The March on Washington 1963

Did you ever wonder what happened in the Civil Right era? I wrote my report on the March on Washington, and it changed everything for every African American in every corner of the world.

         The March on Washington occurred in the summer of 1963, shortly after the Birmingham Campaign, which was an effort to break segregation in the largest urban areas. Over 200,000 African Americans marched to Washington where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I have a Dream" speech on August 28, 1963. As a result, the March on Washington is credited for creating a political platform for African Americans to finally have the Civil and Voting Rights in the mid-1960s.

          In 1963, racism was everywhere. Very few white and black got along. They even had separate washrooms, drinking fountains, schools, and stores. If you were an African American on the bus with Caucasians and you were sitting down and they weren’t, you had to give up your seat and move to the back. Blacks were beaten by White citizens and even the police, and they never got justice. Even judges were racist. Blacks couldn’t even vote, nor could they work, and they were getting fed up. In the winter of 1962, Martin Luther King Jr. asked President John F. Kennedy to release a new, fair Emancipation Proclamation, but the president disagreed and caused the March on Washington to begin.

          In the summer of 1961, a man named Philip Randolph decided to get 100,000 African Americans to circle around the Capitol, but some disagreed due to the fact that they feared what the government would do in retaliation. But, Franklin D. Roosevelt ended up signing the Executive Order 8802 which forced racist whites to open the job market to black people. Since the job market was now opened, Randolph decided the march wasn’t necessary. On August 28, 1963, 200,000+ demonstrators marched to Washington to Lincoln’s Monument for the 3^rd anniversary of Brown V. Board of Education and they had a prayer pilgrimage, and it is also the same day King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech.

          As a result, King met up with President Kennedy and Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson at the white house where they discussed a need for two parties to support civil rights. Even though it wasn’t passed until President Kennedy died, which was the Civil Rights of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Brown V. Board

Can you imagine having to walk several miles just to get to school, when there’s a school directly across the street from where you live? African Americans had to do this for a very long time, until The Brown V. Board of Education was passed in 1954. This paper will discuss the causes and effect of the Brown V. Board of Education case and the effort to end desegregation.

Even after slaves were free and were able to vote, there was still segregation. Due to the Jim Crow Laws, blacks and whites weren’t able to use the same public facilities, ride the same buses and attend the same schools. During this time blacks were poor, with not enough books for learning with a class seating 40-50 students a class. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) tried to persuade congress and other legislative bodies to enact laws that would protect from lynching and other racist activity

Oliver Brown of Topeka, Kansas, was the father of Linda Brown. Linda Brown had been denied from a school just five blocks away from her home and had to travel a long way to attend school where she was accepted, because of her race. Oliver Brown decided to sue the school district of Topeka, Kansas to end segregation. The case started in 1952, was heard and then eventually elevated to the supreme courts. The Supreme Court came to a unanimous decision to end segregation in public schools.

In 1954, The Brown V. Board of Education case was solved. There would be no more segregation within the schools; those cases were handled by NAACP and Thurgood Marshall. Kenneth Clark argued that segregated school systems made black children feel lower than white children and felt that, that shouldn’t been allowed. After the attorney generals of the states failed to desegregate schools quickly enough, the Supreme Court was forced to come up with a plan on how to do it in 1955. This ruling became known as Brown II

In conclusion, traveling far just to attend school had finally ended. I was able to attend schools where ever I wanted. Several laws were even passed; there would be no more segregation between whites and blacks. Everyone was to be treated equal under the law.

Monique 10/23/14

Cotton Gin

Have you ever wondered how we are able to get the things we use daily made of cotton, don’t worry here’s the answer!

 The creation of the cotton gin is important because it helped the farmers separate the seed from the cotton. This was a difficult thing to do because the seeds were buried inside of the cotton. Eli Whitney realized that the slaves had a difficult time picking the seeds from the cotton bolls. He accepted an invitation to stay with Catherine Greene who was the widow of an American Revolutionary War general near Savannah Georgia. While there Whitney learned of the production of cotton, and how the farmers faced hard times making a living not being able to pick the cotton faster. He decided to put together a simple invention to make it easier for the slaves to separate the seed from the cotton bolls in a shorter amount of time. Whitney worked on getting a patent for his invention that he planned to build and install throughout the south. The production of cotton increased in the south. The number of slaves and need for them also increased in the United States. This was all brought about because, in 1794, Eli Whitney patented a very simple machine, the cotton gin.

The farmers were excited about the idea of Whitney’s invention that could improve the production of cotton surprising, since they had no intentions sharing any of their percentage or profits with him. So, Whitney found out in that time the patent laws had loopholes that would make it hard to protect his rights as an inventor. However, the cotton gin still transformed and increased the production of cotton in the American economy.

The production of cotton increased in the south which made cotton a cash crop by 1860. The number of slaves in the United States had increased. Although the cotton gin made the process less labor-intensive, Farmers earned more profits which led to grow larger crops which required more slaves were a cheaper form of labor. The southern economy depended on cotton and slavery, and continued to hold onto their social order. However, the northerners focused more on industry than agriculture, which in turn made a difference in the two economies. Whitney had no idea that his invention would affect slavery in a negative way.

    This paper is about the importance of Eli Whitney’s invention of the cotton gin. As a result of Whitney’s invention of the cotton gin, today we have many things made from cotton.

Gloria 10/23/14

New Neighborhood Transitions

Hey, my name is Ivory. A lot of interesting things have happened in my 17 years of living, but when I was about 10, things got interesting.

            When I moved to 42^nd and Campbell I was mad because I didn’t want to move, I preferred my old neighborhood and friends. Anyways, my mom, her husband and I moved to the southwest side of Chicago. I was surrounded by people I didn’t know. I was a very friendly and kind little girl, and thought it would be a piece of cake to make new friends. Boy was I wrong.

            I started my first day of school the next day. I walked into my new class and all of the kids kept whispering. I ignored them, and walked to the teacher’s desk. “Are you the new student?” The teacher asked. “Yes ma’am, where can I sit?” She pointed to an empty desk next to this girl named Samantha. The other kids continued whispering. I introduced myself to Samantha.

            “Hi, I’m Ivory. Ms. Filakowski already told me your name was Samantha?” She looked at me and smiled. “Yes it is, nice to meet you. Do you want to sit with me in lunch?” I shook my head yes and smiled. I was happy that I’d made a new friend. As the day went on, I became irritated. All the kids except for Samantha were so racist. One boy even called me an N-Head! Who does that? I decided not to let it get to me.  I’d dealt with racism before, so it wasn’t a big deal to me.

            Anyway, Sam and I were calling each other best friends ever since my second day at my new school, and she’d invited me to her birthday party while we were in lunch. I knew my mom would let me go, so after school I called her from Sam’s cell phone. She was so lucky; I didn’t even own a house phone! However, both my mom and step dad had cell phones. What did I have? I had my thumb and pinky to make a pretend phone. When I spoke to my mom she told me I could go, so we jumped up and down squealing and screaming.

            Two days later, my mom had walked me to Sam’s house. I’d bought her ten different nail polishes, mascara, eye liner, and an Aeropostale outfit. Before we walked into Sam’s house, I looked at my mom. “What?!” I gave her a pleading look. “Mom, please don’t walk me all the way in, it’s not cool!” She looked at me as if I had snakes for hair. “Child, I don’t know this lady! I’m coming in or we’re going home.” I huffed and puffed and agreed. I was glad I did though, because I ended up needing her.

            When we walked in, Sam’s mom greeted us at the door. She led me to Sam’s room and her and my mom walked to the kitchen. When I opened Sam’s bedroom door, I saw the twins Layla and Fatima. I stared hard at the twins like I wanted to punch them. They were always being mean, they were always calling me names because I was African American, and they thought they were better because they were Hispanic. Samantha knew I had an issue with them. I thought to myself, why would she invite them knowing I didn’t like them?

            I went up to her, gave her the gifts and hugged her. I wished her a happy birthday as she began to introduce me to the twins. “Ivory, this is Layla and Fatima, guys, this is Ivory.” They just waved a hand at me, as if they were dismissing me. I felt anger boil inside of me, but it was Sam’s birthday so I had to behave myself. An hour into the party, Fatima made a bell noise. Then, all heck broke loose.

            “Peasant Ivory!” Fatima yelled. They all began to laugh, including Samantha. I looked at her with pure hurt in my eyes. Then, out of nowhere, I felt something going around my neck, and I began to freak out. While swinging my arms and legs everywhere, I think I hit someone because I heard a scream. “HANG THE N-WORD!” I heard one of the twins yell. I yelled at her, hit her, and then I hit Sam. I ran out the room and cried on my mom’s lap. “What’s wrong?” She asked. I just shook my head and didn’t say a word. My mother still doesn’t know what happened to this day. When we got home, I crawled into bed and cried myself to sleep. This is why I never, ever want friends again.

New round of posts coming soon!

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Nathan

Should a person that’s younger than twenty one be able to drive?

There are many things that can happen when driving a car. There is a lot of responsibilities in taking care of it. A car may break down at any time, so you would need to have the money to take care of it. The expense can be tremendous, there are lots of accidents, and drive by shootings among young people.  Responsibility sometimes comes with age; that’s why I believe the driving age should be twenty one years of age.

The first reason that a young person should not be able to drive until they are twenty one is that they are dangerous drivers. I understand that when a person is young they have lots of energy to use, but it is very dangerous to use that energy on speeding in a car. Young people do not like to follow the speed limits. There have been so many deaths. Some young people like to text while driving, they also like talking on the phone when they are driving.

The second reason that young people should not be able to drive until they are twenty one is too, that driving is expensive. Driving a car can be expensive especially when you are young and going to school. Being a student and trying to take care of a car is not a good thing to do. Lots of parts of a car can go bad at any time. If you are a young driver, you probably cannot afford a new car. With being a student or having not landed a good paying job can be very hard. If there is an accident, the parents will have to pay for it. Being young is hard enough. One has to look out for their self. With all the things that’s happening in the world today having a car can be more of a problem. If a young person have children that they have to take care of

In conclusion, I think the driving age should be 21yrs, because at that age, he/she may be more responsible, and have had a chance of having a good job, or a career to pay for any damages that may occur.

Annie

Driving Age

“In the beginning of 2014 their  was  over 500 accidents caused by teens.” The amount of teens in traffic accidents can be avoidable. The driving age needs to be raised from 16 to 21. I believe teens should not drive at 16 because they think that their invincible and that the laws do not apply to them. Having to many people in the car is a distraction and texting is not good it takes their eyes and mind off driving.

However young people think that nothing can happen to them and that they have it altogether, know everything , and do not want to learn how to be a good citizen. For example my cousin you could not tell her anything about being in the car and driving safe. She always had and accident on the road, nothing bad but little finder benders. She would say that’s nothing. Now that she is older she drives more reasonable and with some sense. I believe if she would have waited until she was 21 years old it would have been much better.

Whenever young people put their friends in the car with them they will become districted, won’t keep their eyes on the road. Not paying attention to their surroundings. Just the other day I was watching a television commercial and it was about four friends driving in the car they were talking loud, one was texting and they went through the stop sign and everything went black. And when it came back on all the young people in the car was gone. I believe even when their driving by themselves they are not too responsible, because they tend to answer the phone, text and listen to loud music also.

So, In conclusion I really believe that the driving age should be 21 years old. Because at that age they are more responsible they pay attention, take precaution, and make better decision concerning their lives and others as well. For example my cousin has learned from her past. She is a better driver now, she pays attention. She has two children of her own now and is a great driver. So she thinks more than just herself their lives are important.

Gloria

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Nathan

The Driving Age Should be Raised to 20

              5,000 teens in the age group 16 to 20 die each year from car accidents. These accidents would have been prevented if the driving age was higher. I think the driving age of 16 should be raised to age 20. It should be raised to 20, because at that age people are more mature than at age 16. If the driving age was raised to 20, teens would have 4 extra years’ experience. Also, statistics show that teens are the highest risk group to get into car accidents.

                The legal age for driving should be raised to 20 because of experience. If students start learning to drive at age 16, they’re in a rush to start driving and only have a couple of months to learn. I believe teens should at least get a couple of years of practice. That way they can learn way more than in just a couple months. Furthermore, learning that much in a certain amount of time cannot register and teens are likely to forget certain important things.

                If teens are not old enough to smoke or vote, why would people think it would be appropriate to drive with other lives at stake? For every mile driven, teens between the ages 16-19 are four times more likely to be involved in a car crash. A car crash kills a person every minute on an average in the United States 400,000 teens in the age group 16-20 are injured each year.

                I think age 20 is the appropriate age for people to start driving. 16 year olds are not matured enough to drive. The leading cause of driving accidents comes from age 16-19. At age 20, you are in college, have a job and are more focused on other things than 16 year olds. Therefore, 20 year olds know much better and know right from wrong in driving.

Shanin

Should All Jobs Require a Diploma?

I do not think a high school diploma should be required for all jobs, because all teens who attend school have not yet received their diplomas. And, not everyone has a high school diploma or their GED.  Some employers should just assist employees who do not have their diplomas to get some classes to obtain one.

            There are high schools students who still attend school and are willing to work. If all jobs required a diploma, how could these teens get a job?  Also for the people who do not have a diploma, it would give them more stress when trying to get a job.

            If some employers require a high school diploma, they should at least help employees who do not have a high school equivalency to obtain one. I think giving the employees a chance of obtaining it would be beneficial for both employees and employers. It would benefit the employers, because they would not have to hire new workers. It will help the employees to improve their education and keep their jobs.

            In conclusion, I do not think all jobs should require high school diploma. I do not think it is fair for people who did not finish high school. If all jobs required diplomas, a lot of people would be jobless and stressed out. I believe some would give up. 

Virgen

The Reason I Think 16 year Olds Shouldn’t Drive

I think 16 year olds are too young to drive in the city. People shouldn’t drive until 21 years old when they live in the city. Sixteen year olds have the highest risk of car crashes. They have a 40% increased risk of crashing than those persons age 20 to 24. Sixteen year olds don’t follow direction when they have 1 or more friends in the car with them. Also, teenagers are likely to play loud music or play on the phone sometimes sending or looking at text messages instead of paying attention to the road. Therefore, my opinion is that I think parents of teenagers in the city don’t take as much time teaching their kids how to drive as much as the parents down south do. I think the parents in the south have more time to help their teenagers learn more about the roads and rules. I also think the children down south have bigger road and more space to practice driving that is just my opinion. So, if you live in the city the driving age should be 21, but if you live down south it should stay 16.

Sherita

Diploma Required

I think a high school diploma or G.E.D should be required for all types of employment. The G.E.D requires the basic skills you use in your everyday life, such as math and reading. To become basically anything, you might need skills such as computer literacy or you might come across a math problem at the grocery store when working at the cash register.

            A lot of jobs, like plumbers or truck drivers, might seem like they should not require a high school diploma or a G.E.D.  However, these credentials can put you help you make more money. Becoming a truck driver requires having to use a computer to find the address, which the G.E.D also helps you learn. They need to pay attention to mileage when going out of town and need to know how much gas to put in, which is math. Becoming a nurse requires you to know math and science. Working at a grocery store requires math and reading. There’s really no job out there that doesn’t require some sort of secondary education. 

            The world gets more high-tech whether you like it or not. Some jobs later on might be only require machines, and people will be out of jobs. As those people are out looking for new jobs, they will require G.E.D or high school level skills. You might need to go to another job that is harder than the old one. Having a diploma or G.E.D will also help you earn more money. Having a diploma or G.E.D will not get you a job, but if you do get it your coworkers might make more than you.

            Yes, it will be more difficult and expensive, but it is an investment for your future. Everyday jobs need some type of education in this day and age. There’s going to be many obstacles in your life and might be harder to get jobs, and you could lose jobs to other people because of lack of education. That’s why having a diploma or G.E.D should be required for all types of jobs.

Shanin

An Important American: Obama

Barack Obama is the most important American alive today. He can pass laws for the country.  He helps the people in need and he gave the country Obama care, for people without Medicaid. He helped the community with creating more jobs for the people and that is why I thing that Obama is the most important American alive today. 

Mia

The Most Important American

In my opinion, the most important American right now is the president of the United States is Barack Obama. He is the first black president, and he is trying to make a difference in this world for us with better jobs, better schooling and better places to live. He is trying hard to change everything that’s been wrong in our country, and I believe he will make so many good things happen to come. Those are the reasons why Barack Obama is the most important American to our country.

Nakeya

No Diploma Requirement to Work

There are a lot of unemployed and homeless people in the United States. One reason is because there are a lot of jobs that required you to have a high school (HS) diploma or GED. I believe you shouldn’t need a HS diploma or GED in order to work a job.

            

A high school diploma or GED requires advance math and essay writing skills. Not all jobs need advance math and essay skills. For example, if you want to work at Mc Donald’s as a cashier, you don’t need advance math because the register does everything for you. Some people can know the job well already and don’t need a HS diploma or GED. For instance, if you want to work in a hair salon you don’t need a HS diploma or GED, you just need to know how to use your hands and braid. Likewise, a plumber just needs to know basic math and how to fix pipes. By getting rid of the HS diploma / GED requirement we can let skilled people receive a job, because some people just may want to work instead of going to school.

I believe everyone should be able to work with or without a HS diploma or GED. Not all jobs require advance math and essay skills, or other skills necessary to achieve the GED or high school diploma.

Monique

Employment Requirement

Yes, I think a high school diploma or a GED should be required for all types of employment. The employer may need you to handle different situations that have nothing to do with your job description. A diploma or GED may be their way of being assured that you fully qualify for that and any other position presented to you.

Depending on the job or career you’re in you would want to be prepared for what the future holds for you at that company, whether it is everything being run by computers or manually. Having a GED or diploma would make the employer feel more comfortable about letting you excel in that position, as opposed to not having one and then they’ll have to spend more time in teaching you the requirements.

By proving or showing an employer that you have a diploma or GED is a sense of responsibility in the eye of the employer. It would open more doors financially. You would have a better chance at getting paid a better salary. Maybe even offered more positions, it also builds a level of trust for you and the employer. They’ll feel like you can complete any task they give you, without having to stand over you and watch your every move.  They are assured that you’re not a quitter. After all you have proved to them that you are capable of completing something without being supervised.

These are some of the reasons why I think a GED or high school diploma should be required for all types of employment.

Shanell

The Most Important American

In my opinion I think the most important American alive is Oprah Winfrey. The reason I feel that way is because she went to Africa. She saw a lot of young girls in need of going to school, so she had a girls’ school built from the ground up. Oprah Winfrey also supplied the school with their own school supplies. She gave back to a lot of people. I once heard on the radio that a lady had emailed Oprah Winfrey and told her that her dress was nice it was worth a lot of money. The lady asked could she have the dress. Oprah Winfrey sent the dress to the young lady and she was so happy. For that reason that is why I think she is the most important American alive.

Sherita

First Plane Ride

My friend called me and asked me if I wanted to come to Alabama for the weekend with him. I said yes. So I packed my bag and I told my sons that I was leaving for the weekend. I was in such a hurry I didn't pack very well, so I headed out the door. Before I could get out the door the lady that I was meeting at the airport was calling me every minute. I guess she wanted me to get there on time so I wouldn't miss my flight. When I got to the train station she called me again. I told her I was on the train already. When I got to the airport I didn't see her so I called her to see where she was, and I found her right away. So we hugged each other. We got something to eat before it’s time to get on the plane. When we got to security I didn't like taking off my shoes or belt. It was my first time riding on a plane. I was scared and excited. I didn’t know that I was getting on the plane. I thought I was going through a hallway until I saw the pilot in the window. Then I saw all the seats and people were sitting in their seats.  I got to my seat and sat down by this man. He knew I was nervous so he bought me a drink. He said, “You look like you needed a drink.” I said, “Yes thank you very much.” So we talked for two hours all the way there. He was very nice to me. He said, “It’s not that bad. Don’t think about you up in the air. Just think about you driving a car.” I got very relaxed after drinking and talking to him, and before I knew it we were landing in Alabama. Then we called our friend to come and pick us up at the airport. I was glad to see my friend. He gave me a hug and a kiss. Since I flew now I’m not scared to fly. Actually, I want to go somewhere else on a plane, maybe Vegas.

Denise

An Important American: Magic Johnson

The most important American alive today is Magic Johnson. Magic Johnson built schools all over the world to give students another chance, up to the age 21, to be able to finish school and earn their high school diploma. Magic Johnson is an AIDS survivor who came forward with his condition in a time when others were afraid to do so. His example has helped other people come forward and get help for any disease they have had. Magic proved to others that you can still move forward in life no matter what’s going on with you. Magic inspired young people to stay healthy and active. Magic has given back to people and places to help one another move forward. Magic Johnson is the most important American alive today.

Monique

Shifting Opinions

There was a time when I shifted my opinion of someone when I relocated to a new building. I met this girl; her name was Shay. Shay was about 5’6” tall and weighed about 290 pound. I used to always talk to her. We used to go out places just her and me. We used to talk about a lot of stuff, like how I was doing in school and how was my day and I would ask her the same things like, how was work. Until one day Shay and I went out to eat and she was talking about people and I didn’t like that. And what made it so bad was that she would be talking with food in her mouth and being overdramatic. So, I let her know it’s not a good thing to talk about people. So, she got mad. She was so mad that we stopped talking to each other. I don’t think she can talk about anyone because she has an ill heart. Eventually, Shay and I started to talk again. I asked her, “Do you want to take the kids out to eat?” Shay would ask, “where will we be going out to eat?” She wouldn’t respond right away and instead would say, “I will let you know,” but that would never happen. I would just go out on my own without letting her know. Later, Shay would angrily say, “why didn’t you tell me?” I would respond with a big beautiful smile, but now I don’t offer to let her go out to enjoy the beautiful city with my kids and me.     

Nakevia

Admiring Nycole

I grew up living with my grandmother and aunt. My aunt was more like a sister to me. She was a provider for me in every way possible. She loved and protected me like I was her child. We argued, fought, laughed, cried and everything in between. For those reasons and more is why I admire my aunt.

Growing up whenever I needed anything she made sure I had it. If I needed someone to talk to about anything, she was my go to person. When I found out I was pregnant and scared to tell my mother or grandmother, I told my aunt. She told me not to worry and that she would help me with anything I needed help with. My grandmother would have advised I get rid of my child… something I didn’t want to do. When I was upset about something and didn’t have anyone to take my frustration out on, because I’m the only child, she was the only person I had to argue with. If I was hungry she cooked, I needed personals, clothes, and shoes etc. she brought them. She made sure I didn’t want or need for anything. She was my provider and everything to me all in one.

Even though she isn’t my biological mother she cared for me like she was. Something dealing with school that required a parent being present, she was the parent that came to the school. Telling me the ways of life and what to expect as an adult, she did that as well. She kept me from the wrong people, so I wouldn’t go down the wrong paths. In high school, I was arrested and given a ten day suspension for fighting with a classmate. She always told me “the people you think is your friend are not.” I found that to be true after that incident. I think naturally a person would have a mother’s instinct after caring and being around someone from birth until adulthood.

After her passing, I didn’t realize the impact she had on my life. I have never worked as hard or been as independent as I am now. I learned not to hold grudges. For instance, the day before she passed I was mad at her, and I went to her house cursed her out and left… That night she was rushed to the hospital and died at 9:38 pm, which was too soon for me to apologize, because now she’s gone. When she passed a big part of me left as well. As much as she got on my nerves when she was living it wrecking my nerves when she passed.

She provided for me. She showed me a mother’s love and taught me how to love someone else. For those reasons and more is why I admire my aunt. She was a very free hearted person. After her departure, I realized that you really never know what you have until it’s gone.

Shanell

When I Choose a Husband

When I choose a husband, he would have to meet certain criteria. First, he would need to be good looking. He would have to have a good job, and he has to be able to accept my kids into his life too, not just me because we come as package. Also, he is going to have a good personality, he has to be patient and kind and interesting to talk to. He will like going places as a family and doing things with us, like going to meet each other’s family and things like that. I want a fun husband. He will have to like to go out to eat and go to amusement parks together and just do things as a family.

Takeya

Mr. Henten

I admire Mr. Henten. He is a pastor of a big church in Chicago. When someone is concerned about the well being of others he/she is very special person. He knows that there are many people in need, and he said if there’s anything he could do for them, God would bless him for whatever he could help with. Mr. Henten is someone who many people would like to know. He gets information from different organizations to give people that need help. Whatever he can do, he will. He believes that people will not have money all the time, and he will not either. He likes to make people laugh too; he makes funny, but clean jokes. I admire Mr. Henten because he is patient with people, caring, and funny.

Mr. Henten is a very patient person. When going to different churches he does not mind waiting. When someone wants to talk about something, he listens to make sure he understands. He waits until they finish. He doesn’t mind waiting for people that has to go to the doctors’ office. I admire Mr. Henten, because his patience encourages me to be more patient.                            

Mr. Henten is a very caring person. He is caring because he helps people in need of different kinds of services, people who do not have any one else to help them. Like people who need food to feed their families. He cares about people who need housing. He helps with finding them a place to live. I admire Mr. Henten because he cares about other people having the things they really need.  

Mr. Henten is a very funny person. He likes to tell funny, but clean jokes to make his friends laugh. He twists his words around to see if his friends understand. He also likes to surprise them with funny gifts. He thinks the funny gifts will make then happy. Mr. Henten encourages me to want to laugh more often by the way he treats his friends.                                                                                                           

I admire Mr. Henten because he is a patient, caring, and very funny person. When dealing with other people he is special. He goes out of his way for them. He says that God will bless him for the things he does for others. I will always admire.

Annie

The History of Shauntrell

January 22, 2007 was the day I found out that you would be a part of my life. I had no clue if you were a boy or girl. I was feeling all types of emotions in one. To my surprise, you were a baby boy. I came to the realization that you were a blessing. Nine months later… September 4, 2007, you were born at 8:38 pm. I didn’t have a clue of how to be a mother, let alone a good one. Every day I would ask you and God to “bear with me” and give me the patience and strength to get to know you and the ability to be the best mother I can.

You started walking, then talking. The first time I heard you say “mommy,” I knew then my prayers were answered. When I heard the words, “I Love You,” come from a person so small, I felt so proud of myself to have accomplished being a mother. Not knowing anything about you and learning everything about you. Even still you said those three words, “I Love You”.

Now it’s time to prepare you for the world outside of “Mommy”. I enrolled you in school. You weren’t ready for that, but I had faith in you. You cried your eyes out. I knew that was going to be temporary because you had never left my side before. Now you have grown into a smart, energetic, responsible, outspoken little boy whom I love more than life itself. Ironically, I was given the privilege of you being mine.

Shanell

Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou was hailed as a global renaissance woman. She was a celebrated poet, memoirist, novelist, educator, dramatist, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker, and civil rights activist. She was born on April 4, 1928 in St Louis, Missouri. She grew up in Stamps, Arkansas. Maya Angelou experienced the brutality of racial discrimination. She also absorbed the unshakable faith and values of traditional African American family community and culture as a teenager.

Dr. Angelou loved arts.  So, she won her scholarship to study dance and drama at San Francisco.  As a  laborer, at 14, she dropped out to become San Francisco’s first African American female cable car conductor.  A few weeks after graduation, she finished high school giving birth to her son Guy.  As a young single mother she supported her son by working as a waitress and cook. However, her passion for music, dance, performance, and poetry would soon take center stage. 

Maya Angelou read and she also studied and mastered French, Spanish, Italian and Arabic.  While in Ghana, she met Malcolm X.   In 1964, she returned to American to help Malcolm X build his new organization of African American unity.  After she arrived in the United States, Malcolm X was assassinated and his organization dissolved. 

Maya Angelou served as northern coordinator for the southern Christian leadership conference.  Maya began on her book that would become I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, which was published in 1970.  Also, it  was published to  international acclaim.  Maya appeared on television and films, including the landmark television adaption of Alex Haley's Roots.  President Clinton requested Maya to compose a poem to read at his inauguration in 1933.  Maya Angelou read her poem “On the Pulse of the Morning”.  It was broadcast live around the world.  Maya also won awards of arts in 2000 and the Lincoln medal in 2008.

Takeya

Who Is Barack H. Obama?

Barack Hussein Obama was born on August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii.  Barack’s first name means “Blessed’’ in Swahili, an African language. Barack was his father’s name too, but neither of the baby’s parents called him Barack he was always “Barry”. Barry’s father was from Kenya, a country in Africa. His mother’s name was Stanley Ann Dunham, but she was known as Ann to her friends. Barry was an outsider for most of his life because he didn’t have a lot of money.

In 1992, he married Michelle and eventually had two beautiful daughters. Their names are Malia and Natasha (Sasha). Barry accomplished many things like writing a book titled The Audacity of Hope, being sworn as an Illinois senator, and being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Barack H. Obama became our 44^th president of the United States on January 20, 2009!

Nichole

My New Husband

If you were choosing a new husband, wife, or partner, what criteria would you have?

Meeting my new husband will be the best thing ever! My husband and I will both have finished school, working to earn money and have a big beautiful home with a car. The criteria of my new husband are he must be very strong and in good health as well as me and of course very handsome. My husband must have patience with children. Going to church every Sunday is a constant thing for me, so therefore my husband must be willing to go to service with me without it being a problem.

A Direct Message

Have you ever been given credit for something you didn’t do? How did you feel? What happen? There was a time in 5^th grade when I was acknowledged for writing a story that wasn’t mine. I felt bad because the story wasn’t mine and I got credit for someone else’s work. The teacher came into the room, read the story to the class and when he finished he told the class he had expected for everyone’s story to be similar to the one he read. There was a beginning, middle and end. The writer was very specific about things that went on in the story. The spelling and grammar were perfect. After the teacher finished reading the story, I spoke with the teacher and told him it wasn’t my story, but I help my friend create it. So the credit shouldn’t only be given to me, but to my friend as well.

Harriet Tubman

Name: Harriet Tubman

Occupation: Civil rights activist

Birthday: 1820

Death day: March 10, 1913

Place of birth: Dorchester County, Maryland

Place of death: Auburn, New York

Originally: Armanda Harriet Ross

Nicknames: Minty, Moses, General Tubman

Harriet Tubman escaped slavery to become a leading abolitionist. She led hundreds of enslaved people to freedom along the route of the Underground Railroad. Harriet Tubman was an American bond woman who escaped from slavery in the south to become a leading abolitionist before the American Civil war. In 1861, The Civil war broke out between the northern and the southern States. John Andrew the governor of Massachusetts asked Harriet Tubman to work for the union army. John Andrew knew about Harriet Tubman as a slave. Before Harriet Tubman’s death she knew she wasn’t going to get well because of the pneumonia she had.   

  

Madam CJ Walker

Madam CJ Walker was born near Delta, Louisiana on December 23, 1867. Her birth name was Sarah Breedlove. Her parent’s Owen and Minerva were freed slaves and died from unknown causes. Sarah was the 5^th child and was the first in her family to be free born. Sarah became an orphan at the age of 7 when her parents died. She was sent to live with her sister Louivina and her brother in law. They all moved to Vicksburg, Mississippi in 1877 where she picked cotton and was likely employed doing house hold work. 

Sarah got married to a man name Moses McWilliam and gave birth to a daughter name A’Lei, Moses died 2 years later. Madam and her daughter moved to St. Louis where Sarah her brothers were established as barbers. There Sarah had found work as a washerwoman earning $1.50 a day, enough to send her daughter to a city public school. While in St. Louis, Sarah met her second husband Charles J. Walker, who was known as a big time advertiser. He helped Sarah promote her hair products.

In 1890’s Sarah developed a scalp disorder that caused her to loose much of her hair and she began to experiment with both home and store bought remedies. In 1905, Madam was hired as a commission agent by Annie Turbine Malone (a successful, black hair care product entrepreneur) and moved to Denver, Colorado. Charles j Walker helped her create advertisement for hair care products use for African Americans. Charles J.  Walker  encourage  Sarah to use the more recognizable name Madam CJ Walker by which she was there after known as. In 1907, Walker and her husband traveled around the south and the southeast promoting her products and giving lectures demonstrations on her, involving her own formula for pomade brushing and the use of heated combs. In 1908, Walker opened a factory and a beauty school in Pittsburg. In 1910, Walker transferred her business operation to Indianapolis. The Madam CJ. Walker Manufacturing Company had become wildly successful with profits that were modern day. The company also trained sales beauticians.

The Walker agents became well known throughout the black communities of the United States, they promoted Walker philosophy of “cleanliness and loveliness” as a mean of advancing the status of African Americans. In 1919, Madam CJ Walker died in Irvington, Houston. Madam CJ Walker was best known for her hair care products and the straitening comb (hot comb). 

Monique

Learning to Ask Questions

Being a good student is not easy, but very important, and coming to school as many days as possible helps in order to keep up with the homework and the different assignments that the teachers may give out. There will be many assignments, but I must try hard not to get too far behind. It will be very hard to catch up. It’s not easy to have to keep starting over by waiting for the next six weeks to begin again. To be a good student, I had to ask for help from my teachers and the social workers. When I first decided to finish school it was very hard. I was ashamed at first to ask a question, but now I ask for help if I have a problem with a particular subject. That was the struggle I overcame.

I had to work in order to help take care of my children. Then, I had to manage a home and go to school, that’s three jobs! It was not easy being away from my family when I was working. However, I needed money, and I needed my education. I have started and stopped many times, because of work or family problems. I had to start learning all over again in order to read, write and do math problems. My academic struggles with math, even though it was not easy, in the end made me more confident about learning. One particular problem was renaming fractions. Renaming fractions have many different steps in order to solve the problem. I had to do it many times before I understood it. In addition, I had lots of help from my teachers. My teacher, Mr. Nathan, asked me to show him on the board step by step the way to do the problem of renaming fractions, so that he would know whether I understood it. I showed him that I could do the problem and he said, “That’s good.”  What I learned about a lot of problems solving, be it math, writing or any other academic problem, and was that sometimes the subject must be repeated many times. I learned that if I asked for help when I needed, I would get the help I need.

I continued to try. Each time I started again it was hard, but I also noticed that my academic struggle had gotten lighter. The help that I received from my teachers and social workers has helped me to continue. Asking my teacher more about the subjects that I need to learn has changed my habits from the way I used to learn. My desire for learning is much stronger. Right now, I am dealing with learning how to write better, like doing book reports and writing assays on different subjects. The struggle goes on in the academic field of learning. I will have to muster up some strength in order to get my GED.

In conclusion, to be a better student you cannot be ashamed to ask the teacher or the social workers for help with the problems you may have. If you are patient, your teachers will help; that’s what they’re there for. If you have a personal problem the social workers will help you with that, they are there to listen. Finishing assignments, coming to school on time, and doing your homework will help with being a good student.

Annie

More Updates

In honor of Black History Month, the students at FAST West have been working on presentations on various people and events important to African-American history.  Some of their written portions will be appearing on the blog soon.  These pieces will be expository writing instead of narrative--instead of telling a story, the writer aims to explain a topic.

Stay tuned!

The Deep Love of a Mother and Her Child (Evan's Story)

My grandmother was my care provider for nine years, because my mother was always on drugs that played a big part in my life growing up. I was a teen mom at the age of 15. My grandmother gave me up to DCFS at the age of 13. I don’t have any family support that really cares about me and my son. I was homeless for ten years, in my life. Going place to place, some nights I didn’t have any food to eat. I slept in abandoned buildings, cold cars and even on the train. No one really cared about me at all. I have always been alone to fight all my battles. I never wanted any sympathy for my situation; I just wanted a support system and love.

Evan, my first son, was born August 2005. He was removed from the Maryville group home where I stayed for two years. He was taken when I was 16 year old, during the year of 2006. DCFS came and took him. They took him to a place on Montrose Ave. a place for infants, girls and boys. The worst place a child can go. What happened when my son was taken from the group home was that they were accusing me of a lot of arguing, allegations of neglect and abuse. This was because the home we lived in didn't want me to have my son; they were trying to take a lot of our kids out of the home.

When DCFS came and took Evan they kept him from me for 8 years. That was a very hard time in my life. I felt lonely, rejected and miserable. During this period, I had to battle with depression and that emotion affected my self-esteem and progress in high school. My social life also was affected by this unfortunate situation. It took a lot of perseverance and faith to keep pushing myself through this time in my life. Although I didn’t always feel confident about the outcome, I continued to fight to regain custody of Evan.

It was very difficult to fight the allegations that were put on me. It felt like a game of chess. That I could not win. I still feel like the outcome was unlawful and if I could I would have continued to fight the judgment in higher levels of court. However, I really didn’t have enough money to keep up the fight. I tried to find a pro-bono lawyer to take my case, but they all wanted money and none of them could guarantee that I could get my son back. Even though there were errors in the case, since the state was both my representative and prosecuting the case against me. It was a no win case for me.  

Now I am trying to move on with my life. There is always a feeling of incompleteness that I struggle with. However, this situation continues to motivate me to become successful. I have come a long way despite this and other obstacles in my life. I have my own apartment, I have a second son, and I am focused on getting my education for my children and also for myself. This unfortunate situation didn’t break me down, it made me stronger and more determined to do and expect better things of myself. I will not let the decisions of others define my character or define what I turn out to be.

Takara

Don't Go to School with Your Friends

Being a student is a difficult, but important job because you are in school trying to get your education and doing all the things you need to do. The reason school is important is because you need to get the education you need in order to get a better job, so you won’t have to settle  for any job that’s not worth it. In the past, when I was in grammer school, I liked school because it was kind of easy and I always passed to the next grade. When I was in high school, it was kind of hard, because I knew a lot of people and every time I saw them we talked and they always interrupted me.

The reason they interrupted me was because every time we switched classes, and we saw each other in the hallway. One of my friends would find me, and then we would start talking and after we finish talking we would be somewhere else like in the bathroom or in the library ditching class. Then when the next class came around we would go to it and then it was time for lunch. We would go to lunch and then after we would go home and not come back to school.

When we did stay all day in school, we would have to turn around and fight because it was always like projects against projects. We were always into it with other projects. So we would have to fight other people if it wasn’t everyday it would be every other day. Then the police would come and break it up. They would have locks on chains or cans in a sock to hit you with. When we were out fighting somebody would get hurt and then some of us would get suspended.

When I got kicked out of school, this is what I had to overcome. I have learned my lesson by not going to the same school where I know a lot of people that go there that will interrupt me and get me in trouble. This experience has made me a better student by getting me back in school and continuing my education. So I can improve both for myself and for my child too. Now, I go to a school where I really don’t know anybody that can get me in trouble and interrupt me. I was working hard in school at first and then I fell off because I knew a lot of people. The thing that I learned from is to stay away from negative people that can distract you and stop you from doing what you are supposed to do instead of doing the wrong things. On the other hand, I can hang around positive people because I know they won’t distract me and get me to do the wrong things. They want me to do the right thing like going to school and continue to get my education and not let me miss any days of school.

You can learn from my experience, to be a better student, don’t go to the same school where you know a lot of people. Because if you do, they will distract you and you will not learn what you are supposed to learn. So you could get all the education you need, and you will become a better student.You will not miss any days because you will not know anyone at the school. So they won’t distract you. It is better to go to a school where your friends don’t attend to and you won’t have to worry about anybody distracting you.

Takeya

The Pythagorean Theorem

Being a good student is overcoming the difficult challenges you encounter.  As a student in Fast West, just like in life, I have encountered many challenges. The hardest struggle for me so far was learning how to do the Pythagorean Theorem.

Pythagorean Theorem was hard for me to learn at Fast West because the numbers became letters. So understanding the letters and where to put them was kind of hard to get at first. It took me a month to get it. By February, I had it down pat. With the help from my math teacher Mr. Ben and the time I spend at home studying, I achieved one of my small goals of learning the Pythagorean Theorem.

Pythagorean Theorem was very hard for me to understand. It was the first time I ever heard or saw something like that. So learning it was very challenging. For example, it’s hard to know when to put the number in for the letters or when to square root. It all goes back to knowing the basic math skills. Pythagorean Theorem is used as the same basic math skills I already knew. Even though it looked crazy, after Mr. Ben broke it down to me it was easy as multiplication. I’m a better student because I took the time to learn it even though it was hard. Now when I face something new and challenging I know I will be able to overcome it.

In the future, I will use my experience with Pythagorean Theorem to show my girls how to never back down from something challenging. If you ever run into a challenging math problem don’t go in to it thinking you can’t do it. Take a deep breath and remember you have the math skill to learn it.

               

              Pamela 

My First Best Friend I Ever Had

I did have a best friend. Her name was Shamara. I met her in the Rockwell Gardens (public housing complex). She was a friend that if I have a problem she was the one that I could come to. We hung out every day 24/7, and we would go out to party, club and out to dinner sometime. But when the state knocked down the building we started hanging out in her grandmother’s house. Her grandma was always asking her about me and my daughter, like if I’m all right or if I’m doing well. But when her grandma passed away, I couldn’t go to her funeral because I don’t do funerals; they make me have nightmares. But Shamara told her for me ever if she couldn’t hear her she knows that we care about her always.

I did not see Shamara ever since the state knocked down her grandma’s house, which was also part of Rockwell Gardens. She was staying on Chicago (Ave.) with her friends and I was on Kilpatrick (Ave.). I had started school, so we didn’t see each other very often.

Her friends always said that Shamara was looking for me, but I would never see her. I saw one of her friends that said she is staying with Shamara and I told the friend to give her my phone number and tell her to call me and she did. We met at the store two blocks from her house. We talked about what she was doing. She said she was going to school at Malcolm X to get her GED. We planned to get together the following weekend, and that was the last time I saw her alive.

The other day I saw her mother. She said, “You know my daughter got killed December first of 2013, two weeks before her birthday.” She said that Shamara was going with this boy that she knew on Chicago Ave, and she said some boys were out to kill him and he was her baby’s father. And that night she was walking with her boyfriend and he saw the boys and they saw him and they started to shoot him. He got shot in his leg and then he pulled Shamara in front of him and she got shot in the back. She was five months pregnant.

A lot of people came to her funeral, because she was a good person and she made her friend’s feel good about themselves. I wasn’t able to go to her funeral because I did not hear about it until I saw her mother two weeks ago.

Brenda

How I Met My Best Friend

My friend Kim and I became friends when we were 10 years old. Our parents introduced us over a family dinner. My mom told us to get ready to go to dinner. We got ready to head up north for our family dinner. It was out of the blue that we were going out to eat. When we got there, we were shocked to see that we were at somebody’s house. Mom said, “I would like for you to meet someone.” The person my mom introduced us to was her boyfriend Ira. Ira had 5 kids of his own there, one of whom was the same age as me. Her name was Kim. At first we didn’t get along at all because we were forced to be there.

Soon after that dinner, they were married. Kim and I were the same age, so once our parents were married, we were forced to play together, which made us dislike each other even more. We came up with a plan to break our parents up. The plan we came up with was for us to keep fighting every time we were around each other. We yelled, took each other’s stuff, hit each other, but our parents were like, “That’s what siblings do.”   

After a year, one weekend Kim came over crying because a girl from her school took her lunch money, and we sat in my room and talk about it. I was like, “you should’ve knocked her out.”

Kim said, “I told the teacher.”

“And what did the teacher do?” I said.

“Nothing,” Kim said. We laughed as we were coming up with plans to get the girl when she went back to school. As we sat there in my room laughing and joking, we realized we like a lot of the same stuff.

Over the next two years, Kim and I were glued to the hip. We even went to the same school in the eighth grade. Our plan never worked. It’s been over 20 years. Kim and I are still friends, and our parents are still going strong.

 As time went on, we became so close that at one point we were roommates. I had my daughter Jai and Kim was pregnant; we were loving our lives for a few months. Until I got pregnant with Jazzy, that’s when we went our separate ways. We went our separate ways because my kid’s father had asked me to marry him. Kim’s relationship was moving her away to North Chicago.

Today we are still friends. I am the godmother to her son, my baby boy, the son I always wanted. “Lol” Our kids still spend the summer together.  After 20 years, we can still call on each other and be right there for one another no matter what.

Pamela

Stopping the Generational Curse of Teenage Pregnancy in My Family

My story began when I noticed that my daughters were growing up to be young ladies. They didn’t look like the little girls that were jumping rope in the front yard. They were now 12,14 and 16; I knew I had to talk to my daughters about the changes in their bodies. I knew they might know some things about sex, but I wanted to make sure they heard it from me.

I was a working, single parent with six children total. Being a single parent has many challenges. That’s why I didn’t want my girls to have to go through that. I remember when I had my first child I was just 15!!! WOW, I was a freshman in high school trying to take care of an infant and continue high school. That was one of the hardest things I had to do. My parents would not help me at all. As I looked at my daughters a fear came over me that it could happen to one of them.  And because of me being a teenage MOM, I wasn’t going let my girls follow in my foot-steps.

I knew it would be hard to keep an eye on them 24 hours a day. By now I had two in high school and, where there are girls, there are BOYS. I had the mother daughter talk with them, but it seems that they didn’t take it too serious. My middle daughter would make statement that “I don't like those ugly boys.” What I had said to her went in one ear and out the other. There were a couple of girls that were friends of my two older girls that were pregnant; one of the girls was best friend to my oldest daughter. That made me a really mad woman. I was determined that my girls would not have children too early. I wanted them to finish high school and go to college. I would use threats and intimidation. It wasn’t nice is all I'm going to say.

I knew that eventually, that one day, one of them would meet some boy that they would like. Somehow I heard about this prevention program that parents would allow teens to pick up contraception after their parents have signed them up. Now I told them, “Just because you have protection doesn’t mean you are allowed to be having SEX.” I would still beat the ---------- out of them. After all my efforts, two of my daughters did get their high school diploma without having any children. I am very proud that my girls waited for the right time to have children.

They are all grown up and have their own children now. I just didn’t want them to struggle like I did having children too soon. 

Sheila

First Time Parent

A struggle I overcame, well to start, I never finished school. I dropped out in the 10^th grade young, dumb, and thinking that was cool. Why? I really don’t know, young love was something like amazing to me thinking someone really loves you.

Then you get pregnant and find out it wasn’t love, it was lust. Then for nine months you realize you’re really alone now, feeling kind of mad that you got pregnant and wishing then that you could start over. But it’s too late, now you have something growing inside of you. Knowing you are too young for this, but realizing it’s time to grow up. You’re having a baby. Sometimes you don’t want to acknowledge it, but when your stomach starts growing and something is moving around in you, that is really amazing.  You say to yourself, “I’m going to be a mother”.

I remember thinking, “What is this going to be like?” I would think about a pretty little girl and dressing her up. Then I remembered when my little sister was sick and she cried so much that I couldn’t stand it. She was very hot with a fever, and vomiting all over everything. I felt sorry for her and wanted to cuddle her up in my arms and stop her from crying and make her feel better. Then I thought, “That’s something a mother has to do!” And babies crying in the middle of the night and changing pampers, “OH MY GOD!” It was driving me crazy just thinking about it.

Now I’m nine months and very big, soon to have this baby.  I was getting scared thinking about being in labor. I was terrified because some of my friends started telling me about when they were in labor and what happened and how it hurt “WOW”. Two days later, I went in labor. My water broke and I had labor pains for eighteen minutes before I delivered a 9lbs 6ounce baby boy; it wasn’t as bad as people say. I’m not scared anymore. He’s here now, and I’m a mother.            

Tonie

My Friend Jessica

It’s amazing how some friendships are made. How a friend can have a big impact on your life. Like Jessica and I. We’ve been living near each other for about ten years, but we never met. Today, we are the best of friends. We have been for seven years now.

Our friendship is miraculous. How it became what it is today. I had seen her before, but yet we never met the whole time. We lived on the same block for a couple years. She stayed maybe six houses down from me. We attended the same elementary school. We both volunteered at Columbus Park. We even attended the same high school. We had mutual friends from both schools.

We finally met in high school, but not until the end of my sophomore year. We actually met outside of Michele Clark High School. My boyfriend (at the time) was her cousin. Jessica and I hung out with him and some other people a few times as a group. I am more into art and she was into partying. But, then she and I found common ground with music and family. That’s when our friendship begun!

The good thing about her, she helps me stay on track. I can be a tough cookie and hard to deal with. For instance, my attire, she helped me move from this boyish style to wearing dresses, heels and eyeliner. The very first time I wore a dress on my own was at the age of 16 ½. I never felt the need to look like a young lady. She indeed was a big impact on my life.  She helped me with school, daycare, and a job! She’s a shoulder to lean on and cry on. A person to talk with and chill to be girly girls. To tell my secrets, worries, dreams and funny things.

I am happy to have met Jessica. Who is Jessica? She is my best friend. She and I are crazy cool.  Dramatic, but who isn’t? She’s this and I’m that, but when you put us together were all that!

Tanyette

WRITING WAS NOT MY FRIEND

Writing is what I struggled with for a long time. I would avoid writing at any cost. I have made many excuses when it came down to writing. But when I started attending FAST west learning center, I only needed twenty points on the GED test. My focus at the time was only passing science; I did not have to write at all.

I am now starting over; I now have to take the whole exam over. I can’t avoid writing at all now. So one day in class Mr. Nathan said today we will be writing a narrative essay as soon I heard him say that right away I begin to say I can’t do it. So, he sat me down and encouraged me that I could do it. I sat there and sat there feeling defeated in my mind; unable to put the words in my head on paper. But guess what I surprised myself I was able to write my first essay, then another one and another one. I am ok with writing now. I am still learning.

I have overcome my writing block because there are such great teachers here at FAST west that will not let you give up on yourself and they do not give up either. They will sit with you explain step by step until you get. Now I can feel better when I am writing now and knowing that the test won’t be as hard as it seemed in the past. I can finely stop saying what I can’t do and just do it and not make any room for excuses. THANK YOU SO MUCH Mr. Nathan for believing in me.

 I didn't know that I had the ability to write.  With help and practice it has shown me that I can do anything. Only if you just try it and if you can’t figure it out, just ask for help and know you can overcome anything if you put your heart and mind to work. 

Gloria

Updates

We have begun to add some of the biographies of the authors to the Biography page. Please check those out! The other pages are being updated soon as well. All students are working on one last personal narrative this week and then we will begin a phase of persuasive pieces.

Thanks for reading!

Nathan

A Friend in Need

I am the type of person that always helps out when someone needs me.

Just about two weeks ago, I helped out this girl named Shay. I bought her groceries when she didn’t have anything to eat. When I was shopping for me and my kids, I went shopping for her too.  I went to the grocery store and I told her I am going to bring her three bags back. So, I did because I felt like that she wanted me to and I was helping her out. When I told her that I’m going to bring her groceries, she was like “okay.” I helped out because I am that type of person. Later, she needed tissue, so I had to get her tissue, soap, as well. She has a job and receives child support, but it didn’t matter to me. Everyone is not the same, but after I was helping her I felt good about it because I would not like for any children or child to go hungry.

So, one day I was just testing her to see if she will help me out. So, I asked her can she bring me back some ground beef from the store, so I can cook some tacos. I remembered that she always eats at my house, so I didn’t think it was a big deal to ask her to bring back the ground beef. However, she came back from the store and told me she forgot the ground beef! I told her I didn’t need it because I had stared to cook the chicken anyway and she was like “okay.”

As I help out people, I look at it like it is a blessing. I had to tell her about it, “it is okay to help you out, but I cannot do it all the time.” She got mad and I did not care because I felt like she was using me and she knew it because she had her baby to ask me for something to eat. What I did was fix her baby something to eat at my house. Shay asked why didn’t I send it downstairs to her house and I told her I only looked out for the baby. And she got mad. So, now she doesn’t talk to me or call me. However, the important thing is that I felt good all the times when help her out.    

Nakevia

My Best Friend Jennifer

In November 1999, I started a new job at Bally’s Total Fitness. I worked the front desk as a receptionist, swiping all the customers into the club, and answering the phones. So, one day a customer came into the club. We were laughing and talking about shopping. We hit it off well and quickly became good friends.  We are very similar both of us are nice and loving people. After a while, I met her family and she met mine.

We did almost everything together; we went to dinner once a week to Baker’s Square. We ate the same thing every time. We had pasta, French fries, and apple pie a la mode. We would go shopping on our days off. What is great about my friend is if I did not have enough money she would pay for my purchase. And that is how it went, she never asked me to pay it back. I can remember calling her one day to ask if she could loan me fifty dollars for my light bill and she gave it to me and she would always tell me don’t worry about it. So, when she calls me for anything, I go and do it, even now. And guess what? She is my cat’s godmother!

We still see each other, but not as much since I’ve moved to the city. She still lives in Evanston in my old apartment. We talk almost every day on the phone. Over the years, we’ve had our ups and downs, but we always made up and started talking again.

Recently, we had gone a while without talking. Then she called me in December and said she needed to tell me something important. So, I said, “tell me what is it?”

She said, “I am having a baby.”

So, I said, “No! You’re lying!”

Her reply was, “Yes, I am having a baby!”

So, I asked “How far along are you?”

She said, “three months.”

I am excited for her because she will be a great mother. She is a really great friend also. Jennifer is my best friend we have laughed together, cried together and I wouldn’t change that at all. If you have a best friend hold on to them, because a good friend is hard to find these days and make sure you tell them you love them and mean it.

Gloria