The Other Wes Moore: My Mentor

 

Wes Moore talks about his mentors and how they changed his life, he credits them for guiding him to a better path, achieving his dreams and goals. In one way or another, his mentors helped him get out of that bad environment in which he found himself and made his life improve in every way. At first didn't realize that they treated him a certain way because they wanted the best for him, maybe he felt they were unfair or annoying for treating him that way. However, over time Wes was able to recognize that everything was for his good and that it was worth it because he managed to overcome himself and not fall into the same mistakes that young people his age made, and that led them to their perdition.

Like Wes, I have also had people who have influenced my life and helped me achieve many things. Sometimes I think that if it hadn't been for them, I wouldn't be where I am. As you can imagine, my parents have been my mentors. My dad always taught us that we must study to be someone in life, he always bought us (my sisters and I) everything we needed to go to school, we couldn't miss a color, a piece of cardboard, or a book, he always made sure that we had the best education and resources possible. He studied and graduated in accounting from one of the best-known universities in the Dominican Republic, and he always wanted us to go to university too. My mother was also responsible for making us see that education and values are an essential part of life and that having a profession is worth more than we think. She did not have the opportunity to finish school because at that time they did not give importance to studies and they put her to work at an early age, however, my mother always helped me with my homework, and she helped and still helps me every day to be better, to not give up, to always try again and again until I achieve my goal. She drives me every day and she always tell me this phrase "Your efforts today will be rewarded tomorrow." I think that without the help of my parents, I would not be in college today.

Although I would like to say that everything is thanks to them, it is not like that. I had two teachers who undoubtedly had a significant impact on my life. The first was my mathematics teacher in the Dominican Republic, that teacher helped me whenever he did not understand a topic, he took his time to make sure that I understood everything perfectly; He advised me, he always told me that I could do that and more, that he was very intelligent and that if I put my mind to it he would go far. He encouraged me to participate in different mathematics competitions with other schools, he helped me so much that thanks to him I was part of the 6% of outstanding students in the entire country in the 2015-2016 school year. I obtained certificates and recognitions for my excellent performance, thanks to that teacher the doors to the best universities were open for me, with scholarships included. This professor was not only my academic mentor, but he was also my advisor. I was going through difficult times at that time with my family and friends, he always noticed when I was not well and always talked to me and gave me the best advice, he made sure that I was fine and that my mental health was not in trouble. danger. He is one of the reasons why I want to be a teacher, to be able to connect with my students, create an impact on them, make a change in society, and be that person that someone needs.

Then I had another teacher who helped me throughout my university admission process. My AP Spanish teacher here in the United States from the first day she cared about me (I didn't know anything about how the educational system worked here or how to apply to universities). I remember that every Thursday after class she stayed with me showing me different universities to which I could apply, after I decided on one, she helped me apply, she was attentive to the entire process, and she also helped me get financial aid and all the resources necessary for me to study after graduating from high school. She can't imagine how much I thank her for her help, without her I wouldn't be studying or maybe I wouldn't be as advanced as I am now.

Both made my academic life different but good. They were strict with their homework and exams, and when they had to correct me for some bad behavior, they did it, but with all the love in the world they helped me get ahead and achieve more than I thought. Every time I can I visit them and let them know how important they are in my life.

I feel like we all have people to give credit to for believing in us, for not doubting, and for always being present in the good and bad times. Like Wes, I also made mistakes, but I also found people who guided me on the right path and who always believed in my ability.

What music played a special role in the other Wes Moore’s life? What role does music play in your life?

What music played a special role in the other Wes Moore’s life? What role does music play in your life?

Music played a vital role in Wes's life, it made him feel identified because the lyrics made his mind forget what was happening around him. Music was his escape and what made Wes connect his two worlds (that of school and that of his neighborhood). Music in itself is a relief for the soul and an escape for the lives of many because it identifies many situations that the person may be going through or that have happened to them.

For my part, music is essential in my daily life, I use music to drive to work, to the gym, when I go for a walk, to clean the house, when I am happy, or sad, and even when I am angry I listen to music, when I am stressed because music manages to change my mood, improve how I feel and makes me stop thinking about the bad situation that may be happening. Music also helps me have fun times with friends. I feel that music serves me in all moments and states of my life.

I feel that Wes uses music to connect his two worlds and to be able to understand a little how to unite the double life that he leads. It is evident that for Wes music is the midpoint in which his school and personal life become one, and that also for other young people of his time could feel identified because the lyrics told the reality that young people lived and how society is damaged by drugs, alcohol, and cocaine have destroyed what little good was left in the society of that time. They also mention how music helps you relax and that was what he did with Wes, even if his mother was talking to him, he would put on the music and not listen to anything that was happening around him.

For my part, music relaxes me and makes me forget those things I don't want to think about. When I'm driving, music prevents me from getting stressed by traffic or some recklessness people commit while driving. The same when I'm at the gym, I focus more on my exercises when I have my music and it prevents me from getting distracted. Wes and I have something in common and that is that we use music to avoid stressing ourselves with everything that happens in the environment and to be able to connect our different worlds into one.

What activities do you enjoy doing while trying to cope with difficult situations?

 Just as Wes used basketball to distract and avoid everything that was happening around him, the same way I used to exercise and write. When I feel like I need to escape reality or that I need to clear my mind, I go to the gym and train for hours because that keeps my mind from overthinking, or from saying or doing things I don't want to. The gym makes my mind go blank and I only think about the exercise I am doing or how I am progressing, it relaxes me and then gives me peace of mind to be able to think better about the situation I am going through, it clears my mind and somehow way it helps me feel better.

Likewise, writing about what happens to me calms me down. When I'm angry, sad, depressed, or even happy, I write how I feel in a Word document, but I write it as if it were someone else as if it were someone else and not me. Sometimes I do it in poetry or rhymes, creating a story, and other times I just write them down to get them out of my head. I rarely reread them because I don't like to think about what I once felt or thought. This helps me avoid making wrong decisions, relaxes my mind, and calms anxiety. Whenever I go through difficult times, I don't like to talk about it with anyone and I keep what happens to myself, but there comes a point where I can't take it anymore, so I decide to write it down, that makes me feel like I'm sharing it with someone. more and release my burden or my pain.

Wes used basketball to avoid seeing his reality, to avoid being part of all the crime that was around him, he used it as a way to escape disaster, and I think many of us use different activities with the same purpose, to avoid what is happening to us, to get away from reality and to forget all the problems a little. Many times, I also use music and dance to forget what is happening.

There are many ways in which I avoid or deal with difficult situations, but most of the time I don't talk about them with anyone, I write them down, or I lock myself in my own world. I know that's not healthy, but everyone has their own way of dealing with things. But writing, exercising, and dancing are things that clear my mind and often help me think of solutions to problems or how I can improve so that this situation does not happen to me again.

Are we products of our environment or products of our expectations?

 Are we products of our environment or products of our expectations?

This is a question that many of us may have never asked ourselves, but that undoubtedly gives us a lot to think about. The complexity of this topic does not allow us to offer an exact answer. The environment in which we grow and live greatly influences our lives and can determine what our future will look like, although this does not apply in all cases because people's expectations and goals can vary and do not have to be 100% related. to the environment in which they grew up (that's the complicated part). Many times we believe that because a person lives in a low-income community, or because they have a dysfunctional family, their destiny has already been marked and there is no turning back. However, it all depends on the person's expectations and goals.

 

We are a product of the environment that surrounds us because it teaches us a way of seeing life, it teaches us about unity, respect, love for others, it educates us and sometimes it shows you what you don't want in your life. Our environment does not define us but it shows a part of who we are, it shows our roots, some of our customs and attitudes, etc. However, this environment cannot predict and assert what our lives will be like. For example, former President Obama comes from a humble family with few resources. Most likely, no one thought that he could become president
of the USA, but his dreams, goals, and hard work allowed him to do so because his expectations were high.

 

On the other hand, we are also the product of our expectations because we can become what we dream of and want. Our expectations have a great impact on everything we do because they can drive us to achieve them or they can demotivate us and make the goal seem further away, which causes many people to give up. The expectations we set for ourselves are what motivate us to achieve the goal, they are what define who we will be in the future. However, there are circumstances in which our surroundings do not help us meet our expectations. For example, when I lived in my country of birth, I played sports and was very good at them, mainly volleyball, but I did not have the opportunity to belong to a formal team or to play in an important match because I had to work to help. to my family, my expectations were high, but my environment was not the best, or perhaps the moment was not right. I didn't have the time or support from my family to be able to play sports due to our economic situation, but even when I had free time I went out with friends, and we practiced a little.

Returning to the initial question, I think that we are a product of both because both our environment and our expectations significantly impact our lives, and both can say a lot about us without having to speak. That is why it is important that we have clear expectations so we can choose the environment we need and whether we are working to achieve those things we want and need.

Is Higher Education Worth the Price?

 This module was based on whether the cost of college is worth it. We read two articles, a speech, and watched a documentary that dealt with the different points of view in which this question can be answered. It all depends on people's lifestyles and the opportunities and sources that are available to them.

The article "Are Colleges Worth the Price of Admission?" mentions different ways in which we can improve the educational system so that it is equal for everyone but also affordable. Sometimes it is not that education is expensive but that what they offer is not good enough to attract more people or to keep those who are already there because they offer a mediocre education, with teachers who only go for their paycheck and do not for teaching They suggest many changes in staff training, information sources and examples of colleges that are doing a good job and are a great example. But this takes time, that requires help from the government, from people who want to make a change in society, and not just from people who want summers and weekends off. 

The article "The New Liberal Arts", this article mentions the misperceptions that people tend to make but that do not have any type of evidence or proof to demonstrate their validity. Many times as a society we tend to create ideas about certain groups of people and generalize, referring to the fact that everyone is equal. An example of this is when they say that Hispanics and Latinos are lazy and that they do not like to study, that is generalizing and is a false statement, not all Hispanics are like that, but because some have not had the necessary resources to be able to obtain a more advanced education, they have dedicated themselves to working to support their families, but that does not mean that they are lazy or unintelligent. It requires a lot of intelligence, strength, and ability to build buildings and create hospitals or schools, and most of the time it is Latinos who do those jobs. This is one of the many misperceptions that make young people decide not to study and simply blame the high prices of university.

I liked the speech because it tells a realistic story that many of us live. Always surrounded by monotony and how difficult it is to choose or make the right decision. David Foster Wallace's Commencement Speech talks about the facts about adult life, how to be a student and make the right decisions. Many of us live in a reality that we do not know because every day it is the same routine. This speech is more than realistic and is right in saying that getting an education is not just learning calculus or physics, it is learning to think, but in a deeper way in which we can understand how the universe works and why things happen. Education is learning to understand others and being empathetic, it is learning to choose and to make decisions. Everywhere we are going to have to use these skills, think about a situation, how the other person would feel in my place, and then what decision to make about it; It sounds simple, but it is not. A bad decision can change our lives, and learning to choose is a challenge, for example, a student has a project to do, and she decides to do it or not, but the resolution will not be the same. If you do the project, you get a grade and can pass the class (sounds good), however, when you decide not to do it, not only do you run the risk of not passing the class, but your reputation as a person declines (you show yourself as someone irresponsible or that she doesn't care about the grade she gets), which little by little discourages the student himself but also affects the teacher, making him wonder "Am I doing things right?" "Are my students learning?" Should I change my method?"... It is a pattern that repeats itself constantly, so choosing to obtain an education can be a complicated decision. Still, the results will be much better, and the opportunities will be different. Education is a valuable trophy we must work for.

The documentary "The Ivory Tower" shows the different perspectives on which advanced education can be viewed. Some say that it is not necessary and that investing so much money just to obtain a diploma is not worth it, on the contrary, others affirm that obtaining an advanced education is necessary and changes lives. Now, the biggest factor is the cost of this education and how difficult it is to pay it or be in permanent debt. From my point of view, the problem lies in the fact that more money is offered to universities that already have the necessary resources, while other universities require more support (every day the rich get richer and the poor get poorer). They invest money in unnecessary luxuries, instead of offering low tuition costs. Education is necessary but its high cost makes young people decide not to go to university and avoid that debt. Finding a middle ground could be a solution, in which education is affordable in all areas and for everyone. 

Finally, the answer to this big question is inaccurate, College is worth the price but it is not available to everyone and that is the big problem. The day when we can all say that going to university will not be a financial problem, that day we will be able to say that society is changing. We all have different views and opinions, but the high cost of college is not always worth it.

Is Fast Food the New Tobacco? Should the obesity issue be government regulated or remain personal responsibility?

 Fast food has undoubtedly come to change the lives of millions of people. Many believe it was for convenience, but the truth is that it was for destruction. Fast food is harmful, but it is so easy to obtain that people prefer to harm their health than eat something healthier. This leads to thousands of people in the United States suffering from obesity. Will the government have to intervene? Will we leave it as a personal situation? 

The article, "What You Eat is Your Business" by Radley Balko, talks about how people are responsible for their obesity condition, they do not seek help or a solution because they prefer to blame someone else for their condition. They prefer to say that they are obese because healthy food is expensive or because the health system does not help them improve, among other things. Many times, it is easier to blame others for what happens to us instead of trying to find a solution. Removing health insurance or public health services will not reduce obesity cases in the USA, on the contrary, it will increase them. This is not the kind of intervention that the government should do, but rather it should encourage people to have a better quality of life, in the same way, each individual who suffers from obesity should make an effort to improve their health, and not only Obese people, but each one of us, must all lead a healthy life, not because of standards or stereotypes, but for personal well-being. This article mentions that people should be responsible for their health and not get carried away by stores that show McDonald’s or Wendy's discounts. What we eat not only affects our physical health but also our mental health because we stop thinking about what is good for us and we settle for the minimum and what does us so much harm.

 

David Zinczenko, in the article "Don't Blame from Eater", points out how the easiest target to reach is youth (children and adolescents), they are the easiest to attract and get them to consume this type of food that they like but then don’t provide any kinds of benefits and vitamins to your body. Fast food can be seen as the easiest and cheapest option and that is why many people prefer to eat a hamburger with fries, instead of a tuna salad or sautéed vegetables, but the reality is that it is much more expensive than ready-made food. At home, with the money they spend every day buying food on the street, people can make food for almost a month, not to mention that fast food makes you sick and you would have to spend even more on medications and visits to the doctor. But this is something that youth does not think about, a soda, some chips, some tacos... can change your life forever, causing diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and high blood pressure. The limited information offered to consumers is also part of the problem, because if the person knows the truth about what their body is ingesting, the probability that they will change their eating habits is very high, but they do not know it, the labels They tell us enough, sellers want to sell their products and they will not tell you that they are bad. But just observe, whoever sells cigarettes doesn't smoke.

What the health? It is a documentary full of information about how associations say they work to reduce cancer or diabetes, but their websites promote the consumption of meat, processed, and dairy products. Kip, a filmmaker from San Francisco, is the one who decides to investigate further the true objective of these organizations, because they claim to support a cause and want to find a cure or solution, but the truth is that they are also part of the problem, because they promote the foods that most They do not harm just because those are the ones who sponsor them. At the end of the day, everything is a business and they only seek their benefit regardless of who loses. In the documentary, many corporations refused Kip's interviews because they did not want to be exposed, they did not want to tell the truth because that would bring consequences such as lawsuits or the closure of the corporation. The question is: is supporting diseases your goal? I don't think so, everything turns in the same direction, promoting processed foods means that more people will get sick, which will make them have to visit the doctor and buy medications for life, everyone wins except the person who fell into the deception of advertisements and promotions of red meats and cheeses. This is where intervention is needed, but that won't happen because they would lose more than they are already gaining.

In Michelle Obama's speech, she makes a comparison of how people lived then vs. now. She talks about how children of color are the most likely to be obese. Michelle Obama mentions how previously, when she was a child/teenager, she rarely went to restaurants, most of the time she ate at home with ingredients that were harvested in the yard, how the afternoons were spent playing with the neighbors, in the streets, how they interacted, schoolwork and how life was more active and healthier. Nowadays, children are obese because they spend their afternoons locked in the room playing video games and eating chips. It is a sedentary and processed life. Michelle Obama is advocating for our children and parents to improve their quality of life.

After reading the articles and watching the documentary and Michelle Obama's speech, there is no doubt that fast food is the new tobacco. The lack of information, the lack of help, and many times the lack of self-love leads to people not caring about their health and getting carried away that fast food is better because it is fast and cheap, but they are destroying themselves. life little by little.

Is Pop Culture Good for You?

 Is Pop Culture Good for You?

By Zolciree Marte

We may all have a definition of what popular culture is or how we refer to it, however, popular culture is nothing more than the advances and innovations that society or members of society have been acquiring. as the years advance; Art, beliefs, and different types of entertainment are part of what we call popular culture or pop culture. Popular culture, pop culture for short, generally refers to the dominant or prevalent traditions and aspects of material culture in a certain society. In modern Western countries, the term is used to describe various cultural products (movies, music, art, television, and more) that the majority of the population regularly consumes.

Nowadays, society is so modernized that it is almost inevitable not to belong to this popular culture that is talked about so much, the ease with which the internet, music, movies, books, comics, video games, novels, and so on, they are so accessible that it is almost impossible to avoid them. In the article "Watching TV Makes You Smarter" by Steven Johnson, we see some of the benefits that all this new technological culture can offer. What many may see as absurd or uninteresting, is quite the opposite, it helps the brain try to find other ways of seeing life, of solving problems, of identifying with the situations of others, it is a method of discovery, in which the person has to use their intelligence to be able to understand what is happening around them. Television and video games are not harmful to those who consume them, because everything depends on the material that the person is consuming, if it is not something that contributes to their development and growth as a person, then it will only be a waste of time, however If they are programs or games that help the person develop different skills or create a different way of receiving information, the person will be receiving benefits in a creative and fun way and it is most likely that said person will not even realize that.

StevenJohnson's article shows how society changed after television became part of the daily lives of Americans, and the same thing happens today with cell phones and their innovations every year, little by little society is becoming attached to these technologies that are seen as something so necessary, but that are not.

On the other hand, we have Malcolm Gladwell's article, "Small Change" which talks about how different life was before technology took over society. People who had the desire to change their society did not have the option of posting it on Instagram or Twitter, but rather they made their wishes come true. If they did not like how they were treated, they would go on strikes, sit-ins, and complain in front of large groups. or small audiences to show their disagreement and the reason why they want a change; They didn't wait for others to do it for them. Previously, people were activists, leaders, and revolutionaries who, even if they were afraid, faced society to express their ideas and feelings. They expressed the following: “Social media can’t provide what social change has always required.” This is extremely true, we must be the change we want to see.

In the video Pop Culture is Dead by Phil Miller, we see how he mentions different factors about popular culture that separate us from our community and create lonely people because people no longer want to sit on the patio on Sunday afternoons and listen the radio, everyone already has applications to listen to the music they like whenever they want, the same thing happens with television and movie premieres, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, etc., they came to improve us but also to separate us from others. On the contrary, the video Why Pop Culture? by Alexandre O. Philippe, shows us how despite being so different and with diverse tastes, we can approach others and share what we find interesting, debate where we differ, and celebrate where we connect. Popular culture is not bad, it just has to be used in moderation.

 

The answer to this question is that pop culture is not good or bad, but like everything, we should use it in moderation. Pop culture has its advantages and disadvantages, we just have to know when, how, and where to take advantage of it so that it does not harm us.

Literacy History

 Hello everyone, my name is Zolciree Marte, you can also call me Zol. I am a junior at New Jersey City University majoring in Education K-12/ Spanish. I am part of the TIP program at NCJU in which we get experience in actual classrooms working one-on-one with students to make sure this is what we want to do for the rest of our life. I'm taking this class because it is required in my major and it's the last class I can take before passing the Praxis Core. My advisor also told me that taking this course with Dr. Rosen will be a great experience that I won't regret. I'm an easygoing person, sometimes quiet other times a little loud. Some of my interests/hobbies are reading, writing (especially in Spanish), dancing, working out, and spending quality time with family and friends. I am a good listener and one of those friends that you can easily ask for a favor, advice, or just to sit and talk about anything. 

I was born and raised in a different country which means that my literacy history might be a little different than others or maybe not. English being my second language made everything more difficult in terms of achieving goals in this country, but that didn't stop me. I remember when I was a child literature was my favorite subject, reading stories, writing essays or poetry was my favorite thing; my parents were always helping with homework, my dad was good at math and history, and my mom was good at literature and science, they're very strict so have to get A's in every subject but sometimes it was hard for me because all the pressure that they put on me. I started reading and writing in cursive when I was 5-6 years old, and my school tested me to see if I could skip first grade, I passed the test, which means that I went from kindergarten to second grade, which was a big change in my life, I was always the youngest person in the class. I remember being alone in the classroom reading a book while the other kids were playing outside. But things started changing while I was growing up.

Throughout my middle and high school years, my interests started to change, I was more into math and sports, and I lost interest in reading (the thing that my parents didn't like but supported me anyway). I won some math competitions in school and some volleyball games. But that wasn't enough for me until one of my literature teachers told me something "You are a great student, a great player, a great person, but you are an amazing writer, don't throw away your art", then she put some challenges for me to complete (writing poems, novels, monologues, essays, etc.) That teacher changed the way I see life. I started reading and writing a lot, showing my art to other people, and seeing how they reacted was the best part. But then I had to move here, and everything changed again. Learning a new language and living in a different culture felt so wrong to me; I was a teenager dealing with two languages at the same time. I had to start from zero, learning sounds, words, pronunciation, and style of writing, it was difficult, but I tried my best and I'm still trying. I started listening to music in English, watching TV shows in English, and trying to speak the language as much as possible. My love for reading and writing disappeared because I couldn't express myself in English the same way I did it in Spanish, I was frustrated but my parents and my new teachers inspired me to keep trying because one day all my effort would make sense. After a couple of months, I felt more comfortable with the language so I started to read a new book but this time in English, highlighting the unknown words and searching for their meaning so I could comprehend the book. 

Now that I have more control over both languages, I can say that all the effort and frustration was worth it. I achieved so many things in a short time that sometimes I don't know how they happened. Learning literacy in a new country or in a new language is hard but not impossible, now I feel better than 5 years ago. I still love reading and writing (it just takes me a little more time) but I'm a stronger reader and writer in my native language. I received and accepted all advice and suggestions to improve more every day because I'm not perfect and I make mistakes like everyone but I'm here to learn something new each day, to improve myself, and to be successful. I can say that my parents and friends are the most important part of my life because they inspire me to keep going, to keep doing what I love, and to show the world that things can get hard but not impossible and that you can achieve anything you want if you put hard work, dedication, and discipline to it.