Where The Story Ends

Clearly my love for The Fray hasn't changed over the past semester considering they made up the title, but I am definitely sociologically different than I was a few months ago.

August 23rd, I posted my first blog about myself:

Hi everyone! I'm not really digging writing about myself, but here it goes... 

I'm seventeen and a senior in high school. Horseback riding is absolutely one of my favorite things to do. I started riding when I when I was six and have never turned back. Being around horses makes me happy and lets me unwind. If being in love with music is possible, I definitely am. The Fray is my favorite band and I've been addicted since I was in seventh grade. I've been to four of their concerts and am desperately waiting for them start touring again. But I also love finding and listening to a whole bunch of other bands. I also really love coffee. Caribou Coffee's blended vanilla white chocolate mocha is the greatest thing ever created. Camping is another one of my favorite things to do; along with just being outside. I like working out or going for a run too. On top of all of that, I've been babysitting an insane amount lately which stops my debit card account from plummeting because of coffee. My family and friends mean everything to me and they're a huge part of my life.

It's practically impossible to describe yourself in an entire blog so I think I'll stop here, and maybe you'll find out more about me in my writing on sociology.

Throughout the year I learned there are so many factors that impact and influence everyone, which essentially make all of us who we are. Groups, without a doubt, define a part of us. The people we associate ourselves with represent what we value, and without them life wouldn't be the same. I realized that I'm a sister, a daughter, a cousin, a horseback rider, a friend, a lover of music, a coffee addict, an adventurer, a runner, a senior in high school, along with hundreds of others. Those groups are who we are, who I am. They give us purpose and meaning in life. However, there are also groups constructed by stereotypes and discrimination, which restrict anyone who is a part of them. Between defining and degrading people based on their class, race, age, ethnicity, or gender is unquestionably affecting socialization.

Slowly I started to learn that our country basically sucks at times, to put it simply. Equal opportunity, justice, freedom are things way easier said than done. Our culture has so many flaws it's borderline ridiculous. There are so many chances for people to go out there an make a difference: lend a hand to those less fortunate, be deviant and help another, defend your beliefs, protect others, be opinionated, and fight for what is right. We underestimate how much we can do if we changed the way we're living or how much learning about our society could open our eyes.

I have explored, experienced, appreciated, understood, and learned so much since August. After expanding my knowledge about the world us in sociology this past semester, I want to make the effort to learn and change because one person can have an insane impact. 

This past Sunday morning, after five hours of sleep and before going to my first Bears game, I spent some time volunteering at Keshet. This Sunday school offers a fun and educational environment for children and adults with disabilities. My experience at Keshet was unlike any other. 

Before I got there, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. All I had was some previous experience babysitting for a neighbor: a girl who was the same age as me except she had severe disabilities. Once I arrived at Keshet there were a dozen of volunteers who braved the cold and ice to come out that morning. Having no idea where to go, I asked one of them. After being directed down the hall, I met Rana, the Sunday school director. She was an incredibly busy woman, trying to single-handedly run the whole place. Rana quickly explained to me what Keshet was about and where I was assigned that day. I was in a room with two students, Alex and Gilit, and two other teacher aids, Tracy and Lindsey. Gilit was my student. She’s a forty-year old woman, who beyond her disabilities is one of the sweetest people I have ever met with a smile that can light up with world.

Gilit and I participated in a full day of singing. First we went to prayer along with several other Jewish songs, none of which I knew since I’m Christian but I joyfully clapped along. Then we went upstairs to watch a choir from another temple sing to all of the students. Next we went to snack, where I was introduced to Gilit’s best friend, Zach. Finally we all gathered back in the room for more prayers and songs from the Rabbi.

It was incredibly rewarding when Gilit smiled or when she started a conversation with me. All of the volunteers there help keep Keshet running and provide one-on-one attention to those who attend. Together, all of them give the students a remarkable Sunday experience and something to look forward to every week. Just as much as I hoped I touched Gilit’s life, she touched mine. I really hope I can get back there when Keshet starts up again after winter break because the three hours I spent there were amazing.

May 17th, 1954: The incredibly moving court case, Brown vs. the Board of Education, ruled in favor of desegregation in all public schools across the United States.

Before this ruling, psychologist Dr. Kenneth Clark researched the impact segregation had on black children in the 1940s. His famous experiment became known as the "Doll Test" found segregation was detrimental to personality development in black children. His studies provided strong evidence that was used in Brown vs. the Board of Education. (Brown vs Board and Clark's Experiment)

Recently, his study was replicated in the short film A Girl Like Me (watch film here: A Girl Like Me). It is apparent our society's strides against racism haven't gotten as far as we hoped because children still favor white dolls over black dolls, even if they are black themselves because the white dolls are "nice" and look "good". To be exact, fifteen out of the twenty studied chose the white doll over the black one. 

Other girls were interviewed in the film and felt removed from their culture being generalized as "from Africa". Just as each state in America has its different culture so do the individual countries that form Africa, but slowly these girls are forgetting where they came from and their distinct roots.

Our nation has the tendency to label those that aren't white, which is only over-simplifying several cultures and throwing them into groups based off of skin color. Solely labeling people based on this ignores the culture that makes them who they are. It also impacts they way they see themselves, wanting to be white. The black girls from A Girl Like Me wanted the straight, blond hair white girls have. It seemed they saw themselves as less beautiful because they weren't white.

What I don't understand is why. Why did whites feel entitlement and superiority? What exactly is so special about us that makes us "better" than others? Who were we to think that? We shouldn't be entitled to anything nor should we feel superior to anyone strictly because we are white. 

Continuing to remove racism from our society is crucial because kids are still learning traces of it early on.
 

Maybe one day society will finally reach perfect equality without any hints of racism.

Americans can change their social class, but it's insanely difficult and borders practically impossible. So many factors go into determining your social mobility, an important one being education. 

My grandparents on my dad's side were first generation: my grandma being entirely Polish and my grandpa entirely Italian. When my grandma was thirteen she became a second-mom to her siblings after her mother passed away. She dropped out of school, raised her brothers and sisters, then got married to my grandpa who worked long days at the Chicago Tribune, and had four children. Coming from a lower-class family, my dad worked several low-paying jobs and commuted to the University of Chicago so he could receive a higher education. He worked his way up in the work place and today is the CIO of WMS Gaming. 

I think every generation wants to be bigger and better than the one before. It takes insane amounts of work and effort to move up the social ladder, especially when you're starting from nothing. 


For several years my aunt has worked at a West Chicago public school as a principal and school administrator. A majority of her students' families struggle because they're apart of the lower-class with hardly enough money to buy them food and clothes, let alone a nice place to live in a good community that offers a great education at a public school. So many of these families can only afford cheaper homes or apartments, and the districts that offer them have a poor public education. This only puts their children at a greater risk of living in the same social class as they did. 


Something needs to be done to improve the education and school system in these districts because otherwise too many kids will fall to poverty and the struggles of the lower-class.

Side note: The New York Times dedicated a series to social class in America. For a year they studied social class in our society and titled their series "Class Matters".

Every afternoon at 2:45 there's a man who bikes along Route 22 to Dominick's where he's worked for years. He bikes home at night through any kind of weather with his backpack. No lights, all dark clothing, just the small reflectors on his pedals.

Some days near Lake Zurich I come across the same man I saw while practicing how to park in the parking lot of my old church. Two years ago he was there with his bike, a stuffed animal, skinny jeans, black tank top, top hat, a studded belt, and a dark beard. He bikes the streets around Lake Zurich, occasionally leaves to visit Deer Park mall where he's looked strangely at by others. 


According to students at our high school, each feeder middle schools represents a different social class. I came from the wealthy, upper-class, rich school with kids who are "loaded" and selfish. Realistically, my family is fortunate and well taken care of, but we don't match the classification. We support my cousin who is divorced with a seven year old daughter and we supported my aunt who was struggling with a million things and had no money. I was never raised to believe I was entitled to anything, but that I should always be there for others who were in need of help.

Being classified by a social class simply sucks. Writing others off to a generalized group restricts them from overcoming what they're limited by. What we should be noticing is that there are millions of people, let alone Americans, in the world who are trying to make ends meet and could use a little bit of our help. 

I'm sick of athletes, celebrities, big-named artists receiving billions of dollars to spend on some mansion while so many people are left to sleep on the streets. I hate seeing wealthy people treating Starbucks employees like crap trying to order some $5.30 drink that could go toward buying someone else dinner for the night (I love my Starbuck's employees, but I do spend too much on coffee). 

So many people get caught up in their own world, in their money, to notice some of it can go toward something greater. It's time to start doing something different, especially with the holidays coming up. Let's bring some happiness to everyone this season.

Young Deviant Dependence on Drugs

Just this morning one of my friends told me she was arrested last night for drug paraphernalia. She didn't break down crying. She didn't consider changing her lifestyle. For some reason, she almost seemed proud for ending up in the office of a local jail. 

Sixteen years old and she's already been handcuffed. She magically avoided the incident being written in her record. But neither were enough to tell her she's basically hit rock bottom. Within a few hours, she was back at home and already certain her her life as a druggie wasn't over.

I tried to be role-model for my friend, someone to go to no matter what was going on, someone who would love her and help her, someone to look up to when she had on else to go to. 

Apparently I'm just some ignorant, straightedge seventeen year old who doesn't know how "awesome" weed is because I refuse to be a part of it. To be honest, I don't need to try it nor care to. I don't need a drug to make me artificially happy because I'm stronger than that.

What makes me upset is seeing my friends actually think they need to be dependent on drugs to bring happiness in their lives when everything seems dark.

Our school's society is writing off kids who would probably be seriously punished if they lived elsewhere. I believe our school and our community are ignoring a serious issue and allowing excuses to cover the truth. Drugs ARE a problem; no matter what the kind or their effects. Clearly there is a problem when so many teenagers resort to being deviant by smoking or drinking because they love feeling of being "bad ass", or when so many kids think they need weed to get by. Punishments need to be implemented, programs need to be started, resources and help need to be provided so we can actually attempt to do something.


No more justifying weed or ignoring the problem. It disgusts me seeing so many people rely on marijuana just to forget and numb everything that's hurting them. There are other answers, but of course hardly anyone is there to actually help them.

post 12.

My mom always instilled this idea of "a random act of kindness" in my brother and I. At dinner my dad used to always ask two things we learned that day, while my mom overlooked it and wanted to hearthe random, kind things we had done for others.

Each individual in our society is self-centered to some extent. We're always determined to get where we need to be, focused on what we need to do, and worried about what needs to get done. Helping others is easily forgotten. 

Going out of your way to bring someone else happiness should become apart of your to-do list because it has more value than a test score, getting to class on time, or catching your favorite TV show.  

The random acts of kindness give others a small reason to smile that day. We need to start going out of our way to give something great to someone else.

Doing something awesome for others just-because is deviant. It's weird, strange, and unexpected, but it's beyond worth it.


I want to start challenging myself to do something every week because I get way too caught up in the little things. Giving someone else a reason to smile or feel awesome that day is way more important.