the system

The System
I am a product of the system. Look around the room. Every student in this class is a product of the system. There is no reason that anyone should believe that compulsory education does anything but empower the future of this great country!
It is my strong belief that a portion of the youth in this country do not take advantage of the opportunities that are given to them. Unlike many inner-city schools, the students in “Stand and Deliver” were given the opportunity to take Advanced Placement Calculus. These students went above and beyond what a majority of kids would do, to not only pass but to succeed (Stand and Deliver). This proves that given the opportunity, the chance of having someone believe in them is a simple task to future success for our country.
I come from a small town and a large family where education was forced to be my number one priority no matter how hard I fought it. Our school district offered many programs such as Advanced Placement classes, Gear Up program, and dual credit classes. The Advanced Placement classes allowed you to take more strenuous courses and at the end of the year students could test out of it to earn college credit. The Gear Up program was created to encourage students to pursue higher education after high school, whether it be college or a technical school. Our local community college offered dual credit courses which we received local high school credits as well as college hours. These programs were developed to help students succeed in their educational careers so that they would go on and become stronger members of the community and society when they got older.
My peers from other schools also participated in the programs mentioned above as well as a few programs that were new to me. Their schools held College Nights, where representatives from various colleges and universities throughout the state came and talked to the students about what their schools had to offer and to promote the desire for the high school students to attend college. The districts also allowed juniors and seniors a “college day” where the students can go visit their college of choice before making their final decision. Some schools even take groups to colleges to explore their options.
Some schools also implement incentives for the students that succeed in their classes. This encourages the students to do well and gives them something to look forward to after they complete all of the hard work. Communities also participate in the success of students. In “Idiot Nation,” Michael Moore talks about a restaurant that gives the children that met their reading goals a free personal pan pizza (“Idiot Nation,” 144). This teaches children at a young age how to set goals and to stick to them for their own good. Not only are the school districts promoting education but many businesses take part in the effort!
I agree with the video, titled “Teachers” we watched in class. Teachers do not do the work they do for the money. They spend endless hours trying to influence our youth and to “build a better tomorrow.” They never ask for the honors some CEO of a company may receive or the praises of an award winning actor. This is an excerpt from a poem about teachers:
“I wanted you to know, That I'm grateful for your hard work in helping me to grow. For your constant understanding and for always being there, To tell me I can do it and to show me that you care!” (DTLK Growing Together).
Teachers know that at the end of the day they are appreciated and that’s worth all the money in the world to them.
It isn’t only the effort of the school district, the community, and teachers but also the support of the child’s parents. The combination of these three key factors is a perfect equation for a successful education for students across the nation and across the world. Hillary Clinton once said, “it takes a village to raise a child,” and in this instance that is the truth.
Compulsory education puts everything they possibly can into educating our youth. When given the educational opportunities students must take them and strive to succeed. Schools must provide proper programs to influence children to higher their education after high school. The community should also take Moore’s advice to participate in the local children’s education. Teachers should keep doing what they are doing because with out them we would not be able to be in this classroom today. And last but not least, parents should support their children in everything that they choose to do in life while stressing the importance of education.

Work Cited

“DTLK Growing Together.” DTLK’s Site. 2007. 13 September 2007.
http://www.dltk-kids.com/school/poems_for_teachers.htm

Moore, Micheal. “Idiot Nation.” Rereading America. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2007. 132-150.

Stand and Deliver. Dir. Ramon Mendez. American Playhouse, 1988.

Success

MY American Dream
There is a nice house with a white picket fence in a small town, with three children, one boy and two girls playing out in the front yard. A handsome man pulls into the driveway and the children run to him with their arms wide open, yelling “Daddy! Daddy!”….That is MY American dream! As I grow into my stilettos as a woman, I am striving to become a good wife, a nurturing mother, a successful, independent woman, achieving a stronger faith in God and being comfortable in my surroundings. This is very similar to Lynette Scavo, played by Felicity Huffman, in Desperate Housewives.
Lynette has a successful job at an advertising company. She is well known for her fiercely determined attitude and ability to knock her competition off their feet. Lynette is happily married to Tom Scavo, played by Doug Savant. Tom is the ideal man; tall, dark, and handsome. He is focused on what he wants in life and Lynette is his number one fan. The couple have four energetic, healthy children, Preston, Porter, Parker, and Penny. There is never a dull moment in the Scavo household. Lynette is surrounded by her close friends and neighbors, Susan, Bree & Gabby, that support her in everything she does. Lynette seems to have the all around perfect life, or so it seems from the outside.
Even though I envy Lynette’s killer woman power and “perfect” family, every TV
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show has it’s drama. The difference between fantasy and reality is that not every one of life’s problems can be solved in an hour, include commercial breaks. The Scavo family often feels the need to be “keeping up with the Jones’.” The real question is that even if you “have it all” are we really happy or will we always just want more? Lynette may not have the house in the Hampton’s or the luxurious yacht and she may have many flaws as a wife, a mother and a woman in general, but she appears to have a happy family. She has achieved her goals. She is an all around successful woman.
The difference between Lynette’s character and the characters we see in the tabloids of “Holly-Weird” is that I don’t feel pressured to be the image of “perfection” by her character. Lynette shows the world that she isn’t perfect, and no one is. She has made many mistakes in her life, such as becoming addicted to her son’s ADD medication. Of course she had her reasons. She thought it would help her be a more alert mother and the perfect content housewife. Even if it was an unsuccessful attempt, it just went to prove that we all have flaws. Even the most successful of women make mistakes, which only make us stronger.
The one thing that stands out between Lynette and myself is that she does not appear to have the relationship with God that I would like to have. I grew up in a strong Catholic family. I fully intend to raise my children with the same Catholic values and beliefs that I grew up with. Faith is very important to me and I strongly believe without a strong belief in God, life can be a lot harder than it should be. There is also another difference between the two of us. Lynette is the businesswoman in the power suit and I’m the high school teacher wearing the blue jeans and spirit shirt. I am currently pursuing my
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degree in Family and Consumer Science with a teaching certificate. I know I won’t ever walk into the board room to present my marketing campaign, but when I walk in those classrooms I hope to have the same effect on the students that Lynette has on those CEOs.
The media constantly tells us what Hollywood’s idea of success is. Even in sitcoms about middle class families, success is still portrayed as having a large house, a nice car, and frivolous luxuries such as plasma TV’s and iPods. I can argue that money does not influence your ability to be a successful person, but I would be a hypocrite. In order to have the nice 5 bedroom, 3 bathroom house in the suburbs, or the safe, family SUV of my dreams, I must have money. Sure, thousands of Americans live on credit and have all of these luxury items, but are they truly happy? That brings me to the question of what is happiness? I believe that I will be happy once I have achieved all of my life goals, I am surrounded by those that love me, and when I have developed a strong relationship with God.








Work Cited
Desperate Housewives. ABC. KVUE. 16 January 2005.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas

The tree is lit up and decorated, the star is on top, gifts are stacked underneath, the stockings are hung by the fire place with care…it’s that time of year, Christmas time that is! Eighty-seven percent of Americans refer to themselves as religious people. Therefore, it should be no surprise that a majority of American holidays are based on Christian beliefs, specifically Christmas. According to Dictionary.com the definition of Christmas is “the annual festival of the Christian church commemorating the birth of Jesus: celebrated on December 25 and now generally observed as a legal holiday and an occasion for exchanging gifts.” Most popular American Christmas customs are based on Christian beliefs.
During the Christmas season, over 36 million Christmas trees are bought and placed in the homes of American families (Pope Explains…). The Christmas tree is viewed as the most popular symbol of the holiday season. The Evergreen can survive through extreme cold winters, symbolizing human’s ability to undergo the harsh reality of life (How Christmas Trees Work). The Pope claims that the Evergreen represents the tree of life and God’s ultimate gift to his followers. Each family has their own traditions of cutting and decorating the tree, such as purchasing the tree the day after Thanksgiving and stringing lights on it that night. Many Christians don’t believe in removing the tree from the home until January 6th. This is 12 days after the birth of Christ when the three wise men arrived following
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the star of Bethlehem.
Many non-Christian Americans participate in the holiday season by exchanging gifts. The Three Wise Men, also known as the Three Kings or the Magi, went to visit baby Jesus in his manger. The Three Wise Men took gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. This created the tradition of exchanging gifts as part of holiday season. Referring back to the definition of Christmas, it is an “occasion for exchanging gifts.” Some may believe that for this reason, Christmas has become a commercial holiday, and it has lost it’s true meaning and a price tag is being put on a religious holiday. The typical American consumer spends on average $681 on gifts during the Christmas season. This includes non-believers. Non-Christians participate in gift giving because it has become an American tradition that is not only targeted towards Christians.
Children are told Christmas stories about Santa Claus and they even take pictures with them in the mall, little do they know that the jolly fellow in the red suite is a symbol of a saint. St. Nicholas was a Christian bishop that was well known for giving money to the poor, one night he dropped a bag of gold down the chimney of a needy man and it landed in his socks that were being hung to dry. That is where the tradition of hanging stockings came from. St. Nicholas’ feast day is celebrated on December 6th. St. Nick has been Americanized and become Santa Claus, giving gifts to children around the world on Christmas eve.
As you drive down the streets of the suburbs or pretty much any American house you will see Christmas lights strung outside as well as inside on the tree that can be seen through the window. Did you ever wonder why we did this? Christians do this to represent the Christmas star that announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds in the field and the Wise Men in the east (Christmas Symbols). When it’s all lit up it is suppose to be a little reminder of the miracle of life of God’s only son.
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A star is also placed on the top of the tree when the decorating is complete. “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.” (Mathew 2:10)
The American culture is primarily Christian, and the holiday season reflects that for believers and non-believers alike. Even if it isn’t thought of, each of these things are Christian symbols, that have stories behind them. The tree, gift giving, Santa Claus, stockings, and stars, along with numerous other symbols are traced back to Christianity. The Christmas holiday is just one example of how religion has it’s round about way of effecting culture in our society. So next time you go pick out a Christmas tree with your family and you are making another trip to the mall for more holiday shopping, think about the real meaning behind the things that you do!













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Work Cited

Christmas Symbols. 24 October 2007. http://athomeschool.com/unitstudy/christmas_symbols_06.htm.

“How Christmas Trees Work.” How Stuff Works. 24 October 2007. http://christmas.howstuffworks.com/christmas-tree1.htm.

“Pope explains symbolism of Christmas Trees.” Catholic World News. December 20, 2004.
24 October 2007. http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=34135.

Matthew (2:10). The New American Bible. Saint Jerome Press, Wichita 1987.