would tell you to quiet down. You might also look around and see that everyone is staying quiet, so you might act the same. Whichever way it happened, you were influenced by your peers to act in some way, in this case, staying quiet in the movie theater. These are examples of positive influence from peers...
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...and can't do. I wanted things my own way...I ended up going to 3 of my friends' houses hoping they'd never catch me. I didn't have that much money with me and I wondered how I was going to make it. When it got dark, I didn't know where to sleep. I finally called my parents and went home but they never let that day go. I wanted to though. When I went to school, my friend Kristina and I would always skip classes just for the fun of it. At least that's what she thought. The real reason I wanted to get away because I hated school. Bi hated the teachers some of the other students besides my friends. I was so bored every day and started acting out. I started hanging with the bad crowd and starting doing things I knew I shouldn't be doing. So when she and I would run away from school we would have the thrill of our lives. Going through shopping centers or just having fun doing bad things being around the neighborhoods was all I need to feel better about myself. Apparently, I never learned my lesson. I ran away from home a second time. I went to a friend who I thought I could trust, my friend Christian. I was suicidal at the time so I could have killed myself when I had the chance. I don't know why I really ran way that day. I wanted to get away from my parents I guess. Do you ever have parents who think will never understand you? I do. I couldn't stay at home. I don't live with my brothers and sisters and I'm an only child at home. It's like every day they push me away and push...
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...existing friendships and made new ones with people who shared her passion for theater, and also shared her overly dramatic nature. Friendships that would either last or fade after she graduated and that Patricia would learn to handle in her own way. While in the theater club she found value in working hard for something she wanted and enjoyed every minute of it. Patricia remembers how she was before high school and often reminisces on how much she owns to Mrs. Lawrence for getting her involved in the club in the first place. She eventually spent all her free time on club activities as an officer. Patricia spent much of her time with the club on stage either as an actor or a stage hand. She also recalled many times the teacher also took all her students to competitions on her own personal time in order to keep them out of trouble. Patricia stated that, “I miss her a lot and I wish she was still alive.” She herself remembers that Mrs. Lawrence affected not just her own life but the lives of all her club mates in a positive way by setting them on a steady path to a bright future, whether they decided to pursue a career in theater or just chose to go to a college with a good theater...
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...Gang Leader For A Day SECTION 1 1.) How would you respond if a graduate student from an elite university turned up at your door and announced his intention to study you? If a graduate student from an elite university showed up at my door with intentions to study me, I think that I would allow him access. I would like the chance to hear what they had to say about my lifestyle. I’ve always questioned the way I live and if other peoples lives’ are similar. I don’t think that I live an odd life, but it would be interesting to see how a stranger viewed it. I know at first that I’d be a lot like J.T. in regard to certain aspects of my life. I wouldn’t behave the way I always do, I’d be on my best behavior at least until we familiarized ourselves with one another. If we became friends like Sudhir and J.T. then I would have no trouble letting my guard completely down. 2.) How would your reaction differ from what Sudhir Venkatesh encountered in Gang Leader for a Day? I think I would have had a very different reaction from Sudhir, at least in the beginning. If my first run in with J.T. was like his, it would have also been my last run in with J.T. First and foremost I would have been very scared, I mean he was held hostage in a stairwell over night. Secondly, I would have taken the fact that I was just held hostage very personally. Then if I did find it in my heart to go back there and hang out with J.T. and his crew at the first sign of real violence I would have been out...
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...She stars as a teenage runaway turned prostitute who befriends Henry. Henry takes her in and gives her shelter, food, and takes her to get tested for HIV in hopes of getting her off the streets. While her real age is never revealed it is known that she is significantly younger than Henry, but falls in love with him just the same. Because of this age difference Henry pushes her away as she pulls him closer. It is not until the end of the movie that Henry realizes that love comes in many different shapes and sizes, and it is best to accept any form that he can get. Sami’s role shows that while others around her are all failing at life she can change and fix, and grow. She shares this with Henry, who eventually shares it with the...
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...Elliot is twenty-two years old. He is not married and has no children. A child of divorce and a nail-biter, he is the only one sitting on the Cobblestone park bench tonight, hugging his knees like Glenn Beck in a crowd “too high for heaven” at Woodstock, some forty years earlier. He is depressed because every girl he has tried to connect with has rejected him. He is taking college courses and, in the meantime, has a job pushing around various fluids of different color and aroma with a splintered mop. He is tired and has lost sight of his last handful of adventures in what is surely the twilight of his youth. Of course we have all felt like Elliot at least once, and I, along with the nurse’s staff, have felt blessed to be in the presence of each of you. And I know that this has been a lengthy stay for some of you, but I can only hope that your discharge will be expedient and convenient and that you can resume with your lives. Since, you have chosen to take part in the new study, I will expect to be getting some follow up e-mails within the next few weeks. One thing I can say about this medication is that I know it makes people feel like they can do what they saw as so stressful before. A buddy of mine was telling me the other day, at my favorite golf course in Michigan, how he had a client whose sister’s BFF was part of a similar study. Her worries about filling out a bikini top quickly turned into a desire to fill out job applications in a matter of days. This is the same girl...
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