Deprived From Success

If I was not required to go to school, would I be the same person I am today? Would I be sitting in front of my laptop typing a paper about school? Would I be on the side of the road not knowing how to read or write? As much as I used to complain about waking up in the morning to go to school, I do not regret it. Not only do I believe compulsory education can sometimes disempower the American population, I believe it is what helps us shape out the rest of our lives. In some cases the government does not step in to help students further their education when necessary. I provide examples through my own life experience and through true story movies whom also experience financial difficulties.
I grew up in a low income neighborhood and went to a school that was not well funded. In elementary school, I was too young to know about our school’s financial status. When I turned 12-years-old, I moved to Bufford, Georgia. This school was nothing compared to the ones in San Antonio! Now I had at least three working computers in each class, new books with no graffiti, and desks that looked as if they had just came out of the manufacturing company. It was like nothing I had ever seen. The material they had in my new school was so much more help to my learning. The school had computer programs demonstrating step by step math problems and they had educational programs that helped us locate countries and continents. It was a great improvement in my education. By the time I entered high school, I had already moved back to San Antonio. I found our resources to be a disgrace. If we were luck, we had at least one working computer in each class, all our books, along with our desks,were tagged in. Our school had low TAKS scores and low attendance, putting our school at risk of suspension and disclosure. Some teachers and counselors were pushing us to do well on the TAKS while others were telling us that it did not matter to them because more than likely our school was going to be shut down and they were already finding other jobs. How does that encourage the student? If the teacher does not show a positive attitude and they are unwilling to help, then what makes you think a student is going to have an eager attitude to do better? As in the movie Stand and Deliver, Kimo, a calculus teacher, had to talk to the students and give them faith that they could do it (“Stand and Deliver” 1988 film). If the students don’t have motivation, they more than likely won’t motivate themselves.
According to Texas State Law, the government provides school with financial help according to how well students do on TAKS and other tests. Well think about it, if a school or district with a low financial status is already doing poorly because they can’t afford proper teaching materials for classes and students, how is depriving them from financial help going to make the students do better? Schools obviously need better materials to learn from. And in order to receive better material, schools need financial help from the government. In the reading “Still Separate, Still Unequal” by Jonathan Kozol, they show a perfect example of my theory. Take Mireya’s, a local high school student, dilemma for example; “I don’t want to take hairdressing. I did not need sewing either. I knew how to sew. My mother is a seamstress in a factory. I’m trying to go to college(Kozol, pg.253).” Mireya preferred to take AP classes to help further her education in preparation for college. She did not want to follow the family tradition of becoming a seamstress. But because of the school's low financial status, the school did not offer AP classes. This is where the governments is supposed to come in and help improve a child’s education.
I believe educators and administration have an impact on your education? In the movie Dangerous Minds, The North Carolina High School had a dominant race of Hispanics, and teachers treated the students as if they were nobodies and criminals. Luckily, in this movie, the students had a teacher who cared about what the students did with their lives. It was because of this teacher that the students had a different perspective of what their lives were about. In this particular movie, the Principal did not care how important a student’s situation was, if they did not knock on the door on his office door before entering, he would turn the student away and not listen to a word of their situation or problem. The Principal did nothing to benefit the students at his school. In the movie, Michelle Pfeiffer reports to the Principal countless times with her concerns and ideas, but like his students, he would ignore her(“Dangerous Minds” 1995 film). If the Principal does not make an effort to help students, then how are they suppose to improve?
Though the choice of a student impacts their education, financial assistance is required to obtain a higher education. A student can't pursue an education on their own. Whether mentally or financially, students need all the support they can get. So should the government have a school shut down because they do not have all the material to learn, or are they going to withhold learning material from the future doctors and lawyers?

I miss God

As long as I can remember, I've been going to San Martin De Porres Catholic Church. It was just around the corner from our house and my whole family would go to church every Sunday at 12 and go eat afterwards. Well as time went by we stopped going to church. The only time we go to church now is when someone passes away. How terrible is that? Lately I have been thinking that I've been wanting to go to church. Is it wrong for me to want to go to a church that interests me? I love all the songs we use to sing together at San Martin De Porres, but when the Reverend would talk, I could barely understand him with his accent. I want to at least understand what he is saying. I'm not sure if that is bad to even think.

Gus

In the corner round table in front of the window, with the flower pattern curtains draped over it, sits Gus.He sits directly underneath the birdcage. Gus is a middle aged man with salt and pepper hair. He always wears a white cowboy hat, which is nearly beige at this point. He wears a baby pink and white hankercheif around his neck over his brown striped button-down shirt. Along with his steel-toe boots, he has gloves in case any dirty business has to go down. Something is different today... The expression he wears states he has his eyes on someone. He's watching someone closely.

My Opinion

These past weeks discussions have been interesting to me. From the "Pursuit Of Hapiness" to "The Assualt for Reason" by Algore. I have my own thoughts and opinions and 'm going to share them with you.
"The Pursuit Of Happiness" was a very touching movie. I admired Chris's initiative in EVERYTHING he did. He was doing whatever it took to succeed and to provide for his family. But even though he had a happy ending, does everyone who tries have a happy ending? In my opinion I believe it all depends on the individuals happy ending. If person A's happy ending is having enough money to pay the bills without worry, then their goal is much more easier than person B who wants to pay the bills along with extra spending benefits. It is more likely for person A to reach it's goal.
In the "Assault for Reason", Algore states how the wealthy have the power. I for one agree. I believe someone who can pay their way through can succeed. Yes someone of a lower class could be heard, but not as soon or as loud as someone who can pay to get heard.

A Beautiful Dancer

I stare with admiration. I look upon the girl I wish to one day be. The only word to describe what I stare at is beauty. And when I say beauty, I mean the dancer exceeds the normal in appearance and outlook. As the ballerina dances, I see the perfection within every movement she makes. Her Pointe shoes make a “clicking” sound as she glides across the dance room, her body gracefully moves with the music.
Her fingers well formed. Showing the proper poise a dancer should have. Her head is lifted high with confidence. The expression she holds across her face is effortless as if it was easy enough for a two-year-old to do. She holds her abdominals tight, and her posture held upright. She quickly makes her way to the right of the room, she holds her position, she waits for the exact beat, exact count . . . off she goes! She chassés across the floor, 1, 2, delicately crosses her arms across her chest, 3, 4, leaps into mid-air 5, 6. I keep my eyes open, not wanting to blink. I dare not miss one second of her performance. She holds the leap in a perfect position as if she were frozen or floating in mid-air. The height of the leap is spectacular. She seems to hold the position long enough for a photograph to be taken. 7, 8, she lightly steps onto the ground barely making a sound, as if she were landing on clouds.
She wears a pink tutu dress that flows with any movement she makes. As she dances, the tutu dress moves from side to side. The top of the dress hugs her stomach showing her muscular abdominals. The tutu is long, puffy, and sheer. I close my eyes and imagine that the tutu dress is on me. I see myself dancing around on a stage with the light directly on me. I picture myself doing the exact movements the ballerina was doing. Oh how I wish this was true.
I have been dancing since I was five-years-old. Dance has become my passion. Nothing excites me more than performing in front of a large crowd. Learning a routine, perfecting it, then performing for others to observe is such a great accomplishment for me. When I see professional dancers doing a technique I am attempting to perfect, it only pushes me to practice harder and to always do my best. I’ve gone to ballets before, and I have seen many performances, just being there puts a smile on my face, and I simply fall in love with dance itself. Whether I am watching a dance performance, watching a newly released dance movie, or buying a new dance poster, I can’t help but think it’s beautiful.
So I step into the room finally and decide to sit in front of the mirror to watch the ballerina dance. I stare with admiration. I look upon the girl I wish to one day be.

The Graduate

In The Graduate, why has Rocwell chosen to place his subject in front of a newspaper?
-I believe Rockwell put the graduate in front of the newspaper because after graduation you no longer have adults to look out for you. You are on your own to face the real world.

To what extent are the headlines of the paper relevant?
-Even though the headlines are not up to date upon what is happening in the US, they do seem to have similar problems.

What is Rockwell suggesting through the young man's posture and attitude?
-I see confusion and clueless. Like if the young man has no idea that all this could be happening.

I know what they're going through...

Back in San Antonio I use to go to a school named John F. Kennedy. We were part of the Edgewood Independent School District. Now the thing is being apart of that school district you weren't exactly the proudest. We were know as the poorest district in the community. As Garfield High in the movie "Stand and Deliver" our teachers and principals were scared of our school going into suspension. Our teachers were driving us crazy! There we so many benchmarks and practice TAKS test! Everyday in class there was not one moment were the TAKS was not brought up.
I was actually the type of girl who cared about my grades and was quite frankly tired of the TAKS talk. Seeing those "thug" kids who just didn't give a damn and skipped school more often than being in class were not helping our situation. I was not sure if all the kids who cared could actually pull through and help our school. In the end, we ended up being Recognized for having so many students pass the TAKS. I guess all that TAKS talk actually sank into everyone's head and we just did not want to hear it anymore. =]