To Kina

I love you first and second you don't need him, your better than that. Kina you are beautiful, smart, funny, an all around sweetheart and there's a guy out there for you. Do not take his shit i had to learn that as well now i am madly in love with my baby who treats me as queen. So do not again i repeat do not sell your self short. What do you want? happiness as we all do so tell him bye and move on life awaits you at every corner. Time is calling you to embark upon a journey of love and joy and opportunities you never imagine. Love ureself first than you will be able to love the right guy and move on from the wrong one. Love you

I need Advice

Hi guys... I kinda have a delema. When You find out the person you admired for so long doesnt capture to much of your intrest any more but for some reason you still care enough to stay in the picture why?Me and my boyfiend have been together for over a year and i use to tend to his every word. I was wifey But the more he disrespected me pushed me away. I knew i had more self respect then letting someone call me a hoe just because i was home or with my friends. I constantly let him degrate and humilliate me in public. So i left him i found me the sweetest guy ever and we didnt last long becuase of HIM. He would constantly call me so i caved in and got back with him. He was kissn my ass like no tomarrow but i didnt want to b arround him. I rather be with my gurls. N he would constantly try and get my fone. wtf so it got to the point where he got locked up and i got him out. His parents love me and hes still kissen my ass but the problem is that i know hes been seen his ex. He told me he didnt do shyt with her. Then why the fuk was he with her ya dig? Im not stupid concidering i knw he was chilln with her from the begining. HE has court tomarrow and idk what could happen but i dont like this shyt and i honestly want to get out of it. Idc if i dont get with anybody im in college i want to have fun with out some one constanly trying to tell me what to do. HELP!

-Kina

SarahW

No you are not the only one on here robert i hope we all continue to post on here for the months to come i kno i will. Everything is going good jus so happy that we all past and excitied about the school year to come with you all love you sooooooooo much.

Hey am i the only one

am i the only one thats posting somthing on this site!
some one please be here

Bone-Making Party

OMG LAST DAii

Wow i do want to say I'm excited about the last day but I'm not sure what to expect. This whole bridge program has had secrets behind doors. And they haven't told us the secret until we pass the damn door up. Shit i know i have been doing good because this whole bridge program i been on my game and it has helped me a lot. I use to be a procrastinator and just knowing i cant fuck up at all just to get the education i want has pushed me to not stop. I would be crushed if i didn't get in. All i know is that i learned a lot of do's n dont's of college. Not a lot of people get the college experience before they get here so i was very fortunate but still worried. I have had so much fun during this program and I'm glad i have met so many great people. I'm just happy i know i can meet so many cool, different, and indifferent people. Well last but not least I'm happy with the program and i hope to see all the people i have met later on in the year. Love you Guys and thank you Danielle and Hafizah!

Arieana

Well this is the final Good Bye!!! My class and I have come so far and we have became friends and family. I am so greatful that i have made it this far because alot of people didn't make it to this last day. I have learned so much from bridge. I have learned that everything in life is not a joke. There are times you have to be serious and there are times when you can have that playful moment. I have grown so much from being in bridge it has made me more mature and a better student. I learned that you can't take things in life for granted because you will never know when you might lose it or fail. I am a better and more focus person to this day. I am so proud of myself for sticking through with the program and not letting myself down. I want to thank the teachers in bridge because without them i wouldn't be able to write this blog or to be able to say i am a columbia student. I will forever have gratitude toward the program. I recommend everyone to part take in the program. The reason i say this because it gives you in sight whats going to happen in college, you make and meet all kind of people ,you learn and transform into a better students. I just want to say Good Bye my fellow classmates and i hope to see you all when the fall semster starts. I love you all!!!!!!!!! Arie

GoodBye my lads

now its time to wrap it up and take with us what we have learned and established. i am excited to move on to the next step of my educational journey. yet i feel that i would miss the things we did in class like the like the discussions and work shopping. i would also miss the group lunch we had even though most of the time we went to dairy queen Jordan lol jp. or my math teacher going farther than math in math class turning it into philosophy losing everyone.
i wonder what exactly would i take from this class would it be to do my homework on time because its the first time i actually felt like i had to would it be to ask questions that even i think are rhetorical or sound dumb. would it be to get out of my comfort zone and be able to meet new friends and be proactive i choose all of them. bridge program has prepared me to be ready for college and if it wasn't for this i probably wouldn't know what really to expect but now i do and i am ready i cant wait.

:) Adios;

Aww, well bridge is coming to an end. Its refreshing but kind of sad also. Glad becuase uts over and i'm leaving with more knowledge than i came in with. Learned more in depth about genocides and different cultures. Also, learning better writing tools and ways to focus and write a better paper. Ive become a better people person and how to except others that i used to find "weird". The sad thing is that in bridge most of us have become really close and used to being with each other just about everyday. When we start school, sad to say, but some people may not be here. Thats not something im looking forward to :(. But what i am excited about is that when school starts we will be columbia students, more prepared than most of our peers because of this program. We have a few falculty connections, we know our way around certain areas, we have been to the museums and lectures. We have first hand knowledge of what to expect from being a stuent at columbia. This program helped me to see something in myself, that i kind of doubted. I saw that I am capable of fulfilling the demanding work of a college course. Before attending this, i was a little iffy because the way other people speak about college, they make it like its the hardest thing and its not possible to succeed. I know it wont be easy but i also know i can do anything i put my mind to! So i am excited to go back to michigan for 2 weeks and tell about my many expriences in and out of school! Then come back here for good and start the life i want for myself. I will miss my friends and even the teachers, lol, even though sometimes i thought we did more than other classes, it prepared me for the life i want to lead! So until the fall, SEE YA LATER!!!


--Jordan <3

248-688-6643
jbogg1126@yahoo.com
facebook; Bella Cartier'

It's been a loooong road.

Four weeks down the line already. Well, it's still two more days! Starting the program I could honestly say I was a little nervous, not scared but just thinking of the possibility of what-ifs. What if I can't handle the work? What if I'm late for class? What if the work that I put out isn't good enough? What if I fail? What if I make it down the road and the time I spent here was a waste. But then I decided that if I don't make it then I didn't try hard enough because there's no reason I shouldn't be good enough to pass. Better yet, if I didn't make it then it wasn't my time. But now coming this far with only two days left I'm fully confident I'm here for a reason. I won't budge now and I'm still going to do what it takes until it's over.
Just going through bridge has given me some good experiences. I don't have any regrets coming here because it benefits me. I would've never learned how serious the work ethic of college is. So even if I came straight to the fall semester I would've got a rude awakening in how much work you need to put in to pass. This is like my reminder because once I'm in college, nobody is going to tell me to put more work in my classes. Bridge gave me the advantage in that.
It's been a long road and I'm almost there. I would like everyone to make it and if they can see the same thing I see then I know everyone here will make it.

Never Good Bye... More like see you later

Never Good Bye but, More like see you later.
From the beginning of bridge, i bounded in some way with all of you. i want to thank you all for showing your selves friendly. when i started i came in with the mind set that i just had to do this program to make it into the school. but this program has taut me alot about my self. it tested how far, was i willing to achieve something. To my teachers, it has been a ride. but I'm grateful that you all have taken the time to help me decover what is really needed to be a great college student. i wouldn't call it discipline but more like though love. ( wink) lol... to my classmates, the reason i named this " never good bye....more like see you later" is because i have faith that you all will see me this fall at Columbia college. if by any reason we don't, i will never lose the connections that we made!! don't give up on your dreams, and never forget what you are coming to this school for.. stay focused. so i say again see you later....

Robert Lee Jefferson
Face book: King funnyman Jefferson
cell phone: 7089839488
website: jeffersonr2.webs.com
email: Jeffersonr2.rj@gmail.com

SarahW Our Family

Dear Classmates

I am going to miss the times we have shared and lessons learned although i am sure we will keep in touch. All of you all brings something different to the group. You weren't trying to be cool, funny, inspirational, or even a friend but that's what you have become. Because you were real from the start the ending of this program will be that more hurtful. But what i choose to believe is that when school starts we will still hangout, whether at dunking donuts, dairy queen, or just out in front talking and waiting on someone because we have become in a way a family. To me you are all beautiful in your own way i see the wonder in the details of you. The talks we have had and the memories made has help me in my growth a a person and as an inspiring journalist. In each of you i see how bad you want to survive whether the misunderstood kid, the prom queen, the jock, the one that is quiet, the class clown, or the bad girl we all came together and it was those features that made us a family. Hopefully you all have learned from each other as i have and know that you all have that spark to make it just never give up and take the steps needed and some that people don't even think of. Remember that there's a world much bigger than ours don't be afraid to stick your head out and look around and always think outside the box be open for other people opinions .

Luv You Guys
SarahW
LyfesLyric

swgdgurl@gmail.com
ctgurl19@yahoo.com
773-634-0547
Look me up on facebook
Sarah Williams

=[ Buh-bye

oh wow, i guess it always comes to say good-bye.
well all i have to say is that this program i believe has been a really good experience for everyone, we worked hard and wrote tons of papers but it was worth it. being here made me think and gave me a taste of the college life that i know i wouldn't have gotten any where else. its helped me by opening up and showing a little of my personality in my papers and helped me become a stronger writer. the people i have met here are very unique in their own way, i hope that no one changes that person because that would be a damn shame, everyone here i come to find all different and beautiful. we had great teachers that pushed us to go far, i believe that's the tough love you have to have to give. so thanks! =]
i really am going to miss all of you guys....we come this far and we should be proud of ourselves... i believe i have seen a piece of your major in your personality......all of you.
just remember not to give up on something you believe in. I found a quote and i believe we should live by it when we get discouraged about what we are doing, the saying goes "the greatest revenge in life is to accomplish what others say you cannot do".
so dont let any body tell you anything different.
im going to miss you beautiful people and I Love you guyz mucho! =]
Jessica Garcia

Off the Island.

The past four weeks have felt like I was on Columbia Survivor or something. The "elimnations" had been scary and the different reasons for each made it feel like I was on a reality show. Now the season is ending and it'll be good to rest for a bit. Well goodbye bridge the last four weeks haven't been necessarily tough but I learned my way around some of the campus and also learned the way I have to attack homework and pirorites. I have been able to keep my self focused since the the second week and the boost/change I went through showed me that I can make drastic changes with the way I present my self and dnot being as slow as I was in the past. Well Goodbye bridge program, I learned names, personalities, tips, tricks, and experiences. Math was hilarious and english was "new".



special byes to my english class: Bye Danielle, Hafizah, "Crazy Nick, Dre, Brian, Marqui, Mark, Debbie, Renita, Ari, Jordan, Jessica, Robert, and Kristina.

Welll I thank god I was in bridge because God knows I couldn't have survived college if it wasn't for this program. My teachers hafizah and Danielle scared the hell out of me only to perpare me for college. Thats raw that they care about us enough to work with us like they did, because some of my old school teachers didn't care. They was only there to get that check, but thats raw. I liked my class mates and the bridge students over all. I was surprise that everyone was friendly and cool. There wasn't no fights or anything. My high school had fights everyday. Thats raw that everys cool. I didn't have to slap the shit out of nobody during the program but instead made friends and got along with everyone. Thats rare for me. I hope to see everyone in school with me so I can say "what's up" knowing they made it. As for me I going to college knowing I did my best, and knowing I will become somebody. Will you be there?! But This is Good by to bridge.. and my hallo to my Journey. hope to see yall along the way... Chea!!!!

Farewell Bridge! :-(.....We'll see each other soon!!...HOPEFULLY!

Congrats, 1 more day until bridge is over!!! A day closer to attending Columbia College. I've enjoyed the bridge program. It not only was just "summer school", but it was a college test. We were treated like college students and learn about college experience. I became a better writer here and learned how to make my paper visual and flow into information. I made a lot of friends here at Columbia and hopefully I will see them all in fall when school starts. This program has showed me that I can do anything on my own and there's not going to always be someone there to push you and constantly tell you what to do. If you slack on something it's your problem not the teacher. You are held accountable for you choices and actions.... so think well! I am ready for college and all the challenges I will face. I will miss everyone...teachers and students and all the fun we had, the hour lectures, long walks in the hot sun, and sitting in freezing dairy queen eating a chicken wrap. So here's my last blog post! :-*(.(the star is a tear lol)

Oh yeah so I'm def about to copy Robert and give my phone number and face book to you guys that don't have it, lol sorry Roboerto!
(708) 843- 1449
facebook- Rena Barbie (it's the 1st one that says Mother Mcauley liberal arts, unless i figure out how to change it to say Columbia))

day 13 post

Jordon
I am also reading Persepolis. The Carter marjane was sent out the country, to not only better her self , and get educated but for safety. Marjane was a out spoken girl and her family though that she might not be able to keep her comments to her self. So the sent here away. They didn’t know weather or not they would ever see her again. My self I have had to leave my confront zone a lot of times ot better my self. I have had to make sacrifices so that I could live a better life. I truly love my friends and family, but if it takes not seeing them for a while, for me to reach my goal then so be it. Because I know that I will see and talk to them. once in a while. I am also leaving my confront zone by coming to Columbia. At my other school I was studying secondary mathematics education and communication. I was confront able in that for a while, until I realized that I didn’t come to college for that. I wanted to do theater. I think that stepping out and leaving you confront zone is good and life changing. In the book, marjanes uncle comes and visits, he tells marjane about he child hood. He tells her how he left home with is uncle because he had the same beliefs has he did.



Sarah
At the end of the book, marjane and her family was on two separate journeys, just like in your book. Marjanes journey was to a different country, for better education, environment, and Life. Her family on t he other hand stayed behind, and contained living there lives they way they where living them. when I am done with Columbia college Chicago I don’t know what journey I would be on. Because I plan to learn more about my self and what I really want to do with theater. So I will find out what path I will be on soon….but I will be looking for a job in what ever I'm ddoing….so if you know any one who's hiring..LOL! I don’t think anyone should know what they are going to be doing in 4 years, but believe that it would be something that they are going for. Now I will say that I hope to be opening a High school in the Chicago Land area for THE “ ARTS”. Something like Columbia just not as big of a Price tag.

J&S Questions

Jordan: because i am reading Persepolis as well Marjane does leave her family and knows that they are doing the right thing for her by giving her a better life style then the one she is living with them(pg.148). as much as she is not liking the idea of them not going with her she knows its for the best and one day she will be united with them.
and i too had to leave my comfort zone when i left high school, i felt like being there most of my time was like a second home to me. as upsetting as it was for me it is always time for a change especially in high school, and maybe my college could give that feeling again.

Sarah: the journey that Marjane is on at the end of the book is pretty much living on her own in Austria to get away from everything in Iran. also what their doing to young girls, marrying them and raping them before they kill them, its cruel(pg.145/146). the decision that Marjane's parents have made for her, i believe was the best thing they could do for her. its like they are practically saving her life and what they want their daughter is for her to live the life she wanted.
if that meant sacrificing, by losing their only daughter and not having her around the way she has always have then that is something they have to do.
for me i don't know where this life will take me, which path or what decisions i will have to make but what i do know, that if i keep fighting for what i want it will eventually come to me and if that is to be my destiny then let it be.

Mark Embrey

Day 13 Sarah:

Well in my book "stanger then fiction" chuck tells you in the last charpter "Consolation Prizes" about his father death. On page 233 he explain how his father and this women name donna Fontaine was killed by her ex-husband for dating her. They were killed and thrown in the garage and set on fire by Donna Fontaine's ex-husband Dale Shackleford. Chuch most of been depressed for along time hearing that his dad was murdered. Writing about it most of been hard to. His journey's I would have guessed he will spend more time with his family. Thats what I think will happen after this book.

I know how he feel because I've lost a family member that i really love too. My uncle Big keith died by a train and stuff, and the funny is he died with someone too just like Chucks dad. My uncle and this woman was hit on some train tracks fighting about something. They say she took something of hes and he chase her up there. Then I guess they got hit. It was many stories of how he got hit. until this day I still can't believe his gone.

Day 13 Jordan

In my text chuck did have to leave his confort zone many times be not to better his self. He left mostly to write another story. Many times I have lefted my confort zone to better myself but only through dance.

Arieana

Sarah
As you know i am read the book Our America as well. The journey LeAlan and Llody are on is the journey to success. They are working on gettin their story out in the world. Showing young people it's not hard to do something postive with your life, if you just believe in yourself and find something that interest you or find something you like to do. They are on this journey because they want to be successful so they came back to the hood and show other it's possible for a kid in the proects to make it out. As they go along leAlan and Lloyd would get discourage form time to time but they kept going. just like on page 152 they lawyer of johnny said he cuts out newspaper stories about LeAlan and Lloyd and hange them over his bed in prison. LeAlan said on page 153 " h guess they have became a symbolize something to him-what he could have been or what he should be have been. That's all LeAlan and Lloyd wanted was to people to recongnize them for what they were working so hard to accomplish was which to make change. The jounery i plan on pursuing is my career in broadcasting or modeling. Its breaks down to broadcasting is something i want to do but modeling is my passion because i grew up on modeling and i really like it. I also like journalisnm as well. I would say they both are my CHILDREN I PLAN TO RAISE.

Jordan:
In my book Our America my characters didn't have to leave their comfort zone to better themselves. Matter of fact their comfort zone was their inspiration. My characters lived in a bad community but by that then seen the problems and struggles. So instead of leaving they stayed and tried to make their community better. But on page 153 the character LeAlan said "A year has passed since we started the story, and nothing has changed in the Ida B. Wells". I somethings you just can't change but the fact is nobody can't never say nobody cared or tried to change the projects.

DEBBIEHDAY13

In our America the book concludes that Lealan went away to college. Lealan is use to growing up in the ghetto on the south side of Chicago and by him going away to school its putting him in another neighborhood and so many different types of people. when he goes away to school it wont only be black kids and it wont be alot of gang violence and people running up shooting each other.Lealan will learn so many new cultures and be able to open his eyes to so much. i feel that even though he traveled to give speeches and accept awards living in a new environment is different then being their temporarily. I think because of that Lealan probably has a one track mind on things either he thinks its gonna be the same or people would judge him right off the back because of where he's from. i think that Lealan and Marjane have alot in common since they were both leaving out of there usual comfort zone to go to school and get a better education. they both were able to make a difference in their communities and take a risk of entering a whole new world. for me i had to leave my comfort zone and tell my mother the most deepest secret i was hiding from her. i was so afraid because I'm so used to being very secretive which is why i think I'm good at keep others secrets. the only father i knew at the time decided to touch me if you know what i mean i was so young and i tried to tell and he would always threaten to hurt my mother if i said something. my brother finally caught him one day and i lied and said that it was the first time that it happened. it took me months of my mother asking to finally tell her the truth one day on our way to church and i just broke down because i was finally able to be real with her and myself. i use to have weird nightmares that he would one day find me when he got out of jail playing in the NBA or something, and do it again. he messed up my life for a very long time. i was finally able to be delivered one day at a church retreat camp fire, i was able to talk about it to my mentor, mother, and counselor. he died three years later and i was so confused because i was happy inside but i cried

i even stopped playing basketball because i realized i had a better calling which was to be able to tell my story and write. i also read our america so we had the same conclusion. the journey i think i would be able to do is become a leader to young women while writing so many books, plays, and movies. i wish to one day open up a daycare and a home for teenage runaways and girls who just need to talk because i feel like i been through so much in just 18 years i can relate to so much. i just hope that i dont become a workaholic lol.

Marqui's Response 13

Jordan: In the end of Our America both Le Alan and Lloyd plan to leave their home which I believe is their comfort zone. While their home, the south side of Chicago is familiar to them since they were born and raised in Ida Bees, it could end up hurting them by staying. Their comfort zone is full of violence where many who reside can't leave because they live in poverty or get caught up with drugs. Usually people can eventually end up killed and it's almost as if people who stay in their home are 'stuck' where they can't leave. Both Le Alan and Lloyd needed to leave so they could make something of themselves and live a better life. They wanted out of their comfort zone so they could go to school and move their families out of the hood.
Like Le Alan and Lloyd I had to leave my comfort zone to better myself, my own home. I wanted to be independent like my mother and be able to take care of myself because that's what I believe what a person growing up has to do. I decided to start off with college so I can learn what I need to be an animator and make a career out of animation. Most important of all, I had to be able to do it myself so that's why I left my comfortable home.

Sarah: Once again I can say that both Le Alan and Lloyd took a journey out of their neighborhood so that they can better themselves. Near the end of the book Le Alan was a senior in high school while Lloyd was a junior. Both wanted the chance to leave the hood so they planned on finishing school and going off to college while finding a way to move their family out of the projects. Getting out of hood and becoming successful is the journey they planned for themselves in the future.
I want a journey full of success like both Le Alan and Lloyd. Once I'm done with college I'll become fully independent and ready to start my career. I'll have learned what it takes to be an animator and all the skills that come with it. I'm gonna be able to hold a job animating for companies and soon after I'll make animations of series or movies of my own. Knowing that I can work my dream career by working at it myself is the journey that I plan to take.

Tale of Two citys

On the very last page of Persepolis, Marjane is about to be go off on a plane as her mom faints in her fathers arms. Everything in the book came up to the momment where Marjane was to leave her family behind for years and maybe even life. Through the book many different characters were all destined to go their separate ways. When Marjane was just 10 most of her friends left to other counrtries to escape while she and her family stayed behind. When marjane was kicked out of school she was to sent to Austria with her aunt in hopes of having a better life. Her family had to stay back and deal with the situations that they were in. Much crying was had but in the end Marjane said "i will never forget where I come from" in the mirror the night before her departure. With a heavy heart Marjane did what they thought was best and went to grow up. Every day I read another facebook status counting down the days they have left before they leave off to their new life of college. It makes me think about how everyone is on their own journeys and although some are connected inevitably we are all on our own. I have probably seen some my friends for the last time and now I'm on my own path. After College I plan on being on the journey to the rest of my life and finally getting some stability. I have been moving around alot but in different patterns. I want to be on the road to a stable job, contentness, happiness, etc. In all honesty I can only hope that journey is short as possible so I can get to where I want to be quickly and steadly get better. I look at me two brothers and see their stuggles and it makes me somewhat scared to go but excited. I want to get older and be independant for the most part, I want to finally contribute to the world and make my mark on it. Its been too long that I was held back for my lack of experience and the more I live the more experience I gain.

For the most part at Marjane's age she didnt ever really have to leave her "comfort zone". She asked alot of forbidden question and when she got older she didn't seem to care whether or not she was home, at school, or at the mall to do what ever she wanted to. When Marjane leaves for austria she was able to feel the leaving for the better. I think out of all the characters marjanes father made the most sacrafice for himself to better himself/his family and his land. On page 127 he went out shopping even thought he didnt want to with his daughter for "hip" things because he knew it was best for the growth of his daughter. Later he would again put his feelings aside for the best future for his daughter when he got moved to Austria. My most recent momment of leaving my comfort zone has been ever since I started this bridge program. I take a little while to warm up to a group of people and its been a tough road to cross to stay in here. Talking, particpating, socializing in class has never been something I would do without a longer time of confidence building and adaptation(its a little slower) I knew what had to best after deandre was kicked out and had to switch up big time. Another part of the the bridge program is doing homework...AT HOME! this has been the first time in years where I acutally do homework the night before or in some cases(like this 5 page paper) days ahead of due date. its been helping me lose my bad habits and getting me out of my little closed zone where I don't want school to intrude on my home time because sometimes I feel like my time is limited. Putting school at the forefront of my priortiy list has been quite the battle but I think its well on its way to become a standard.

Day 13-Renita

Jordan-
In persepolis Marjane gets kicked out of her school so her parents, comes up with the idea of sending her far away it will keep her safe. He parents dont want to send her away i think her mother just thinking about the idea of sending her away is a horror to her. On the last page of the book (153 and 154) Marjanes parents are at the air port with her. They act as if their excited but really their towrn. They know they will never see their daughter again. Marjane feels confident when she see's how excited they are for her. Once her parents leave and she turns around 1 last time she see's her mother has fainted, and MArjane says "I couldnt just go", but she had to. Sending your child away is not going to stop them from being a trouble maker but it will protect her child from all of the bombing. When I was in 4th grade i move to the suburbs. I didnt want to leave all of my friends and go somehwere i knew nothing about. I cried and argued with my mom. I even pult the "well you go and ill just stay here". Believe me that didnt work but at my age right now i am happy i moved to the suburbs. Thre was nothing good around my old neighborhood. When i went to visit my old neighborhood, all the girls were either pregnant, on drugs or an alcholic, and not in school. I dont understand how put dont care their future and becomming successful. Yes life is tuff but its jus a cycle that God put us through to make us stronger and to teach us. The girl looked up to me as if i was some sort of savior because I attended an all girls catholic school. Instead of being prouf for me they began to put me down and say I changed. I told them I didnt change I just matured and I want a future.

Sarah-
In persepelis MArjane is on a journey the entire book. She is trying to mature herself and wants to be placed in the real world. She wants to inteeract with all the conflicts that are going on. She doesnt want to just learn about it and understand it she wants to interact with it. She matures alot through the book and her body shows how much knowledge she learns because it gets super big out of no where. Her journey is her life and everything that her and her family have gone through. When i am done with college I am going to go on a journey to be the best i can be. I am going to search for numerous job oppetrunities and not give up at all.

SarahW Awkward Comfort

Jordan
In the final chapters of Our America Lealan and Lloyd had to face some hard truths. One they had to star to depend on themselves for moral support they weren't as close as when young, the world was a lot bigger with a lot more challenges ahead. Even though since publishing the book they had traveled the world to give talks rather it was seminars or to attain an award the world ahead still held unforeseen surprises. At times it was as if Lealan and Lloyd were at a age of 30 from the knowledge and wisdom they had but now they were really on there own to face the world alone. Growing up in inner city living it is always stepping out your comfort zone when you go any where else. Cumming here to diverse with people i know nothing about is stepping out of my comfort zone. But i feel it is needed and i really want to because it broadens me as a person and as an aspiring journalist. Sometimes you take a chance and find out it's better than you thought this is one of those moments like Lealan and Lloyd i am scared but ready for what the world can throw at me. Not saying that this road will be easy but it is worth a fight to the finish one that i am prepared for maturely and mentally.


SarahW
At the end of the book i am surprise to learn that Lealan and Lloyd are not as close as when young. I guess i thought they would do everything together in a way but that's life with age comes change. As far as school Lealans going away to Howard University and Lloyd has to graduate from summer school. I was mad because i wanted them to graduate together, but the fire still burns to succeed for Lloyd he hasn't given up he to him he can not make it isn't and option for him. Hopefully he did make it and achieve his dream. For me when done with college i aspect myself to have done the necessary work to have my dream career. Working as an investigative report in the field making a difference so the next four years is where i position myself to succeed.

The War in Darfur

Well this is not any old war. This is a civil war between the Government of Suban (GOS)and Janjuweed against the Sudan liberation Army (SLA) and Justice and Equality Moverment (JEM). The war started in 2003 of february in Sudan when SLA and JEM attacks in protest of the Government of Sudan (GOS) the government i think is neglecting the people of sudan, and systematically displacing and murdering them. The government is using the janjuweed to kill them off. Janjuweed was a government-supported army recruited from local arab tribes. The Janjuweed have used rape, displacement, organized starvation, threats against aid workers and mass murder to kill off the people. The only Violence, disease, and displacement continue to kill thousands of innocent darfurians every month. This Genocide war has claim 400,000 lives and displaced over 2,500,000 people. More than one hundren people continue to die each day, five thousand die every month.

Global this is what is going on, me locally I have never heard of this. I never knew that was a war going on in Darfur. Looking at the numbers of people that died in this war surprised me and bring fear unpon me wondering are we next?

Burma Genicide

The Burma Genicide started in the 1960's and has gotten worse over the years. There 130,000 Karen people as victims. March 9th has been desiginated as global day of prayer of Byrma. Burma union of Myonmar is the largest country in Mainland south east Asia or Indochina. The Burma genocide is one of the genocide that is still going on today. It is known as "THE SILENT GENOCIDE"



The stat Peace and development council (spdc) ran by military Junta that has controlled parts of the genocide. The tat madow.I the borness army is composed of more than 400,000 soliders funded with over 50 percent of international budget. Its a shame people participate in torturing people. This genocide has gone on for decades. The military Junta of Mysnmr continues to wage war on countrys ethnic minorities.

This Genocide has gotten worse, international community is doing little. US sponsors UN security council resloution calling for the restoration of democracy in Burma and end to human rights, violations was voted by Russia and China. While looking up reseaech about this genicide a lot of titles or left comments stated "why is.

This still going on? Why isn't anyone doing anything". Yes they are fighting back and even the soliders but they don't have enough power. Its a shame when people have to hurt, torture, and kill others for satisfaction.

"Civilians remain at risk of violence in Burma eastern Karan, Karenni, Shan and Mon states and Tenasserin division. Residents of these minority areas in the western states of Chin and Arakan are victims of summary execution severe tortured as well as forced labor, extortion and displacement due to ongoing Burmese military offense.

SarahW Report Armenian Genocide 1915-1917

August, 9, 2009
Amernian Spoken Truth


Armenians Spoken Truth When I first heard of Genocide I knew only a small amount, now my eye’s are open to what has and is going on in different countries. The Holocaust we learned about in Elementary and High School so that’s how I became interested in learning more outside the class when it comes to that. So just like the Jews the Armenians deserve that same attention and this is my way of showing that I do care and want to know more about them. To date it is estimated that 1.5 million lives were taken by force during the years of 1915-1917 ruled by the Turkish government. No one was spared not man, women, nor child the suffering was un-bearable people where starving, being, raped, even forced into concentration camps. Armenian men in the Ottoman Empire aka Turkish government were disarmed and forced into battalions then killed. On April, 24, 1915 the Armenian political and intellectual leaders were rounded up and killed . Then the remaining Armenians were rounded up and told that they were being relocated, and then marched off into concentration camps in the desert were they starved and thirst to death in the blazing sun. The authorities in Trebizond a country on the Black Sea coast did their’s a little different they would take the Armenians and load them on barges or freight boats and sink them far out at sea. Along side the Armenians being destroy there were 5 million Greek Christians in Turkey at the time of World War 1 they were also targeted for programs of deportation, and forced marches leading to death.

What’s sad is that they have been almost entirely forgotten they were Greek Orthodox victims living along the Anatolian European coast in 1914. Because of the massive killings by 1923, Greece had received about a million people mostly elderly and children, able-bodied adults did not make it to safety. There were some who spoke openly about what was going on one of the people who did speak was Mustafa Kemel, the founder of modern Turkey in 1923 he called Genocide and abomination of the past. Meaning that the past had to stay in the past and that it was time for a new future with new possibilities. Even now the Turkish government denies that the genocide actually happened, or suggested that typhoid a disease infection or the Russians and the Germans were responsible for the massive loss of life. To them the word genocide isn’t acceptable according to the chairman of a group of former Turkish ambassadors. The Turkish president Ahmet Necdet Sezer said the accusations of genocide doesn’t have a strong foundation and that the word upsets and hurts the feelings of the Turkish nation. But what I don’t get is how they can be hurt but what about the people this happen to how do they feel or do they not care.

There are thoughts flowing around that because of the Turkish government unwillingness to admit their predecessor’s acting hand in the genocide of the Armenians. It may threaten the prospect for their future membership in the European Union. In many ways I think that it is justified seeing that European Nation stands against genocide both past and present. The French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier believes that in time Turkey should come to terms with it’s past, and make peace with the tragedy that took place. He also states that during their negotiation process he will talk to them about that and how both of the parties will have ten years collectively to think about what was discussed and come to a deciding answer from the Turkish government.

Since then the Armenians has been declared an act of genocide meaning the mass murder at hands of the Ottoman Turks. Also the Turkish Prime Minister and opposite leader Deniz Baykal agreed to talk about the past. The Prime Minister stated that the state archives meaning documents in Ankara and Istanbul are open to everyone. In a shocking turn the Armenia President Sargsyan invited the President of Turkey to come and watch a World Cup qualifier game between their two soccer teams. After that the people representing both states had a meeting to discuss opening their border, opening up new diplomatic relations, and helping with tensions between the two countries. Even though we are in American our government media does care about what is happening over seas. So CNN did a special on genocide it was called Scream Bloody Murder it was fact based information on the different genocides committed throughout history. The thing that upset Khachatourian of Armenia Now.com is that they were not in the documentation and they felt that Scream Bloody Murder was an important piece of journalism and his people deserved to be foreseen he. As a end result The Armenian genocide is one of top genocides discussed throughout the world whether politically or in the class room never to be forgotten but as a reminder that even the dead has a voice.

One Day At A Time

Silver Lining

SarahW Day 13

In Our America we conclude with Lealan and Lloyd on new separate journeys. In your book what journeys are your charcters on at the end of the book and how and why do you think they are on them? Connect the story to yourself when you are done with college what journey will you be on and how and why are you on them?

Day 13 Question :) -Jordan

In Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi has to leave her country to go live in a better educated community. In your text did your character have to leave their comfort zone to better themsleves? Have you ever had to leave your comfort zone to better yourself; education or family?

SarahW MySpace

Mark

Lealan and Lloyd support each other i can tell that there probably were not that many day's they didn't spend together. With all the craze of family, school, friends, and the neighborhood they had to get away whether a bus ride to the shore or just at a diner it was they're way of some norm ency. At times it was being alone in they're separate homes but it allowed them to think of past, present, and future. As the documentaries gained media coverage people wanted more so they wrote Our America giving and inside look to the public. Now that the book has been published Lealan has traveled the globe to talk more on the book and the helped needed in the hood. So something that started off small ended up being bigger than ever imagined. Sometimes my best friend is that get away for me as i am for her, sometimes a hug or just a conversation helps me more then she/he will ever know. I love to walk around at night especially downtown so beautiful it helps me to think or just be free. Writing has always been my way of doing my part that's when I'm not debating. But hopefully journalism will open doors so that my words and voice can be heard on the main stream media. Knowing that i am doing my part means all the world to me.


Jessica

Because of the neighborhood, school system, and his family situation you could say Lealan and Lloyd feels that way. But i don't think they do it seems as if they have matured to understand that there's somethings you can't control so you have to make the best out of it. True they want the neighborhood, schooling, family, all to be a lot better than it is but they act as if they want to make it so that things can be better. I am sure they are vulnerable and they want better than what they have been given but they don't complain about how they wish life can be different but instead they use it to make them better and stronger. As for Lealan he never got to meet his father and most would let that hold them back, but he takes it and uses it to be better than him as a man and one day probably as a father. Lloyd mother has past but instead of being mad all the time it has taught him a new found respect for his sisters who has raised him. In my life i have lost a many people but i don't feel abandoned i just miss them and smile at the memories. I have always been around older people i think that's where i get my maturity from it also made me wise and old fashioned when it comes to certain things. So at times i do feel out of place, or different but i love it and i have no regrets.

Day 11 - Me
Like i said Chuck is always in and out of being alone from the world and united with the world. Doing this makes you raw at story telling. I should know because I have tried this. It was a screenwriting, playwriting and acting job i took for three years. In the sceen writing job, my teacher Chris tood me to use my 5 sense to give perfect detail about stuff, and most of all to isolate my self from the world because it give you a new perspective of stuff. In the intro of my book {fact and fiction} pages xv - xvi he explains it. Its cool how you see things when doing this because its like everything is new to you.

Jessica
Well in my life i felt always alone, but chuck in my book never been abandoned or felt alone. (at less not what i remember) but i have walked that road, and let me tell use its not cool, like real talk its not. I use to think i can live life without being active with anyone, or talk to anyone but my brothers and them. i was just a mess. Now that i have Jesus Christ by my side it never feel alone. You know.. awww man yall got me peaching... LOL

Mark: In Stranger than fiction Chuck seems to be by him self and move on to his next story. he does this in connection to other people who are the same way. In the world he brings comfort to people who dont think what they do is appreciated. He gives them that closure to know people want to hear their stories. In my case when im alone i like eating chunkey monkey ice cream and watch T.V. When i figure out what im going to do i enter the world and

explore my options. But most of the time im chilln by the crib.

Jessica: The writter Chuck goes threw a little paranormal stage where these two woman think they are recovering Chucks past. To them they see a horrible tradgety. What they didnt know was that Chucks father taught him a lession. He might of not did it the best way but it scared the shit out of him so he knew never to do it again. Chuck put a washer on his finger that made his finger swollen. So his father took him out to the back and pretended as if he was going to cut it off but then took him in the kitchen and washed it off. From there he knew to never do stupid shit again. Ofcourse his father wasnt going to hurt him but from anyone elses point of view would concider it worng of him as a father to do that.

Arieana

Well Mark:
The characters in the Our America really didn't do anything by themselves. The two characters LeAlan and Lloyd was always together doing things, like going to their favorite places hanging out. They go around to different people in the projects and ask them questions together. They are bestfriends and they always stick together. They have eachother backs. LeAlan and Lloyd really aren't just bestfriends they are like brothers to eachother. You can say a brother from another mother. They both are positive young men and their goal is to make change in the projects and to bring people together to care what goes on in the hood. Letting people know that he just can't make change by himself nor can we make change by ourselves but he's talking about "all of us as one, living together in our America" quoted LeAlan on page 200. I would say i like to think alone. You sometimes when you are in a room full of people and everybody got an idea and they start to talk about them. Then you get like can you please just go somewhere because then you can't hardly think what you want to say. So thats what i like to do alone. Somtimes i can get to a place where i don't want anyone around me. You know sometimes you just want me time and not having all kinds of people with their drama, jokes or negative around.

Jessica
Yes the characters in my book have felt abandon by family members. Like LeAlan he feels abandon from his father. His father acts like he doesn't exsist in the world. Lloyd feels some what a hole in his heart because his mother dead and his sisters had to take care of him and his other brothers and sisters. He doesn't feel that motherly love that he should have as a young child growing up.

Dayyyy` 12; Jordann (:

Mark; In Persepolis Marjane is usually by herself. She rarely ever goes out and does things with others. When she does its usually her family There is like three occasions where she goes and interacts with her friends. Once when she skips school to go to Kansas for burgers with her older friends. She skips out on school to fit in with the older girls (p.111). This to me shows that she is trying harder now to interact with people in her age bracket. Me, personally, i like to be my myself to think and chll out. Sometimes i like to be by myself to dance. Mostly i just like to be by myself to get stuff done, because i have a bad attention span. I get distracted way too easily. Plus, im used to being alone. With everything else, i love to be out in the world doing stuff. Like, talking, hanging with freinds, interacting and etc.

Jessica; In Persepolis she feels a little abandoned at the end of the book when her parents send her to Austria to get a better education. They say they will come to join her in a couplle of months affter they handle some buisness, but in her heart she knows they wont move there, only come to visit. Even though thats whats best for her, its hard for her to except, because her life is her family pretty much. There have been plenty of times in my life i have felt abandoned. Like when my sister was younger and she was in high school, i used to want to go with her, and she wouldnt take me anywhere..EVER. . . now, i still feel that way sometimes because im older and she still acts funny about taking me certain places. But its gotten alot better. We go alot of places.

Day 12 not 11 ( LOL)

Great Question Jessica

I'm also reading Persepolis, and i like the example you used from the book. in the book marjane feels a little abandoned. in the book marjane was at the store shopping for jeans, when she heard a bomb. when she turned on the radio she discovered that the bomb had hit her neighborhood. she ran out of the store, straight home. when she arrived a crowd had gathered around her home. when she Finlay fought through the crowd she saw her home destroyed. but, she didn't see anyone from her family. so I'm sure at this point she felt all alone and abandoned. gladly to say, she found her mother.

i have felt abandoned before; but for silly reasoning. when i was younger i hated taking my shoes off at other peoples home because i was afraid that my mother would say that i was staying. but nothing more then that.

Mark:

well, marjane takes time to think by her self, most of the time that's he reflects on things when she by her self. if we reflect on the very beginning of the book, marjane we kind of the out cast so she was alone allot. now when marjane is in the confront of her own home she can be her self vs. her being out in the public eye. she has to hide her true identity. and being creative and individual is not an option. Now me, at home I'm very soft spoken, i know it hard to believe but i am. and i can let my guard down. out the the BIG BAD WORLD, I'm out spoken and very up front, i think its because of my little personal concept ( get them before they get you, its a dog eat dog world)

Marqui's Response

Mark: One of the main characters in my book Lloyd would mourn over his mother's death when he thought nobody would see him. That's because in an area where showing weakness like crying can get you killed, Lloyd doesn't want to show his emotion in public where people might think he's soft and make him a target. Instead he hides his sorrow and waits until he's in his room at night and even then he wouldn't let his brother who shared a room with him know that he cried. When he's out in the world Lloyd goes back to hanging out with Le Alan and interviews people in their neighborhood about what goes on in the projects. When I'm by myself I like to think about situations that happen in my life. For example, if somebody wanted to fight me during school I would spend the rest of my time at home alone just thinking about what could happen by fighting someone in school. When I'm out into the world I adjust the way I act depending on who I'm with or where I am. If i'm hanging with friends I tend to be more care free but when I'm doing work I'm more serious. I'm different to myself alone than out in the world.
Jessica: Le Alan felt like his father abandoned him because he was never there in Le Alan's life. Le Alan however doesn't care for his father nor does he want him in his life anymore because he knows he has a loving family who has been there for him and he doesn't need a father. I'm just like Le Alan because my father abandoned my mother and I. Thing is I don't care that he's not in my life because I grew up fine without him. My mother and my grandmother is enough to take raise me.

Renita

Marks question-
In Persepolis Marjane spends most of her time at home but wondering about the world. she wants to participate in everything, she wants to know the answer to everything. She researches and reads. In the world she doesn't do anything until she gets a little older and begins to leave the house. On her way home she See's the police and numerous people lined up where she lives. She rushes through the crowd and police to check and make sure her family is OK.
When I'm outside in the world I represent myself as a leader, a good Samaritan. I try to help as much as possible with no reward in return because its not always about that.I am like a protector towards me and others. When i am inside I rest and relax. I try to comfort myself and leave all drama and stress outside.

Jessica's question-
I think Marjane feels abandoned a lot when he parents do things that she cant. She is a very curious child and wants the same experience that her parents go through. The reason i can relate to Marjane is because I feel abandoned when i cant do the things that the adults in my family do. I feel its unfair but i realize that my time will come for everything and i need to stay in my age place.

M&J Questions

Mark: when Marjane is all by her self she tends to talk to her self and explain her thoughts on how she feels about them. what she does in the world is simple, she has no choice but to live through the changes her country has made. but yet at the same time she lives her own life, with her own style that many girls are afraid to try to pull off because of the woman police that come around. Marjane did a risky thing by going out by herself and wearing her denim jean jacket, her Michael Jackson pin and her Nike shoes.
what i do by myself,well i do think about a lot things that go up in my personal life. i think about school, my friends, just a lot of things that have come too close to me in my life and that i just randomly think about. i do most of my thinking on the train and when i listen to my music, you know the ones that make you think about things that you been going through. also i like to sing to myself at little moments when I'm in a good mood. but when it comes to the world, i don't know what i do for the world but i do read and see about things that go on in it. i go out for walks around the parks and notice the little things that most people take for granted, things that i take for granted, you know and cherish them. you know and i also do what i got to do to live and find my place in this world. just trying to make it through.

Me:Marjane feels extremely sad when she find out her parents are going to send her to Sweden and they wont join her for a long time. i wouldn't say she feels abandoned but her without her parents it seems like a lifetime till she sees them again, but she knows they only the best for her. there have been times where i have felt left out like being left out of a conversation, or even you know just feeling like your all alone. these are the times where i feel the most abandoned, when you feel like theres not anyone that will be there for you. then i open my eyes and realize i do have people in my life that are going to push me and encourage me to be my best.

Day12MarkNJessica

one of my characters Lealan likes to write diary responses after he's gone and interviewed people for the day. he sits in his room and give you a little insight on how he feels about things that he found out throughout the day. this is his time that he rethink it out and put his general conclusion about it. when Lealan goes out he interviews people on whats going on in the neighborhood giving them a chance to speak their minds on whats the deal and whats going on in their world. its said in the book that Lealan also likes to read and with the people he goes to seminars to talk to other kids. when I'm by myself i like to go to the library to read a book or throw on a CD maybe some Micheal Jackson or kheri hilson and just start making up a dance. when it comes to outside of being by myself i like to hang out with my girls maybe have a girls day. sometimes i even do it with my sisters and my mother or i like going out with my boyfriend. i feel like Lealan has been abandoned by his father because he wasn't in his life. also if I'm not mistaken it said in the book that his father knew of him which really shows that he abandoned him for whatever reason there was. i would say that i use to feel like i was abandoned by my mother because when she had me she gave me up to her sister and i found out about it when i was like 8 and i was hurt because i saw her before and didn't even know she was my mother. it hurt me the most when i thought she was coming to visit me one day and she actually didn't know who i was and asked me for 50 cent still to this day i would never forget that day. i mean now i understand that she was sick. since I'm older especially since i was blessed to be with someone who cares about me.

sitting here blogging listening to Hafizah's music.

In the privacy of her own Marjane and her family do alot of things that would be considered illegal by the her government. They share ideas, discuss differing opinons, etc. Earlier in the book Marjane would speak to God in hte privacy of her own room, but as time went her ties to religion loosened and she was entering her teen stage. Things were getting extremely hostile outside so they had to compensate for the repression of individualality by drinking and throwing/attending parties. On page 105 Marjanes mother is shown putting up black curtains to conceal their behavior from neighbors. They find it the only way to keep their sanity. As Marjane gets older and begins hanging out the older teenage girls she starts the rebel stage much like most teenagers. The bahavior she shows at home she starts to show in real life. She starts wearing jeans, denim jackets, , listening to iron maiden, wearing nike shoes, and wearing Micheal jackson Pins. She starts cutting school and doing a bunch of coming to age things. She gets to the point where she fights so much to be who she is that she pushes a nun and gets expelled. When its just me I do alot of stuff that noone thinks I would do. I listen what might be considered weird music, Listen to videogame podcasts, talk to myself, laugh @ things noone else would get. Outside I like to joke around, but my favorite thing to do is..listen and study people. I may not stare and watch someone directly but i like to study small little idioscrsays(idk how to spell that) and see if I can guess who they based off old studies of people. Studying people also gives me laughs and I ca laugh about the smallest things. I'm much nicer and and polite then I usually am though.

When Anoosh Dies Marjane feels her first sense of doubt towards God. She believed that he was no longer there for her and that the world was truly only tragic. We see sadness later on when Their maid's sons decid to try and sell their brother for a key. Marjane's maid feels that she is losing everything for nothing and becomes depressed until they the Idea of Marrying Marjane changes his mind about being sold. I don't usually feel abandoned and if I do its only mometary. When I first graduated I felt that I had been forgotten by my graduating class and I would laugh when I read their facebook status's saying "Man aint nobody calling me or asking to hang out I guess I don't have any real friends". I would mostly find that funny because they would be people had just hung out with them days before. Yet noone called me and asked me anything, but it is what it is and I don't fret much about it mostly because they know I don't like to do much stuff because I'm lazy, don't like to spend money, and live far but I still would have appreciated a slight effort!

Mark: Day 12

Chuck in my book "Stranger then Fiction" is always in and out, being by his self then going out to tell another story. Tell me locally what do your charactor do by him/her self, then tell me what do your charactor do in the world? Tell me what do "you" do by your self and out in the world?

day 11

I agree with the fact that we are all connected as people, or should I say we share some of the same traits. We are connected through are art, music, culture, food, race, laws, religion, est. We are connected through food, because we all eat food and it also connects us culturally. Like the characters in Persepolis, are dayly interactions can affect in some ways, the way we are connected. Such as when marjane and her mother was at the foods market and noticed that there was very few items to choose from. two woman in the market we’re fighting over food. Something that connects us, because of are dayly interactions with each other, it can disconnect us. If that makes since.

Robert,
When I walk out of my house I fear a lot of things, I fear being robes, shot and killed, or something surprisingly tragic accurse. I afraid of these things because I know that they can happen very easily. In the book Persepolis, Marianne’s family has to hid a lot of the charteristics of there life style. When they walk out side they are risking there lives, ricking being bombed, or murdered because of what they had on. In the book marjane went out side and was stopped by tow woman, who wanted to know why she had on what she did. What do I see here? Micheal jackson! That symbol of decadance? She asked marjane. No she replyed. Walking aroung having to fear everything is very scary when you think about it. We truly live in a world that is not as safe as we think. “ just enough protection” .

Am i scared or bored?

Sarah: In our world today i see everyone connecting because at one point of their life they have run into a snag in their life where they just chose to be alone because no one understood what was going on. In Stranger than fiction Chuck goes to interview Marylin Manson. He describes how many people are scared and despise him. Basically no one understands him. I don't blame them because Marilyn describes a little boys bones he has packed a way wanting to make a chandelier. How weired is that? The thing is that as weird as he is he still has a connection to all of us. He spends allot of time alone and finds ways to expand his horizon then just screaming in a mic. Another thing is that he has fear like we all do. We all have a fear of infinite things like life after death and the solar system for instance. He has a fear of the ocean. He says " There's some thing to infinite about it that i find dangerous". Sure hes weird but he has a fear like we all do. Chuck took the time to go connect with one of the most oddest human beings on earth. I give him props for always going out to find that story and not just stay home and look shit up on the computer. Pg.150

Robert: in Stranger than Fiction Chuck is scared of being lonely. He stays at his home from time to time but only enough time to think of a way to connect with other people. He is a " can do" person. He doesn't fear the outside world. He finds it intriguing and tries to see more than meets the eye. Shit he is a brave man from getting kicked in a dog suite to house sitting his friends house to hear the crazy ghost scream in the basement. For me i don't get scared to leave my house anymore. Before when i was younger i use to from time to time because if i ever embarrassed my self i wouldn't want to show my face anywhere. The only thing i can say scares me from going out side is the weather sometimes because you never know what the weather can do to you. I'm not trying to crash my car because its poring cats and dogs.

R&S Questions

Robert:I am also reading Persepolis and i agree with Robert when he says how much that Marjane's family are going through and yet still have time to smile. i know that the family are scared because its like they cant do what they want in their own home, they have to close the curtains so the neighbors wont see them. they are afraid that the neighbors will say something and the police end up going to their house for the next arrest. On pg 105 a neighbor of theirs were planning a party but parties are forbidden and that earned him 75 slashes, its just sad not being able to live the way you wan to live in your very own home. but even though it is forbidden Marjane's family didn't find the whole no party rule to their approval too much so they continued to party. in spite of them getting caught they knew this would be some happiness for them with everything that has been going on.
when it comes to me i am very cautious when it comes to leaving on my own especially at night. so yes i am at times scared when I'm by myself but when I'm with people that i feel comfortable around or i know i can trust then i feel safe. but going to school and work it a bit scary but my mom has always told me to be around where there are people because you never want to be all by yourself.

Sarah: i believe that we are all connected in a way because we are all people, we have feelings, we cry, we think and talk to ourselves in our heads on problems we have. we also have in common on how bad we all want to go to college and we all have dreams to follow them. when it comes to Persepolis and what they go through its like as much as all that is going on they continue to keep on going along with their life. i believe we do the exact thing, when we have personal problems we just keep going along.

Sarah Day 10
Well we are all connected by this world, meaning that we all in the same boat, and we are all human being. We work together working for each other and helping one another. Thats how we all are connect. Its kinda like we have to get alone with which other ofrwe all will fall as one. If some dont work at my Job at mcdonalds some would have to work over time for that people. its never like every man for them self. In my three castle builder build castles for diferent companys. Like on charter 5 one of them build on from disney world. That what I call help one enough.

Day 10
My character Chuck dont be scare around his surroundings affend in my book. One time in the 6th charter to the last short charters the people from 20th century, brought him a room because of all the story conferences. Me personally i think he is use to going places and fitting in with his surroundind.

Dayyy 11; Jordan

Robert; Yes, In Persepolis there are rare occasions when walking outside of the comfront of their doorstep is fearful. This, of course was before Iraq bombed their country. For example, on p.89 of the text, it shows/tells how people had to flee their homes because staying their would only result in death. Im sure this was scary for the citizens because they had to leave their lives behind, and there were bombs targeted at there area. The situation isnt getting any better, but as the saying goes " its gonna get worst before it gets better". The only thing that makes them feel better during the horrible time in their lives is that they have eac other. Many people in the country have lost someone but they have't and they're thankful! When i leave out the house i dont usually fear anything around me now. When i was little, i used to live in one of the roughest parts of detroit, so i saw a lot of things and i became accustom to them, so now it doesnt faze me seeing or hearing certain things that would make other people fearful. The world is a scary place so i just look up and never let it get me down. I do fell safe, even though its not safe.

Sarah;We are all connected as people because regardless if we want to realize it, we have many of the same characteristics and instincts. We may see someone and think that we are completely different, but once we sit and listen to their story, we start to understand and see that they aren't as different as we thought. Like in Persepolis on pg.138 when a missle had exploded in her neighborhood and she was not at home with her family she ran straight home. Dropped evryhting she was doing to see about her family. Thats something i believe everybody would do, especially when it comes to their family. I know I would react the same way she did. Our daily actions determine who we are, like Marji read everyday, it made her smart and comprehensive.

SarahNRobertquestions

i think we all are connected by so many ways we look at each other as different because of race and ethnicity. like for black kids raised in the ghetto we think we're the only ones who can survive in the streets and make our own personal yet local hustle. its really messed up because just because your black doesn't make you a street smart person. with white people they are stereotyped to be too uppity and stuck up and afraid of life and rich. this is so wrong because i have met some that are more down to earth than some of the black people i know. you might think oh they have the good life they never been through anything when they go through the same things we go through. not only whites but other races too we all have our problems and they could be same but different. sometimes it depend on how you react on things whether you let things get to you and take you over.
like in the book Our America Lealan and Lloyd both were a part of this documentary session and they both are from the same neighborhood and since they been friends forever they both been through alot together. even though Lealan has been moving up and not looking back while Lloyd has still been slacking off in school putting them on two different paths they both are not going to become the same person. on page 203 of the book it says that lealan will be finishing his senior year on honor roll and captain of the football team and will be going to Howard university. It says on the same page that Lloyd is still in high school and that he has to repeat a grade again. I'm not saying that Lloyd will fail but it shows that we can all be on the same road and whine up on different paths. i feel that its the same way with me and my best friend London we both been through the same stuff growing up sometimes together but even though we are both going down to totally different paths. she has been kicked out of Chicago public schools for life because of her behavior and i am on my way to a journey of college. we always said that we would make it out together but you cant get everything you want unless you work for it and understand don't give up because someone else is crying the same tears whether there in Brazil or Africa or Paris. i just hope to one day get back in touch with her and hopefully save her and let her no i didn't give up and she shouldn't either. i most definitely would say that Lloyd and Lealan deal with fearing the world around them like on page 33 it tells a story about the neighborhood everyday. like when i was eight years old, my cousin willy had a friend named tony and another named little cecil when baby tony came out of jail he was walking through the park when a boy lit him and blew his head off. i remember one time i was over my aunties house house spending the night we were playing super Nintendo and i heard this woman left off about eight shots to this man.and we were just still there like nothing happened they dealt with this stuff everyday and it don't even really affect them which is shameful for a 13 year old.

Arieana

Sarah

Well sarah i think we are connect on a level is that we are human and we make mistakes. We aa people live in the same world but different area's. We all part take in worldly events and share the same feelings. Even though there are so many different race and cultures. We all have and show emotion in some kind of way. Whether its crying, huging, laughing, joking or even showing anger. We all take part in one of those emotions. Just like in the book Our America, by LeAlan and Lloyd witnessing the trail of two young boys getting convicted of murder on page 131, hearing them getting an adult sentece which was life in prison. Really affected their minds. Which it would affect mind as well because these little boys are babies and knowing they are going to spend the rest of their life in prison is really sad. What are they going to do in prison for the rest of their life. To be honest their life haven't even began yet. They haven't even experienced life. It the end of society future.

Robert:
Robert when my characters LeAlan and Lloyd walked out their homes they did feel a sense of fear. That fear was death. They fear for theor lives. They said they couldn't even be like a normal kid, not just the kids feared the adults also fear for being murder. As I read through the book my characters found comfort of their fear by being wise and making change in their neighborhood. They wanted people to feel comfort in their neighborhood so they took the step to make a change and took their problems and stories to the government. They let them hear people stories and feelings on how their invironment is not safe nor coming to the fact it's not stable.

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Sarah: Every one has a connection to one another, whether it is big of small we all share at least a few interests, opinions, etc. Culture is what connects us all, people share the same nationnal cultures and then those nations share simliar parts of about their cultures and then all the sub scultures are also connecting us. People from different worlds are into the same music, movies, games, activities as everyone else which allows people who share similar passions to be able to relate to each other and have a coversation about it pretty in depth. Not only that but small interactions also help just taking small acts of kindness or rudness or just indifferentness. They all affect how we see everyone around us...how we make stereotypes on people or how we don't. Small interactions are sometimes more signifcant than the big ones. They add up together and being a huge whole that makes an impact that we didnt notice thans to the small additions being put together slowly. in Persepolis, its the small subtle hints of their culture that connects you to all the characters in the book. ON a few occasions they give specfic odd little conversations and reinofrce the fact that they are no different than other people. On page 91 Marjane has a conversation with Mail's two sons about Star wars which isnt very important to the narrative itself but later on the next page the boy farts showing even more that even though majran kinda grew up fast thats not the case for all the kids and they are still kids. Oddly enough Marjane finds the talk about farts hilarious and kinda gets to be a kid again. Being a kid again reminds me much of myself when I see kids playing , not washing, just watching cartoons all day, makes me kinda want to go back to my childhood but I can't so I don't dwell on it. Marjane's exposure to "american" culture over time has made a huge impact on what she thinks and how she views the world. She begins listening to the rock band, iron maiden, wearing nikes, earing american clothing. She doesn't represent an entire culture by herself but she does make u think about just a few times of exposure can change a person tottally and the more it happens to more people the more diverse and open the world can become.

In Persepolis, Marjane and her family are more and more discouraged to go outside with rising of violence, but they know that they cannot live in fear and growing up and old is something that must be done. Marjanwas getting older so she has been going out and about alot more. Marjane is coming to be herself and doesn't want to change any that and she knows that its becoming much safer for her to acutally do so. Even so they still worry and stay aware. The older I get the more I go out on my own. I am becoming much more aware of my surrounding but I am not in fear of my surroundings, just cautious. @ night my level of awareness jumps up a notch because I know that things are not as safe as they seem with me just being aware. Now unfortunately my awareness has also added to a bit of a paranoia problem. For example I was walking down western one day and I'm sure this crackhead dude was trying to attack me, and even if he didnt attack me Im glad I was safer than sorry. on page 145 Marjanes mother tells her mother they she doesn't want anyone to touch her or she'll kill them. She shows that she is scared and cares but knows that she can't hold her daughter back forever. Slowly as the book progresses the situation doesn't seem as grim as it had looked once before.

Robert: While the neighborhood has always been rough, in Our America it's now 1996 and the south side of Chicago has taken a turn for the worse. On page 167, Le Alan says that in the past 3 years things have gotten more exciting and difficult. The violence has increased since 93 to the point where the police have to take students out from school for selling drugs. Students are stabbing others in their own class. On page 169 when Le Alan and Lloyd revisits their elementary school they ask their teacher the same question, "What percent of the class is gonna make it?" Three years ago the answer was about 95 percent with only 5 or 6 percent of the students not making it. Now its 50 percent! That shows how things have gotten worse in their neighborhood.
Le Alan and Lloyd fear that the violence is getting out of control but that doesn't stop them from getting better. Pg. 159, Lloyd says, "I'm seventeen years old, a junior at Future Commons High School. Could be doing better, but I'm gonna get it together. Le Alan then says "And I'm a senior at Martin Luther King Jr. High School, on my way to college in a couple months." When they stuck to their goal about making something of themselves and not getting caught up with selling drugs they were able to live better despite the increasing violence. They're not happy with the direction the hood is going but they're happy with what they do with their lives.
Fortunately I was never in a situation where I feared people around me because as long as they didn't stand in my way from reaching my goals, having a good job as an animator, there's nothing to fear. The world only scares me because who knows if the world would throw something unexpected at me and I'm not able to reach my dream. I just gotta be confident that nobody can stop me.

Sara: Everyone is connected to each other because things that one person can effect everyone else. For example, when I wrote about genocide I called it a chain of hatred because when one group of people killed another group for whatever reason, they were killed by another group for that same reason. On page 163 LeAlan and Lloyd's neighborhood had it's first major gang warand on Pg. 160 Le ALan even says, "...with them cutting off welfare, a lot of these shorties are gong to be even more messed up." "Shorties are going to be out here starving, and they're going to want to ea. I'ts going to be hell out here!" While this would affect most of the hood, Le Alan and Lloyd didn't let it affect them. They're moving on up now and are almost finished with school even though other kids have been dropping out and dealing drugs. They want to make something of themselves.
Like them I don't let a bad situation affect me. When I applied for columbia I had a low g.p.a.
But now I'm giving my all in the bridge program and I'm gonna do what it takes to make it in columbia.