Strange Places

When I was in England I would always look the wrong way when crossing the road. Because the roads are opposite of how they are here, I always looked the wrong way (even though our motto is "look both ways"). It was also weird because we walked everywhere instead of drove. It was either that or take the "underground". We also walked everywhere in Spain and Paris, but I guess it would be about the same in the city.

One thing that I couldn't get over when I went to Europe was their water power. In America I don't think we realize how strong our water power is, for example how hard the shower head sprays or how fast the toilet flushes. The showers in England felt like the water just trickled out of the shower head and the toilets took forever to flush. Its a weird thing to notice but I couldn't help how much it bothered me.

A Bronx Tale- Social Construction of Reality

The city Collogero lives in seems to be a small area where everyone knows everyone. The way to keep at the top of the chain in that area is to be the most intimidating. Within the white part of the neighborhood Sonny seemed to be at the top of the food chain because everyone feared him, and then he had his "crew", then the common people(like Collogero's father), and then their kids.

The obvious norm of the area was the separation of blacks and whites. The obvious split between the two places showed just how non-accepting they were of each other. Blacks weren't allowed to travel freely within the white area of the city and whites weren't welcomed in the blacks' area either. The unfair part of it is that blacks had to attend school in the white people's part of the city, which left them at a disadvantage. Its funny to see how helpless each victim is within the other's end of town. Like the black kids riding their bikes when Collogero's friends beat them up. They were portrayed as helpless as they were being attacked, but when Collogero walks Jane home and is suddenly crossing territories, the blacks there are tough and he has become helpless.

In the social hierarchy, everyone seems to thrive on being the meanest and baddest just to be at the top.

Groups

I wasn't in class for this discussion so I'm going to try to go along with it and hopefully I'll make sense?

Obviously everything i do represents who I am- but specifically each "group" i'm in has its own characteristic. My job shows responsibility, my clubs show hard work, my friends represents fun, my school/grades represents my ambition and work ethics(I guess?). My job, clubs, and school represent the same common idea but without all of these factors in my life, things would be so completely different and I'm glad that i have all of these things in my life.

(except my job...that i could live without- but hey its money!)

Community Service

Over the past few years, I've done a lot of community service. Before high school I volunteered at the Vernon Area Public library for a few summers to work at the summer reading progrom for younger kids. My first year as a volunteer I worked the 2nd most hours out of all the volunteers and became a senior volunteer my 3rd year. I've been a captain for the past 4 years for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. I have also volunteered at the Buffalo Grove Park District and was a frequent participant of G.I.V.E. freshman and sophomore year. Freshman year I also went with the school's hip hop club to dance at SedgeBrook. Class Board and BOSS also have many community service projects.

I am looking forward to doing another community service project, outside of what I have already done. If it weren't for this class I probably would never get around to doing any of the community service that I've been wanting to do.